Listening – The Key to Your Success with Cold Calls
Do you make your cold calls with the goal of listening to the other person? Probably not, because very few people do. But it’s one of the most important skills you can have in cold calling.
In the old cold calling approach, you don’t really listen. You speak. You talk about yourself, your company, and what you have to offer.
And long before your introduction is done, you’ve probably “lost” the other person. Within the first few seconds, they’ve put up a wall. Most people aren’t interested in being “sold,” and they don’t like sales pressure.
What do you think would happen if you make your cold calls with the idea of listening to the other person? Some remarkable things start to shift. Instead of talking about yourself, you’re listening to the other person. You’re inviting them to share the truth of their world.
Truth Comes Through Listening
A great way to do that is by starting your call differently. If you say something like, “Hi, I’m Joe from XYZ company, and we provide a wide array of electronic filing systems,” you’re not listening to the other person. And very quickly, your prospect pegs you as just another caller out to make a commission.
Why? Well, to be frank, you’re coming across as somewhat self-absorbed. That’s a hard thing to say – but think about it. People know you’re a “salesperson” (in a negative way) because the verbal tone you’ve created is all about you and what you have to offer.
A better way to begin your cold calls is with a question around the other person’s problems and issues. Focus on what’s important to them. Isn’t that the best way to start any new conversation anyway?
For example, you can say something like, “Hi… maybe you could help me out for a minute? I’m just calling to see if you’re experiencing lost revenue due to manual invoicing filing systems?”
Now you’re focusing on the other person’s world and what matters to them. You’re sincere with your question, and you’re inviting the truth.
This isn’t just another sales technique. ruthfully, it’s not about sales at all. It’s about listening to discover whether you can help someone.
You Can’t Hear If You Have an Agenda
Haven’t you had the experience of talking with someone who’s already made up their mind about something? Maybe you didn’t know it right away. But eventually it becomes clear that you aren’t having a real conversation. You’re only being invited to hear what the other person has to say.
And so it goes in the old way of cold calling. In the old mindset, you’ve already formed an opinion before you pick up the phone. You believe – really believe – that the other person should buy what you have to offer. You’re enthusiastic, persuasive, and focused on your goal.
But you can’t truly listen when you’re in this place. If you have an agenda, you’re not really open to what’s important to the other person. And they can always sense that.
So you won’t be regarded as someone who’s concerned about your prospect’s well being. They’ll feel they have to protect themselves, because they sense you’re only out to make a sale.
What makes this new cold calling mindset so different is that you let go – entirely – of the desire to get a sale. You’re not hiding a sales agenda. You’re not even interested in shaping a sales event. Rather, you’re listening to discover whether you can help someone.
As listening becomes more and more important in your cold calling, you’ll be regarded as someone who’s trustworthy. It’s a profound shift. You’ll be surprised at how easily prospects welcome you into their world and share the truth of where they stand.
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Adam Price is a professional online business networker, sales trainer and author around effective referral networking & internet marketing. Learn how tap into the powerful online world of networking, sales and trust building by visiting: http://www.Law-Of-Attraction-And-Success.com/SalesSuccess.html
How to Move Through Your Prospect’s Biggest Blocks
I’ve come to know that there are three big blocks that most often come up when anyone is looking at using a professional’s service or getting ready to buy a product.
1. Money.
2. Time.
3. Timing.
This is also with the understanding that everything else between the two of you is what I call an energetic match: They have a need and you can serve that need. They feel connected to you. You have established trust. And you both feel excited and the energy of possibilities is clearly in the air between you.
But then one of the major blocks pops up.
What now? How can you help?
Let’s start with first understanding the energy behind the blocks. By doing this you are able to come from a place of empathy, rather than sympathy. As a service provider it is a disaster move for you to join them in their block. That might sound something like, “I know exactly what you mean Ms. Prospect there are a lot of things that I really want, but can’t have either. I hate it, too.” This is a HUGE disservice to them and also to you (in more ways than we can fully get into in this one article).
So what you are really looking at here is fear (of the unknown, success, change, doing something positive for themselves… the fear takes different forms for different folks, but fear is fear.) Even if they really don’t have the money, have absolutely no time and are in some way not ready or able, they are making excuses to mask the fear.
People make excuses because they can’t see the difference between an outer reality and an inner belief regarding that reality. Most folks have a hard time separating the two and make them the same.
It might sound something like this:
I’m not ready now = I’ll never really be ready.
I don’t have the time now = I can’t see how to make the time.
I don’t have the money now = I don’t believe I can generate the money.
Back in the summer of 1999 I was studying in Ashland, Oregon and one weekend we found this beautiful lake to swim in and saw that across the lake people were cliff-jumping. Now, this is something I use to do a lot when I was in high school. So I swam across, climbed to the top, got to the edge and froze. I could not jump off that cliff. Every time I looked over the edge I thought, “this is a fifteen foot cliff; what if I miss and slam into the rocks, I could break my leg, I could die, I could…”
And then, as I stood there, this boy, maybe he was eleven, came up next to me and asked, “are you going to jump?” And I started to come up with all these excuses, but sighed and just told him I was really scared. And what he said to me I’ve never forgotten:”
It’s air and water. Just jump.”
As I watched him sail over the edge and then bob up to the surface just seconds later, amazingly to me, I jumped. It was exhilarating! (And, obviously, I survived.)
And this, my friend, is exactly how a prospect feels when considering working with you. They see a financial investment, an obligation of time and a challenge they’re preparing to face – a cliff to be jumped off.
So the automatic-human-fear-reaction is to make an excuse.
And, again, the worst move you can make is to join them. “Yes, this cliff is really high. You’re right; it’s impossible to jump. I understand how hard it is, so let me call you back in a few months and see if you’re ready to jump then.”
I can tell you, they will never be ready. (I know if that’s what I’d heard, I would still be standing on that cliff or worse I would have turned around and gone back the way I came.)
Again, assuming your offer is right for them and they will truly benefit from working with you, then you are NOT serving their best interests if you “just let it slide.”
And telling yourself that you are is your own excuse.
The energy of commitment is very strong. Let your prospect know that when you make a commitment the Universe begins to line up for you. Things may start slower than planned, but when you truly commit, it happens. Let them know that, together, you will take care of their concerns (money, time, doubts etc.).
My sense is when YOU commit then you’ll hear, “Let’s do it!”
Can I tell you it will ALWAYS go this way 100% of the time, no, but what I can tell you is that if YOU make the commitment to take a stand for the truth about the difference your service will make for your clients (and don’t back down when they give you excuses), you will have a client who puts themselves completely in your process and together you will produce magnificent results. And the world will be better off because of it.
So Go Ahead. Take A Stand. You Can Do It.
Your Call To Action:
When clients are afraid to move forward, they will make excuses that will keep them from going where they need to grow.
As a professional, you need to call forth the magnificence of your client to support them in activating the change they want, not join them in their fear.
Take a stand for them.
Take a stand for you.
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Ready to take a stand for yourself and your business? If yes, join the EnergyRICH® Business Boot Camp. The focused, powerful group energy begins to make things magically happen very quickly AND you’re given lots of important, practical step-by-step “how to’s” at the same time to help you systematize your business for growth and more money. Be sure to secure your spot at http://www.energyrichbootcamp.com
Enjoyable Cold Calling – Is It Really Possible?
Five perspectives that will (honestly!) create enjoyment in cold calling. Most of us dread our days of making cold calls. We take a deep breath, pump ourselves up, and prepare to talk with a perfect stranger. Is there any wonder a gray cloud sometimes hangs over our desk?
It really doesn’t have to be this way. Cold calling can be an interesting, intriguing, fulfilling adventure.
Here are five perspectives that will give you an entirely new outlook on cold calling. When you apply these new perspectives, cold calling can actually be enjoyable. It can become personally fulfilling as well as financially rewarding.
1. Focus on Helping the Other Person
It’s against our nature as human beings to create an uncomfortable situation with another person. That’s the core reason many of us get that knot in our stomach when we start dialing a cold call.
When we’re only focused on making the sale, this is not a natural meeting place for both people. We want the sale, but the other person usually wants us to go away! Being intrusive is not the finest of character traits, and on some level we know it.
So how can we feel good about cold calling? We change our mindset from getting the sale into being helpful. We look at cold calling as an opportunity to assist.
How can we possibly feel uncomfortable doing that? Helping people is one of the best character traits we possess.
When cold calling is aligned with our very best way of being, it becomes an adventure. We truly want to help people. We feel very good about this, and it shows in our voice. People hear it. And their response will surprise you.
2. Be Honest and Truthful
You’re in a very good place when you choose to be truthful in your cold calling. If you’re not trying to fool anyone, you naturally feel better about making the call. You know that you’re trustworthy. And people respond to you in a positive way.
When you approach a potential client with integrity and common sense, you’re more personable and less tense. Being fully honest is one of your better attributes. And it gives you an opportunity to enjoy the interaction rather than being artificial or manipulative.
People do seem to have a sixth sense about integrity. When they feel you can be trusted, you can truly shine as a person as well as a potential supplier.
3. Be Yourself
Engage people in natural conversation. The more natural you are, the more comfortable you will feel. This makes the other person feel more comfortable as well.
Avoid playing a role, especially reading from a script. Most people can tell when you’re using a script. There’s nothing personal about it, and they pick up on that.
Being artificial puts you in the “typical salesperson” category, which is exactly the role most of us detest. It doesn’t feel authentic. And unless you’re a born actor, it makes you feel skittish about cold calling.
Give yourself permission to follow the rhythm of natural interaction. Allow the conversation to “breathe.” Let it be the kind of conversation you would have with a friend.
Practice this and it can turn your cold calls into pleasant conversations. And you may actually look forward to meeting that new person the next time you pick up the phone!
4. Get into the Other Person’s World
Shift your mindset away from what you have to offer and focus instead on what their problem is.
So many of us have been trained think about our services and products, that we don’t think about the client’s point of view. We aren’t really interested in their issues and how we can help solve them.
Be interested in their world and their challenges. You’ll find this intriguing! Most of us have a natural flair for problem solving. We enjoy “fixing things.” So find out what’s going on with the person you’re talking to.
Make sure the solution you have really does “fix it.” Get rid of any hidden agendas and truly listen. Let them know you’re interested in them and their world.
Move outside your own sales agenda to focus on the needs of others. This makes you a better human being and helps you leap past the fear of cold calling.
5. Let Go of Expectations
Never assume anything beforehand. Allow the conversation to be one of exploration and discovery. Stay focused on the dialogue instead of any private agenda.
Determine whether it makes sense to continue the conversation by truly listening. Never presume your prospect should buy what you have to offer, even when it seems they’re a perfect fit.
You are not calling to create a situation that is focused on your personal gain, but on helping the other person. Simply have a conversation to explore whether you can help them in some way. This takes pressure off both of you. You’ll be more relaxed and they’ll be more honest about where they stand.
Believe me, once you start applying these perspectives it will transform your day-to-day worklife. Instead of dreading cold calling, you’ll anticipate the adventure of creating a situation where everybody wins.
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Adam Price is a professional online business networker, sales trainer and author around effective referral networking & internet marketing. Learn how tap into the powerful online world of networking, sales and trust building by visiting: http://www.Law-Of-Attraction-And-Success.com/SalesSuccess.html
Refurbish Your Business Model to Gain More Profit and Market Share
Large companies are always selling off operations on which they don’t make enough money. It’s not unusual for the new buyer to quickly increase the profits, cash flow, and market share.
Why is this possible? It’s simple to understand this success: Improve the business model to eliminate the weaknesses that harmed business results under the old ownership.
Let’s look at an example to see what’s possible.
American Woodmark had been a high volume manufacturer of kitchen cabinets when it realized that its profitability would be much higher if volume could be further increased. More effective plant utilization would make this profitability benefit possible.
With the rapid geographical expansions of Home Depot and Builder’s Square stores, American Woodmark realized that it could become the first cabinetmaker to offer one week delivery for builders, remodelers, and do-it-yourselfers. When time was of the essence to the building supply store customer, American Woodmark would have a cutting edge advantage.
In 1980, the company set up a new production schedule and set of distribution centers to make this one-week performance possible. Selling through Home Depot and Builder’s Square meant that distributor mark-ups could be much lower than through existing channels. When price was of the essence to the building supply store, American Woodmark would have an important advantage.
As a result, anyone could get quality kitchen cabinets faster at lower prices for the first time. When both advantages were issues, American Woodmark could expect a double-edged advantage.
The new distribution channel provided a further edge. Homeowners, builders, and architects could also conveniently see the cabinets by visiting a local store in order to pick out the ones they liked best. Seeing the actual cabinets and being able to hold up samples of countertops and flooring to the cabinet finishes allowed savvy homeowners to get a more pleasing installed result.
Volume soared as these cutting edge advantages removed competition from expensive cabinetmakers who took a long time to deliver. By 1985, the company (which had been an LBO of a Boise-Cascade operation) went public to raise the capital to finance its rapid expansion.
What are the lessons?
1. Look for what isn’t working very well.
2. Consider how trends could be used to improve that performance.
3. Identify and implement new business models that present outstanding ways to capture the benefit of the trends.
Copyright 2008 Donald W. Mitchell, All Rights Reserved
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Donald Mitchell is chairman of Mitchell and Company, a strategy and financial consulting firm in Weston, MA. He is coauthor of seven books including Adventures of an Optimist, The 2,000 Percent Solution, and The Ultimate Competitive Advantage. You can find free tips for accomplishing 20 times more by registering at:
====> http://www.2000percentsolution.com .
How to Schedule Your Marketing
There are different ways that you can schedule your marketing to ensure that you are doing it consistently and as easily as possible. What appeals to you depends mainly on the level of detail and structure you like to have. One person’s organized is another’s straight-jacket!
Some people like to keep their schedule more general by designating a theme of activities for each day. For example:
Monday is communication day – catch up on emails; return phone calls; meet with staff; post on Facebook, online forums and other people’s blogs
Tuesday is client day – meet with clients (in-person or via phone); do client paperwork; answer client questions
Wednesday is writing day – write content for ezine, blog, teleseminar, email marketing, sales page and website content
Thursday is creative day – research new opportunities for affiliates, partners, joint ventures; think of ideas for new products and services; draft outline for workshop you want to give
Friday is administration day – fine-tune schedule and to-do list for next week; file and clean up desk and office space; back up computer; read magazines and ezines
Other people like to divide their day up into different segments. For instance, they may write in the mornings from 9 – 11am, do email until noon, do some reading and brainstorming until 1:30pm, and then spend the rest of the afternoon on client specific activities.
Another way to set up your schedule is to build it around your reoccurring marketing activities and then fill in the spaces with other stuff. For example, every Tuesday morning may be for writing your weekly ezine and 2 new articles for submission. Thursday afternoon is slotted for a weekly teleseminar, Monday morning is devoted to email and every Friday morning you write 3 new blog postings. Client appointments are fit in wherever it’s convenient for both parties.
Still others may determine their schedule by the type of marketing tactic:
Monday – list building activities (create new autoresponder message; publicize new teleseminar you’re giving; touch base with your affiliates; submit articles)
Tuesday – website (add new content; write a sales page; check analytics of the site)
Wednesday – sales (offer a promotion; send out email about a new product; summer sale)
Thursday – clients (appointments with clients; write weekly exercise and send to mastermind group; create a survey to send out to new clients)
Friday – free day (whatever comes up and whatever you want to do!)
Whichever way that you create and run your marketing schedule, remember to do it consistently! Your schedule is a living, breathing part of your marketing strategies so pay attention to it and make changes and additions as necessary.
If you have a marketing schedule you’re already miles ahead of many small business owners, and you’re well on your way to growing a successful business!
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Jody Gabourie, The Small Business Marketing Coach, teaches simple, innovative and powerful marketing strategies to help business owners find and keep their most profitable clients. To learn more about how she can help you take your business to the next level, and to sign up for her FREE special report, ezine and articles, visit her site at http://www.JodyGabourieMarketingCoach.com
3 Steps to Crushing Out Your Fear of Cold Calling Forever!
If you’re like most people who sell, you probably have some serious resistance to making cold calls. The fear of cold calling is practically an epidemic – but not the kind that gets publicized. It’s a silent and personal struggle.
But it really doesn’t have to be this way. Your fears can be overcome when you keep in mind these 3 basic concepts to cold calling the new way.
1. Rejection doesn’t have to be a part of cold calling
Cold calling the old way means you’re probably preparing for the call by “thinking positive” and hoping for a sale. But the problem with this is that your mindset almost guarantees disappointment when a sale doesn’t happen. And so you keep dialing, hoping that the next contact will result in a sale.
But let’s stop for a moment and think about what would happen if you shift your focus away from “getting the sale” into seeing whether you can help someone solve a problem. In other words, you’re not eager for a sale – you’re exploring whether what you have to offer can help someone. And if not, you’re comfortable with the outcome.
You see, when your mindset shifts away from targeting a sale, you can be relaxed and okay with any result. You can approach your cold calls from a place of wanting to assist. And if it turns out your product isn’t a “match,” for the other person, you can leave the conversation feeling fine.
When you shift into this new mindset, you’ll no longer feel deflated and disappointed when a sale doesn’t unfold. The fear of rejection vanishes. You’re more at ease. Others can sense this, and many more cold calls will turn into productive, pleasant conversations.
2. You can make cold calls without feeling intrusive
In the old cold calling approach, you dial a number, introduce yourself, and hope someone will be interested in what you have to offer. It feels somewhat intrusive to both of you, and that’s one of the reasons you have a knot in your stomach when you call
Well, there’s a better way to start your conversation. Instead of talking about yourself, your company, and your product, you can focus on the other person. It’ll feel much less awkward.
So you might say something like, “I’m just calling to see if you’re grappling with loss of revenue due to unpaid invoices.”
This kind of introduction revolves around the other person and their world. It’ll feel much less intrusive, and they’ll be more likely to explore possibilities with you.
3. You can be natural when cold calling
Many people find themselves putting on an artificial persona when they make cold calls. Maybe they’re reading from a script, or they’re trying to carry the other person along with high enthusiasm – or both.
Well, artificial enthusiasm actually backfires on you.You see, it includes the unspoken presumption that your product or service is a great fit for the other person. But you’ve never spoken with them before, much less had a full conversation with them. You can’t possibly know much about them or their needs.
So it’s really much better to simply be natural and unassuming. You’ll come across as a real person who’s really interested in them and their needs. And others will respond much more positively to your calls.
We all want to feel good about what we’re doing. Following the new mindset in these three important ways will help banish the fear of cold calling and allow you to feel comfortable and relaxed in your work.
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Adam Price is a professional online business networker, sales trainer and author around effective referral networking & internet marketing. Learn how tap into the powerful online world of networking, sales and trust building by visiting: http://www.Law-Of-Attraction-And-Success.com/SalesSuccess.html
Emotional Intelligence – Impact on the Bottom Line
Goleman showed that the benefits of developing Emotional Intelligence skills are quantifiable.(1) This true story illustrates the impact on the bottom line.
Joe’s Story
Joe (not his real name) works as the Director of Engineering for a company that invents methods to improve refining processes and oil extraction. They then lease the patents on those methods to oil companies. Recently, Joe was able to put his EI skills into practice and help his company’s bottom line.
Joe was on his way to South America to talk to a customer who wanted to renew their contract with one exception, reducing the original $15 million contract to only $13 million. On the flight down, Joe was feeling anxious and worried about the meeting. After all, $2 million in revenue and an important customer relationship were on the line.
Recognizing his anxiety, Joe applied a few simple EI techniques he’d been taught to transform those feelings into more positive, productive thoughts and emotions. He was able to develop several positive alternative ideas, which he could put on the table at the meeting.
The meeting went fairly well, but there was one person from the client’s company who was picking over the contract details, seemingly trying to thwart the whole negotiation process.
Again drawing on his EI training, Joe avoided becoming defensive and expressing frustration, handling his own emotional reactions to the man’s objections well. He ended up convincing the oil company to agree to additional services and process improvements and to sign a contract several million dollars over the original contract.
Emotional Intelligence is not about being soft. It’s about a different way of being smart. It’s about managing yourself and using your emotions to positively lead others; to engage not just their head and hands, but also their hearts.
Putting EI Into Action
You feel the effects of emotional turmoil daily. What can you do? You can take action to develop your own emotional intelligence.
First, enhance your emotional self-awareness by asking yourself several times each day, “What am I feeling right now?” Notice that the question is not “how” but “what” because we tend to answer the question “How am I feeling?” with the word “Fine” which tells us nothing.
When you figure out what you’re feeling (such as anxiety, happiness, anger, excitement) you can use that information to help you decide what you should do or not do next. In other words, you can make more effective decisions.
Second, begin to disclose and discuss your feelings. If you have an issue on the table, and you find that you are feeling a bit anxious or concerned about it, simply recognize those feelings and share them in a matter-of-fact fashion. So often, if people are feeling anxious, they’ll criticize, or find some detail to disagree with: “Those numbers can’t be right.”
Instead, the more emotionally intelligent thing to say is, “I have to tell you, I’m feeling a bit anxious about this decision.” This not only helps your team by giving them more information about you and your point-of-view, it provides a more complete view of your perspective. Discussing feelings improves communication and sets the tone for cooperation.
Third, get some EI skill training. EI skill development works best in the form of classroom sessions combined with one-on-one coaching. Be sure the training is skill-based, that is, provides not only information about EI but also the chance to practice skills on real situations. And, be sure that the provider has documented quantified results. Business decisions are based on measured results and decisions on selecting training should be based on the same criteria.
Source:
1. Daniel Goleman, “What Makes A Leader?” HBR, 1998.
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Byron Stock guides individuals and organizations toward excellence by helping them develop their Emotional Intelligence skills as a powerful tool to achieve strategic objectives, lead change and create resilient, high-performing organizational cultures. Visit http://www.ByronStock.com to learn about Byron’s quick, easy, proven techniques to harness the power of your Emotional Intelligence.
How You Can Magnetize Your Target Market
The importance of a “target market,” is very true because we honestly can’t serve everyone. If you feel resistance (a.k.a. fear) beginning to bristle, perhaps because you believe you’ll lose business by not being willing to work with everyone, just pause for a moment and ask yourself, “Would I really want to work with everyone?” My guess is your answer would be no because everyone is not your energetic match. Just bring to mind for a moment someone you really can’t stand. Now, imagine your whole business filled with this person-every client/customer. Kind of shifts the whole “I want to work with everyone” perspective, right?
Understanding who your energetic match is the secret to magnetizing your target market. This is what we’re going to do together today, my friend.
First, let’s look at why, if you recognize that having a target market is important, do you resist it? Well, after having coached with tons of entrepreneurs around this, I’ve come up with what’s missing in most of the traditional “target market” talk:
It only addresses the outer. (And this doesn’t get us excited, but rather has us feeling limited.)
When asked to define your target market, you may have been asked in the past to get clear about your target market’s:
-Age,
-Gender,
-Marital Status,
-Occupation,
-Problem they need solved…
Let’s pause for a second…does this really guarantee to help us get narrow and specific so our message stands out to what they need? Well, not necessarily. I bet we could get a room full of: 35 years old single female nurses…and they aren’t all going to have the same problem.
So what we’re really interested in is the situation your target market needs solved and we make YOU the situation solver. Then we tap into the energy that is the essence of attraction between you and whom you WANT to work with.
It’s this “inner part” that moves you into the excitement of creating your “Ideal Client” rather than just “Target Market.”
You can begin to better understand who your ideal client is by asking yourself: What are the qualities of my ideal client? What jazzes my ideal client? What does my ideal client expect from me?
Really, just let the answers to these questions flow and FEEL what would have you excited about working with this person. Answering these questions connects you to a situation or type of person with whom you are a natural energetic match. This way, you’re drawn together like magnets and your ideal client recognizes right away that working with you is a must. They just feel it.
Golden Nugget: Your ideal client is usually someone like you who shares your journey. However, they’re in a different, earlier phase of the journey. To understand this truly is gold: when your ideal client is looking to hire you, they’re looking for a solution to their situation or problem. They recognize you’ve been where they are and have successfully made the change. This ignites belief that they can do it too. It’s a reassurance they’re investing their time, energy, and money in the right person and process. It’s easy for you to talk to them because it’s kind of like talking to an earlier version of yourself, yes? Just think about what you would’ve wanted to hear.
So when you get clear about who your ideal client is, and can effectively share the experience of your journey (whether in person or in your marketing materials), in a way that ignites the energetic match that the two of you naturally are, then you’ve just accelerated the whole process of bringing on new clients. (This is the whole point of having a target market in the first place).
Call To Action:
Focus on the qualities of your ideal client: what jazzes them (hint: it will jazz you, too!) and what they expect from you. This sets you up to be an energetic match.
Get clear about your journey: What did it take for you to get where you are? Be willing to share it. You’ll be setting up an automatic path of connection and understanding. You’ll be confident in your work because you both recognize you’ve done it and now it’s their turn to do it, too.
Give yourself permission to work with your ideal client: Nothing good comes from working with non-ideal people out of fear. You deserve to be jazzed in your business-it’s the magic water for continuous business (and income!) growth.
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Ready to learn more techniques to magnetize your client and really boost your business growth? You can! Join the EnergyRICH® Business Boot Camp! Be sure to secure your spot at http://www.energyrichbootcamp.com (Please Know: this is the last time the EnergyRICH® Business Boot Camp will be offered this year and for sure never again at this rate.)
How to Market Your Skills for a Career Change
When you’re ready for advancement up the career ladder, all usually goes well when you’re in the same field. You can demonstrate the know-how familiar to those who are interested in promoting or hiring you.
However, changing careers is another matter; marketing your skills for a switch into another industry can be tough. You might fear that employers will only glance at your resume before tossing it aside.
There actually ARE ways to get hiring managers to see the relevance of your skills, believe it or not–and much of it has to do with what you tell them on your resume.
To illustrate, consider the case of Jay Jones, a fictional candidate who is targeting a sales career even though his current position doesn’t reflect this goal. His existing resume looks like this:
OBJECTIVE: Seeking senior sales role that utilizes my closing and prospecting abilities.
WORK HISTORY
Front Range Golf, Operations Assistant, 2007-Present
-Managed customer service, payroll, and accounting for upscale golf community.
ABC Company, Sales Associate, Denver, Colorado, 2005-2007
-Cultivated new account base, with 50% rise in new business, by networking at community events.
-Named to President’s Club for sales achieved through new account growth.
-Consulted with clients to determine best product fit for requirements.
XYZ Corporation, Sales Assistant, Westminster, Colorado, 1997-2005
-Increased revenue by 10% with effective consultative selling strategies targeting business accounts.
-Closed largest percentage of corporate sales from online prospecting activities.
Here are my recommendations for his resume, given his goal of a new position in sales:
1 – Don’t use a functional format.
Many people will tell you to use a functional resume, since this is the supposedly tried-and-true method for a career change.
I have some unfortunate news for anyone trying this idea: it won’t work. Employers often view functional formats with suspicion, as they are used by candidates who are trying to downplay some facet of their career history.
A functional resume, which conveys your achievements within functional, or skill categories, usually saves your work history for last, and then presents each job as a single line. Jay’s resume would look like this if he used a functional format:
OBJECTIVE: Seeking senior sales role that utilizes my closing and prospecting abilities.
SALES LEADERSHIP
-Increased revenue by 10% with effective consultative selling strategies targeting business accounts.
-Closed largest percentage of corporate sales from online prospecting activities.
RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT
-Cultivated new account base, with 50% rise in new business, by networking at community events.
-Named to President’s Club for sales achieved through new account growth.
BENEFIT SELLING STRATEGIES
-Consulted with clients to determine best product fit for requirements.
WORK HISTORY
Front Range Golf, Operations Assistant, 2007-Present
ABC Company, Sales Associate, Denver, Colorado, 2005-2007
XYZ Corporation, Sales Assistant, Westminster, Colorado, 1997-2005
Clearly, this format makes tying the achievements to each job rather difficult. The result? An employer may skip this resume entirely, instead of trying to interpret Jay’s actual experience.
2 – Add an Achievements section.
Since first-page content on a resume grabs the eye and intrigues the reader, this type of format puts the most interesting information first, without resorting to a functional format.
The Achievements is section can give compelling data about you and your RELEVANT qualifications, all while satisfying the employer’s need to know what you’ve done at each job.
Now, let’s look at how Jay would use this strategy:
OBJECTIVE: Seeking senior sales role that utilizes my closing and prospecting abilities.
SELECTED ACHIEVEMENTS
-Increased revenue by 10% with effective consultative selling strategies targeting business accounts.
-Cultivated new account base, with 50% rise in new business, by networking at community events.
-Named to President’s Club for sales achieved through new account growth.
WORK HISTORY
Front Range Golf, Operations Assistant, 2007-Present
-Managed customer service, payroll, and accounting for upscale golf community.
ABC Company, Sales Associate, Denver, Colorado, 2005-2007
-Consulted with clients to determine best product fit for requirements.
XYZ Corporation, Sales Assistant, Westminster, Colorado, 1997-2005
-Closed largest percentage of corporate sales from online prospecting activities.
3 – Remove the objective and put your personal brand into a Profile.
All too often, job seekers follow the advice of yesteryear, where they were encouraged to add an Objective statement. In today’s hiring market, you may have already discovered that a resume objective just doesn’t cut it.
Savvy professionals will add a profile that reflects their personal brand and true capabilities–and profiles that gain the most attention will include information that distinguishes you, such as a former military background, a graduate-level degree, and special abilities.
Don’t forget to make your ultimate goal–in this case, a sales role–abundantly clear to the reader.
Jay’s final resume would then read:
SALES PROFESSIONAL
Intensely motivated, articulate sales representative offering strong sales aptitude and outstanding closing skills, with exceptional record of account growth. Talent for building solid client relationships that generate profitability and create generous referral rate. Recent MBA graduate skilled in establishing rapport with decision makers.
SELECTED ACHIEVEMENTS
-Increased revenue by 10% with effective consultative selling strategies targeting business accounts.
-Cultivated new account base, with 50% rise in new business, by networking at community events.
-Named to President’s Club for sales achieved through new account growth.
WORK HISTORY
Front Range Golf, Operations Assistant, 2007-Present
-Managed customer service and food sales within upscale golf community.
ABC Company, Sales Associate, Denver, Colorado, 2005-2007
-Consulted with clients to determine best product fit for requirements.
XYZ Corporation, Sales Assistant, Westminster, Colorado, 1997-2005
-Closed largest percentage of corporate sales from online prospecting activities.
As you can see, Jay can now market himself for a role that differs substantially from his current position, all by using a strong Profile, Achievements section, and classic reverse-chronological resume format.
This approach can also work well for professionals whose experience in the desired role is fairly light, but who want to bring out these skills to their best advantage.
If you’re intent on showing an employer just how qualified you really are–without a current job that shows it–consider altering your resume style in order to get hiring managers to focus on your most relevant credentials.
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A unique resume authority and former recruiter, Laura Smith-Proulx, CCMC, CPRW, CIC, Executive Director of An Expert Resume, has achieved a 98% success rate landing interviews for leadership professionals. Known for her powerful ability to assess unique strengths, Laura has facilitated career transitions for numerous job hunters. Visit An Expert Resume (http://www.anexpertresume.com) to see resume samples and download a free resume e-course.
