JC the Sales Guy: Ethical selling

I saw on the news yesterday that although last month’s job loss number declined to lower than any month since last October, the total unemployed count in the US is higher than any time since 1983. That inspired me to share a little secret.

Job searching is Sales: Finding a job and selling use the same process.

What do I mean? If you haven’t read my post on Sales success in a down economy, go check it out. The steps listed there are highly transferable to the job search process. Rather than rehash those, I’ll give you a few more hints on how to use some sales techniques to find a new job.

* “Sell yourself” in the title is not a reference to the world’s oldest profession. It simply means that you should think of yourself as the product in the sales process.

1) Identify your strengths

You have to know what sets your product apart from the others in the market. What is your product used for, and where does it outperform the competition. Since YOU are the product, this becomes an introspective exercise. I’ve said before that I am a big fan of the Strengths Finders assessment. There are lots of ways to go about this process. The key is that you end up with a list of things that you are good at, enjoy doing, and want to do at your next gig. If you are having trouble you can find job postings that look interesting to you and scan them for key skills. That should give you some ideas. Or ask someone that has worked with you. You might be surprised to hear what they say are your strengths.

2) Develop a marketing plan

Once you know what you are good at, build your plan to take your product to market. Develop your targeted list of positions, support those with relevant expertise, develop your profile to support the target positions, develop your personal vision statement (the key attributes of your dream job), segment the market and list the employers that are likely to have positions that fit your vision.

3) Create your brand image

Now that you’ve identified your strengths and the key attributes of your desired job, position yourself as well as possible to stand out as the best choice for that position. Be honest here. Well, be honest everywhere… but especially in how you sell yourself, as you are going to have to live up to whatever you advertise. Create your LinkedIn profile, it is a great tool for networking. You might also consider a visual CV, blog, or twitter account. However you chose to get your name and story out there, be sure that your brand image matches the requirements for your targeted opportunities. I’m not suggesting that you misrepresent anything. Emphasize your accomplishments. That is so important I’ll say it again… EMPHASIZE YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS. Make sure that your resume is mini-brag book that highlights your successes, not a career obituary that just list every boring job description you’ve ever had. Put your resume on the appropriate job boards, but don’t spend too much time on the boards. Less than 15% of jobs are filled through job boards.

4) Target prospective customers (employers)

In the marketing plan you ID likely employers that should have the problems that you are great at solving, as well as the work environment that you want to work in. Do a little research to validate which companies look like they could be a good fit. It is important to develop this list so that you have a tangible starting point to productively focus your efforts. Notice I didn’t say to search the job boards for posted jobs, and only pick companies with openings. At this point, you don’t care if they have openings or not.

5) Network into those employers

I keep hearing that 75% of jobs are filled through networking, and that 80% never get posted to job boards. In some companies, referrals from employees automatically go to the hiring manager, while everyone else has to make it through the screener in HR. You tilt things in your favor dramatically by having an inside contact at the company. How do you do this?  Get out and meet people… virtually and in person. With your LinkedIn profile you can search for people in your target companies and see if anyone you know is connected with to people in your targeted companies. Ask people in your network to give you warm introductions and ask for informational interviews (informational interviews are where you chat for a few minutes about the company, the industry, what the person you are interviewing does… but it is NOT where you ask for a job. ). But don’t limit your networking to LinkedIn, go to Chamber of Commerce meetings, trade association meetings, Leeds or networking groups, trade shows, job seeker groups… the list of places that you can meet people that can help you make connections inside your target companies is nearly endless. Be sure that you know your elevator pitch and can work it naturally into different types of conversations (deliver as a speech when asked, or cover all points in conversation with a friend). Your pitch should cover who you are, your key accomplishments, what you want to do, and any companies you are targeting. The goal of the networking process is to keep you top of mind and to have someone that will go to the hiring manager and put in a good word for you, or better yet, had your resume to.

So, you can see that in looking for a job you are really selling yourself. Have a plan, please. So many people don’t… really. Don’t ramble through your job search. Focus and target your efforts on your dream job and you are much more likely to find it than the average person that posts their resume on Monster, then sits back and waits for the phone to ring. Just like a professional sales person, with a solid plan for success, you will find success faster than the doom and gloom that you see on the news might have you thinking is possible.

What tips do you have for finding a job in today’s market?

Jeff Cress, the Sales Guy