Job Search is Sales

The Secret

 

Back in 2004 I was sitting among a crowd of job seekers listening to a keynote speaker on the subject of networking and job search. “Job search is sales,” the speaker said from the podium. There was a collective groan throughout the audience. This is a common reaction to any declaration where Sales is involved. People don’t like “doing sales” and this is true for any professional discipline outside of a corporate sales team.

 

I’ve witnessed this negative reaction to the word sales more times than I care to count. I’d guess that 80% or more of my clients voice the concern, “I cannot do sales; I’m a _____!” (Fill in the profession: engineer, accountant, buyer, operations manager, logistics analyst, you name it.) Gosh, I’ve even had sales people tell me, “I hate cold calling, that’s not the kind of sales I did.”

 

Actually most sales professionals smile and nod when they hear that job search is sales. Of course, if I said job search is accounting all the accountants would be happy. Not really, the reason why sales professionals smile is that they understand the sales process.

 

It goes something like this: Find out what the prospect needs. Show them your product. Tell them the benefit of the product, namely how the product will solve their problem. Find out what they are willing to spend. Ask them to buy it and you’re done.

 

But what if they don’t buy what I’m selling? Sales people live by an adage: Some will, some won’t and so what. They know they will hear the word NO. They understand that you have to get through the no’s to get to the yes’s.

 

It really is that easy! The reason why the sales professionals smile when they hear that job search is sales is because they know something everyone else doesn’t. They know the secret! The secret: "No one ever died from the word no." Moreover, it’s a numbers game and there are more no’s than yes’s. The good news is that a person in job search only needs one yes. The sales professional gets a yes and has to go out tomorrow and look for the next yes.

  

So when my clients tell me that they aren’t salesman or saleswomen I smile. I say you may not have been, but you are now. You have no choice. You probably weren’t all that good at your professional discipline when you first entered the profession. You were probably scared at first. Then you grew confident with experience. This is how it will be once you accept the fact that job search is sales.

 

Next we’ll look at the elements of a sale in job search.

Favorable Impressions Interviewing

Three things to help create a favorable impression for a meeting or interview. 

      If you are interviewing, you can assume that three or more candidates are interviewing for the job opening. We can further assume that you all present relatively the same capability and skill set for the position.  If this is true, how are they going to chose the new hire? I suggest, if all things are basically equal, they are going to hire the candidate they like best. Think about it; your expertise and ability got you the interview, but how you fit into the team will get you the job offer. Simply stated if they like you best you'll most likely be offered the job.

    Favorable impressions are lasting impressions. Here is what you can do to create a more favorable impression in an interview or a networking meeting. Remember that the first five minutes are critical when first meeting someone. Consider these three areas:

• You communicate via body language
• Be yourself
• Don't take control 

Body Language: 
    Management consultant and keynote speaker, Joe Takash says that the most important thing you can do when you meet someone new is smile. A real, genuine smile makes it easy to like someone.  Your confidence is communicated most in your body language by smiling and making good eye contact. Joe goes on to tell his audiences that "SHE is the key" when you first meet someone. SHE stands for smile, handshake and eye contact. If in the first five seconds you accomplish a connection you've made a good first step. Plus, I believe that the more confident you feel the more comfortable they'll be with you.  

Be Yourself: 
    Psychologists call it being genuine; I say be yourself and you'll come across as real. In an interview situation people often feel nervous and anxious. I remind my clients to always be yourself; be prepared and you'll be more comfortable when meeting someone new. Being a little nervous is okay, it keeps you on your toes and gets the juices or endorphins going. When you are yourself and not pretending to be something you're not, you will communicate more calmly and clearly when responding to questions. As you speak to the interviewer use normal hand gestures and lean slightly forward showing that you are composed and confident. If the interviewer is nervous, and this is often the case, your demeanor can help them to relax which makes it easier to like you. However, no one likes a phony person, period! Don't be a fake, they may not know exactly what you're faking, but they'll feel something's not right and then you lose. 

Don't Take Control: 
    Think of the interviewer as your host and you are going to their house for the meeting/interview. Let them be in control. I've had clients say they wanted to show that they were a take charge kind of guy. Right, do that in the success stories you share with them, but let them drive the meeting or interview. Imagine being in the passenger side in a car that the interviewer is driving. You wouldn't reach over and take the steering wheel away from them! Don't do it in an interview either. Nothing turns someone off faster then feeling usurped from their meeting. Be a perfect guest. If they make an offer of hospitality take them up on it. For example, if they ask you if you'd like coffee, tea or water, accept the offer. Do it for two reasons: first, it's good manners to accept an offer of hospitality and second, you don't want to turn down their first offer in the interview process. 

  It is impossible to do over a first impression. And in an interview it's essential that your are liked and viewed as someone who will fit well into the team or department. In sales it is said that people buy from people they like and the same is true here. After all, job search is sales.

What is the interviewer looking for?

"Find out what is important to the interviewer!"

    The interviewer has a great job if he or she is the hiring manager. He's the boss. She is responsible for lots of things in the department and only one is interviewing. However, this is not the primary task in their job description. Some hiring managers, in fact most, really don't like interviewing and do it reluctantly. They have deadlines to meet and project status meetings to attend and budgets to get approved. Interviewing is an additional task on top of everything else they have to do.
    So why are they interviewing candidates? They have work that isn't getting done and they need to hire someone that will cause the least number of headaches possible. That's what they're looking for: someone who can solve problems without causing problems.
    Now you have to realize that the interviewer is interviewing anywhere from three to six people all with similar skills and abilities. That's right--everything being equal there really isn't any difference between you and the other candidates. You may be stronger in one area, but someone else is stronger than you in some other area. You don't know what specifically the interviewer needs.
    This is a sales problem. You have a great product and others have great products also. The buyer has a need and not everything your product offers will solve the immediate problem they have. So you need to discover what their top priorities are. How do you do this when you cannot come out and ask them what their biggest problem is?
    In the interview the manager is in the driver's seat and therefore in control of the meeting. It's normally a bad idea to take over control of an interview. People just don't like someone taking over, not government leaders and not interviewers. So you need to listen and observe. Answer their questions directly and briefly and watch their reactions to your responses.
    During the interview they will ask you a common question: "Tell me about yourself?" (For examples of how to answer this question go to link) You need to answer the question and observe what the interviewer reacts to. You may notice a subtle nodding when you describe a skill or ability that you possess. He is communicating to you that this is something he needs in a new hire. She may ask you straight out, "Tell me more about that." This is a real strong indicator of specific interest or a need. Once you realize one or more of these "tells" you can follow up with a success story that elaborates on their need which will distinguish you from the other candidates.   
    This is what good sales people do when they customize their product offering to the customer. You can do the same thing in an interview when you realize what the interviewer is looking for.

Job Search Tools

"What you need to have handy when you're looking for a new job." 

Resume

    A good resume is the first and best tool for the job seeker. It is also the first thing the job seeker needs to work on. Actually, this document should be up to date all the time, even while you still have a paying job. Most people don't have their resume up to date the day they get notified they are being laid off. If you need to, get the old resume out and update it with your most recent experience situations.
    Unless you have special circumstances you'll want to use a chronological resume with a career summary statement, highlighted experience/accomplishments and work history. At the end of the resume your education and special training.
    There are dozens of books out there with suggestions for better resumes, specific formats, choice of paper and fonts. Regardless of what you read... you need to realize that your resume is your marketing material to help you get an interview. Note: your resume isn't a silver bullet. It will not get you the job! It is a tool to be used to get interviews and a device to be used to introduce your skills, abilities and experience in networking meetings.

Handbill
    A handbill is another networking tool. Sometimes called a "mini-resume" it is used in networking situations at networking or job search clubs or meetings. Like a resume they are meant to be given to people so they will
remember you. You can be creative in how you present your info but don't get crazy. There are three parts to the handbill:

• contact info: Name, phone number(s) and email address 
• history of your experience, skills and abilities: Past employers and accomplishments in brief 
• list of target companies: Companies that are hiring or that you would like to work for
  

See link for an example handbill or a link for a template.

Business Cards
    Another essential tool is a business card. Some people put a mini resume on the back of the card. I feel the KISS rule is essential. (Keep it Simple, Seeker) Your contact info and a good tag line are best with room on the back for people to jot notes about you. You can get business cards for the cost of shipping at: www.Vistaprint.com

Elevator Speech
    Everyone talks about having an elevator speech. The idea is to have something prepared to say that doesn't sound prepared which you could say to someone you meet while going up an elevator.  The point is to make it quick and memorable and not to hope you're riding to the top of the Sears (oops, Willis) Tower. A good
elevator will communicate to the listener what you could do for them or their company. Sample Elevator Speech

   Creating these tools will also prepare you for the work of job search. Namely networking! I heard a clever mnemonic the other day, "If you're not networking, you're not working." These are the tools and like all tools the user needs to practice and work with them to be comfortable using them. Get going and make it happen.

Social Media Especially LinkedIn


  Click on "Why LinkedIn Works"

Transition: Basic Elements of a System

    Whether you are in a life transition or a job transition there are basically three basic steps to being successful in the transition: Discovery, Action and Achievement.

Discovery

    This is really simple but can be time consuming. First you must take stock of what you have to offer. In business this is a “product analysis” and you are the product. What are your strengths? What do you love? These and similar questions need to be enumerated and addressed. Then you need to ask the question, "What does the world need of me? What can I do that will enrich me?" These are really practical questions that are seldom asked past junior high school. Many people end up in careers not by following a path but falling into a job. Discover what you need to do next.

Action

    The next step begins in preparation and planning. What do you say to friends or family members when you are asked questions about what you want to do? Answering this takes a lot of prep work and this is very important work. For example, if you are taking a driving vacation you need to know where you want to go before you start driving. In a life transition or looking for your next job you need to plan the transition which includes setting goals and targets. Write this down, like a new business needs to write a business plan, write it down.

    The second part of this step is doing the work of transitioning. Namely, networking, following up and staying positive. We’re going to spend time on the specifics of networking in later blog entries, but for now: Networking makes the world go ‘round!

    Once you’ve talked to people it is essential that you follow up. I once heard that only 30% of people follow up after an interview by sending a “Thank You.” Really, can you believe that?

We’ve already discussed the importance of being positive in other blog entries but it is essential that you stay positive and maintain a can do attitude. Enthusiasm is contagious.

Achievement

    The final piece in the transition process is achieving the goal. However, this is not always crossing the finish line. Sometimes it happens in smaller milestones. For people in Job Search it may be getting past the fear of talking to people and asking for their help. Then getting the first interview and then a second is an achievement. Maybe a smaller achievement will be receiving a NO and getting on the phone to make another call and scheduling a new networking meeting. In time doing the little ones will result in the big one. When you’ve transitioned into your new role, position or job you’re then beginning the whole process again. Discovering the new job or role’s needs. Planning and taking action. Then the next achievement.

Success Stories: Part 2 -- Building the Stories

In a 45 minutes to one hour interview you'll have three to five opportunities to share a success story with the interviewer. If that is the case you're going to need more than one or two stories. Additionally you may be called back for one or two more follow-up interviews. I know of people who have had five interviews with a company before the process came to an end. Keeping this in mind you really need a pool of 15 to 20 success stories in your pocket.

How do you build your story? Where do you get the ideas for the stories? Remember to use the S-A-R format for the stories. Start with your resume and elevator speech and look at all the points and accomplishments listed. Every point and accomplishment is an avenue to convey your potential to the interviewer. Another source of successes are past co-workers of bosses and ask them if they remember a time when you helped them out of a tight spot. And if you still have them, look over past performance evaluations for stories ideas. 

Now you have the story idea. Remember to keep the listener's attention! You cannot overwhelm them with details, you need to present the situation in a compelling way. For example one client shared a story with me: 

On a wastewater treatment plant the equipment vendor could not provide the large anchor bolts until 6 weeks after our first planned concrete placement, severely messing up our schedule. I needed to get the bolts from somewhere else. The specifications were very distinctive due to the stresses the bolts would be required to hold once the plant was in full operation. I knew that even a small variance in the quality or strength of the bolt could result in more problems down the road.

The client made a few mistakes in his first attempt. The story is too specific and would only appeal to a very specific interview. Notice the personalization of the problem. The situation should describe the problem you fixed not direct the interviewer to a problem you were associated with. With a little editing we came up with: 

The company had a problem where an equipment vendor could not provide an essential part thus putting a project at risk of failure.

Short, sweet and to the point; plus it has the added benefit to fit a number of different business scenarios. Lets move into the action the client took in order to save the project: 

I needed a local fabricator who could make the Anchor Bolts to the required specifications and deliver them to the job in 2 weeks – just in time for our first foundation concrete placement.  With a great deal of research I contacted the original vendor's manufacture and negotiated a deal to deliver directly to our company.

The only real change here is in the specifics of the narrative. Every business has had a vendor drop the ball on them, but not every business needed Anchor Bolts in their concrete. We came up with: 

I researched and found a local vendor that could provide the part allowing us to meet the project's deadline.

This example allows the storyteller to utilize the listener's experience and frame of mind to set up the story in a quick and engaging way. Moving into the  result or the story's conclusion we need to expand its length by adding specifics... numbers, percentages and savings that the interviewer will appreciate: 

By doing this I preserved our schedule and saved $5,800.00 per part. This equated to a $1.5 million savings to the entire project. In addition to the materials savings there was an additional savings of 23% in labor costs due to the timely delivery of the parts.

The first draft of the story may be too wordy, but that is okay. The goal is to get the success story down to a length that creates dialogue between you and the interviewer where you can share the details that resonate within their environment. Once this story is done, the next stories will come easier and so on, until you have a collection of stories.