How to Land Your Next Sales Job

So many people are looking for jobs right now, it's difficult to set yourself apart. What do you do? More resumes? More cold calls? Better clothes?

Friends, you're in sales! Landing a job is all about selling yourself to your next employer! Work on this project as if you were making a sale. As you make contacts, they will see you exhibiting all the skills you'll need to be effective in your new position.

Remember, over 60% of all jobs never make the want ads. Don't limit yourself to the jobs you see posted. Look for the job you want. Make a target list of companies you think would be a good fit. And then go get 'em! 

Of course, you need a great resume. And a concise, focused resume. A resume focused on what you've done is ok, but a resume focused on what you want to do for your next employer is better. Include your experience, but write your text to focus forward. 

Yes, you need to research your target list, just like you would in sales. Make lists of who the key players are, and learn their histories. (It's probably all on LinkedIn!) You'll have a much better idea of who might advocate for you, and many good connections may be one introduction away.

Cold calling is not dead. It's part of your job search strategy. Can you just walk in and expect to walk out with a job? Maybe not. You'll do some calls in person, some via email, and some via USPS.

Networking is a great way to cold call for a job. Your research will tell you where to network to meet the people you need to know. Members of the Chamber? Join the Chamber. Active in the Red Cross? Volunteer. Networking with target personnel takes some of the pressure off of both of you, and allows you to be less formal.

Don't talk about your previous employer any more than absolutely necessary. Focus on moving forward and accomplishing good stuff for your next employer. 

Remember to follow up. Just like you would in any sale, you need to follow up promptly and professionally. Email is the way to go. No texting! No phone calls. Email is professional, and respects your contact's schedule.

You're a great sales professional. You know what to do. Go forth, and sell yourself. You'll have a job you love in no time!

10 Best Client Communications Skills

The brass tacks of a successful client conversation come down to 10 points. They are simple to list, but take a little practice to master. Don’t worry! Each one leads naturally into the next, reminding you of where you’re headed. These techniques are effective in person and on the phone. Practice each one for a full day. You’ll be a better salesperson in 10 work days. Here they are:

• Start with a smile and a warm greeting. You know the smile you give when you unexpectedly see a dear friend out of the blue? That’s the smile to share with your prospect the moment you make eye contact, before either of you have said a word. You’re setting the tone for the entire interaction. (You can even tell if someone on the phone or radio is smiling when they talk!) How do you feel when you receive that smile? It’s the same relaxation you experience when you are welcomed and respected. Give that smile, and mean it. Humans tend toward reciprocity. This means people usually respond in kind to the way they are treated. If they’re treated pleasantly and in an agreeable way, they’ll tend to react in a pleasant and agreeable way.

• Call every prospective customer by name. People feel more important when called by name. If you don’t know their name up front, shake their hand, introduce yourself, and ask them. Repeat their name once you have it. “It’s great to meet you, Mr. Foster. Thank you for meeting with me today.” When you need to address Mr. Foster, use his name once every 2-3 minutes. It keeps him involved, and keeps you from forgetting it! If you believe his attention may be drifting, call him by name in your next sentence or question.

• Listen and mirror. Listen to your prospective customer. Listen to their words, their tone of voice, and their style of expression. If they are speaking quickly and gesturing with their hands, they are probably excited. Mirror that behavior. Likewise, if they are speaking slowly and deliberately, be sure to enunciate and speak at a slower pace. Don’t copy their voice or hand gestures exactly. (That annoys people!) These mirroring techniques have been shown to make people feel understood and respected, even when no words are spoken. Putting your body in the some of the same postures they use will help you understand their mood and attitude. If your customer has a slumping posture, slouch just a little, and see how it makes you feel. Are their arms crossed tightly across their body? Cross yours loosely, and see how it feels. Once you correctly perceive their mood and attitude, you’ll address their questions more effectively.

• Talk about your client. The only context that matters to your client is how to meet his own needs, achieve his own goals, and solve his own problems. Most people prefer to talk about themselves. Encourage them to talk by using probing questions. As they talk, you’ll be learning about what product to sell them, why, and often how. Everything they share tells you something about their needs, their qualifications, and about their buying process. Do not interrupt. It’s good stuff. Apply what you’re hearing to your sales pitch.

• Thou shalt not speak ill of the competition. Never, ever, ever. Putting someone else down doesn’t make your product or company look any better, it just makes you look petty and like a gossip. It’s unprofessional, and in some companies it will get you fired. Most importantly, you are not talking about your product or your customer! Bring your attention back to where it belongs. Youcan emphasize that your product wears longer, or that your service is backed with a guarantee. Ex: “You can make this purchase with peace of mind. We’re proud of our guarantee. It’s the longest and most complete in the industry.”

• When your shopper finishes a thought or asks a question, be ready with the next concept or question you want them to address. This is the most important skill in contact management. Ex: Client: “...and that’s why I’m in the market for a new system.” Short pause. You: “Mr. Client, we have a large selection of systems that will meet your needs. Tell me about how your staff uses the system. What do they need the system to do more effectively?” Back to Mr. Client: “Well, if the system could scrape data from a number of different applications and generate reports, that would be ideal.” Short pause. Now you:“That seems reasonable. Think of how much stress that would relieve! We have solutions that do just that. How many staff members will be working on this system?” Again, an appropriate response is tied directly to the next probing question. This technique should be employed on most or all occasions that you speak in the sales process. It makes you efficient, responsive, and most importantly, keeps your prospect talking. Conversational control usually fails if you have not mastered this skill.

• Praise/thank your prospect. There is always a sincere reason to praise them, and it shows them you think they are important. Ex: “It’s a pleasure to meet you.” “Thank you for seeing me today.” Even when they call you, work it in. “It’s good to hear from you. What can I do for you?” Your client is, and should feel like, the most important thing you have going on right now. Ever come across one of those salespeople who treat prospects like they’re an interruption or an annoyance? Giving the impression you find your agenda more important than you find your client is a sure way to see to it they don’t “bother” you again.

• Be well and fine and happy. Sales is a customer focused activity. If they ask how you are, you’re fine, or great or terrific. Now turn the focus back to your shopper. No one cares if your feet hurt, if you broke up with your sweetheart, or if you’re in a lousy mood. Well, at least, your client doesn’t. Clients want service. Pleasant service. Make sure they get it.

• Try to avoid saying “NO.” Your shopper sometimes will ask you for things you can’t deliver. If they ask, “Can you give me another 20% off?” You say, “What we can do for you is this -.” When they say they want lifetime service free of charge, you can say, “We usually meet that need by doing this -.” Addressing the question with the available choices is usually enough to bring the customer back to discussing the possible. If you are forced to deny a specific request, be gentle but clear: “We don’t offer that option. We’re happy to offer this.” "No" is always a last resort. If you have to say it, don’t leave it hanging in the air like a bug you want to swat! Follow it up immediately with the solution you do offer.

• Create a “Yes” frame of mind. In your discussion with your client, ask questions which lend themselves to “yes” answers. Ex: “You appreciate a good value, don’t you?” Or, “Your family is the priority here, right?” Follow these questions up with immediate facts that serve the subject. Ex: “This insurance policy protects your family in the case of a tragedy, and also creates an investment tool to make the good times even better.” Once a person sees that you’re on the same wavelength, they relax some of their defenses. Feeling understood helps people build relationships. Prospects stop resisting and start problem solving, which means buying.

Networking: Just Do It!

Networking meetings don't have
to be formal.  Make 'em happen!

Networking – verb.  Any process by which you expand your network of business connections.  Conventions, industry happy hours, and professional organization meetings all can be networking activities.   Charity events like fun runs, community events like parades and festivals, LinkedIn, other social media, and attending events where your target market recreates are also networking opportunities.  Don't attend these events blindly!  Target the connections that will be the most useful to you, and cultivate them.

Cattle-call networking event.  Don't!

Recently some sales professionals have been actively preaching against networking. Bad networking is out there, and a total waste of time.  What is bad networking?  Collecting business cards and shaking hands is not networking.  Don’t bother.  Effective networking brings you prospective, customers, job offers, references, referrals, and a bigger paycheck. 

Good networking is establishing a real connection with another business professional.   Customers can be valuable network members, but the most valuable are frequently folks from outside your customer base.  Inside your industry there are key players, and you want to know them.  Make it a mix of the two.

Networks are a
two-way relationship

Why build a network?  There are many reasons.  Connections in vertical markets can help you learn more about your business, and stay on top of changes in the industry.  Keep track of the competition.  Connections can become advisors,  and mentors on tough days.  They pave the way for introductions to hard-to-reach professionals.  Objectivity and different professional circles make network members effective for each other.  These are people you will make part of your professional life.  You’ll maintain contact with them through occasional emails and phone calls, and build your relationship over time.  Their objectivity will help keep you grounded.  Their professional networks will be resources for you, and yours will be for them.  Remember it's a two-way street!   Be there for them.  You'll often need to prove your value before the relationship truly blossoms.

Network members are often the missing
piece of the puzzle!

When you reach out to a network prospect, you'll treat it like a sales call.  (Having a big network is nice, but having the right network makes you money.  Woo them a little!)  You'll talk about them.  You'll focus on their position in their market, and learn what their goals are.  Helping your network members achieve goals is key to a productive relationship.  You'll make an effort to share articles with them, and connect them to appropriate business people in your world.  Follow them on social media.  Recognize their accomplishments and milestones.  As you demonstrate a genuine interest, you'll be securing their loyalty and their interest in you.   

Cultivate strong relationships with professionals in other industries, too.  Outside your industry, there are movers, shakers, and influencers.  Adding them to your network will help you stay ahead of the curve on local and regional business news.  Beyond keeping you "in the know," there is always someone your clients are looking to meet.  Your network members make great referrals to clients who have needs your company can’t meet.  Based on your personal relationship, your client will receive great service from your network members.  If you supply the name of a terrific plumber, landscaper, and dry cleaner to a new home buyer, your value to that home buyer has just gone way up.  A strong network of competent professionals is helpful in every profession.  Think about the connections that will help your customers, and build them.

A strong professional network also will help you when you need a job.  If you’ve been sending them business, and taking good care of the business they send you, your network will be happy to share the job openings they know of.  They will look at you as a competent professional, and will recommend you as such.