A recent 6 month study conducted by an independent research group found that job seekers who apply to on line ads with both a resume and cover letter are 5 times more successful in landing interviews when compared to candidates who only include a resume.
So if you want to improve your odds of landing the interview make sure you include a cover letter with every resume.
Email is becoming a very important business correspondence tool, however few people use it to communicate effectively. Here are some tips:
Keep your email short and to the point. Always think to yourself, what is the purpose of this email? Know what you want and what you are asking for, and then make a short and specific request for it.
If you are responding to an email, always answer every question that was asked. Just before you hit send, re-read the original email and make sure.
Don’t make every email “high priority”. Remember the old story about the child who cried wolf? If you make every email urgent, none of them will be treated as such.
Keep it on a business level. Smiley faces and shortcuts like “lol” are not generally understood, nor are they considered professional. Spelling and grammar also count. Using all capital letters is considered rude.
Don’t copy someone in on the email unless it is absolutely necessary. This just clutters everyone’s inbox and can be confusing for the copied person because they may not be sure if they are supposed to respond or not.
It is wrong to believe that every company can and will buy from you. For example, it is unlikely sell restaurant equipment to retail clothing stores. You could try, but chances are you would just be wasting your time. In the same way that sports fans see mostly beer commercials and Saturday morning cartoon viewers see mostly toy ads, you must target your prospecting efforts. Take the time to review and track your past sales to clearly define your target types of companies. Once you know your targets, spend your time where you are most likely to find them!
Do you carry a portfolio binder with you when you are on sales calls? Make sure you add copies of reference letters, customer lists, and other testimonials. That way you are always prepared to show them and build your credibility whenever the need or opportunity arises.
Technology is creating a new generation of teens and adults who believe the only effective communication is Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin, & text messages.
I will be the first to admit you need to know how to use these technologies if you want to grow your business but even major online social forums are incorporating the use of “in person” networking events because of the advantages and power of in face to face communication.
What do your customers have in common? How many employees do they have? What industries do they operate in? How often do they use your product? What related products do they also use in addition to your product?
When you start to track your past successes, you can identify commonalities that help you define who is most likely to buy from you in the future. In doing so, you clearly define your target market, ensuring you will spend most of your time talking to prospects that are most likely to buy.
Even the best resume in the world will not get you the interview unless the recruiter can find the information he needs to contact you. Make sure all of your contact information, including name, address, phone and email, are front and center and not buried somewhere at the bottom in the text.
Only list a phone number that you want potential employers to call. Ensure that there is the ability to leave a voice mail because a recruiter will rarely call back twice. It’s also not a good idea to have to leave it to your teenager to take messages either.
Lastly, many recruiters make first contact by email. Check your inbox daily and turn your spam filters off. Countless career opportunities have been lost because the email from the potential employer was never answered.
Make it easy for a recruiter to contact you, and you increase your chances of getting the interview.
Do you need ideas for discussion topics for your sales meetings? Create a file folder labeled “Sales Meeting Ideas” and keep it handy. As discussion topics pop up during the week, just place a reminder note into the file. On the day before the meeting when you are preparing your agenda, review your file and choose a theme for your next meeting.
For example, if a new order process procedure is resulting in a number of questions from the sales people, you could write a note for your file to remind you to arrange for someone from the Order Processing Department to speak at your meeting. Or if you read a newsletter with a great sales tip, put it in your folder so that you share it with your team.
As a general rule of thumb, if you receive the same question from two different sales people in a short period of time, it is an excellent topic for a sales meeting. It’s not that the others on your team don’t want to ask the same question, they just haven’t gotten around to it yet. Answer a question individually, and you will have to answer it several times, but answer it in a sales meeting, and you answer it only once.
Studies show 25% of sales reps produce 90 to 95% of all sales. Clearly, most sales people are not selling up to their potential and not making the incomes they could. B2B Sales Connections wants to change that.
A Sales Compass is a blog where business to business sales professionals can network. Here you will find motivation, share sales tips, and improve your sales and sales management skills. Together, we can all unlock our sales potential.
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