Black Sales Journal

A weak 2011 is behind us.  Factories are producing more, and buying more.  Businesses are projecting optimism and the market is responding.  I would note bet against a vibrant market for new sales professionals starting here in mid-2012. This post will help you get ready for the job hunting success that you are due.  Don’t forget that in sales you need a method to your madness.  This post will help.

Selling You! – Putting Your Best Foot Forward

I am going to give you some areas that you might want to focus on that could help you in this job search. Some of these you may have used already so this will take the form of a worthwhile reminder.  Some of these may be somewhat new.  From having hired sales professionals, I can tell you these items will enhance your chances!

I have broken this down to Stage 1 and Stage 2.  Stage 3 is negotiations for a job, and will be covered in another post.  There are items in Stage 1 which could be better relegated to Stage 2 so use your discretion:

Stage 1 of the job search effort (Discovery and Qualifcation):

1. Your Accomplishments
2. Your Sales Numbers/Statistics
3. Customer Retentions Statistics
4. Customer Testimonials
5. Special Skills or Areas of Expertise

Stage 2 of the employment effort (Proving Effectiveness):

1. Reviews/Appraisal ratings and documents
2. Income and Commission/Bonus Verification
3. Your sales agreement/contract

Be prepared! – Stage 1  Who are You?/Who are They?

Most of you have been through these stages before.  Few of us have ever been ‘gifted’ a job, so you had to work to get it.  You know they will ask for your resume and your sales numbers.  My suggestion is that you go in with all of them, neatly recorded and bound.  Remember, your competition is stiff and well prepared.

Your Accomplishments – A good resume featuring your accomplishments is the most solid method.  Dave G. a friend of mine and outplacement professional advises that “… the resume as an indicator of experience is lacking substance if you miss the opportunity to list bullets defining your accomplishments.” An example – “Opened new territory in Kentucky in 2010 – Exceeded sales expectations by 36%”.  If at all possible  be prepared to back up your assertion.

Your  Sales Numbers/Statistics - Gather your sales numbers and put them in their best light.  Whether it is by quarter, by month, or by product.  Know your numbers!  Be an expert on yourself! The numbers do not lie but may tell a special story. I believe you should know this story well.  Use numbers from the last two-three years, plus current, at least.

Customer Retention Statistics - In some types of sales these are important statistics.  Your retention of customers as a percentage of total customers, or retention of business in total as a percentage of total business tells a story about your ability to service and gain loyalty.

Customer Testimonials - Customers who take the time to reduce to writing your value and service to them are invaluable to you.  You should always maintain a file of these and use them appropriately. I would not solicit them, yet when offered I would gladly accept.

Areas of Specialties – Any evidence of specialities can be very important.  Volunteer evidence of your specialties and be prepared to show how this will give you an edge, and how that translates to sales and dollars for your new employer.

Take the Offensive! –  Stage 2 Proving Your Worth

Stage 2 is good ground.  I mention in the listing of items in Stage 2 that could ultimately be integral in getting the job.

Reviews/Performance Appraisal ratings and documents – I would advise that these can get personal. It is a truly a personal opinion as to whether you want to use them, although face a basic fact that they give insight as to your standing with your employer.  When you play this card, it is presumed that you have nothing to hide, and you are serious about a job.  You would only want to use this if you felt comfortable that the information that was in your review is not proprietary regarding the activities of your employer.  You may have an agreement or contract which outlines this, honor it.

Income Verification – In this noble profession, income verification is important.  No one wants to pay you significantly without knowing that you deserve it, and can get it elsewhere.  Be prepared to share an indication of salary and bonus/commission position.  This can be done in a few different ways including W2s, wage stubs, and commission/bonus reports.  Any combination of these items will probably suffice in showing income.

Sales Agreement/Contract - This document is fairly simple.  It will give confidence to anyone that you can work for them and are not restricted.  No new employer wants to be tied up in a legal swamp over the fact that you have agreed to protect materials, client lists, customers, and otherwise in an agreement you signed willingly, then violated.  You may present this in Stage 1 if asked.

Obviously the provision of these items do not guarantee success, but they can increase the probability immensely.

One last important note. I believe that you should protect your employer in terms of the sharing of proprietary information.  Any activity that results in you sharing proprietary information will result in the new employer wondering if you would do the same to them. Plan to pass that test.  Important Stuff!!!

Let us know how you feel about this….send us a comment.

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.