Insight and Advice
Revisit this page monthly for career management and job search articles, advice, and insight from Norine and other leading career management professionals.
CHANGING JOBS … OF THE ART OF SUCCESSFUL VACUUM CLEANER SALES
By Norine Dagliano, CPRW
Every January, we eagerly meet the New Year with serious intentions of making positive changes in our lives. Whether it is to start an exercise routine, loose weight, give up smoking or for some – to find a new job . Before you jump too quickly, do you know where you are going?
We spend more time planning for a party than we do planning our career. Think of your career as a party … PLAN IT!
The time you spend gathering information and working out a clearly outlined plan is an investment in your future. Landing the right job is a lot like selling a vacuum cleaner. REALLY! Your skills and achievements are your commodity; your future employer is the buyer.
How well do you know your product? If you do not know exactly what you are selling, who you going to get to buy? Employers want to know three things up front: Who are you? What do you do? What can you do for me?
Can you list 10 of your greatest strengths and provide supporting examples of how you have used them in your career? If you are having trouble identifying your skills and strengths, consider some vocational testing and professional interpretation. Read about the DISC Career Assessment Inventory on my Services Page or check out some online assessments at www.quintcareers.com.
What benefits can you offer a prospective employer? What makes your Eureka better than someone else's Hoover ? Prepare a written list of your career accomplishments and make sure you include how these accomplishments have saved current or past employers time and/or money. People pay for solutions. If you can't promise the benefits of hiring you, you are not ready to make a sales pitch.
Do you know your value in today's job market? How could you possibly sell a vacuum cleaner if you have no idea what people are willing to pay? Most job seekers either under-price or over-price themselves. Talk to people in the industry; call Human Resources staff at some of your target companies; look on-line at sites such as the American Career Information Network (www.acinet.org) or use a salary calculator, such as that found at www.salary.com.
Do you know who may be in the market for what you are selling? If you are waiting for your next employer to run a classified advertisement stating his needs, you may be in for a long wait. Even if he does advertise, you may be standing in line with a whole lot of other "vacuum cleaner sales people". Every good Kirby dealer knows the secret to selling vacuum cleaners: Make lots of sales calls; demonstrate what your product can do for the buyer; give a convincing sales pitch; ask for three to five names of people who may be in the market for a way to make housecleaning easier; follow-up (this is worth saying again) follow-up; and do not give up until you close the sale.
One more thing to keep in mind: "If you want to increase your success rate, double your failure rate" T. Watson, founder of IBM . So get out there and sell that vacuum cleaner!! erhh… I mean, find a job you love (and call me to join your Public Relations team)!
View Previous Articles:
Networking | Changing Jobs | How to Get Help from Friends and Family | Redefining Your Goals | It's All in The Sale | New Job for Christmas | Top Ten Tips for 2006
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