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Chapter 17

Chapter 17. Managing Your Career. Opportunities In Selling. Fast paced growth - Since 2006, more good jobs than candidates - 1 million new jobs expected in the next decade International opportunities are unlikely for most entry-level salespeople. Making A Good Match.

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Chapter 17

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  1. Chapter 17 Managing Your Career

  2. Opportunities In Selling • Fast paced growth - Since 2006, more good jobs than candidates - 1 million new jobs expected in the next decade • International opportunities are unlikely for most entry-level salespeople

  3. Making A Good Match 1) Understand personal needs and offerings To thine own self be true – Shakespeare *BUT, to be true to yourself, you must know who you are, what you need, and what you can offer others. *You also must have a long-term view. *Your first job is a job someone wanted to leave behind for a good promotion

  4. Company Needs & Offerings 2) Understand company needs and offerings Special Skills required? Special Abilities required? Certain G.P.A.? Corporate Culture?

  5. Understanding Yourself Understanding Your Needs • Structure • Motivation • Stress and Rejection • Interest

  6. Continued Understand What You Have To Offer • Skills • Knowledge • Qualities and Traits – See Exhibit 17.2 When To Ask These Questions • Search for a job prior to graduation • Students are three times more likely to find a job than those who wait until graduation

  7. Understanding The Company What The Company Has To Offer • Compensation and recognition programs, training, career opportunities, and other information • Pick a company with a comfortable compensation program • Size, promotion policies, or foreign What The Company Needs • Three qualities company look for: good communication skills, self-motivation, and a positive and enthusiastic attitude • Relative technical skills and knowledge • See P. 459 for 4 bullet points – employers’ needs

  8. The Recruiting Process Selecting Salespeople Applicant Information Sources Five important sources of company information: 1) Application forms- preprinted form that the candidate completes 2) References- people who know the applicant (validate information) 3) Tests- provides information that cannot be readily obtained from other sources 4) Personal interviewers- interactions between recruiter and candidate (important source of information for recruiters) 5) Assessment centers- central location for evaluating candidates

  9. Selling Your Capabilities Preparing The Resumes – Examples: P. 463-464 Conventional Resumes • Form of life history organized by type of work experience • Three categories of experienced most often used: educational, work, and activities/hobbies Functional Resumes • Reverse the content and titles of the conventional resume, organizing by what the candidate can do or has learned rather than by types of experience • Begin the list with qualities most important to getting the job

  10. Resumes • Make objective two-sided – what you are seeking and what you can do for them • Example: Seeking an entry level position in professional selling where I can contribute to your firm’s strategic and revenue goals

  11. Resumes- Big 3! Two sided objective Show results! Parallel construction – Examples: led, developed, created, supervised (all action past-tense verbs)

  12. Sources of Job Information • Career Services – Texas State University • Corporate Contacts • Professional selling – Corporate Partners’ Program • Past students • Lists of local, regional, & national companies who are hiring!Note: Refer to handouts!

  13. Gaining The Interview Using Personal Contacts • Contacts from school projects, job fairs, and trade shows Using Employment Advertisements • Carefully interpret employment advertisements and respond effectively • Look for two things in ads: what the company needs and what it has to offer Responding To Advertisements • Many companies ask you to write and may have a blind box number

  14. Writing Cover Letters • Focus on what you can do for the company – FEB • Use the system you learned in class • Be direct • The body of the letter should center on two or three reasons you should be hired – benefits you can bring to their firm • The letter should close with a request for action • No response doesn’t necessarily mean rejection

  15. The Interview Preparing For The Interview • Research the company • Plan responses to questions • Scenario questions are popular • Prepare questions to ask about the firm • Ask about career advancement opportunities, typical first-year responsibilities, and corporate personality • Shine your shoes!

  16. Interview Tips • Mirror what you said in your cover letter • Stick to the three or four benefits you stated that fulfill their needs (not yours) • See typical questions employers ask: • Exhibit 17.6 – P. 468 • Role play interviews at career services • KSA – Knowledge, skills & abilities

  17. STAR Approach • Often used by interviewers • S or T – tell me about a situation or task at work • A – what action did you take • R - what results occurred as a result of your action – not someone else’s action • This approach isn’t about responsibilities – it’s about you and the results you made happen!

  18. During The Interview The Approach • Social amenities will begin the interview Needs Identification • Both individuals have needs defined prior to the meeting • Determine if the interviewer is a sales manager or personnel manager Presentation FEB- feature, evidence, benefit Portfolio- organized collection of evidence of one’s career Gaining Commitment • Ask for commitment and confirm information signals

  19. Special Types Of Interviews Disguised interviews- interviews in which the candidate is unaware that the interviewer is evaluating the candidate Greeter- helps relax interviewee before interview, and offers an opportunity to ask questions about the job and the company Stress interview- designed to place the candidate under severe stress to see how the candidate reacts Panel interviews- encounter multiple interviewers Group interviews- similar to panel interviews, but include several candidates as well as several interviewers

  20. Follow-Up • Send a thank-you note shortly afterward • Thank the person in the first paragraph • Write a paragraph that summarizes the interview • Focus on the reasons why you should be hired • Reiterate your thanks and end with an assumptive statement • If you don’t hear by the contact date, contact the person

  21. Interviewing Never Ends • Promotions • Admission to management development programs • Prepare properly, conduct the interview professionally, close or some level of commitment, and follow up

  22. Managing Your Career Goals • Set life-based objectives and use them to determine career objectives • Balance is important Making The Transition From College To Career • The first year is important • You must learn from mistakes • Learn organizational culture, values, and how things are done • You are under a microscope • Seek a partnership with your manager

  23. Managing Your Career • Requires a conscious effort • Lifelong learning is important • Lifelong learning can improve your current position and help enjoy what you do Dual Career Path • A sales job offers two roads for career paths: sales and marketing Learn Your Current Job • Learn everything possible about your current position, you may be managing others at this level after promotions

  24. Your Career Learn The Job You Want Next • “In order to become a manager, you must first be a manager.” • Solicit the help of people who hold the job now • Volunteer to take on special projects that demonstrate leadership and organizational abilities • Develop your “soft skills” – See P. 476 – Exhibit 17.9

  25. Developing Your Skills • Years of practice • Constantly seek new ways to improve – keyboarding classes, watch very successful people – figure out what they can do that you can’t do-then learn it! Sources of Improvement • Actively seek assistance • Start with the field sales manager • Learn from peers • Read books • Seminars and cassette tapes

  26. Managing Stress • Meeting quota is one of the most stressful part of the job • Sometimes coping with stress results in changing jobs • Managing stress is important to leading a happy and healthy lie Situational Stress • Short-term anxiety caused by a situational factor • Imagine the situational factor has been removed • Learn to control situational stress and feelings (Ex. Impending presentations, deadlines for closing orders, and similar situations)

  27. Stress Felt Stress Felt stress- psychological distress brought about by job demands or constraints encountered in the work environment Role accuracy- refers to the degree to which the salesperson’s perceptions of the sales role are correct Role stress- brought about by role conflict and/or role ambiguity Role conflict- occurs when two partners demand incompatible actions of the salesperson Role ambiguity- occurs when the salesperson is not sure what actions are required Role accuracy- the degree to which a salesperson’s perceptions about the sales role are correct

  28. Questions?

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