Billy Mays didn’t write this post, but he serves as the backdrop for resourceful ways to sell yourself on the job search.
There are all kinds of subtleties at play during the process of selling. You need look no further than the ads that abound on CNN and late night TV. Personally, I find these ads demeaning. The sales pitch is so overwhelming it is as if they are focusing on creating a knee jerk reaction on behalf of the user to pick up the phone and buy the product. The most prolific seem to be these ads featuring Billy Mays, the purveyor of
- Mighty Mendit
- Mighty Putty
- HandySwitch
- Steam Buddy
- and a host of other handy dandy items.
I have studied these ads intently.
What can I glean from these ads that would help the taberatti (people who use JobTabs) land their next job?
Common to all of these sales pitches, whether it is Billy Mays or someone else, is invariably,
“This product is amazing!”
“If you order now I will double/triple the offer!”
“But wait there’s more, I will throw in this handy dandy gizmo absolutely free!”
If you think about it, these are all resourceful ways to sell yourself on the job front. Let’s have a closer look.
This product is amazing! The message is that this is a product that delivers solutions. There are compelling videos of people struggling without their product and then showing satisfied people who are using the product.
Let the value you impart as an excellent candidate be unmistakable. Here is how you do this.
1. Present yourself as a problem solver. Much like the videos, use your resume to paint a picture of problems that were not being solved and how the company was suffering. Then you came in and solved the problems and everybody was happy. This is the P.A.R. (Problem – Action – Results) approach to writing your resume.
2. Quantify the impact you had on the solution. What percentage did sales increase? How many dollars did you save? You don’t have to do a business school case study to get these numbers. Use the best resources available to you and roll with it.
3. Sprinkle the commendations and accolades you have received from management to let the person reading your resume know that you are good at what you do.
Be sure you understand the professional demands of the position you are applying to. There are often challenges faced in one company that have been overcome in another. Be sure that your exposure in the field is rounded enough so as not to disqualify you from consideration. Make an effort to research the company and find out what challenges they are up against. The best thing you can do is put your talent in the context of the specific challenges the company is facing to the best of your ability.
If you order now, I will double the offer. The goal is to create a sense of urgency.
Don’t be afraid to create a sense of urgency. This can be a powerful motivator for employers to give your candidacy serious consideration now. It is important to note that this has to be done with tact. Too urgent could disqualify your candidacy because the administrative process cannot move fast enough. Not urgent enough, will cast doubt on how urgent all of this really is. In your cover letter, you can mention that you are getting a great response from companies looking for your qualifications, but working at XYZ Corp. is the fit you are looking for. Examples,
“The breadth of my hands on experience in the field has garnered more interest from employers than I had initially anticipated given the economic downturn. As much as I appreciate their interest, I firmly believe working at XYZ Corp would be the best fit for me. Simply put, I have the experience to leverage the breadth of the product line to give key advantages to XYZ customers that competing firms cannot offer. As confident as I am that I could deliver results for XYZ, I would not want any delays in the hiring process to impact my candidacy with other employers who are more forthcoming with their interest. If we could meet this Friday . . . “
“My success at delivering results has garnered more interest from employers than I had initially anticipated given the economic downturn. As much as I appreciate their interest, I firmly believe working at XYZ Corp would be the best fit for me. Companies want increased sales and that is what I do best. I would not want any delays in my candidacy for this position to be construed as ambivalence by other employers who are ready to move more quickly. If we could meet this Friday . . . “
“My ability to think outside the box and deliver innovative solutions has garnered more interest from employers than I had anticipated given the economic downturn. As much as I appreciate their interest, I firmly believe I can lend the most value to XYZ Corp. While every company needs structure and deadlines to succeed, XYZ Corp has long had a reputation for fostering innovation and creativity and this is an environment where I thrive. As confident as I am that I could have a huge impact at XYZ, I do not want to put off any employers who have made their interest in my innovation and creativity readily apparent. If we could meet this Friday . . . “
But wait there’s more, I will throw in this handy dandy gizmo – absolutely free! The message is that if you buy this product, you will get more than what you pay for.
We are hardly suggesting that you work for half price. We are suggesting that you stress the extra value you are bringing to the table above and beyond what they are looking for. Remember, it is not incumbent upon the employer to draw the conclusion that you are bringing a lot to the table. For example, if you have a Masters Degree in Management don’t count on your employer saying, “Hey, this candidate has a Master’s degree. This will provide a better foundation for her judgement.” It is incumbent upon you, the job seeker, to tie the extra value you are bringing to the table with what they are looking for. Sell it. For example, in your cover letter for a Product Manager position you can say something like,
“My immersion in Boston University’s M.S. in Management program allowed me to understand organizational behavior and the signposts to look for as a product line evolves. In addition to leading the product team more prudently, I will be set able to set realistic goals as well as avoid pitfalls that have beset lesser companies.”
In closing, getting a job is going to require some level of salesmanship. While we readily discourage the use of any knee-jerk, impulse buy sales tactics, there are some subtleties in this approach that you can use to improve your candidacy for the jobs you apply to. Give your candidacy an edge and sell yourself. Did I miss any other part of the sales pitch? Let me know and I will fill in the gaps!
