Keppie Careers

Social media speaker, social media consultant, job search coach

How to Win A Pitch

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howtopitch1“How can we distinguish ourselves from the competition when what we are offering is so similar?” That is the first line of the book, How to Win A Pitch, by Joey Asher, an Atlanta-based sales presentation coach and President of the nationally-recognized consulting firm Speechworks. (Joey is also someone I know personally, so I am happy to share the great information he offers in his book.)

While his book targets professionals who are pitching to win business or a project for themselves or their organizations, his advice is absolutely essential for job seekers to learn and understand.

Joey offers readers all of the fundamentals to consider when trying to communicate their value to another person or group. Sound familiar? That’s exactly what you’re doing in a job hunt – trying to make a strong connection to someone to convince them to hire you. Here is a run-down of the fundamentals and their job search applications:

Fundamental #1. Present a solution and nothing else.  All too often, people start presentations by talking about themselves. “Before we start, let me tell you about how our company began . . .” Who cares? Your prospect only cares about is how you can save them money, grow their revenues, or reduce their risk. Detail your plan to help your prospect and tell stories about how the plan has worked for others.

Job search application: Hiring managers care about what they want to know and how you solve their problems. You need to learn how to identify and hone in on the most important information to them in order to win the job.

Fundamental #2. Keep it simple. Resist the urge to cover too much ground in the presentation. Pound away at three messages. “We’ll build your project on time. We’ll meet your budget. We’ll deliver quality work.” Simplicity always separates you from the competition.

Job search application – Sending a 3-page resume detailing every thing you have done in the last 25 years and/or going on and on ad naseum in an interview is NOT going to win you the job. Focus on the basics – how you have what they want. Demonstrate why and how.

Fundamental #3. Speak with Passion. If you’re one of three firms competing, you know that your competition can do a great job.  But as one CEO explained, “When it’s close, many of the decisions just come down to who connects with us best.”.  Passion in the voice helps you connect.

Job search application – You need to realize that you are probably not the only one who could do this job. You might not even be the best qualified. But if you can connect with the hiring managers and communicate better than the competition, you will earn the job.

Fundamental #4. Leave half of your time for questions. Questions address what your prospect wants to hear. Your answers almost always separate you. Your competition often makes Q&A an afterthought. Consequently, you can gain an advantage by considering the questions on the front-end.

Job search application – Questions are key. Typically, you’re the one answering the questions (in an interview), so answers are important, but it is also important to ASK good questions. Sometimes, a few well-placed questions can really set the job seeker ahead of the crowd.

Fundamental #5. Rehearse. One CEO who has had hundreds of sales presentations stated, “I can always tell who has rehearsed.” Most people don’t rehearse much. Practicing sets you apart.

Job-search application – I always advise my clients to practice answers to potential interview questions out loud – not inside of their heads! Hearing how you sound and even watching how you look in a mirror can really make a difference in the outcome. I sometimes suggest talking to a pet, or even a stuffed animal!

Joey’s book can be a great help for job seekers who could use some help presenting a solution that works, focusing on a simple message so the target can connect, demonstrating passion and managing anxiety. As an added bonus, it is a perfect resource for anyone who needs to “win” presentations once landing in their targeted jobs!

You can buy the book here. I also highly recommend Joey’s Talking Points blog for a lot of great tips about how to communicate and present to win!

Need some help getting your targeted message together? I can help! Follow THIS LINK to learn more about me and how I can help you shorten your search and land the job you want!

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What job seekers can learn from Susan Boyle's loss

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susanboyle2163_medium1As the Susan Boyle rise to fame tale comes to an end, it seems as if I am more than making up for the fact that I resisted writing about the lessons her rise to fame offer job seekers! (Being that I wrote about her yesterday and still have more to say!)

So, did you hear that the media darling, who rocketed to fame with 100 million hits on YouTube after surprising judges (and everyone else) by displaying a talent they did not expect from her appearance (a classic – you can’t judge a book by its cover story) – lost the Britain’s Got Talent competition to a group of ten young dancers, named Diversity in the final of the British show that made her a global star?

So, the seemingly anointed star, favored by the judges, can’t even land the top spot. What lesson does that offer job seekers? That, no matter how good you are, you still can’t expect to land the job? Umm…Maybe, but I’m a bit of an optimist, so let’s see how to frame this.

Stephanie Lloyd recently wrote about the “75 Reasons You Didn’t Get the Job.” The main gist – some things about your job search are out of your hands. There are some elements of luck, some of simply connecting with the interviewer and some of just being the right “fit.”

Let’s face it – Susan lost in a popular vote, and you know how popular votes go. It can be a bit of a toss up. Sometimes, in the end, whether or not you get the job is a bit of a toss up as well. But – and this is important – where the job seeker DOES impact his or her own chances is early in the process. That is, in creating a personal brand and an online presence, when submitting a resume, while preparing for an interview and by conducting high quality and appropriate follow-up.

Yes, in the end, even if you knocked the interview out of the park, if someone did not like one of your answers, or if another person had slightly better qualifications (or better answers), all of your work may still not result in landing the job. But you must take the wheel and drive your own career bus when you DO control the process. If you don’t make sure to do everything you can to position yourself to be asked for an interview and to appear well qualified for the job during the interview, THEN you are handing over the job to your competitors on a silver platter and buying yourself a ticket to continued job search mode.

Just as Susan, a 48-year old singer who had never had a big break, kept training and practicing and trying, job seekers need to ensure that they do everything possible to make themselves competitive for the jobs they target. The search is in your hands for most of the process, and you do influence and impact the results. Let’s face it, Susan did come in second, and she is likely to have many opportunities, even though she didn’t win. You need to be in it to win it, and as a job seeker, it is your job to to make sure you are in it with all the best you have to offer!

Don’t forget that Keppie Careers offers many services to help you get your job hunt on track. Don’t you deserve the very best? Stop wasting your time! Learn more about me and how I can HELP YOU get your job search on track!

Is it important to be happy at work? Lessons from A Night At the Museum-Battle of the Smithsonian

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4522672_night_smithsonian_150Is it just me, or do many movies for young people tend to have a career theme? I first noticed this back when I watched the Bee Movie. (I blogged about this HERE), and then again with Bedtime Stories, a comedy about a hotel handyman (Adam Sandler) whose life changes when the outrageous bedtime stories he tells his niece and nephew start to actually come true. (Am I the only one who thought that movie was a career story?)

Now, it’s Night At the Museum – Battle of the Smithsonian. Larry (Ben Stiller) realizes that running his own business isn’t half as much fun as hanging out with museum objects that come to life at night. Concluding that happiness is the most important thing in life, Larry makes a move.

What about you…Have you thought about the most important things in life? Given any thought to how happy (or unhappy) you are in your current job?

Read the rest on my blog at GreatPlaceJobs...

If you are ready for a change and could use some help with your search, follow THIS LINK to learn more about me and how we can work together!

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Blog Carnival – Job search advice and food for thought!

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carnival170024684_e22d050f48_m1Several weeks ago, Ben Eubanks inaugurated the Career Carnival Blogging Event on Jobacle by showcasing a number of blogs and
a variety of topics. He invited me to take the reigns this time to share some links and possibly introduce you to some new blogs to follow. So, I put out the call to many bloggers to share a link and a “twit pitch” or summary of the post. I heard back from some bloggers whose posts I never miss as well as several people whose blogs are new to me. I hope you will have the same experience and find some favorites as well as a few new blogs to review…

Tiffany Monhollon shared her post, Mature Workers Face Toughest Job Market in this Recession. She summarizes:
“The debate about youth versus age is hot again, as competition in the job market continues to increase. Research shows that both mature workers and new graduates face a difficult job search. But, a recent online poll on the Express Job Blog showed that 70% of over 950 readers agree – the job market is more difficult for mature workers than for new grads. But, there is hope for both generations in today’s
job market.”

Trevor Wilson from Gradversity examines the benefits of sending individually targeted applications over a ‘mass mailing’ approach with Quality vs Quantity in Job Applications.

Ben Eubanks noted that “leadership was born from an interesting conversation about bad leaders and the people that follow them.  Do Not Follow the (Bad) Leader reminds us of times and situations where we do follow bad leaders, and it also shows us how those experiences are short-lived.  Almost everyone has spent some time with a bad leader, but some of the article’s comments show a different side of the story.”

Kirsten Grant summarizes: “What do Batman, Spiderman and the Bat Mobile have in common with finding a job and your online profile? It’s about consistency in online branding. You wouldn’t expect to see Spiderman riding around in the Bat Mobile, nor Batman shooting spider webs from his wrists! This article discusses the importance of picking one area to be known for and gives tips on branding yourself online to ensure long term job search success. This blog topic provides a step-by-step guide to taking your social networking profile from good to great and increasing your chances of finding a job!”

Kristi Daeda shares a timely post about networking with confidence. She notes, “People are nervous about networking because they fear failure, even though there’s no such thing! Learn more about how to be successful in networking by enhancing your confidence.”

Jacqui Barrett-Poindexter’s, “The Branded Resume: An Essential Tool,”  illustrates the importance of convincing the hiring manager by creating the emotional hook with kernels of inspired resume writing to get the interviews you deserve.

Stephanie Lloyd reminds readers that “…interviewing is extremely subjective, and if you apply to jobs that you meet the qualifications for, are prepared for the interview, and use common sense, there is no reason to beat yourself up if you did not get the job. Rather than second-guessing yourself or feeling defeated, after each interview take a few moments to do a self-assessment – and write the answers down so you can use them to prepare for your next interview.” Take a look at: 75 Reasons You Didn’t Get the Job.

My own most recent favorite post reminds readers that, to succeed in your job hunt, you need to know where you are going and what you want when you get there. So, it’s not a good idea to do the job search equivalent of going to a pizza place if you feel like eating sushi! (It will make sense when you read it!)

Enjoy the holiday weekend!

photo by wallyg

How to find the job you love – don't go to a pizza place if you crave sushi!

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This week has been all about food analogies! First, I reminded you that it’s  not a good idea to order your Chinese food in French. Or, more specifically, to use the language that your targeted employer will understand when writing your resume. Yesterday, I offered tips to help you think about spoon feeding your resume to your targeted employer. Today, another food analogy:

If you are going to have an exceptional resume and successful search, it is very important that you KNOW WHAT YOU WANT! Yes, it’s
true – you can’t have a great resume unless you have an end goal in mind. It’s kind of like planning a trip when you don’t know where you want to go. It would be pretty hard to get there! Ah – but this week is about food, so here it is:

Analogy #3: You wouldn’t go to a pizza place if you are craving sushi.

That is, if you were actually hoping to GET sushi – you would go to a sushi place. What does this have to do with your job hunt? It’s about knowing where to spend your job search time and resources! So, are you doing the equivalent of driving to the pizza place when you don’t even want pizza?

The answer is YES if you:

  • Have a resume that isn’t particularly clear regarding your goals.
  • You spend a lot of time online, aimlessly looking for job postings that “seem good.”
  • You sit down to “job hunt” at your computer, and 6 hours later, you realize that you’ve spent the whole day and haven’t accomplished anything.

So, if you want sushi (a job you love, in this case):

  • Make a job search plan so you will avoid aimlessly “driving” around online.
  • Your plan should devote a large percentage of time to networking (in person and online) and to following up and keeping in touch with people you have already met.
  • Identify job opportunities of interest (you may want to use GreatPlaceJob’s new, free search feature to help with this) and ensure that your materials identify you as someone who is well qualified for the jobs you seek.
  • Stay tuned to the rest of my “food analogies” posts for more about how to position yourself to compete for the job you’d love to have!

If you are ready for a change and could use some help with your search, follow THIS LINK to learn more about me and how we can work together!

photo by Zeetz Jones