Black Sales Journal

I received calls and notes on the most recent post, Black Sales Journal 1/23/2011, The Resume Revisited – 6 Changes to Make Now! I wanted to respond to some of those comments with a post that would help sales professionals with the basics of the resume writing process.

I recognize that there are more versions of resumes than you would ever believe, but I want to make sure that we are starting with a good template, and some solid wording.  You may think this post too elementary, but take a look at it and use any of the elements to your advantage.

Having a solid and alluring resume gives you a tool that can be exploited many years in the future with some small alterations and additions.  Recognize the importance of the elements indicated in BSJ – The Resume Revisited – 6 Changes to Make Now! And review your resume to optimize your job search.

Skip the Objective

As noted in BSJ – Resume Revisited, skip the Objective heading and consider using a Summary, if you have something solid to say.  Be creative, and logical, and brief.  This is your chance to say something relevant to you qualifications.

Formatting Counts, but Descriptive Words Count Also

Utilizing a good format counts in your job search.  You will want to be clean and as fresh as possible.  Showing your previous jobs in the correct light makes a difference that can result in callbacks.  Note the examples that follow.

As you can see in the Professional Experience heading below, consider a formatting that will clearly show the company, job title, and dates of employment.  Note the bullets showing accomplishments, as these are the “sales points”.  The job duties are to the point as you can see.

Example A:

Example B:

Note that some enhancing in the wording of the job including just being more complete gives a stronger picture.

Also note that industry keywords are going to make a difference.  Intersperse your keywords so that it does not sound like you are guilty of techno-babble.  Frankly, I do not know much about widget manufacturing, but if they were manufactured, the all important tolerance measurements would be a keyword.

Certifications and Education

If you earned them, they should be there.  If there are some certifications that are important to your industry or occupation, they should be included; especially if they line up with the jobs you are seeking.

Note below:

Here is another chance to include additional reasons why you stand out, so be careful and calculated.  Your education is a cost of entry to this game, so it has to be shown.

Don’t get too Cute

The resume and the cover letter have got to have the necessary elements while looking well formatted.  By ‘cute’ I mean logos, pictures, and other gimmicks.  When most of the resumes were paper, many professionals tried to use the most expensive paper that they could find.  They felt that the actual texture would get attention.  Be careful with links and where they may lead and keep it simple.

Attached is the actual resume that I used in this post.  It is oversimplified, and you are welcome to use the format for your own.  Keep it clean and simple.

BSJ – Try This Resume Template (This template is in Word.  Select rich text if you do not use word, and you should have something useful)

Above all, keep it concise.  Keep it to one page if you can, although if you have a wealth of sales positions and experience you will need to detail them sufficiently. Use the second page wisely when you need it.

You will want to add on to it for your benefit.  Make it yours as I am hoping it can help with the job search.

Remember that you may need more than one resume, and good luck.

Your comments are welcome.

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King spoke eloquently regarding the future saying:

“…I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King 8/28/1963

This speech delivered by this iconic individual symbolizes that there will be a day when skin color and race are not used as determinants of a ‘man’, but strength of mind, morality, independence, individuality, and other qualitative factors would be the measure used for judgment.

Obviously we are not there yet, or there would be no need for Black Sales Journal.  Progress has been made no doubt, yet there is still significant work to do.

Black Sales professionals have a lot to offer, and I will quickly define what I will call “sales character” which makes a real difference in professionals.  When you examine sales character, you are looking at some qualities that make a real difference in any sales professional.

The Attributes

I would describe these characteristics or attributes as those that greatly contribute to the content of one’s sales character:

• Ethical
• Mentally Tough
• Persistent
• Responsive
• Innovative
• Humility

There are probably more that qualify; yet these are high on the list.

Ethical – Solid ethics are important in everything, but extremely important in sales, where trust and honesty have high relative importance.  I went in depth on this subject in Black Sales Journal 12/1/2011- Are You Ethical?

Mentally Tough – Strength and toughness are qualities that make up the sales persona of any true professional.  It is so important in this ‘lonely’ profession that if you don’t have it, you should consider another professiona.  Rejection, most of which is not personal, abounds, and this requires a business stubbornness that is somewhat unique to this profession.  Visit Black Sales Journal 12/29 Mental Toughness – Asset For the Black Sales Professional for a review of this valuable topic.

Persistent – Persistence is a trait that makes the sales professional special.  Prospecting activities that bear no fruit are an obstacle to many.  The persistent sales professional who makes 24 calls knows that the 25^th may result in an appointment, and also knows that the 26^th may bear fruit as he knows his or her metrics and success ratio with making appointments.  I worked at a place once that had a monetary Persistency Bonus for those who kept pushing and pushing.

Responsive – You are responsive because you have customers and an employer who depend on you.  Customers have needs and expectations and deserve a sales professional who can make them a priority.  The employer counts on the sales professional for more than just sales, as service and territory coverage are important as well.  A great reference would be BSJ 6/16 Responsiveness – The Objective of the Sales Professional.

Innovative – The ability to come up with solutions that work in real time is what innovation gives.  Sales professionals also suggest changes in product and process that benefit the customers.

Humility – This one is tough for many sales professionals whose confidence level and sense of being the integral cog overshadows all else.  Being able to credit an associate or sales team is a must.  It is difficult for many professionals even though it should not be.  An associate who dances on the desk after a significant sale does not get it!  Spend that time crediting your associates and act like you have been in the end-zone before.

Real Life

Real life gives you things that you can’t even make up.  Truth be told, it can also give you characters could be on the silver screen.

I gave this example in Black Sales Journal, in Are you Ethical? The Question for All (12/1/2011).  This section was entitled “Even When No One Is Looking!”

I was once riding in a company vehicle with a sales rep and the customer to a business lunch in the Chicago area.  We were coming to a toll both and the rep reached into a bag and grabs a coin, which he deposited in the automatic toll basket and we were allowed to proceed.  At that time the toll was 25 cents.  On the way back from the successful lunch, he did the same.  As he did it, I looked at the bag, which must have had 200 or more coins and inquired as to how he got that many quarters.  He indicated that they were not quarters, but after a recent trip to Mexico he had a bag of centavos that were essentially worthless here.

Remember, this is in front of the customer.  Our customer heard him admit to using worthless foreign coins in the toll basket.  If you were the customer, how would you feel about this reps credibility?  What would you think about the organization that you were doing business with as you witnessed him doing it in front of his manager?

We had to terminate the rep (I refuse to call him a sales professional).  Let’s look at it from an employer’s view.  This unethical individual did the following:

• Sullied his image and the organization’s image in front of the customer creating doubt as to our ethics and credibility
• Engaged in a civil wrong which might have carried criminal penalties as well
• Committed expense fraud as he also received reimbursement for fraudulent expenses

I contacted the customer as I introduced the new sales rep.  I apologized for the fact that our representative did what he did, and explained that I had someone who was solid who would take care of him.  The customer said the following to me, “I really wondered about what organization would allow its employee to cheat like that.  I liked [him] but realized that I did not know him well enough to trust him.”  The customer was watching my response as much as he was watching the actions of the rep.

Summary

I know there are other traits and characteristics, yet these are truly important.  I say we all will be judged by the “content of character” as sales professionals at some point.  Our customer’s and our employer’s notice our character.

Be the best!

Your comments are welcome.