Friday, August 13, 2010

Putting It All Together-Part 4-Mike's Four P's of MARKETING YOURSELF

It's game time! Here we go! You have developed and tweaked your PLAN. You can recite your PITCH in your sleep, standing on your head...in multiple languages. As for PRESENTATION, boy...don't you clean up well! You have the right look, outfit, haircut, resume paper and nifty portfolio to carry containing insightful and pithy questions. You have got it! YOU are the total PACKAGE! Yes, you!

You are what your future employer wants. They just haven't discovered it yet. The PACKAGE you present to the market place is the result of all your planning, preparation and practice. It is complete and ready to be received. Now, it is all about delivering the PACKAGE. What do you mean?

1) Consistently WORK YOUR PLAN: You don't have the luxury of missing a half day to play golf or navel gaze at the beach. There will be plenty of time on the weekends to go that AFTER you have your next great job. Be tenacious in the execution of your plan and you dramatically increase the odds of getting hired...sooner and not later.

2) Keep PRACTICING your PITCH: Frequently rehearsing your personal elevator pitch is as important as practicing your short game in golf. (You'd think I play golf given the references--I don't!) Not practicing your pitch and interview skills is a guaranteed way to stammer through the first set of questions during an upcoming interview. Practice begets confidence. Confidence begets success.

3) PRESENT with confidence! I am not just talking about physical presentation (though that is very important). It is how you present your true self. There is nothing better for a hiring manager than when their new employee's performance, demeanor and professionalism confirm what their instincts told them all along...great selection. Only way that can happen for you (being the "great selection") is when you are representing who you truly are.

So, there you have it...Mike's 4 "P's" of Marketing Yourself. If any of this has struck a cord or better yet worked for you in your search...let me know! Good luck and good hunting!

Friday, August 6, 2010

Plan Your Work - Work Your Plan

Norman Vincent Peale is credited with coining the often used expression "Plan your work and then work your plan". Countless other success minded authors and speakers have use this phrase and others like it to emphasis a fundamental point of success: That planning and preparation are the underpinnings of success. With out a plan, you can't possibly get to your destination with any efficiency or much less get there at all.

This principal is especially appropriate to Marketing Yourself. Whether you are marketing your own business, your company's service or the most important product of all-YOU, you have to have a plan that guides you towards your objective. The application of this point to executives in transition (looking for another job) is extremely on point. I have engaged in hundreds of discussions with individuals looking for a new job and a surprising number of them did not map out a plan as to how to get that next great position. Sure, they networked. Yes, they beefed up their LinkedIn profile. Of course they contacted recruiters. Documenting written "Go To Market" plan for any endeavor is critical but especially if you are looking for a new position. It isn't rocket science-just a discipline but without it, you will delay achieving your ultimate goal. What is required is a SMART plan:

Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Rewarding, Trackable

Specific: Create a 1-2 page detailed description of what you want. Get really specific. Scope of responsibility, title, compensation plan--everything that is important to you in your next position.

Measurable: Set daily and weekly job search metrics. The number of calls, emails, referrals from your network, meetings interviews, etc. You should manage your job search just like you manage building up your sales pipeline or previous customer base. Activity is driven by metrics.

Achievable: Your goals must be achievable. Set them too high and you will spiral into frustration. Too low and you won't get traction. Don't go after positions that are long shots. In this market, companies are hiring for exactly what they need. Be realistic.

Rewarding: Reinforce your progress with a reward system. Set your daily goal and if you hit that objective, reward yourself with a tangible benefit. The job search process is tough enough. You might as well give back to yourself along the way.

Trackable: Monitor your progress each week. Determine where you gained ground and where you need to improve. I know one person that used Salesforce.com as their career search CRM. He was able to track his progress based on the measurement system he created.

The smartest move you can make is to create a SMART plan that will help you achieve your objective with far more efficiency and far less frustration.

Happy planning!