I have a new favorite title for a sales ad: Territory Manager, Swine-Minnesota I’m not making that up, it is an actual title. This seems remedial, but employment ad titles do matter. Most of us remember the days of looking at ads in a paper where space was limited and costly. Titles were less important then because the ad was still displayed. Not today – I only see the title of the ad and the company in the electronic format. The title has to be strong enough to elicit the click. I think there are many companies that still miss that critical point. And the major culprits are companies with… Read More
Continue ReadingCopy-Paste Before Proofing
Proofread your ads – a simple, simple task that seems to be ignored by some companies. From an ad I read this morning (my editing): A fast growing ______________ is seeking one great sales person to take the Minneapolis/St. Paul market to the next level. Innocuous enough, but when you read through the ad you find this requirement: Organization, computer proficiency, a valid Massachusetts driver’s license and proof of insurance required. That is going to drastically reduce their candidate pool in the Twin Cities. I wouldn’t recommend writing the entire ad in bold font either, but that seems minor compared to the Massachusetts license requirement.
Continue ReadingA Compelling Job Ad Title
This is leverage: Financial Advisor for FORTUNE magazine’s No. 2 “Best Company To Work For“ Financial advisor in this day and age = tough sell. Fortune’s no. 2 company to work for = compelling. Kudos to Edward Jones for a well-titled employment ad.
Continue ReadingGPS-Buster
I’m perusing the employment ads again and came across one for a position in North Dakota. The company is using a large, national recruiting firm which is clear from the ad. One problem, the city listing for the ad: Bismarck, MN Since I know we have readers from around the country, Bismarck is the capital of North Dakota…there is no such town in our home state of Minnesota. Could be an oversight, but my guess is the recruiting firm passed on the chance to visit their North Dakota customer in winter. I’ve said it before – some errors simply cannot be made in an ad. This would be one of… Read More
Continue ReadingJob Ad – Requires Skin Lotion
Another example of proof-reading being foolishly replaced by an automated spell check: Lead the development, scheduling and distribution of market/sales client tough points (new product launches, enhancement announcements, holiday cards, etc.) That is from an employment ad that, despite using lots of words, does not identify the industry beyond – manufacturing. Maybe Mickey Rourke will apply.
Continue ReadingProof There Is No Proof-Reading
Just when I thought companies had finally taken my advice and started proof-reading their employment ads I come across this title: Build Enginerr Of course the ad states this requirement (emphasis mine): –Excellent written, spoken, and interpersonal communication skills with the ability to communicate ideas in both technical and user-friendly language. I suppose the descriptor “excellent” is all relative.
Continue ReadingFunny Job Ad Titles
I recently stumbled across this article and blog – 51 Funny Craigslist Job Titles and Listings. Now sometimes a catchy title may catch a candidate’s eye, but most of the time you run the risk of not being taken seriously. Here are a couple that I thought were rather good: Attractive, Busy Professional Seeks Very Attractive Personal Assistant The easiest “SALES JOB” – EVER GONE FISHING WITH DYNAMITE? Get Paid to Wave and Dance!!!
Continue ReadingThey Are Not Local
All politics are local according to the late Tip O’Neil. The same can be said of hiring which is why this employment ad is a mistake. The location listed for the sales position: Minnesota, MN I know they probably mean the entire state, but that is not the way to list it. It seems like a small detail, but it does make a poor first impression. My immediate thought was that the hiring company is not familiar with this area.
Continue ReadingThe Philosophical Ad
I’ve been reading through some sales ads and am seeing a trend regarding the introduction. Many ads are now describing their company in, for lack of a better word, philosophical terms. For instance, this excerpt is from a cell phone company’s ad: Are you ready to join _______ and Live Life in the Now?” “At ______, “NOW” is not a mantra, it’s not a demand and it’s not a time in space. NOW is a fact. It’s a lifestyle. It’s the way we conduct business with each other. And it’s the very essence of the experience we deliver to our customers every single day. We believe in the now. We… Read More
Continue ReadingRequired Skills-Sales Ability
From an ad for a National Sales Manager: Required Skills: 1. Product knowledge. The ad lists 3 other “non-sales” skills. Sales is that strange position where many hiring managers focus on skills other than selling. Is it any wonder there are so many sales hiring horror stories?
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