8 Resume Myths

How important is the resume? Not as important today as you think…

The 8 Resume Myths:

1. I need to spend days on my resume.  People overestimate its value and spend way too much time or money making it “perfect”. It is a piece of black and white paper and it alone isn’t going to get you a job. It probably won’t even get you an interview.

2. I should submit it to everyone. Don’t. Pick 20 targets and work them as hard as you possibly can. Don’t fill out online applications unless the hiring manager tells you to do so. Don’t apply to the HR people who don’t know you.

3. People will spend a lot of time reviewing my resume. Nope – recruiters and HR people usually look at it for 60 seconds and then you end up in file “A”, “B” (which they will probably never get back to) or “C” (it’s dead). Is your resume that good that you’ll end up in the “A” stack? This is what they are looking at: (a) The top paragraph (b) Your length of employment at each position and (c) Your previous companies/job titles.

4. I’m just competing against 10-20 people. No, it’s more like 100+. If you aren’t perfect for the job, your resume isn’t going to get you in for an interview. However, if you contact managers prior to their job posting, you will be competing with less than five.

5. At least the person screening my resume is qualified and capable… HR assistants or Administrative Assistants are viewing over half of the resumes. The other half are being read by HR generalists or hiring managers. Again, human resources who doesn’t know you, won’t get you “a leg up”. The hiring managers don’t really understand how to properly screen candidates because they only do it a few times a year – and they tend to procrastinate their hiring search because of other priorities in their position.

6. But I have the formula and know how to create the best resume… You typically write your resume from YOUR perspective instead of the company’s need. Back to my 20 targets in #2, you need to customize it for every organization you present it to. I’d suggest starting with “I want to work for Blue Octopus LLC because…”. The rest of the content on your resume should be catered to the needs of the position (which you found out from the job description and/or a conversation you had with someone working inside the company).

7. I need to look smart on my resume. Ha! The Wall Street Journal is written at a 5th grade reading level. Your resume should be clear to a 4th grader (hire my son to read it!). Use the Flesch-Kincaid index when editing your resume in Word or other programs (included in most spell checks).

8. It’s okay that I have a gap on my resume. No, unless you have an “in”, they will screen you out for being unemployed for three months or more. Unfair? Yes, but that is the reality. You need to show freelance projects, volunteering or consulting happening during that gap. They “think” you’re sour grapes if you show any instability or staccato in your employment. If you didn’t stay with a company for at least three years, that may also be a red flag against you.

All of this said, a resume is a necessary evil. It better not have typos, missed periods or other inconsistencies. Your job is to write a professional and specific 1-2 page document. If you do need a good resume writer, I have some great connections that can do it for just $300. Next week, I will follow up this blog with my recommendations that make a great resume.

 Companies hire capable, work-ready professionals prepared to help them achieve their goals and solve their problems. Answer these problems on your resume and LinkedIn profile. If you follow my steps and don’t end up getting a job in three months or less, I’d be flabbergasted.

It’s time to grow faster.

~Drew Schmitz

drew@blueoctopusllc.com

http://www.blueoctopusllc.com

www.linkedin.com/in/andrewschmitz/

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Blue-Octopus-LLC/176668965728096

Twitter: @drew_schmitz

Would Johnny Manziel be a good salesman?

Cocky or just confident? As a sales coach and sales recruiter, I am always seeking confident salespeople. It comes with infectious enthusiasm, drive, optimism and carries immediate respect. Cockiness is interpreted as brash, arrogant and unlikable. What is the fine line between the two?

20 years ago, I went out on sales calls with a guy that entered an office suite without an appointment. He often flashed the lights on and off to get their attention and to get a laugh. I was amazed how Tom usually got away with it… and then followed it up by selling his printer cleaning services. Tom had a likeability about him and could quickly disarm the prospect at the front desk with a wink, smile and a joke. Later on in life, I realized that he probably wasn’t going to get away with selling anything that cost more than $500. Tom had half of what I was looking for – confidence, but he never succeeded as far as I know, in making a connection with a CEO and selling a bigger ticket item because his borderline cockiness would not fly today.

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Cocky Salespeople:

• Sell you stuff – if you don’t like the product, all they have is words…
• So they talk a lot.
• They tell you this product is the best one then make you feel bad for not buying it today (like most people in car sales).
• This trait develops when people externally are continually telling them that they are important. When this breaks down, they usually don’t have the internal wherewithal to recover well.

Confident Salespeople:

• Sell you a product and/or service with choices, solutions and benefits surrounding their offering(s).
• They usually don’t talk that much but ask you what you are looking for and answer questions.
• The urgency to buy belongs to the customer – the salesperson is urgent, but can sell it to you as slowly as you’d prefer.
• This trait arrives from an internal self-assurance. It is built from within through a realistic view and trust in your own talents and abilities. It allows you to authentically respond to your customers and prospects.

If you are still waiting for the punchline on Johnny Manziel… NO, he wouldn’t make for a good salesman!

There are two things a salesperson can do this week:

1. Have your manager or one of your better coworkers join you on a call with a prospect. Their number one job is to evaluate you while in the meeting.
2. Video tape your presentation in a mock sales call with a coworker.

Evaluate your sales approach and make sure your confidence never comes across as cocky. You can always learn something about yourself through these two simple methods to keep yourself sharp.

It’s time to grow faster.

~Drew Schmitz

www.linkedin.com/in/andrewschmitz/

http://www.blueoctopusllc.com

drew@blueoctopusllc.com

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Blue-Octopus-LLC/176668965728096

Twitter: @drew_schmitz

8 Tools for an Efficient Salesperson

Normally, I focus on specific sales methods, but today I’m sharing some ideas that will make any salesperson run a little faster in 2014. As a manager, you can help your team use all of these methods. As a salesperson, I encourage you to hit up your manager for these tools that will make you more efficient and effective.

1. LinkedIn & Social Media: Please, I’m begging you… it’s 2014 – if you don’t have one, create a LinkedIn profile and expand your network. Today, I have over 4,000 LinkedIn contacts and in Minneapolis, I can mine the names of anyone in the Twin Cities and reach them using LinkedIn Inmails. These Inmails have a much higher response rate in comparison to standard emails.
2. Email Discipline: I’m a huge believer in this Timothy Ferris’ 4 Hour Work Week technique: don’t constantly answer email. Unless you are instructed otherwise, I would suggest only reading your emails at the beginning, middle and end of every work day. At first, I thought it sounded ridiculous but I decided to give it a try and fell in love with being there for people daily, but not hourly. Phone calls and texts are urgent. Emails are important – if you respond to the important ones within four hours, no one is likely to complain. If you have clients calling you throughout the day because of fires, you aren’t a salesperson, you are an Account Manager. This is not your excuse to let emails pile up in your inbox. Every email use D.R.A.F.: delete, refer, act or file it away. If you are going to prospect, block off a half hour three times a day for email – and save the other 6+ hours for selling.
3. Personal Free Time: If you are the typical salesperson, you not only have a job, but a family 30+ minutes away from work. You run like crazy Monday through Friday, “relax” on Saturday doing chores around the house (or worse, chasing your kids around at odd hours who are participating in sports). On Sunday, you might spend half of your day attending a religious service in your community. Then after the football game, you eat dinner and start worrying about your bills or work on Monday. Sound familiar? Escape the rat race once a week. Take time to celebrate the victories! SCHEDULE some “me time” to unwind and figure out what drives you (and trade this time with your spouse so that they get the same opportunity). I can’t tell you how freeing this has become for me on Thursday nights. No one is a priority but me that night – and it allows me run that much faster throughout the hustle and bustle.
4. Work Planning Time: People always complain because of the scenario above, that they don’t have enough time. Well, there is enough time if you have a little discipline. Stop watching television or playing solitaire on your computer and carve out just one hour a week for planning so that you are as efficient as possible. The first hour of the work day should be spent on the important and urgent items. Do the worst activities first (like the 10 phone calls to prospects), so you can have a fulfilling work hard/play hard lifestyle.
5. Testimonials: The proof is in the pudding. You can talk about your offering all day, but prospects want to hear the stories from your happy customers. Even better, share stories from your happy customers with prospects that are in the same industry.
6. Referrals and Warm Leads: Cold calling is dead. The best way to get referrals are to earn them.  Give people in your network who are relevant to your business a referral first and then ask nicely for one in return.
7. Optimism: A good attitude, determination, confidence or whatever you want to call it – salespeople need to be excited about what they are doing. You need to believe in your product or service and be borderline overconfident in offering your solution to prospects and customers. I believe I am helping people. Do you feel the same way about your work?
8. A Sales Book: Always carry one with you. Read it on the road, over lunch and in between appointments. If it’s inspiring, talk about it with your prospects and customers. Buy the good reads for your best customers. I’d rather have a salesperson give me a random business or sales book versus another brochure. Doesn’t everyone look smarter with a book under their arm?

A few book suggestions (of course 8 of them!):

• Sam Richter’s Take the Cold Out of Cold Calling
• David Kurlan’s Baseline Selling
• Jeffrey Gitomer’s Sales Bible
• Maxwell & Dickman’s Elements of Persuasion
• David Mattson’s The Sandler Rules
• Martin Seligman’s Learned Optimism
• Tony Hsieh’s Delivering Happiness
• Marshall Goldsmith’s MOJO

Order a book and start using all eight tools next month!

Make every day count!

www.linkedin.com/in/andrewschmitz/

http://www.blueoctopusllc.com

drew@blueoctopusllc.com

Facebook: http://on.fb.me/131nqty

Twitter: @drew_schmitz

8 Ways to Sell More Creatively

In 2014, you will run into more sales obstacles than ever: a slew of competitors, pricing pressure, ignored emails and voicemail messages; and no one wants to meet for a quick lunch anymore. Selling now requires creativity more than ever. Are you thinking outside the proverbial box?

I’m not only in the sales business, but I’m also in the job seeking business. The same “sales” mentality exists for both the employed and unemployed…

Here are 8 really creative stories to hopefully inspire your sales tactics this year:

1. A Pennsylvania banker sent his future boss a resume in a Starbuck’s cup via FedEx (so that he would have to sign for it). He followed up with a phone call asking him if he’d like to meet over a cup of coffee (it worked and he got the job).
2. Jamie Varon created a website TwitterShouldHireMe.com and was soon employed by Twitter.
3. A guy in Dallas walked around during the morning rush hour with a sandwich board – he found a job that same day.
4. Alec Browstein bought Google ad words of the names of the marketing executives he wanted to work for.  When these execs typed their own name into Google, they found Alec’s resume and portfolio link. He quickly found employment.
5. A salesman put colored star stickers on his resume and at the top it said “hire a sales star”. Corny? Yes, but it didn’t take him long to find a job.
6. A web designer, unasked, redesigned a marketing company’s website – they liked it so much they hired him as a Senior Web Designer.
7. Several years ago, I asked our sales team to deliver donuts. A new donut shop opened up in Minneapolis called Krispy Kreme and it was all the rage. We picked up 100 boxes of donuts and delivered them all over town to our best prospects. Our company was able to get into more than 30 accounts that we had never worked with in the past.
8. I like to learn something about the individual person I’m prospecting. Everyone has a passion that you can play into – like golf or their alma mater – which can really mean something to your prospect. So I often figure out their college or university background and send them a banner from their school. I can’t tell you how many times this opened the door to them taking my phone call.

I’ve heard about salespeople sending a shoe to get their “foot in the door” and how it has repeatedly worked for them… Yes, most of these ideas sound crazy or unorthodox at a minimum, but right now the company or decision maker isn’t even talking to you. If you have done your homework in deciding they are a good target, what do you have to lose ??? Risk embarrassment, be willing to look a little crazy, differentiate and get to “HECK NO” or “YES” a little faster in 2014!

Make every day count!

www.linkedin.com/in/andrewschmitz/

http://www.blueoctopusllc.com

drew@blueoctopusllc.com

Facebook: http://on.fb.me/131nqty

Twitter: @drew_schmitz

Do the Opposite

If you didn’t have Monday off, maybe you failed to notice the passing of Columbus Day. 519 years ago, America was “discovered” and the world became a little flatter as Thomas Friedman would put it – and things would never be the same again. Christopher Columbus was a salesman who had to knock on many doors before he received funding for his big voyage. Let’s get to China by sailing West instead of East and I think we might get there faster (OK, so he wasn’t completely correct). He challenged leadership to look at the world upside down and finally succeeded with his pitch to Queen Isabella of Spain.

George Costanza from Seinfeld was typically NOT a contrarian. But on one of my favorite episodes, George took a completely opposite approach going against his instincts with every important decision. Because it was unorthodox, he began to succeed in his work and social life. The moment he returned to his normal patterns, of course, everything went wrong again.

So what the heck do Columbus and Costanza have to teach us about business and sales? Differentiation. Do the opposite. I believe we are way too often stuck in a rut  – doing the same thing over and over again expecting the same results. You are doing what your competitors do. You are selling the same way you did 20 years ago. You work hard, but not always smart.

Analyze a few of your business strategies and offer something to your customer that no one else offers.

1. Give a sample of your work away for free so they can see the difference in your product or service.
2. Understand their industry better than anyone and provide solutions specific to only them.
3. In a job search, refuse to fill out the on-line applications until you have a real advocate inside the company that will actually look at it.

• For my business, Blue Octopus, I offer a unique pricing model that shares the risk that no one else in my industry offers.
• I slow down my clients and require they dedicates a lot of time up front; we redefine who they want to hire, even if it becomes painful, and even though they won’t probably meet the first candidate for 4-5 weeks in the future.
• We ask candidates not only about their skills but questions about personality, culture and their overall career direction.
• I allocate little time with everyone who contacts me, but instead commit most of my time to a handful of people who I can really help.

In the end, I’m always trying to figure out what my key clients, prospects and candidates want. Otherwise, they don’t really care what I have to offer. Be different. Do the opposite. Think like George Costanza and Christopher Columbus.

Make every day count~ Drew Schmitz

drew@blueoctopusllc.com

@drew_schmitz

http://www.blueoctopusllc.com

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Blue-Octopus-LLC/176668965728096

Crazy from the Heat

It’s so hot in Minnesota right now you can fry a raw steak on the sidewalk… two more days of 96 degrees ahead. We’re Minnesotans, not accustomed to anything over 32 degrees Fahrenheit. The mosquitoes are also on the attack… pray we survive.

Speaking of crazy and discomfort, I’d like to encourage everyone to act a little crazier in the days ahead. Business and sales are all about DIFFERENTIATION, meaning be DIFFERENT.

People seem to be forgetting this very simple concept – don’t act like everyone else. Don’t sell like everyone else, don’t price like everyone else, and don’t be like everyone else. Put your chin up, your chest out, and act a little weird. Say things that other people wouldn’t say (make sure they are sincere and well thought out words). Try something new. Take on a weird project you’ve never serviced before. Over-commit and then figure out how to over-deliver.

My recruiting pricing schedule is like no one else that I can find. My web site for Blue Octopus is a little weird and unfortunately, it’s all in Java script – hence, it  needs a lot of updating two years later. My clients are all shapes and sizes and colors and I like it that way. I ask people if they are a Squiggle, Circle, Triangle or Square (see my last blog)… I fire clients… I talk some clients out of working with me… I take a break every afternoon even if I schedule a lunch meeting… Today, I wore my flip-flops to three different meetings. But you know what? Blue Octopus and Blue Interns and Grads are crazy busy and we like it that way.

Wow your clients with outstanding service, but surprise your target audience. If a few of your prospects out there don’t think you’re just a little bit crazy, you are definitely doing something wrong.

Make Every Day Count~ Drew Schmitz

drew@blueoctopusllc.com

blueoctopusllc.com

blueinternsandgrads.com

@drew_schmitz

find us on Facebook = Blue Octopus LLC and Blue Interns and Grads fan pages