Black Sales Journal

If you are like many sales professionals you may be looking for a new position for any number of reasons.  If so, you undoubtedly recognize that the resume’ is the window to your qualifications, and even though it has it’s good and bad points as a tool, it is necessary.

That brings us to the notion that the resume is the ‘crow bar’ that opens a crack in the door to give you consideration and, hopefully an interview. Without the resume’ a hiring manager or human resource representative will have no idea of your talents, or your ability to display them.  Which prompts the question ‘du jour’, should your resume’ be ‘race neutral’?

What is Race Neutral?

‘Race neutral’ is a term used frequently in education to describe the basis for educational policy that supposedly ignores race as a determining factor.  In this case, I am going to use ‘race neutral’ to indicate that your race is not disclosed or detectable.  This might mean the ‘scrubbing’ the resume’ or other correspondence of determinants of race.

I know you are not going to ask why ‘race neutral’, but for those who might wonder I point again to the primary objective: Getting in front of the manager for an interview.  Once there you will at least be able to begin to showcase your values, your abilities, and the fact that you can work in the employer’s workplace, or any other environment.

I believe that the having a race neutral resume was something that helped me early in my career and has helped many a Black professional.  Assuring racial anonymity by means of avoiding references to race, racial affiliations of non-work groups, or activities, was the norm for many professionals of color, but… the world has changed to a large degree.  The primary catalyst for this change is the business-networking site LinkedIn.

The “LinkedIn” Effect

LinkedIn is a major force in the job theater globally boasting over 259 million users in more than 200 countries, as of the end of 2014.  The networking site has grown exponentially over the last ten years, although it is might be pressed to make money, its impact on the job scene for members is undeniable.  Also, once y0u have your coveted sales job, its use as a tool to help you gather information to build relationships is undeniable.

A well-constructed LinkedIn profile is a basic necessity in the sales world, and maybe in most of the business world now.  You can find out pertinent information about your future employer, your coveted clients, as well as your competition.  You can use it to apply for professional jobs as well as take advantage of its reach to keep in touch with colleagues, follow companies that you admire, and be involved in business interest groups.

The pertinent question is whether you should elect to put a picture in your profile to be viewed by associates, potential customers, potential employers, and anyone else curious about “what the heck” you look like.

If you don’t have a picture in LinkedIn, you stir the question of “why not”?  Is it a fair question?  No!  Fair or not, this question that is probable!  Here is why:  As with social media, even though LinkedIn is not considered social media, there are always people out there who don’t mean others well.  When someone withholds a “simple” picture there may be something amiss.  In LinkedIn, without a picture, if you ever ask someone to “link” with you and they are not totally familiar with your name, they may avoid approval, as they may believe you not to be who you are.  Should you build a profile on this wonderful tool if you are going to generate suspicion and potential credibility issues by not including a picture?  You will have to answer that.

I believe in the power of a properly constructed LinkedIn profile, and in the usefulness of this tool.  Racial anonymity can play in your favor, or can play against you if they are looking for a Black sales professional.  I think LinkedIn as a tool provides enough benefit and exposure that your will still be an ultimate beneficiary.

As a matter of fact, for many technical, technical sales, as well as other selected professional positions, Black professionals (especially Black females) who have solid credentials are sought out, and even coveted.  In those situations, the pictures are “appetizers”.  As you guess, this situation is controversial, but deserves discussion.  The next couple of topics will show you why.

The Applicant Selection Process – A, B, C, and D (Discard)

Let’s revisit the hiring process. A hiring manager or human resource representative potentially sees hundreds of resume’s to fill one position.  Remember the first goal, which is to get in for a personal face-to-face interview.  Your charm, skills, and ability to respond to questions and situations will be your tools, but you have to be able to showcase them.

If you follow some simple logic, many of these resumes are going into the ‘D’ stack, as they lack the basic qualifications that were advertised.  Some are going into the ‘B’ and ‘C’ stack as they have many of the qualifications, but are unlikely to be contacted, as there appears to be better candidates available.

Then there is the ‘A’ stack.  This stack has candidates who meet the basic qualifications, and have some points that create attraction to the reviewer.  As a reviewer you start at the top of the ‘A’ Stack and work downward.

Remember, the process of separating into stacks (A, B, C, and D) includes personal input on the part of the manager or HR representative.  This area of discretion is a “wild card” for the manager or HR rep.  You must end up in the ‘A’ stack, and hopefully at the top of it to get a strong opportunity to be interviewed.  I hope you recognize that almost anything can put you in the wrong stack, so don’t give anyone the excuse to put you there.

Something that might influence the stack your resume ends up populating might be affected by some things that are out of your control.

Don’t Miss Part II –  Your Resume and Racial Perceptions, Racial Preference, and Racial Prejudice!

Thursday we will examine the effects of the 3Ps, racial perceptions, racial preference, and racial prejudice on the acceptance of your resume.  This post will give you valuable information about your resume and how it is accepted. Don’t miss it.

Your comments are always welcome. Feel free to write me at michael.parker@blacksalesjournal.com.

Whether your manager is getting promoted or fired you one day you will have new leadership.  This new leader will need to get to know you.  You need to show this individual the ‘y0u’  that you want them to get acquainted with.  Here’s how!

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When you started your day in the office yesterday, one of your fellow sales professionals steps to your desk and says “We are supposed to meet in the conference room in 10 minutes.  Something is up!”

While sitting in the conference room, you are informed that your current manager is taking a different position, and a new individual will manage your unit.  The new manager will be meeting with each of you individually within the next two weeks to get to know you, and to stimulate sales in the unit.

There certainly is nothing unusual here.  If you are fortunate enough to be in a sales position for any length of time, you are likely to get a new sales manager.  A new manager might come as a result of a promotion on the part of your current manager, or possibly a termination.  Regardless of how it happens, it moves you into a special mode that will force you to prove up!

The new manager who might be from the outside, or might be a peer, yet they would be “new to you” in terms of managing you and your team’s performance.

What does this mean?  For many of you, this is the chance you need in order to start over.  For some of the others, it is time to prove yourself all over again.  Getting the opportunity to show your worth, and your ability to “make rain” is important when you remember that it is your career and your near-term future at risk.

Politics or Good Business?

Job moves come as a result of a number of factors, including office politics, lack of results, promotions, transfers out, or even death.  When they happen, the ripple effect that they cause can be either a shock, or a benefit to sales professionals as it signals not only change, but a new order as well.

This type of change can have a positive effect on the careers of some, or a negative jolt to those who thrived under a particular manager, or type of management.  If the management change is a good one you may even have an equal amount of positives and negatives to the new order.

Overall, it is good to have change, and you as a sales professional can benefit from the “new order” if you take a few measures of preparation.

Always be Prepared

You know that this is going to happen, so let’s plan how we benefit from this inevitability.  Your new manager could come from your own sales unit, a neighboring sales unit, or from the outside of the organization.  The tenets of what I am proposing will work regardless of the origin of the new manager.

• Treat the discussion like an interview. Be prepared to discuss your sales process (Black Sales Journal 9/12/11, An Interviewing Essential – Communicate Why You are Successful).
• Discuss your short and long term plan.
• Admit your shortcomings, if any. Be prepared to admit your shortcomings and how you are remedying them.
• Discuss key prospects and customers in depth. Remember, that is the job of a sales manager, and they will have to answer questions from their superiors on these important issues
• Set-up your follow-up meetings. As you know open communications with your manager are important.

Make the New Management Work for You

Arrange as early as possible to do the following items:

1.) Tap the knowledge

Here is your opportunity to get something you might of value.  Seize upon the knowledge and skill base of the new manager for any benefit you can get.  Learn anything and everything that you can from the new manager – this includes product specialties, sales skills, and prospecting tips.

2.) Involve the new manager

As early as possible invite the new manager to go on some good sales calls with you.  You choose the calls and clients, and thus the situation.  Show them that you are the sales professional in front of the client.

3.) Ask for advice

As difficult as it may be to do it, ask for advice.  A new manager that formerly was a peer might be the last person you want to ask this question, yet it serves to show what they are going to suggest in the future.  Swallow some pride and ask questions.

There is something to learn from any sales professional, and it is your job to pull from those areas that can give you benefit.

Keep In Mind

You are powerless to do anything about a change in management, but you’re not without the ability to make the change a positive.

Spend some time and effort in establishing the communications, and realize that anything that you can take from the new manager that will increase your effectiveness is a dividend.

This gives even more credence to the fact that you must always be the professional, as you have no idea who your next manager will be.  He or she could be sitting next to you.

We welcome your comments.