Managing your online brand
Whenever I get a new client and sometimes with candidates; I’ll Google their name and read what comes up. I do this to gain some insight on the people I meet. I want to know what makes them tick. I also periodically Google my name. Increasingly, clients are doing the same. I am always amazed what comes up with some candidates.
As semi public figures; sales people must manage their brands very carefully. I once found some compromising photos of a candidate on his Facebook page and so did my client who was interviewing him.
There are social networks for business and those for friends. “And never the twain shall meet”- well almost. If you are on LinkedIn, make sure that these are business associates and Facebook for friends or really close business associates. I read somewhere that you should not put anything on the web that you don’t want your mother seeing or reading. Separate your 2 lives. I will be happy to connect with you on LinkedIn (http://www.linkedin.com/in/dawnwilliamssiriuspersonnel) and my company’s Facebook account but my personal Facebook is for friends or business associates with whom I spend time and I would not be ashamed to show my mother everything on there.
Remember that employers are searching for information about you-let it be the positive stuff that they find.
Consider that some of the online content may never be erased. Don’t let youthful indiscretions cost you a great job!
Happy selling
D
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Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
10 things that a sales recruiter wants to see in your sales resume
1. All of your contact info-I know that I am stating the obvious but as a sales recruiter, I still see resumes without email addresses or phone numbers.
2. Description of your employer-I want to see a 1 liner description of your department. Imagine you work for GE. Do you sell appliances, transformers or medical imaging equipment.
3. Accomplishments-I want to know that I am dealing with someone who is a winner. Give me % over quota.
4. Exact dates- it’s a personal pet peeve of mine to see just years. There is one exception here; those of us who have a very long career can do so. Does 2007-2009 mean 2 years are just over 1 year?
5. Territory-did you serve a postal code, a province, state or 1 building? Did you have a vertical territory or a geographic one?
6. Kind of sales-were you inside or outside and did you serve an existing base of customer or was it 100% development?
7. Action-show me in words that you are a person of action. This can be accomplished by words and the look and feel of your resume.
8. Personalize it- so many times I receive a resume or cover letter addressing another position. This is very lazy. Take the time to have a resume or cover letter for a sales recruiter.
9. Think with the end in mind-“what’s in it for me”. Think like your audience-why should they care about seeing your resume or you.
10. Impeccable grammar and spelling-need I say more about this one?
this does not mean that it has to be 22 pages (I actually got one this long once).
Keep it succinct. keep them coming back for more.
happy selling.
D
2. Description of your employer-I want to see a 1 liner description of your department. Imagine you work for GE. Do you sell appliances, transformers or medical imaging equipment.
3. Accomplishments-I want to know that I am dealing with someone who is a winner. Give me % over quota.
4. Exact dates- it’s a personal pet peeve of mine to see just years. There is one exception here; those of us who have a very long career can do so. Does 2007-2009 mean 2 years are just over 1 year?
5. Territory-did you serve a postal code, a province, state or 1 building? Did you have a vertical territory or a geographic one?
6. Kind of sales-were you inside or outside and did you serve an existing base of customer or was it 100% development?
7. Action-show me in words that you are a person of action. This can be accomplished by words and the look and feel of your resume.
8. Personalize it- so many times I receive a resume or cover letter addressing another position. This is very lazy. Take the time to have a resume or cover letter for a sales recruiter.
9. Think with the end in mind-“what’s in it for me”. Think like your audience-why should they care about seeing your resume or you.
10. Impeccable grammar and spelling-need I say more about this one?
this does not mean that it has to be 22 pages (I actually got one this long once).
Keep it succinct. keep them coming back for more.
happy selling.
D
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
10 Tips to help sales people get their “mojo” working
1. Tell yourself that it’s just temporary-If you have been on top before and find yourself in a slump, tell yourself “and this too shall pass”. This expression means that dark and dreary days will turn around. But it also means that the Klondike days don’t last either. The best thing that you can do as a salesperson is not to forget the basics so that you are ready when the good times roll around again.
2. Align yourself with successful people-this is not the time to shy away from those people who are doing well. Listen, watch and learn from these people. Happy and successful people’s attitude should rub off on you.
3. Take a good hard look at your work habits-have you been consistently doing what has made you successful in the past? Continue doing what’s working, stop what isn’t and look to add 1 or 2 more great practices.
4. Adjust your attitude-sometimes the limitations are between our 2 ears. Listen to one of the positive podcasts, read a sales motivational book or attend a seminar. These short term solutions are sometimes what we need-even if it’s for a whole month.
5. Set some short term goals-use the carrot approach to reward yourself for some short term goals. It could a goal as short as by this Friday, I want to...
6. Make a list-sit down in a quiet area and make a list of your priorities that need to get done. It is very easy to get distracted by emails, phone calls and casual visits. Do the things that you like the least 1st-get them out of the way. If they are important enough to make your list then by all means do them.
7. Advance your sales processes-you are not here to make the sale, although that would be great. Your goal is to move your sales from one stage to the next.
8. Mingle-get out there, meet new people, and share a cocktail and a joke. This may act as a diversion but you may meet a suspect.
9. Meet other sales people in non competitive industries-how can you help each other? Do they have customers you’d like to get at? And vice versa?
10. Help someone else-this does not have to be business related and can be completely altruistic. Helping someone else always makes you feel better and the side benefit is that you may have changed a life.
Happy selling
D
2. Align yourself with successful people-this is not the time to shy away from those people who are doing well. Listen, watch and learn from these people. Happy and successful people’s attitude should rub off on you.
3. Take a good hard look at your work habits-have you been consistently doing what has made you successful in the past? Continue doing what’s working, stop what isn’t and look to add 1 or 2 more great practices.
4. Adjust your attitude-sometimes the limitations are between our 2 ears. Listen to one of the positive podcasts, read a sales motivational book or attend a seminar. These short term solutions are sometimes what we need-even if it’s for a whole month.
5. Set some short term goals-use the carrot approach to reward yourself for some short term goals. It could a goal as short as by this Friday, I want to...
6. Make a list-sit down in a quiet area and make a list of your priorities that need to get done. It is very easy to get distracted by emails, phone calls and casual visits. Do the things that you like the least 1st-get them out of the way. If they are important enough to make your list then by all means do them.
7. Advance your sales processes-you are not here to make the sale, although that would be great. Your goal is to move your sales from one stage to the next.
8. Mingle-get out there, meet new people, and share a cocktail and a joke. This may act as a diversion but you may meet a suspect.
9. Meet other sales people in non competitive industries-how can you help each other? Do they have customers you’d like to get at? And vice versa?
10. Help someone else-this does not have to be business related and can be completely altruistic. Helping someone else always makes you feel better and the side benefit is that you may have changed a life.
Happy selling
D
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
How to weather the storm as a sales person
It seems that gloom and doom news is swirling around us and it is sometimes difficult to not let it affect us. Consider this; the need for good sales people is on the rise (see my last post), you have quite a bit of power in your own hands to change things and even if more customers are taking longer, delaying their purchases or not purchasing at all; now is the time to dig in and keep at it. Now the part of sales being a numbers game becomes true. Outwork outcall and out manoeuvre your competition. I believe one of the significant differences between winners and losers is that; given the same information; winners feel more optimistic about their chances of success. And perhaps they are doing more to put themselves in a position to win when things turn around.
This is the time to recruit new customers and work your networks. How many of you ask satisfied customers for a referral? I know that I sometimes am guilty of not always performing this very simple step.
Ever heard of paying it forward? It’s a simple concept which is based on doing good deeds for others as an acknowledgement of the good that has happened to you. Be a source of information and help to your customers, friends and families. I am not suggesting that you do good deeds to get something back in return but that is generally what happens and as a side benefit, you feel good!
What does all of this have to do about sales, sales recruiting and weathering a storm; it’s all about your attitude getting you through more challenging times.
Good business is out there, great sales jobs are too. Somebody will be awarded these sales jobs and these orders. Why not YOU!
Good selling!!
This is the time to recruit new customers and work your networks. How many of you ask satisfied customers for a referral? I know that I sometimes am guilty of not always performing this very simple step.
Ever heard of paying it forward? It’s a simple concept which is based on doing good deeds for others as an acknowledgement of the good that has happened to you. Be a source of information and help to your customers, friends and families. I am not suggesting that you do good deeds to get something back in return but that is generally what happens and as a side benefit, you feel good!
What does all of this have to do about sales, sales recruiting and weathering a storm; it’s all about your attitude getting you through more challenging times.
Good business is out there, great sales jobs are too. Somebody will be awarded these sales jobs and these orders. Why not YOU!
Good selling!!
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