Lead Generation Campaign Planning Considerations and essentials

August 10, 2016August 10, 2016 Jordan Barta

Audience

What does the business want or need more of? For many it’s clients placing bigger orders rather than candidates or one off buyers. In my experience of working with recruitment agencies, they crave clients who want to pay them to do the recruiting work, but they have plenty of candidates already. The strange thing is though, so often a lot of their content and lead generation campaigns are focused on the candidates, or not on the actual business goals.

Start your lead generation campaign planning with consideration of the key business goals and objectives. Do you want more clients, what is it that you need?

As soon as you have this in mind, work through your buyer personas.

Buyer Persona

Ask yourself, your team and sales reps, who is the perfect client or customer. In relation to the business goals, if you could tailor-make a client what would they want, need, know, like, dislike and gather as much information on them as you can.

Think about:

Who are they
What do they do
Who do they do it for
What is the benefit of what they do
What don’t they do
What are their challenges
How can you help them

This might be a whiteboard or two’s worth of information but it’s important to sit the team down and drum up this information and ideas.

Content

There are several aspects of content planning for any lead generation campaign. Firstly, consider what the lead magnet will be, the piece of content people will download in exchange for their contact details. Make the topic and content of this as compelling as possible, really focus on solving your buyer persona’s problem and making it important that they download it.

In every lead generation campaign I have ever ran or experienced there has been at least a number of blog posts created to support the campaign.

My work in the week I wrote this post has been planning a minimum of 3 blog posts to support each lead generation campaign I am creating and working on for my clients. This in itself is a low number of blog posts to support a campaign. I’ve boosted the number of posts to support my campaigns for Live And Social so that we now use 7 blog posts to support a landing page that will obtain contact details of those who want to download my piece of content.

Campaign Management

You need a manager to oversee the campaign and make sure all assets to the campaign are being created and on time.

A task management tool like https://asana.com/ has come in handy for me in the past and has been very helpful for me of late, in my own lead generation campaign planning and execution.

Follow Up

I have always tried to include email communication with any leads I have generated before following up with a phone call. I have used 5 part email automation series dripped to leads to nurture them ready for a call.

Consider how ready you feel the lead is for a phone call, and what they have received from you. Do they know enough that means you have earned the right to call them?

Lead Generation Campaign Planning Considerations

Video

If you’re going to include video in your lead generation campaign the likelihood is the costs of producing the whole campaign will rise quite sharply, unless you have in-house capability. Depending on your buyer persona and audience, industry and a number of other factors you may decide against using video in your lead generation campaign planning.

I have used video before and decided to not use it in some campaigns, this is one thing you do need to decide internally. There’s no right or wrong answer about using video, but deeply consider the reach and value you will get for it.

Advertising

Again, you could say advertising is a must for a lead generation campaign, the same as video. It depends on your general reach and site traffic level. If you have a great email list with lots of segments and high website traffic this is less important. If you have less of a contact base already then advertising may be more important.

All Content Produced internally

I have led lead generation campaigns that have been angled towards guest writers contributing to an industry report which was the lead magnet in the campaign before and the appeal of “influencers” speaking is great. You do not need to produce all of the content for the campaign internally, I have used guest contribution before and interviews with team members as well as produced content myself. A good mixture of this will see a nice piece of content with lots of perspective come through.

Roundup

In essence, plan you needs to talk to you and create something that can start the conversation. Follow up with email series and content, and then be ready to pick up the phone and initiate a value-adding call. Value first!

ccQwyAqV You may want to dive into some video and advertising but I do not think it’s vital. I’d love you to tweet me (@OllieWhitfield_ )or get in touch on linkedin and let me know how you’re getting on, ask question and give feedback. Don’t forget to share this blog post.

Sales Hacker Twitter Chat With Tim Hughes

July 29, 2016July 29, 2016 Jordan Barta


Buying has changed, prospects and customers are now on-line. we (as salespeople) have to be there too. Social selling is change to sales in reaction to that – its NOT Linkedin or some shinny new object, change in behaviour	Salespeople need to get on social and start listening – listen to what others are doing, listen to customers, competitors. In my book I recommend companies get a SCM social community manager like @gabevillamizar	Content is key, everybody is selling vanilla ice cream and you have chocolate ice cream, which content will they consume?

In my book we use research that shows that people now ask their networks questions and as a sales person u need to be there #SalesHackerChat	You must think “Community before commerce” at all times, you must stop building followers and build a community. Always research (and connect) to people before you meet them, always know about people. Social enables you to build better and deeper relationships with people / prospects and customers.	Everyday is a school day … keep reading, keep learning and keep sharing … trust me it will attract people

I’m new biz sales guy so love opening up new accounts, creating relationships and closing the deals, is that all of it? 🙂 #SalesHackerChat	Influence attracts people to you, community gets you recommended, there is also a chapter on tools Buy Social Selling here.

Why A Successful Career Requires Great Marketing Skills!

July 28, 2016July 28, 2016 Jordan Barta

thumbnail_Simon Gray - Career Codex (1)

As a professional career coach and job search strategist I work with clients from all over the world to help them navigate the job market successfully.

One of the challenges many of my clients face at the outset is a failure to grasp the importance of marketing skills in their ability (having defined the job they really want) to actually go out there to find and secure it.

I’m an avid student of all things marketing. Having started my own recruitment business just before the financial crisis of 2008 took effect, I had to become good student, and fast! I learnt my craft in the trenches and five years on from setting up, using the skills and techniques I developed, secured my business the top story on BBC National News at Ten (the primary news programme in the UK).

Starting a business in a recession meant I had a limited marketing budget, and little chance of competing in advertising spend with the major and more established players. I had to think differently to gain my business recognition and reputation. It’s a similar strategy I advise when it comes to successful job search.

Traditional advertising is expensive and extremely competitive. To be heard above all the noise you have to have the resources to shout louder. What’s more, today’s consumer has learnt to filter out the majority of advertising messages, which makes the task of being heard even harder.

It’s exactly the same when it comes to the job market. Placing your resume on job boards or registering with professional recruiters, and then sitting back and waiting for things to happen is no recipe for success. It’s a reactive approach where you’re not in control and more to the point; it’s what everyone else is doing. It’s like swimming in the ocean and expecting to be the fish that gets caught. It might happen, but probability dictates it might take a while!

Modern marketing emphasises the importance of ‘inbound’ and education. Creating a brand that informs and educates potential

Customers is how the best in the business are now doing things. As consumers we all have access to the Internet and the ability to research online ahead of any purchasing decision. It’s no longer an organization’s job to sell to us; it’s their job to educate us. This builds engagement, trust and loyalty in advance of any decision to buy, and when the consumer is ready, they’ll raise their hand.

It’s the same in the job market. I know from my recruitment days that a high proportion of jobs are never advertised or placed with professional recruiters. They’re filled through recommendation and referral, which comes with many advantages for an employer, including reduced pain, cost and uncertainty. I call this place the ‘hidden market’ and it’s where smart jobseekers fish to uncover opportunities before anyone else, and by definition at a time where they have a higher probability of success.

An extension of the hidden market is LinkedIn. Employers no longer have to rely on job boards or professional recruiters to find the talent they need in their organizations. They have a database that’s up to date, right at their fingertips. They’re out fishing for the best people, often before they publicly declare their intention to hire.

The smart candidate utilizes LinkedIn’s online tools, including published posts and group discussions, to build their personal brand. In addition, offline, they build a reputation in their sector through networking, media commentary and pubic speaking.

Back in 2008, I began saying ‘yes’ to what scared me and it all started with a nervous interview on local radio. Continuing to say yes and putting myself out there, eight years on, has led to a multitude of opportunities. The proof is in the pudding, and the reason Jordan asked me to write this blog post was because of something that caught his eye online.

To summarize, just as marketers have had to evolve, the modern jobseeker needs to evolve too. Whatever your level or industry sector, we all need a personal brand that informs, educates, and in the process, entertains our target audience.

To connect with Simon Gray on LinkedIn

For information on Career Codex

To get hold of a copy of Simon Gray’s book, Super Secrets of Successful Executive Job Search

Bio:

Simon Gray is a chartered accountant, entrepreneur, former professional recruiter and founder of Career Codex. He works with clients from all over the world to help them define, find and secure the job opportunity they really want. The Career Codex methodology is about being in proactive control of your job search every step of the way, and at its core emphasises the importance of psychology for successful job search.

3 Things to Improve Your LinkedIn Experience

July 27, 2016July 27, 2016 Jordan Barta

1. Personalize!

Think of LinkedIn like a real-life networking event. If you walk in and try and tell everybody about your product right away, people are going to be annoyed. They’ll avoid speaking with you all together. Same thing goes for LinkedIn! Timothy Hughes (@Timothy_Hughes) talks about this in his book “Social Selling”.

bad invite Personalize your message to whomever you’re trying to connect with. DO NOT leave the generic “I’d like to add you to my professional network on LinkedIn”. Also, don’t try to sell them on your product on the ‘introduction’ screen.

Instead, lead with something genuine! I like to comment something nice about their experience or background. Maybe we have mutual connections in common. Perhaps they’d be an asset to my network because we’re in the same industry. Whatever the case may be, take an extra second and personalize it. You’d be surprised at what people have to say in return.

That took me an entire 3 minutes to look up the most recent post Jason shared, personalize the approach and send the connection request. Now, when Jason accepts, he’s going to see my personalized message and think, ‘Hmm… This guy actually took a few minutes to be relevant. I wonder what he does.’ This could be the beginning to a long and prosperous relationship and I could even help him with a problem someday.

2. Save the Math Equations For Facebook

If you truly care about developing your network, providing value and establishing yourself as an industry thought leader, don’t bother engaging with things that are a waste of time. They seem harmless and it’s an easy way to get a lot of new profile views and connections, but all its takes is one bad ‘like’ and you could ruin your reputation to a potential influencer or buyer. Because… as I’m sure you’ve all seen, you accept a new connection and your feed gets filled with junk.

hide unfollow For most of us, I don’t want to clog my feed with silly things. Once I see someone like, share or comment on something irrelevant to my ‘world’, I either ‘hide this particular update’ or ‘unfollow user’. I don’t have time to scroll through my feed and see something irrelevant. I go to Facebook and Instagram for that stuff.

Think of it this way; would your boss, mentor or favorite leader find your post worthwhile? If not… then don’t like or comment.

3. Show Your Appreciation!

When someone comments or shares your content, send them over a quick thank you. Envision this: Karen shares my article with her network of 2,000 people. My name, and article have just been introduced to her network. That’s a completely new audience that I’ve been introduced to… Maybe someone in Karen’s network has some questions for me about what I do for a living.

You never know the opportunities that can present themselves unless you do the little things. All of these tips only take a little time to do but will pay off tenfold. If the person never connects with you, even though you personalized it, don’t get discouraged! You can always remove your connection request and try again. (LinkedIn Article on how to do that)

#Social Selling – Personalize, Influence & Resonate With Your Buyers

July 26, 2016August 19, 2021 Jordan Barta

511zYH2TZIL The art of Social Selling is a continuous process that sales people do. There is no one way of doing it correctly! However, there are a lot of ways you should do it… Notice the word; should. Tim uses a great example to paint a picture of what you shouldn’t do! Image you show up to a networking event (in person event), walk in the front door and yell:

“…’Hi, I’m Tim and I have this great telephone system!’, then launch into my pitch… I’m sure this would silence the room…”[note]Page 47[/note]

Nobody would want to talk to you. Everybody would think you’re nuts! This goes for Social Selling and reaching out to people on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook etc. The minute you connect with them, you blast them your sales pitch. We’re all guilty of it… because it’s the easiest approach. We think, ‘Oh, they accepted… they must know I want to sell them xyz, I’ll pitch them now.’

Good God, no! This is such a turn off. Just wait until it happens to you. This goes for recruiters too! Don’t send your canned, junk, message via LinkedIn after I connect. I’ve got my cell number, my email, my twitter handle and my WeChat information on my LinkedIn. I’ve NEVER had a recruiter hit me up on one of those networks. WHY? Laziness perhaps. Try one of those mediums and watch how fast your response time is.

But, most of all, personalize your message! What does EVERYBODY and their mother talk about?! Personalize your message, dangit. As you build your network, reach and connections, you’ll need to begin connecting with ‘influencers’. You don’t have to… but when someone with 30k+ (industry specific) connections on LinkedIn likes/comments on your post, you’re going to gain a lot of exposure. Makes sense right…? You share something that someone loves and they share it. Your network + their network = reach. Simple… In building rapport with ‘influencers’;

“Influencers will want a personalized message just like everybody else. Use your best active listening techniques. Read the material they write and when you connect with them, sell them the parts you like best of all. For example, tell them ‘I’ve read your blog and can really relate with the Networking event theme.'[note]Page 57[/note]

Everybody likes a nice pat on the back. Tell them something nice about their LinkedIn profile, share some of their content on other network, comment on their website… the list is endless. I will tell you, from personal experience; influencers aren’t just sitting around waiting for you to like their ‘stuff’. They aren’t going to respond at your first attempt. It took me over a year to connect with a very well known CEO… then, it took me another six months to ask the correct type of question to get a response. It isn’t easy, but it was so worth the wait.

In the attempt to connect with ‘influencers’, we also need to focus on our influence. If you’re not a thought leader, trusted advisor or credible source, how are buyers supposed to trust you in the sales process? I think it depends on the type of buyer… but, if you can engage with prospects on multiple platforms, you’ll build credibility. Or, send over an article you wrote to a prospect and see how much credibility you gain! In terms of influence;

“We have two jobs to do. First, our own influence needs to increase. Second, the influence of others who are not helpful to us needs to decrease. Controlling influence is also a constant process.”[note]Page 63[/note]

This is a VERY slow process. It takes a long time to create and if you don’t do it the ‘right’ way, you can destroy your influence in the matter of minutes. A quick guide to establishing influence doesn’t exist. So… you better be in this thing for the long game! You can’t fake your way to the top… sorry.

I’ve found that creating a time frame of when I want to execute on things is very beneficial. That way, while I’m building my network, brand and connection base, I can continuously push out content and engage with people. Creating content is probably the most difficult part only because it’s the most time consuming. But, once you find a topic that gets a lot of engagement, you feel rewarded.

“When on social networks, it is essential that you create resonance in some way. Everyone on a social network is having their attention attracted by something – your job is to be the one who attracts it.”[note]Page 77[/note]

#Boom – Plain and simple. Become relevant, resonate with them and provide some value in some way. If you’re in HR sales.. talk about law changes or compliance. If you’re in travel, show them pictures and top 10 places to visit. Sell cars… show someone safest/fastest cars. Just resonate with your buyers! Each social channel has it’s own ‘voice’… so make sure you’re speaking the right language.

Don’t worry; There’s more from me to come about:

Social Selling | Tim Hughes

#Social Selling – What is it and Why Does it Matter?

July 22, 2016August 19, 2021 Jordan Barta

socialselling If you haven’t picked up a copy of “Social Selling’ by Tim Hughes and Matt Reynolds, you’re missing out. (Quick – Amazon awaits) This is a HUGE BUZZ word right now in the sales world. But… do you know why? Of Course you do… cough cough. As we continue to develop within the information age, there is so much ‘stuff’ readily available… all the time. Website’s, content, pictures, white papers, videos, demos, chat bots, customer service teams, review sites, and your social networks. But what about the sales guy? Poof! Who needs ’em?

There’s a handful of statistics out there that say, ‘65% of buyers do their research before contacting salespeople’, ‘50% of the sales process is already done before the sales person is brought to the table.’ WHY?

“Businesses are now finding they achieve better results by asking employees to use social networks to research solutions to problems in a way that removes bias”[note]Page 2[/note]

Kinda scary right?! Our future buyers are going to listen to what everybody else has to say and not come to me with questions… Obviously I’m biased… I’ve got the best product and service out there, ‘said every sales person, ever’. Companies and individuals don’t always want to hear about the best features and benefits from a sales person. Often times, they want to hear about what’s gone wrong. A sales person isn’t going to tell a prospect whats gone wrong lately… that’s sales suicide. So, the buyer is going to the internet.

It’s YOUR job to make sure they’re reading the right content. It’s YOUR job to continuously provide value to them while they’re going through the process. You need to find where your buyers are, and engage with them on their channel. They’re not going to come to you… so you’ve got to go to them.

“…Companies need to find and create a community so they move from carrying their own torch, to having a community that carries it for them. They becomes the lord of the manor, with customers, employees and even better still a wider network working to their common good.”[note]Page 14[/note]

It’s one thing to share all types of content… and it’s another thing to only share your company’s content. Don’t do the later. It makes you look biased. You’re just regurgitating the same stuff they post. It makes you look like a robot and nobody wants to buy from someone that only shares content about their company. That being said, sharing your company’s content is a good thing and it’s a great start. But you’ve got to add other ‘stuff’ or else your network is going to recognize that and they’ll stop listening to you.

Tim Hughes has been in the sales and Social Selling game for a long time. There’s a reason why he wrote the book! He did a survey on the ROI of Social Selling and…

“The number one piece of advice I received was to know your target markets, listen, engage and interact with them. When you build trust with people, they will also open their networks to you.”[note]Page 28[/note]

Ah-Ha! Makes sense, right? It’s 100% true. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been introduced to someone because of what I’ve shared made an impact on them. People talk… a lot! If you share valuable information on line, eventually that information will be shared offline. The possibilities are endless. I could share one article on a specific HR topic that catches the attention of a CHRO. Then they share it with their network… now, imagine the klout that person has within their industry! The snowball starts rolling down the hill and you’ve just tripled your reach. You’ve just made an impact on so many more people!

Now, it’s your job to reach out to all of those people that you’ve come in contact with. DON’T try and sell them right away… that makes you look bad! Show some appreciation and ask them how you can provide more value. Often times, I’ve found, that I’ll get a, “oh, I didn’t know you sold xyz” or “we’re looking at switching this system.. any advice?”. Yippy! You’ve just found yourself a brand new opportunity that wouldn’t have transpired any other way that sharing content.

“Building your online profile and community means you need to talk with many strangers; these people may be prospects, competitors and influencers already.”[note]Page 46[/note]

I love the process of Social Selling! It takes a lot of time and energy to build up these networks and trust of others. Don’t get discouraged. ONE huge issue people make; They spend all of their time on Social Selling for a month… realize they aren’t going to hit their numbers and say, ‘it doesn’t work’. Baloney! Social Selling can’t be the only thing you’re doing to drive business. Social Selling compliments calling, emailing and knocking on doors. The process of social selling is; develop trust, provide value, engage with people and then take the conversation offline. Once you’re offline, begin your sales process.

Social Selling is the act of getting in front of the buyer while or before they’re doing their due-diligence. Because, as stated earlier, the sales person is being brought into the conversation at the last minute to put the pricing together.

Don’t worry; There’s more from me to come about:

Social Selling | Tim Hughes

Oh yeah… get this! Tim and I are having a chat next week via Twitter. Come join the fun.

SalesHacker-Tim

Sales Hacker Twitter Chat With Gabe Villamizar

July 21, 2016August 19, 2021 Jordan Barta


@SalesHacker #saleshackerchat @NovaDotAi pic.twitter.com/9CCjIPwmQM — Gabe Villamizar (@gabevillamizar) July 19, 2016	Answer 2 #saleshackerchat @JackKosakowski1 @Barta57 pic.twitter.com/biUVh8vaVB — Gabe Villamizar (@gabevillamizar) July 19, 2016	#saleshackerchat Answer 2. @LinkedIn and @Twitter all the way. pic.twitter.com/PmymRe13Yz — Gabe Villamizar (@gabevillamizar) July 19, 2016

#SalesHackerChat A4 Video Steez. pic.twitter.com/l7Dz4EHY3K — Gabe Villamizar (@gabevillamizar) July 19, 2016	#SalesHackerChat A5 pic.twitter.com/KuMsS3cl1D — Gabe Villamizar (@gabevillamizar) July 19, 2016	#SalesHackerChat that, I don't believe there are "best days" & "times" that pertain to most buyers. Each rep should find that on their own! — Gabe Villamizar (@gabevillamizar) July 19, 2016

Sales Hacker: Question 1 – What is your #1 must have prospecting tool?

Gabe Villamizar: NovaDotAi – It allows for email personalization. It automatically searches for peoples common things you have with them and it adds it into the email.

Sales Hacker: Question 2 – Do you spend more time calling, email, or knocking on doors? and Why?

Gabe Villamizar: Find out where your buyers spend most their time. What preferred method of communication they prefer. Communication with them there. Whatever it takes to get their attention and be top of mind and close deals.

Sales Hacker: Question 3 – Which platform is your favorite for starting a conversation with buyers?

Gabe Villamizar: LinkedIn and Twitter. It’s awesome. With LinkedIn, I have optimized my profile to be a thought leader. I’ve updated my profile with certain skills, with certian displays and keywords. I want my buyers to trust me and once they trust me, they’ll buy from me. Optimize your profile so that you can appeal to your buyer.

Sales Hacker: Question 4 – How should sales reps approach messaging when prospecting on Twitter and LinkedIn?

Gabe Villamizar: You need to know before you call, email or social sell your buyers. You need to know their pain points and processes. Find out as much as you can and add value and be visible. Jack Kosakowski taught me that. I hate it when someone calls me and asks me what my goals are. My life is so out there and you can see what I’m looking to accomplish. A good sales rep will identify what can help an organization.

Sales Hacker: Question 5 – How do you choose which accounts you’re going to prospect for the week?

Gabe Villamizar: We’re a huge in Account Based Marketing. We grabbed historical data and most the most ideal deals we’ve closed. What type of accounts did we close. Find the sweet spot and whom was the decision maker. You want to target them and choose the top 100 accounts. Choose at least 6 to 7 buyers depending on the company size. Bigger account = more people. We aren’t targeting all accounts but lets split them up and work on 20 accounts first.

Sales Hacker: Question 6 – Do you have set days where you only prospect on? and Why?

Gabe Villamizar: Every company and industry have different buyers, which have different online and offline behaviors. Having said that, I don’t believe there are “best days” & “times” that pertain to most buyers. Each rep should find that on their own!

Follow GABE @gabevillamizar

The Power of Who – Don’t Let Fear of Failure Stop You!

July 18, 2016July 18, 2016 Jordan Barta

I’ve seen “The Power of Who” first hand… It’s continuously happening to me and other people within my network. It’s absolutely amazing and I hope that you can feel it too. Previously stated, the hardest part is getting started. Asking for help… you’ve got to do it!

“They’re here to help you and you’re here to help them. It just might turn out that someone you know right now will be in a position to open an important door for you later, perhaps at a time when you need it most.”[note] Page 26[/note]

You NEVER know what will come of it, unless you engage with your people. A friend of a friend could help you land a huge sale or find you a new job. Get this: A dear friend of mine started reading my blog a few months back. Well, that friend passed along my blog to her boss. Now… I’ve been invited to speak at a function of theirs.

I’ve never done any type of public speaking like that before… but who cares. Public speaking is something that I want to do. That door is being opened… all because I started writing and sharing my content. If that trail of events doesn’t know your mind, I don’t know what will.

“Too many people start their dream search with a misstep. They focus mostly on the ‘what’ (what they want) and neglect the ‘who’ (those special friends or friends of friends who can help them).”[note]page 29[/note]

Talking with your friends can help you figure these things out. Maybe someone can encourage you or be the voice of reason. Maybe a friend of yours knows recruiters that can help get your resume into companies. There’s a good chance that someone in your network has gone through a very similar experience as you. We’ve all been given our friends for a reason, why not use them for help?!

“…sometimes people you don’t even know (but who know of you) will act as advocates on your behalf. They open doors for you with a recommendation or reference. As a result you get your dream job or land a big client or get accepted into a program.”[note]Page 42[/note]

DUDE – Ah-Ha Moment! This should scream volumes. With the internet, social media and networking, you can create an incredible personal brand. Once you’ve got that built, the sky’s the limit! You’ve got to do it! You’ve got to get started on that thing you’ve been thinking about for the past few years.

Stop overthinking it and just go. Start small and get the ball rolling. You live and you learn. Failing is just another opportunity to learn. Gary Vee talking about losing every so often. After you lose, get over it and learn from it. Stop dwelling on the losses.

“Fear of failure keeps more people stuck in the safety of the status quo than anything else. They’re afraid the search will be futile.”[note]Page 51[/note]

Doing something new can be a little scary, but it’s also exhilarating! It’s what wakes me up everyday 30-60 minutes before my alarm clock goes off. My dreams are so freaking big that the second my eyes open up, I’m out of bed. Having been an athlete, growing up competing my entire life, I’ve experienced failure. Now, I’ve got really thick skin. I’ve also experienced wins.

I’m going to do whatever it takes to get that win and fear will never get in my way! You need to have the same attitude.

“…if you want to have something that you’ve never had before, you’ve got to be willing to do something that you’ve never done before!”[note]Page 68[/note]

Ah-Ha Moment right at you. Are you willing to do what it takes?! The idea is SIMPLE. The plan of action is what can be difficult. Why not ask someone that’s done it before to see if they can shed some light for you?

Once you can get your mind right, take the first step and begin chasing your dream again, the pieces will fall into place!

“The choice of what will happen to you is the results of all the little decisions you make everyday. So, make the best possible decision today, and tomorrow will arrive smiling at you. You’re not yet what you will become. The only way to get there is to be the best version of yourself today!”[note]Page 76[/note]

Man… read it over again. Copy and past that quote and put it on a sticky note on your computer. Do something to get your closer to your dream everyday. Make it happen baby!

There’s more to come from me about:

The Power of Who: You Already Know Everyone You Need to Know | Bob Beaudine

How to Get Out of Your Own Way

July 12, 2016July 12, 2016 Jordan Barta 1 Comment

I love reading motivational books! The amount of motivational sentences you can pull from these books is mind boggling. It’s time to change… it’s time for you to start doing! You’re busy… all day; work, family, life, traffic, kids, health, and the list goes on. You forget about your dreams and where you wanted to be in 5 years… and that was 5 years ago. You’ve lost focus on the big picture and became inundated with menial daily tasks. You’re stressed about the small stuff because you don’t know what else you should do.

“Many of us have gotten sidetracked and forgotten our original dream, spending our lives doing derivative work. This memory lapse has become epidemic. We have less and less time to calmly think about the direction our lives have taken and reflect on our current course.”[note]Page 5[/note]

This is your wake up call. Shake the cobwebs out, pick yourself up and recreate that dream you once had. Honestly, what $(KGrHqEOKkUE1pFpDe0FBNj+c,rg7Q--_35 do you have to lose? I’ll use myself as an example; I started writing, obviously… I don’t have a writing degree… I think I’ve taken 3 writing classes my entire life, but here I am. You know why? Because I know that what I’m doing now is going to directly affect the path to my dreams.

If a door closes… don’t get discouraged. It’s just a message telling you that maybe that wasn’t the best option for you. We all get side tracked at sometime or another, but it’s up to you and your ‘who’, to get you back on your feet. Think of your ‘who’ as your network and your network’s’ network.

“One of the big lies many of us tell ourselves is that our current position in life disqualifies us from achieving our dreams and goals.”[note]Page 9[/note]

‘I’m too old. I’m too young.’ Whatever the excuse is… you’re only kidding yourself. It’s never too early and it’s never too late in life to begin walking on a path to your dreams. The future is coming whether you like it or not. You NEED to ask yourself, ‘Are the things I’m doing right now, steering me closer to my dreams or life I desire?’

Want to know what the hardest part is?! Getting started… Getting started is the hardest part when you decide that you’re going to change the outcome of your future. Finding the energy, courage and dedication to do something different. Now… I’m not telling you to quit your job; but I’m hoping you’ll start making small changes.

“Maybe you feel you lack the courage or self-confidence to start doing what you’ve always dreamed of doing. But you’ll be amazed at the sense of empowerment you feel as you take those first steps.; Things will start to fall into place. Life will begin to make sense again.”[note]Page 13[/note]

Things do fall into place! Put forth the effort and things will change. One thing that makes all of this possible is your ‘who’ network. These are the people that you’d call your friends or connections. In the information age, our networks can be huge! You could have thousands of connections on LinkedIn and all of those people could have thousands of connections. Potentially, your ‘who’ network could be massive. People that are in your network may not be willing to help you… but you don’t know until you ask.

“The good news is ‘You Got ‘WHO’!’ Everyone in your network has their ‘who’ network and everyone in that ‘who’ network has their circle of ‘who’ friends and on and on it goes. It’s exponential!”[note]Page 20[/note]

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve asked for favors, or help and someone has responded. People are willing to help… you just have to ask. I’ve made incredible connections with people outside of my network because someone close to me facilitated an introduction. I’ve gotten job interviews and later received jobs because of someone in my ‘who’ network. I’ve spoken with CEO’s and decision makers within organizations that normally I wouldn’t be able to get a hold of.

People make the mistake of never reaching out and asking for help. You can’t take life on head first by yourself… I mean, you can, but it’s very difficult. Imagine this; starting your own business… Where do you turn to? I’d hope you’d reach out to anyone in your ‘who’ network that’s already started their own business. You can read material and be educated, but you don’t know what it’s like to go through the process of starting a business. Don’t be so stubborn.

“They’re here to help you and you’re here to help them. It just might turn out that someone you know right now will be in a position to open an important door for you later, perhaps at a time when you need it most.”[note]Page 26[/note]

Think about all of the times you’ve helped someone out or they’ve helped you out! Once you realize the power of ‘who’, and have that Ah-Ha Moment, the possibilities are endless. It’s never too late for anybody. Shift your mentality a little bit and the possibilities are endless.

Network-Marketer-Secret-of-Motivation-300x225

Less Talk; More Do!

Recreate your dream
Figure out how you can work towards that dream
Start doing something that gets you towards that dream
Examine your network and find people that you need to help
ASK them for help

There’s more to come from me about:

The Power of Who: You Already Know Everyone You Need to Know | Bob Beaudine

Cover Letters Are Dead

July 6, 2016July 6, 2016 Jordan Barta

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Even before I fell into the recruiting industry, I never believed in cover letters. Now that I have been immersed in the recruiting industry for years, I am a firm believer that cover letters are and will forever remain dead.

Here are just a few reasons that job-seekers should stop wasting their time crafting the ultimate cover letter.

1. Recruiters Don’t Even Look at Cover Letters
Seriously, I can count on one hand how many times I have actually read through an applicant’s cover letter in my recruiting career.

What I have found is that the cover letters recruiters do tend to receive are very standard, boring, and oftentimes they are geared toward a different position or even worse – a different organization altogether.

Recruiters are really interested in looking at the substance in the resume, not reading a cover letter that speaks to capabilities. We want to see actions, achievements, outcomes, work history, and an individual’s capabilities based on tangible evidence and skillset.

At the end of the day, it’s the resume or social media profile that is the key to an initial conversation with a recruiter – not the cover letter.

2. Mobile Recruiting is Phasing Out Cover Letters
Job-seekers love simple job applications.

If it’s a one-click to apply option, that is even better. More and more, mobile recruiting through platforms such as Indeed, Careerbuilder, and LinkedIn are enabling organizations and job-seekers to ease the process of applying to a job.

Organizations requiring prospective candidates to include a cover letter are simply limiting their pool of qualified talent.

Although many organizations, recruiters, and/or hiring managers may argue that requiring a cover letter helps to see who is really serious about applying to a particular position – I believe this is an outdated philosophy, and once again will end up limiting an organization’s qualified talent pool.

Gone are the days of jumping through hoops to apply for a job.

3. Social Media is Where It’s At – Seriously
I cannot speak for all recruiters, but I will tell you that I would much rather take a look at someone’s social media sites (specifically LinkedIn) than a cover letter any day of the week.

In fact, I will also argue that having a strong digital footprint is a very attractive quality for an applicant to possess – no matter the position or industry.

Additionally, I utilize social media to compare a candidate’s submitted resume to their listed experience on LinkedIn or other avenues.

Does it correlate? Are there inconsistencies? Are there red flags?

Plus, you can oftentimes get a stronger sense of intangible qualities such as a candidate’s personality, interests, and activities through their social media profiles – allowing the opportunity to get to know a candidate prior to having an initial conversation.

Fellow recruiters, hiring managers & all you job-seekers out there – how do you feel about cover letters? Comment below.

Remember Someone’s Name – Actively Listen and Show Appreciation

July 6, 2016July 6, 2016 Jordan Barta

How to win friends and influence I’m always intrigued to listen and read new material on sales. The sales industry is always evolving and there’s always some new ‘guru’ telling you what you should and shouldn’t do. However, one thing that always stays the same is that people always like talking about themselves. If you’re talking more than the prospect/client, you’re doing something wrong. An additional Ah-Ha Moment you can add while you ask questions is using their name.

“Remember that a person’s name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any language.”[note]Page 79[/note]

Recognizing someone by their name or remembering their name from previous interactions shows you care. You took the additional few seconds to remember their name. Think back to a time when someone said your name and it caught you off guard. There’s a coworker of mine that whenever he says hi, my name follows. It feels like a nice gesture rather than the old ‘how ya doin?’

Give it a shot and see if you surprise anyone. Caring about people and listening to them can really set you apart in the workplace. Not many people like the person that comes into the office and doesn’t talk to anybody.

“So if you aspire to be a good conversationalist, be an attentive listener. To be interesting, be interested. Ask questions that other persons will enjoy answering. Encourage them to talk about themselves and their accomplishments.”[note]Page 88[/note]

Go past the traditional, ‘how was your weekend?’. I’ve found it very beneficial for me to get to know my implementation team well. I did exactly what Dale says to do. I’m interested in their work; I’m asking questions to engage a real conversation and am applauding their hard work. Guess what… next time I ask them for a favor, what do you think they’ll say? They are more than happy to help me out.

Typically, I like to position the question in a way so they can answer using their experience/expertise. Asking a yes/no question will get me my answer, but it won’t make them feel any different. We all want to be appreciated in some way or another so by allowing them to answer the question long form, I can give praise.

“The deepest principle in human nature is the craving to be appreciated. – William James” [note]Page 95[/note]

Think of a time when someone made you feel important. It could be as simple as you helping someone create an email. Or maybe they had a questions about an internal process. Getting that ‘thank you’ or high five feels good!

Show appreciation more often and you might be amazed how people perceive you.

Admitting you’re wrong is a very difficult task. Nobody wants to be wrong… you feel defeated.

“You will never get into trouble by admitting that you may be wrong. That will stop all argument and inspire your opponent t be just as fair and open and broad-minded as you are. It will make him want to admit that he, too, may be wrong.”[note]Page 118[/note]

I was meeting with a client that had been sold something we can’t actually do. He wasn’t very happy with the company… Apologizing and telling him I would fix it wasn’t doing the trick. I’m just another ‘sales guy’ that’s trying to rip off his company… But, once I told him we were wrong and it shouldn’t have happened, he stopped and apologized for overreacting.

It was interested to see the different reaction he had once I claimed we were wrong. Once that situation blew over, we had a civilized conversation. It happens… and life goes on.

“If you are wrong, admit it quickly and emphatically.”[note]Page 134[/note]

We’re all human and we make mistakes. It takes true guts to admit it and own the mistake. Don’t let the fear of making mistakes stop you from being successful!

There’s more from me to come:

How to Win Friends & Influence People | Dale Carnegie

Four Ways to Increase Email Opens by 25%

June 21, 2016June 22, 2016 Jordan Barta

emailmarketing_0 How does your email resonate with your audience? Open rate is the strongest metric to identify how well your email is landing, and optimizing your open rate can make all the difference in your monthly revenue.

If you want to get your email past spam filters and grab the receiver’s interest, we have four sure-fire tactics to increase your email opens and allow you to connect with your market.

Subject Line

Think about the number of emails that land in your inbox every day, and which ones you delete the fastest. The emails that you never open are probably, 1. The most boring, 2. Not relevant, 3. Reeking of sales desperation, and 4. Don’t have your trust.

CAPS LOCK and “Urgent” have lost all meaning in email subjects. Your audience wants to connect with content that means something to them, and email that frequently demands their attention is no different. Your subject line should be compelling enough that they skip the delete key and take a closer look.

We’ve found that the most successful emails keep subject lines short (three words, or 50 characters or less). They regularly use fresh content, so a steady stream of the same subject line doesn’t bore your audience. Your email should deliver information that your audience can use—up your credibility by offering content that helps them in their day-to-day. Even if you’re asking to set up a meeting, use an upcoming industry event and offer content that gives them tips on how to prepare: Getting the Most Out of [event].

Successful email subject lines also use dynamic tags that tap sales intelligence and personalize your email based on the information you’ve collected about them.

Personalization

It’s time to put data collection to good use. [Dynamic tags] let you personalize your email subject line, based on what you already know about your audience. The effectiveness of dynamic tags can vary between industries and professional roles, so you should test your formats and keep an eye on your winners.

If you’re tracking your audience’s activity on your website, dynamic tags can also highlight their place in the customer journey, and help you segment your audience. Be sure to review your email prior to sending to ensure the right information is populating, and avoid broken dynamic tags.

Technology

Take advantage of sales software to optimize your email content and sending patterns, and centralize the best of your data learnings to strengthen your entire sales team’s game.

Email Tracking is a great tool to sharpen your email process from a few different angles.

Use Email Tracking for an overview of your open rate, in a neat, easy-to-use interface
Customize your email with Email Tracking personalization tools.
Once you have tested, successful templates, you can use Email Tracking to share templates with your team.
While you work, keep track of all of your activity with the Email Tracking Salesforce integration.

There’s no reason not to use the best of technology to help you connect to your audience, and increase your email open rate.

Timing

The patterns of your email can really help you to establish credibility with your audience. Too frequent, and your email will go right in the trash. Not well timed, and it will get ignored. But you still want your email to be at the top of the list when your audience checks their inbox, and a healthy frequency does lead to successful engagement.

Set your email cadence by reviewing your open email data. Find the times and days of the week when your email is opened the most frequently, as well as the frequency rate, to determine the optimal send times for your audience.

With applied effort in these four areas, email opens can increase by at least 25%.

As always, split test your email subject line to gauge your best performers. Taking the time now to research your audience and save their data will help you deliver the most relevant content possible. The amount of time you invest will drive your ability to connect, and get those emails opened.

About the Author:

Jonathan Allen is a SaaS strategist and SalesLoft content specialist. He has extensive experience in sales development, account management, and B2B strategy.”

Connect with him on LinkedIn! Jonathan Allen

Agreements, Trigger Events & Introductions

June 17, 2016June 17, 2016 Jordan Barta

hacking sales Going through the sales process can be fun and exciting… especially when the potential client is excited about what you have to offer and the price is right. The last thing you want to do is say the wrong thing when you’re closing the deal.

“There’s a big difference in someone’s mind when you use the word contact versus the work agreement. But often they mean the same thing.”[note]Page 69 [/note]

A contract can sound scary and make anyone second guess their decision. An agreement on the other hand sounds less threatening. In reality, they can both mean the same thing. The agreements I have clients sign are not binding… so I don’t even bother saying contract because it isn’t one. When you’re going to get a price lock on a deal, then you might need a contract.

Whether you’re engaging with the prospect or they’re signing the agreement, you got to find trigger events to keep yourself in the mix. I LOVE trigger events because it gives me another reason to reach out to the prospect.

“A trigger event that most salespeople don’t utilize is holidays. You can use any major holiday or even a Hallmark holiday as an excuse to send a warm follow-up email.”[note]Page 91[/note]

Absolutely! I’ve spoken about trigger events in the past and this is another prime example of an easy touch point. Who doesn’t like to talk about what they’ve got planned over the holiday’s? You can also leave social media to see how they celebrate holidays. If they go all out, like in The Office, maybe you should stop by with a gift basket to say hi! Those little gestures can go a long ways.

Depending on what type of software you’re using to connect with your prospects and clients, you can find all sorts of ways to reach back out to companies. LinkedIn, Twitter and Google are the best engines to find Trigger events.

This next piece really resonates with me because I’ve been experiencing this later…

“The problem is sales is that salespeople tend to be ‘givers’… …if salespeople give throughout the process without getting much in return, they condition the client to treat them like a doormat.”[note]Page 116[/note]

I’m a salesperson that likes to bend over backwards for my prospects and clients… This really sucks because people try to take advantage of my ‘giving’ mentality. Feelings like I’m going to lose the business because I say ‘no’ sucks… but it’s better than being walked all over.

While I get first hand experience with this…. I think that’s going to be the only way a salesperson can learn about being a doormat. Fill your pipeline with enough business that you don’t have to worry about saying ‘no’ and being a doormat.

One great way to do that is by asking for introduction!

“Make Introductions Mutually Beneficial. This is important! Try to make introductions only when you truly believe there’s real mutual benefit, even if that benefit on one side is in the future.”[note]Page 117[/note]

I think one thing to also include is that you need to ASK. A lot of people are afraid to ask for introductions. I’m not talking about the BS “if you’re not the right contact, can you introduce me to them?” type of introduction. If you actually want to meet someone within a company and a connection of yours is connected, personalize the approach and let that person know why you’re reaching out for an intro.

Whenever I make a new connection on LinkedIn, I also let the person know that they can ask me for introductions to anyone in my network. But, if they ask, I always make sure that they give me a better understanding of what they’re looking to accomplish with the introduction.

An additional Ah-Ha Moment from Max is that:

“You will win because distribution is king, and these tools will allow you to own distribution at a repeatable and scalable level. Always be testing, measuring, and optimizing no matter how good the numbers are. You can always do better”[note]Page 132[/note]

It’s so true! We can always be doing better, providing more value and intriguing our prospects and clients. The end of this book, Hacking Sales, came very fast. It’s an incredible read because there is so much information. It’s insane how many different products are out there that will help you do your job.

You’ve got to read this book!

An Incredible Guide to Hacking Sales!

June 6, 2016June 6, 2016 Jordan Barta 1 Comment

hacking sales I don’t care if you’ve been in sales for 25 years or you’re just starting your sales career. This is MUST read. Gold… pure gold! There are so many Ah-Ha Moments throughout the book, it’s hard to choose which ones to write about. Max has taken the entire sales cycle; from figuring out your ideal customer profile to closing the deal, and consolidated it into a book. The examples, testimonials, and tools he talks about are mind boggling. You’ve gotta read it to believe it.

“A good sales process is a science, and science is the new art.”[note]Page 3[/note]

Absolutely… 100% true. Being a salesperson takes a lot of hard work and time. Every organization is different, so there’s so many different types of processes out there. Where do you get your leads from? How do you scrub your data? Do you use a CRM? Who do you try to sell to? Do you leverage the internet to educate yourself?

There is so much accessible data in the information age! You can literally find information about anyone or anything. How you leverage that data to begin a conversation is where ‘painting the picture’ begins. (Like that pun… to art?)

Incredible sales tools for leadgen, building lists and scrubbing data on Pages 10-39[note]Pages 10-30[/note]

There are literally too many awesome tools between these pages to single any of them out. I’ve used a handful of the tools that Max talks about and I now have a list of tools I will try in the near future. I’m not exaggerating when I tell you that these tools will help you with your business. They’ll help you find your prospects faster; they’ll help you get contact information and they’ll help you scrub your data to make sure it’s fresh information.

DISCLAIMER: Just because these tools will help you with your job, it doesn’t mean you can only rely on these tools. You still need to call, email and provide value!

“You still need to learn things about your prospects so that you can deliver a message that is relevant to them and provide value in the sales process.”[note]Page 41[/note]

Exactly! Researching for prospective clients is just one step of the process. Now it’s your turn to get educated on your potential client! Well… you’ve got the internet for that. Websites, job boards, social media, investor relations… the list is endless. You can literally find whatever you need on the internet. With that in mind, it is the internet and anybody can post anything.

You want to make sure that the information you use while reaching out to a prospect is relevant and true. The last thing you want to do is call someone the wrong name or reference bad data. You’ve closed the door before you even had the chance to open it.

“The first message you send to prospective customers is absolutely crucial, so this first-touch e-mail needs to work in your favor.”[note]Page 49[/note]

The first message can easily get you in the door or it can easily get you put in the spam folder. Leveraging information about the person’s position, their success, their company, a trigger event, local or similar customers can definitely spark the prospects interest. Personally, I’ve had success with, “Company XYZ, next door, leverages our service, have you and Mr. XYZ met before?”

Companies like knowing that their local business people use a common provider. (I have a geographical territory). Changing laws is another great approach that can spark people’s interests. Customer testimonials with ROI’s is another great example. Be creative and personalize the approach and you’ll do fine. Whether you get a ‘yes’ or a ‘no’, both are better than a ‘no response’.

“In sales, ‘no’ is the second-best answer. ‘Yes’ is the first, but a ‘maybe’ or not receiving an answer at all are by far the worst.”[note]Page 60[/note]

100% agree with this one. I hate the feeling when a prospect says they’ll ‘get back to me’. Then, I spend an eternity trying to figure out how I should check back in. I stopped sending ‘checking back in’ emails a long time ago. Now, I send over links or white papers with information as to why they should choose me and my service.

It’s the absolute worst once the prospect has gone silent for a few weeks and then they email back saying, ‘sorry, we’ve decided to go a different direction.’ God…. It makes me want to pull my hair out. If they would have told me ‘no’, weeks ago, I would have moved on. I think, it’s our right as a sales person to make sure there is a transparent understanding of the sales process. If you don’t want to partner, tell me so I can move on!

There’s more to come from me about:

Hacking Sales | Max Altschuler

Connect with Max on Twitter: @MaxAlts

Connect with me on Twitter: @Barta57

Quit Giving Other Recruiters a Bad Rep

June 3, 2016June 3, 2016 Jordan Barta

I am going to cut straight to the chase with this post.

If you are a recruiter, you need to read this. If this post doesn’t apply to you – I am sure you can relate to someone else in the recruiting field making the very mistakes listed below.

There are many recruiters that are making the rest of us look bad.

You are toying with your candidate’s experience.

You are sending canned responses.

You have lost your ability to be engaged with your talent pool.

You just aren’t doing it right.

If you are guilty of one of the following six things – own up to it, slap yourself around to get a reality check, and stop doing it immediately. Not just for the sake of a fellow recruiter’s reputation in the industry, but for yourself too.

1. You Are Treating Candidates Like Numbers

I truly understand that there are recruiting firms out there that are all about numbers. I also understand that there are quotas to exceed, goals to meet, and positions to fill due to client obligations. Trust me, I get that.

However, with that said…

You cannot treat your candidates like the numbers you are trying to achieve. The quotas you need to exceed, the goals you need to meet, and the positions you need to fill are all background noise to a candidate.

Take the time to properly get to know someone without focusing on your “hidden agenda” that they wouldn’t understand nor care to know about at all. They don’t want to hear about the fact that you need to fill the position by Friday or that by filling this position you will meet or exceed your monthly goal.

Candidates want to tell you their story. They want you to ask questions about what they are looking for, what makes them tick, and what they have to bring to the table.

At the end of the day, if it’s a fit then it’s a fit. Don’t force it for the sake of numbers, but take the time to get to know what they are looking for, and you’ll know sooner rather than later if it’s a potential fit.

2. You Aren’t Following Up With Your Candidates – At All

I know recruiting life can be busy. We juggle multiple candidates for various positions, and it’s sometimes hard to make time for following up – especially when it isn’t getting you one step closer to the money, one step closer to meeting a quota or goal, or one step closer to filling that position.

However, a simple pass is better than zero feedback at all.

Just like you don’t like being left in the dark wondering what happened, your candidates don’t like to feel that way either.

Don’t be afraid to give what you perceive to be negative feedback. I guarantee that most candidates will appreciate a follow-up from a recruiter even if it isn’t the news they wanted to hear.

I speak from experience on this as I have made several calls to candidates to let them know they weren’t selected for a position or weren’t moving along in the process. And, I usually get a response like this, “Wow, I appreciate you letting me know. Usually I just don’t hear anything at all, and I figure it out on my own.”

To me, leaving your candidates in the dark is like watching almost all of an awesome movie, and then turning it off without seeing the ending.

Just don’t do it.

3. You Aren’t Taking the Time to Understand Your Candidate

Unfortunately, it’s very easy to talk about what we need in a candidate, but not enough recruiters are taking the time to truly understand what their candidates need when it comes to making a move in their career.

If you take the time to understand your candidates, it is much easier to build an authentic talent pipeline to tap into even if the position you are working on now isn’t an ideal fit for them.

Also, taking the time to get to know your candidates will not only build a solid relationship, but it will also build trust. Those candidates will want to work with you again in the future, even if the position in the here and now doesn’t pan out after all.

4. You Don’t Take the Time to Personalize

I get it.

I hear all the excuses as to why personalization of messages takes too long…

I don’t get a response half the time anyway.
It’s easier to kill more birds with one stone.
But, I can reach more candidates about the position.
But, but, but, it’s quicker to send a mass message, and it’s more efficient.

Although some of the excuses above are realistic responses, I guarantee that you will get a better return rate of responses if you take the time to personalize and/or customize your messages to your candidates (whether via social media, email, or phone).

And, if it’s a really hard-to-fill position, keep in mind that your message really should stand out from the rest of the messages some of this high-need candidates are receiving on a daily basis.

Get creative, personalized, customized, and real.

5. You Just Aren’t With the Times

If you have ever asked yourself the following, you need to think deeper.

Why is it that a potential candidate isn’t returning my call after leaving a voice message for the second time? Why is it that they aren’t responding to my emails? This opportunity would be fantastic for them!

Getting with the times means embracing the fact that the traditional means of getting your candidate’s attention aren’t always going to work.

With an increasing millennial workforce, there are modern methods of getting in touch with candidates in need. That includes the fact that you should embrace social media (i.e. LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, etc.). Use those platforms to communicate with your potential candidates.

I’m not a fan of texting as an initial means of reaching a candidate, but this could be a great way to keep in touch or keep a candidate updated on the process (especially if they are currently working and unable to take a call or check a personal email as easily).

Take the time to think outside of the box when it comes to communicating with your potential candidates.

6. You Are Focusing On Your Schedule, Not the Candidate’s

Lastly, if a candidate is currently working full-time, you need to be able to offer flexibility in the interviewing options, or at least understand that a candidate is not trying to burn a professional bridge in order to make it to an interview that may or may not pan out.

Too often, I see recruiters and hiring managers giving a one size fits all approach to interviewing, and it can really limit candidates when the process is too cumbersome or difficult.

Understand the fact that candidates may have a preference to interview first thing in the morning, on their lunch breaks, or at the end of their current work day.

If it’s a candidate that you truly want to pursue for the position, try video interviewing them after hours. Or, just take the time to come to a healthy compromise on when to interview so it’s not interfering with the candidate’s existing work schedule.

And don’t even get me started on having a 3 or 4 in-person interview process…

When in doubt, think of how you would want to be treated during the recruiting process – from beginning to end.

Have anything to add to the conversation? Please comment below.

Being A Good Person Isn’t Hard

June 1, 2016June 1, 2016 Jordan Barta

How to win friends and influence Dale Carnegie is such a well known person, I knew I had to add a book of his to my writing. This isn’t the first book I’ve read of his, but it is the first one I’ve chosen to write about. It continuously feels like times are changing but not always for the best. There’s always a new ‘guru’, ‘thought leader’ or ‘expert’ trying to pawn off their opinion to anyone that’ll listen. In hindsight, a lot of those people’s opinions spawn from ‘the greats’.

Dale Carnegie is just one example of someone that has produced amazing content to share with the world.

“Instead of condemning people, let’s try to understand them. Let’s try to figure out why they do what they do. That’s a lot more profitable and intriguing than criticism; and it breeds sympathy, tolerance and kindness.”[note]Page 16[/note]

It’s not the first time I’ve read something like this and it won’t be the last. Optimistic people are always looking for the ‘better’ of every situation. Instead of looking down on someone for some reason, try to figure out why they do what they do. Having a better understanding as to WHY they are that way will allow you to work better with them. Prime example… someone always showing up late. It’s perfectly okay to ask someone as to why they’re late.

Find the underlying issue. Maybe they need an additional reminder, maybe they get sick often, maybe they’re bad with directions or maybe they just don’t care. Figure out the why and it will help you work better with one another. If they don’t care, maybe you shouldn’t associate yourself with them.

Henry Ford said:

“If there is any one secret of success, it lies in the ability to get the other person’s point of view and see things from that person’s angle as well as from your own.”[note]Page 35[/note]

Having empathy is really important. Put yourself in someone else’s shoes. Try and understand their point of view and your point of view. In sales, that’s really important. You can’t just sell someone something because you think the product is great… what if your product can’t even help them?

Working with organizations, you learn about the different hierarchies companies have. You could make the HR Director fall in love with your product but when they go to the CEO for approval, they get shut down. Understanding what that person has to go through can make or break your business.

As we stop thinking solely about ourselves and start thinking more about other people, don’t forget to show your appreciation!

“One of the most neglected virtues of our daily existence is appreciation.”[note]Page 27[/note]

I can’t echo this enough! Tell people ‘Thank you’! Write handwritten thank you notes. Show your appreciation to people and they will love it. I have a few family members that still send me money on my birthday… they always receive a thank you in the mail from me. My cousins stopped receiving money for their birthdays years ago. It’s the little things.

If someone goes out of their way to help you; thank them. The guy in front of your holds the door; thank him. Your coworker helps you; boom, thank them! You’d be amazed that people always willing to help when you show your appreciation.

Do things for people unselfishly!

“If we want to make friends, let’s put ourselves out to do things for other people – things that require time, energy, unselfishness and thoughtfulness.”[note]Page 58[/note]

It doesn’t get much simpler than that. When’s the last time you helped someone move? How about writing a nice comment on one of their articles or posts? Shared their stuff on the internet? Make a point of doing things for people without asking anything in return. Being a good person isn’t hard… it just takes a little extra time. Slow down and give back; you’ll be happy you did.

Man O Man, don’t forget to smile!

“Your smile is a messenger of your good will. Your smile brightens the lives of all who see it. To someone who has seen a dozen people frown, scowl or turn their faces away, your smile is like the sun breaking through the clouds.”[note]Page 69[/note]

You’d be amazed how contagious a smile can be. As humans, we’re drawn to happy people. Positive, optimistic whatever you want to call it! Whenever I get the chance to smile, I’ve always got a huge grin on my face. You know exactly what I’m talking about… so start doing it!

There’s more from me to come:

How to Win Friends & Influence People | Dale Carnegie

Your Employees Are Stealing From you

May 16, 2016August 24, 2016 Jordan Barta 4 Comments

timeclick image This happens every day and this happens everywhere.

“It’s costing companies $400 Billion annually”

According to the American Payroll Association (APA),

“Almost 75% of businesses in the U.S. are affected by what is known as ‘time theft’.”

This is when someone clocks in early, clocks out late, records inaccurate hours, has someone ‘buddy punch’ them into or out of work, takes frequent breaks, conducts personal activities or by just playing on your phone.

The APA also says,

“Time theft can cost companies up to 7% of their gross annual payroll.”

Imagine, you’re spending $1 million in payroll… That equals $70,000 each year you’re losing to theft. Maybe it’s not being done on purpose, but are you willing to sacrifice 7% of money?!

“43% of hourly workers surveyed admit to exaggerating the amount of time they work during their shifts.”

Can you even fathom the amount of money your organization is losing because people are clocking in a few minutes early or a few minutes late?

Let’s do a little math: Let’s say you’re paying your employees the ‘soon to be’ minimum wage; $15. This person is scheduled for five- 4 hour shifts equaling 20 hours a week.

Now, let’s say this person likes to clock in 5 minutes early and clock out of work 5 minutes late. That’s an additional 10 minutes they’ll be paid for each time they work. 5 shifts a week times 10 minutes equals 50 minutes.

50 minutes’ worth of pay equals $12.45… and that’s for each week for one employees. Now, that might not seem like a lot of money, but if you multiply $12.45 by 52 (weeks in a year), you get $647.40.

Those harmless 5 minutes early to work and 5 minutes leaving late just costed the company an additional $647.40 a year. That’s just ONE employee.

Can you afford to lose that much money a year? I can think of so many other things companies would prefer to spend that money on.

“Less than one-quarter record inaccurate times for their shifts. One-quarter say they exaggerate the hours worked for 76 to 100 percent of their shifts.”

That’s an insane statistic! You know there’s a way to prevent these things from happening… right?!

Biometrics clocks with finger print or capillary readers. Only 3% of the people surveys said they were able to steal time that way. Time is money people… and if you don’t protect your time, you’re going to run out of money.

If you don’t want to pay for software, you need your managers to watch this more closely. You need someone in HR running the reports to make sure time isn’t being stolen. You need to have set rules about when to clock into and out of work. Hold your people accountable and you’ll save yourself a lot of money.

In conclusion, cutting down on ‘stolen time’ can save your organization a lot of money. Paychex has established a way to make this very possible. Biometric clocks in real time directly connected with your payroll can give you a 360 degree view of where your time is being stolen. Also, you get the reporting functionality to pin point the losses.

Don’t fall victim to ‘time theft’. Let me know how I can help!

Jordan Barta is the author of The Ah-Ha Moment. Jordan works with organizations on all levels of Human Capital Management. Whether it be recruiting, onboarding, background checks, payroll, HR, time and attendance, health & benefits, 401k, cobra, workers comp or insurance, he has a network of professionals willing to execute and make your business better.

Connect with him on LinkedIn or Twitter.

If you’re looking for the statistics behind the article, please go to “43% of employees commit time theft: How software can reduce payroll losses” by research and reviews firm Software Advice.

Everybody Likes Truth-Tellers and Transparency

May 11, 2016May 11, 2016 Jordan Barta

Photo Apr 19, 09 38 44 (1) It’s crazy… the more experience I gain working with different organizations, different industries and people with different experiences, the more ideas I can take out of this book and use in my personal sales life… Maybe that isn’t crazy for you, but it sure is crazy for me. On top of that, the other 6 salespeople I work with, I can give them examples from the book when they explain their situation.

Creating value for buyers has always been the focal point in the past few books I’ve read. It’s less about the features and more about what you can bring to the table.

“You could create value for crazy-busy buyers by showing them how to reduce the overall cost of the program while maintaining its effectiveness and integrity. You could share relevant information regarding “best practices” and what your company has learned from work with similar organizations.”[note]Page 180[/note]

Becoming a business improvement specialist can go a long ways. Once you’ve gotten experience in your role, you can use those personal experiences to help future customers. I’m currently talking with a company that is looking at purchasing the competition… Once I got in front of the prospect and shared with them that I’m switching over a company from that competitor, they wanted to know why.

That’s just one example of how I can lend some recently acquired knowledge to my prospect.

“They [customer’s] lack the knowledge, evidence, experience, trust and confidence necessary to invest and commit. More than anything, they are seeking reliable guidance that will give them the confidence to move successfully forward. No one likes change, of course. But no one likes standing still – and being left behind – either.” – Britton Manasco[note]Page 186[/note]

Your prospects want all of the juicy details. They want to know what you know. That’s why they’re talking to you. They are coming to you for help because you specialize in something they need. They want to feel like they’re in the most competent hands out there. It’s time for you to grab the bull by the horns and lead an organization to the finish line.

Once the prospect knows that you’ve done ‘this’ before, the light bulb will click on and they’ll be happy they brought you in. This next part hit home…

“When you’re late to the party

Before you get caught up in the seduction of the low-hanging fruit, slow down, catch your breath and gather your wits about you. Just because you have an interested prospect does not mean that a sale is imminent. In fact, depending on your product or service, it may be months before you have a signed contract.”[note]Page 218[/note]

You’ve got to live this one before you can truly appreciate this Ah-Ha Moment. I was so freaking late to the party… but I was there and I was excited. Got in, did my due-diligence, showed them the product, showed pricing… like clockwork all within a week. #Boom – crash and burn. I was just so excited that I wanted to compete against anybody and they’d already been evaluating the competition for a few months. I would have been better off taking my time or not competing at all.

Luckily though, for me, this prospect is extremely responsive and I sent tidbits of information every few weeks. It’s just a matter of time before I get back in there. I should have been honest, and let the prospect know that I didn’t have enough time to fully evaluate the situation.

“Today’s prospects want to know the truth, so don’t shade it. In this social media age, where customers freely voice their opinions online, you can be assured that any issue about your offering, customer service, and financial stability can easily be uncovered.”[note]Page 241[/note]

Wan evidence? Go on Twitter, Facebook or Google and look up your company’s name and add customer service, hack, experience at the end of it. You’re going to get a handful of websites where customers complain about your company or product. It’s just the nature of the beast being in the information age. It happens… so if a prospect brings it up, DO NOT lie about it. It’ll definitely come back to bite you in the ass.

Nobody likes being lied to… so if you’re transparent, the communication should be completely open.

“Your prospects like truth-tellers. Don’t be afraid to speak up. But make sure they understand the context of what you’re sharing. You care. You want them to succeed. That’s why you’re talking.”[note]Page 251[/note]

Pretty simple, right? I think, often, sales people try to be too salesy. They want to appeal to all of the must-haves an organization it looking for. They want to bend over backwards for their prospect and they’re willing to drop their pants to earn their business. In some sense, it happens. I think the sales people that rise up, provide value, take the opportunity by the horns and lead the prospect down the path of success will end up winning.

Telling them ‘no’ or ‘we can’t do that’, might be a deal killer. But when the competition says they can do it and then they don’t… guess who the prospect is going to come running back to. I get to see this on a weekly basis. The competition says they can do something and then the customer gets screwed. The salesperson is nowhere to be seen since they already closed the deal.

There’s more to come from me about:

Snap Selling | Jill Konrath

Get “Snap Selling” on Amazon.

If They Like What They See; They’ll Find Budget

May 6, 2016May 6, 2016 Jordan Barta 1 Comment

Photo Apr 19, 09 38 44 (1) After a much needed break… I’m back baby! Michelle got me a trip to Costa Rica for my birthday… which I highly recommend! I wanted to write… but I knew I needed to stop for a few days. I’ve had the opportunity to speak with the Change Creators in the #SocialSelling world and I’m extremely excited and giddy about what’s to come. Along with that, I’m getting further and further into Snap Selling and I keep finding Golden Nuggets.

“Don’t wait for customers who are ready to buy. Be a sales initiator and learn how to create opportunities out of thin air. If you bring prospects an idea that makes good business sense, they’ll consider it. If the idea is aligned with their business objectives, strategic imperatives, or current priorities, it’ll be evaluated. If they like what they see, money will be found.”[note]Page 128[/note]

That makes pretty good sense right? When you need something so badly, you find a way to buy it. So, put yourself in the buyer’s shoes and figure out how you can make that happen. If you don’t know what the buyer’s shoes are like, figure it out. The internet is full of information… start reading!

If people are willing to change their priorities throughout the year, they’ll change their budget if you give them a good enough reason to. If they’re giving you time… they can see the value in whatever you have to offer.

“The only thing they care about is if you bring value to their business. If not, you’re a waste of time.”[note]Page 139[/note]

That pretty cut and dry and doesn’t get any easier than that. People don’t want you wasting their time because time is money! You’ve got to deliver whenever you have the opportunity. If you get someone on the phone, capitalize. If someone responds to your tweet or LinkedIn message, provide value. Continuously providing value is difficult, but once you find the sweet spot, man does it feel great!

I talk about this all the time. Providing Value. Don’t lead with your product… lead towards your product. Pitching someone about a feature doesn’t seem to work anymore… unless someone literally asks you about the feature. OR, they’re pissed at the competition. Don’t feel the need to dive directly into the product.

“Unfortunately for most sellers, their itch to pitch is unleashed when they start hearing about their prospect’s issues and challenges. Before you know it, they’re leaning forward in their chair and talking excitedly about their offering or capabilities.”[note]Page 160[/note]

I remember sitting at my desk while are Cornerstone chomping at the phone because the person was telling me about their issues! I was pumped. They’d just told me a huge issue and I knew exactly how my product could help them. I ‘knew’ it was time for me to bring up the product… and pfft… it went from a great conversation to ‘another sales call’. The prospect closed up and stopped talking.

In retrospect, I should have kept asking questions, digging deeper and setting the stage for our next conversation. I didn’t shed any light on the current situation within the industry and I sure as heck ruined the conversation.

Once you get in front of a buyer, it’s time to get out the diagram to get a better understanding of where things are going wrong.

“I’ve seen other sellers draw the silos between departments and the multiple handoff points as they discuss the tremendous inefficiencies in departments.”[note]Page 175[/note]

Try and envision yourself drawing or creating a diagram in front of a buyer. It’s a great engagement opportunity for you to show them where the troubles are. Where are the disconnects in their organization? Where do they lose time and money because they have ‘bandaided’ together solutions? The majority of organizations are ‘behind the ball’, and the majority of them don’t know that. It’s your job to show them!

You’re helping them come to the conclusion that you can save them time and money. You’re leading them down the path to choosing you as a partner because you’re providing them with all sorts of value and content.

“… if you become an everyday value creator, you will stand you. So stop thinking about getting the order and start thinking of yourself as a business improvement specialist who product/service is only one part of the value you bring to your potential and current customers.”[note]Page 177[/note]

Are you creating value regularly? Are you pushing out content all the time to your network? Are you engaging with your prospects? Eventually, once you’ve accomplished that, they’ll be coming to you for information. You’ll be their source for information. It’s absolutely insane as to why people think that this is impossible. It’s not!

I’ve got a friend in the travel industry and I know that she could absolutely murder sales… She just needs to create a website, post pictures and talk about her trips. Who doesn’t want to look at pictures and fantasize about traveling the world. Twitter and instagram are visual feed where you can post pictures. Drive traffic from those, to a website and you’ve got yourself an incredible following.

Not to mention… travel bloggers have an incredible tight niche community. Publish, post, share, comment content and become the value creator!

There’s more to come from me about:

Snap Selling | Jill Konrath

Get “Snap Selling” on Amazon.

Don’t Get Deleted! | Snap Selling

April 21, 2016April 21, 2016 Jordan Barta

Photo Apr 19, 09 38 44 (1) Day in and day out, salespeople are always looking for different ways to get in front of their future clients. Being in the information age, we want value immediately! If the subject line of an email sucks; boom, deleted. If a voice message starts out boring; boom, deleted. You’ve only got a few seconds to capture someone’s attention… so you have to make it count.

“Here’s what you need to remember: Your prospects read your e-mails with their finger on the Delete key. They listen to you voice mails with their finger on the Delete key.”[note]Page 62[/note]

The majority of your prospects are inundated with multiple sales calls and sales emails a day. Why should they listen to you? Why should they care? What do you have to offer that is so different than what they’re already doing?!

Value… You’ve gotta give ’em value. “Well Jordan, you make it sound so simple.”

It is and it isn’t. You need to catch their attention and spark their interest but in a way where you’re not talking about your service/product. You’ve got to personalize your approach… and sometimes that can be time consuming.

“Being able to clearly articulate your value – from your customers’ perspective – is foundational to your sales success.”[note]Page 70[/note]

Knowing something about their business or their industry will go a long ways when you’re reaching out. Referencing their website and seeing that they’re hiring for a handful of new roles can get you in the door. (You can help them hire people faster.) Following their social channels and learning about the latest breakthrough they’ve had, shows them you care. (You can confirm their security is impenetrable.) That’s pretty black and white, but you get the point… I hope.

If you can articulate your value by referencing their current pains… you’ll have sparked their interest. Don’t lead with the product.

That is only two examples of how you can clearly articulate your value from the customer’s perspective. Jill Konrath takes it a step further and dives into ‘Trigger Events’.

“A trigger event is an occurrence that shifts an organization’s priorities. It could be internal or external to the organization. It doesn’t matter.”[note]Page 76[/note]

You better have just had a big Ah-Ha Moment Baby!

I have trigger events happen all the time! Whenever a law changes; people need to know about it. If something changes with the Affordable Care Act (ACA); I need to alarm my clients/prospects. Those are two examples… Think anything! They’re in the news, boom. New CFO/CEO, boom. One of your competitors gets acquired, Trigger. Growth, hiring, expansion… ETC. The list goes on.

If something changes (trigger event) and now you’re even more aligned with their goals/immediate issues… imagine how much simpler it would be for you to articulate your value from their perspective!

“Your prospects are just too busy these days to waste their time with you if you don’t pay this price of admission.”[note]Page 95[/note]

I’ve been talking about this for the past few months. It’s the idea of social selling and separating yourself from the rest of the competition. You must personalize your approach. You must do your homework on the company. Nobody wants to be pitched on the first phone call and they sure as heck don’t want a canned voicemail. Same thing goes for your emails. You can’t send them some junk, because, like we learned earlier… it’ll be deleted!

Spend a few extra minutes; go to their website and at least read their ‘mission statement’ or ‘about us’.

Okay, so let’s say you’ve done all that but no word back from the prospect. It happens… and it happens a lot. It happens to ALL of you reading this. No big deal… now it’s your job to find relevant information to send their way every once in awhile. I’m sure you’ve got some cadence of how often you call, email, LinkedIn, Twitter, etc.

“Content designed for your prospects should present business value, help build a business case, educate about problems, invite interaction across the buying cycle, share expertise and reduce the perception of risk. – Ardath Albee”[note]Page 111[/note]

There is so much reliable content out there about every industry. Find credible information and send it to your prospects. Depending on what organization you work for, your employer could provide that information. Statistics and numbers speak volumes to people. Saving people time and money, increasing security, minimizing attrition… the list goes on. Jill has some lists in the book that you have to read!

Leaving one voicemail and sending one canned email isn’t going to do it in the information age. Prospects are being bombarded daily… set yourself apart and rise above the noise. Everybody is capable… you just have to make it routine.

There’s more to come from me about:

Snap Selling | Jill Konrath

Get “Snap Selling” on Amazon.

Audience

Buyer Persona

Content

Campaign Management

Follow Up

Lead Generation Campaign Planning Considerations

Video

Advertising

All Content Produced internally

Roundup

1. Personalize!

2. Save the Math Equations For Facebook

3. Show Your Appreciation!

“…’Hi, I’m Tim and I have this great telephone system!’, then launch into my pitch… I’m sure this would silence the room…”[note]Page 47[/note]

“We have two jobs to do. First, our own influence needs to increase. Second, the influence of others who are not helpful to us needs to decrease. Controlling influence is also a constant process.”[note]Page 63[/note]

“When on social networks, it is essential that you create resonance in some way. Everyone on a social network is having their attention attracted by something – your job is to be the one who attracts it.”[note]Page 77[/note]

“Businesses are now finding they achieve better results by asking employees to use social networks to research solutions to problems in a way that removes bias”[note]Page 2[/note]

“…Companies need to find and create a community so they move from carrying their own torch, to having a community that carries it for them. They becomes the lord of the manor, with customers, employees and even better still a wider network working to their common good.”[note]Page 14[/note]

“The number one piece of advice I received was to know your target markets, listen, engage and interact with them. When you build trust with people, they will also open their networks to you.”[note]Page 28[/note]

“Building your online profile and community means you need to talk with many strangers; these people may be prospects, competitors and influencers already.”[note]Page 46[/note]

“They’re here to help you and you’re here to help them. It just might turn out that someone you know right now will be in a position to open an important door for you later, perhaps at a time when you need it most.”[note] Page 26[/note]

“Too many people start their dream search with a misstep. They focus mostly on the ‘what’ (what they want) and neglect the ‘who’ (those special friends or friends of friends who can help them).”[note]page 29[/note]

“…sometimes people you don’t even know (but who know of you) will act as advocates on your behalf. They open doors for you with a recommendation or reference. As a result you get your dream job or land a big client or get accepted into a program.”[note]Page 42[/note]

“Fear of failure keeps more people stuck in the safety of the status quo than anything else. They’re afraid the search will be futile.”[note]Page 51[/note]

“…if you want to have something that you’ve never had before, you’ve got to be willing to do something that you’ve never done before!”[note]Page 68[/note]

“Many of us have gotten sidetracked and forgotten our original dream, spending our lives doing derivative work. This memory lapse has become epidemic. We have less and less time to calmly think about the direction our lives have taken and reflect on our current course.”[note]Page 5[/note]

“One of the big lies many of us tell ourselves is that our current position in life disqualifies us from achieving our dreams and goals.”[note]Page 9[/note]

“The good news is ‘You Got ‘WHO’!’ Everyone in your network has their ‘who’ network and everyone in that ‘who’ network has their circle of ‘who’ friends and on and on it goes. It’s exponential!”[note]Page 20[/note]

“They’re here to help you and you’re here to help them. It just might turn out that someone you know right now will be in a position to open an important door for you later, perhaps at a time when you need it most.”[note]Page 26[/note]

Less Talk; More Do!

“Remember that a person’s name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any language.”[note]Page 79[/note]

“So if you aspire to be a good conversationalist, be an attentive listener. To be interesting, be interested. Ask questions that other persons will enjoy answering. Encourage them to talk about themselves and their accomplishments.”[note]Page 88[/note]

“The deepest principle in human nature is the craving to be appreciated. – William James” [note]Page 95[/note]

“You will never get into trouble by admitting that you may be wrong. That will stop all argument and inspire your opponent t be just as fair and open and broad-minded as you are. It will make him want to admit that he, too, may be wrong.”[note]Page 118[/note]

“If you are wrong, admit it quickly and emphatically.”[note]Page 134[/note]

Subject Line

Personalization

Technology

Timing

“There’s a big difference in someone’s mind when you use the word contact versus the work agreement. But often they mean the same thing.”[note]Page 69 [/note]

“A trigger event that most salespeople don’t utilize is holidays. You can use any major holiday or even a Hallmark holiday as an excuse to send a warm follow-up email.”[note]Page 91[/note]

“The problem is sales is that salespeople tend to be ‘givers’… …if salespeople give throughout the process without getting much in return, they condition the client to treat them like a doormat.”[note]Page 116[/note]

“Make Introductions Mutually Beneficial. This is important! Try to make introductions only when you truly believe there’s real mutual benefit, even if that benefit on one side is in the future.”[note]Page 117[/note]

“You will win because distribution is king, and these tools will allow you to own distribution at a repeatable and scalable level. Always be testing, measuring, and optimizing no matter how good the numbers are. You can always do better”[note]Page 132[/note]

“A good sales process is a science, and science is the new art.”[note]Page 3[/note]

Incredible sales tools for leadgen, building lists and scrubbing data on Pages 10-39[note]Pages 10-30[/note]

“You still need to learn things about your prospects so that you can deliver a message that is relevant to them and provide value in the sales process.”[note]Page 41[/note]

“The first message you send to prospective customers is absolutely crucial, so this first-touch e-mail needs to work in your favor.”[note]Page 49[/note]

“In sales, ‘no’ is the second-best answer. ‘Yes’ is the first, but a ‘maybe’ or not receiving an answer at all are by far the worst.”[note]Page 60[/note]

1. You Are Treating Candidates Like Numbers

2. You Aren’t Following Up With Your Candidates – At All

3. You Aren’t Taking the Time to Understand Your Candidate

4. You Don’t Take the Time to Personalize

5. You Just Aren’t With the Times

6. You Are Focusing On Your Schedule, Not the Candidate’s

“Instead of condemning people, let’s try to understand them. Let’s try to figure out why they do what they do. That’s a lot more profitable and intriguing than criticism; and it breeds sympathy, tolerance and kindness.”[note]Page 16[/note]

“If there is any one secret of success, it lies in the ability to get the other person’s point of view and see things from that person’s angle as well as from your own.”[note]Page 35[/note]

“One of the most neglected virtues of our daily existence is appreciation.”[note]Page 27[/note]

“If we want to make friends, let’s put ourselves out to do things for other people – things that require time, energy, unselfishness and thoughtfulness.”[note]Page 58[/note]

“Your smile is a messenger of your good will. Your smile brightens the lives of all who see it. To someone who has seen a dozen people frown, scowl or turn their faces away, your smile is like the sun breaking through the clouds.”[note]Page 69[/note]

“It’s costing companies $400 Billion annually”

“Almost 75% of businesses in the U.S. are affected by what is known as ‘time theft’.”

“Time theft can cost companies up to 7% of their gross annual payroll.”

“43% of hourly workers surveyed admit to exaggerating the amount of time they work during their shifts.”

“Less than one-quarter record inaccurate times for their shifts. One-quarter say they exaggerate the hours worked for 76 to 100 percent of their shifts.”

“When you’re late to the party

“Today’s prospects want to know the truth, so don’t shade it. In this social media age, where customers freely voice their opinions online, you can be assured that any issue about your offering, customer service, and financial stability can easily be uncovered.”[note]Page 241[/note]

“Your prospects like truth-tellers. Don’t be afraid to speak up. But make sure they understand the context of what you’re sharing. You care. You want them to succeed. That’s why you’re talking.”[note]Page 251[/note]

“The only thing they care about is if you bring value to their business. If not, you’re a waste of time.”[note]Page 139[/note]

“Unfortunately for most sellers, their itch to pitch is unleashed when they start hearing about their prospect’s issues and challenges. Before you know it, they’re leaning forward in their chair and talking excitedly about their offering or capabilities.”[note]Page 160[/note]

“I’ve seen other sellers draw the silos between departments and the multiple handoff points as they discuss the tremendous inefficiencies in departments.”[note]Page 175[/note]

“Here’s what you need to remember: Your prospects read your e-mails with their finger on the Delete key. They listen to you voice mails with their finger on the Delete key.”[note]Page 62[/note]

“Being able to clearly articulate your value – from your customers’ perspective – is foundational to your sales success.”[note]Page 70[/note]

“A trigger event is an occurrence that shifts an organization’s priorities. It could be internal or external to the organization. It doesn’t matter.”[note]Page 76[/note]

“Your prospects are just too busy these days to waste their time with you if you don’t pay this price of admission.”[note]Page 95[/note]

“Content designed for your prospects should present business value, help build a business case, educate about problems, invite interaction across the buying cycle, share expertise and reduce the perception of risk. – Ardath Albee”[note]Page 111[/note]