In Transition Part Four You're selling

In Transition Part Four You're selling

The Product Is What You Will Do For Them

Remember this from the part one of this, In Transition series?

Know what you want to do

• Choose the company you want to work for


• The income you want from it


• Sell the employer


• On buying what you will do for them.

If you don't remember this, go back and read that blog again and do what it discusses, because to find the work and place of work that will be fun and satisfying, you must know what you want to do, what you will do it with and what will make you happy. Having done those two important tasks, we asked you in part two of this series, to pick several, at least three, companies/businesses that could, have, or create the position you really want.


In Transition, is both buying and selling

In part three of this series, we had you go through the buying steps in finding the work you really want to do. We stopped you at the point where selling would begin if you really liked what you saw about the company you were looking at. Whether you liked that company or not, you must now go through the same steps for the other companies on your target list. In each case stop at the point where selling will begin and give your self time to read the notes you made on each possible target and think about your gut reactions. You need time right now, no matter how much you need income and a job.

Do not be hesitant about putting these targets in a different order of preference at this time. You are going to spend three to seven years in your new position, you better like them from the beginning, or it will not work.

In The Perception Of A Difference The Power In Buying, Marketing, Selling, Customer Care, There are two quotes that are important to you at this point in your transition process.

"I cannot buy from you until I know you exist."

"I will not buy your product until I know how it will help me reach my goals."

These are the thoughts of a buyer of anything; they apply to any and all products and services are products. At this time in your transition, you are the seller of a product. The product is what you will do that will help them reach their goals.

Read the last two sentences again, and again, and again. Now think about your presentation of how you will make a positive difference to them, the one you created and practiced in step three, and think about how this will help them reach their goals. Put this into words you can say confidently and you have what you need to cause them to think of, or create a position where you can help them reach their goals.

Ah, you say you don't know their goals, than you need to learn what they are. The steps to learn their goals are these.

You've looked at their web site, now read it again, read between the lines of every page and finally at the contact us, or join us, page. Write what you perceive their goals to be.

Next, talk again to anyone who suggested you consider this company as a place to apply. You want to know why they told you this and what ever they know about the management's goals. You also want to know, who they know, in the company, that might give them an insight into their goals, or talk to you about those goals. If this is the person that is actually looking for someone with what you can bring in, wonderful; we'll talk about this a bit later. For now just ask this person, who else should I talk to?

Now repeat this process with as many people as you are directed to and when you are finished, you will know more about this target company than most of the other people applying for work with them. This is called research, it gives you a powerful positive edge when you do finally ask for and go into an interview. The edge will come from the fact that the research process has put the target company's products, terminology, language and culture into your mind in a way that it will be heard and sensed by the interviewer, with out you consciously thinking about it.

I have told you this just in case you did not do all of it when you were building your target company list. Even if you did it then, a review and even repeat conversations with some of these people will help you zero in and be confident as you move forward. You see, this is what professional salespeople do when they prepare to sell a product to someone that is not already a customer of theirs.

You are selling a product, do it professionally.

This creates a powerful perception of your difference.

In a few days, we will talk about the next step in your transition.


Wes (Wesley) Zimmerman
480.628.2450
wes@perceptionofdifference.com

In Transition, Step Three; Pick Your Target

In Transition, Step Three; Pick Your Target

The Job Or Work You Want!


When picking your target, remember that you are selecting a place, a team. you will enjoy and take pride in being a member of. If you can't be proud of the company and the team you work with, you will fail to make a positive difference there. You will be unhappy when you leave for work in the morning, unhappy when you come home, and your family, friends, will feel the unhappiness.

What you should target is places where you will make a positive difference, do something different, and grow your list of proud accomplishments. Now answer this question.

How will I make a positive difference to this company?
In which department or function?

Write down your answer: Tomorrow key it into your computer and print it. Do you like what you see? Change it so you do, then give to five people, who know you and make the changes they suggest, or that you think of while answering their questions and listening to their comments. Give this changed version to a person, who employees people, not one of your target companies, and get her/his comments.

Now write a final version.

Tomorrow speak it out loud, with conviction. The words do not have to be exactly the same when you speak it, but you must say it with the tone and force that tells someone else you really believe it. If you do not really believe what you have written, start over.

The next step.

This is the fun part: Call the company that is lowest on your target company list. Listen to the person that answers the phone; ask a question that will allow you to hang up gracefully, e.g. I'm sorry, I dialed the wrong number. Listen to what follows, say Thank You, and hang up.

Write down your feelings, your perception of the company, and the person answering the phone.

Was it a live person, or recorded?
If live, did the person sound happy?
Interested in you?
Would you like to be a customer of this company? Why? Why not?

Next, visit this company; look at the building, the lobby, note the way you are greeted, when, by whom; are the people happy?
Do you want to work with them? Why? Why not?
Remember; at this point in your transition to a new season in your life, you are the buyer. When you go to work in a company, you are making a commitment to become a part of the company's success or failure; you are buying the company.

= = = = =

My appointment with the Vice President, who was hiring, was at five in the afternoon. I arrived in the dimly lit, underground visitor parking lot at 4:30. I dodged water dripping from the ceiling as I found my way to the lobby. There I signed in with the security guard, took a seat with the executive recruiter, who had arranged the appointment, and waited. At two minutes after five, people came streaming down the stairs and out of the elevator. They were employees leaving work. Three things I noted were,

• The first people reached the lobby two minutes after five.


• The building, all six floors, was empty within 20 minutes.


• No one smiled, laughed, said see you tomorrow, or some other pleasantry. They all left in silence, not a word was spoken; no comments to the security guard or by him; just silence, sober faced silence.

Then we were told the VP was ready to see us. We walked past rows of empty desks and cubicles on the way to his office. We shook hands, sat down; his first question was

"Why do you want this position with us?"

"I've decided I don't want it."

"What?"

I stood up, thanked him for his time, shook hands, left the recruiter with him and went home.

It was a very good decision. No one in the organization was happy. My perception was that he wasn't happy either. Why would I want to be unhappy with them? The six-digit salary would not have been worth it. I was buying; the sale was lost in the parking garage and the lobby.

= = = = =

Next time we'll talk about the next steps, when you are selling, and I'll tell you the strange twist to the end of this story. It will convince you that when things don't feel right, it is time to get out, as I did.


Wes (Wesley) Zimmerman
480.628.2450
wes@perceptionofdifference.com

Pricing - Are Your Prices High Enough?

Pricing - Are Your Prices High Enough?

Pricing

Are Your Prices High Enough?

One of the most difficult decisions for anyone, in business, is pricing the product being sold. Remember, you are in business when you perform a service for a fee, sell products in a store, a catalog, on the Internet, or from a stand on a street corner. This subject has come to mind from two happenings in the last week.

This the opening paragraph in the latest Zinger.

In Transition Step Two

In Transition Step Two

Deciding What You Want To Do

Last week I gave you the assignment of writing one or two paragraphs describing the five achievements you are proudest of in your life as a whole, business and personal.

If you have not finished them just take your time. Most people need at least two weeks to do this correctly. I needed three weeks when I did it the first time. Now I want to help you use your finished Five Proudest Achievements in getting out of transition and into the work that really makes you happy.

When you have finished the five achievements, you will have looked pretty deeply into yourself. You will have discovered the traits and skills that enabled you to complete those achievements, and I expect you will realize that you were a happy person during the course of completing each of them. Give careful thought to this because you are in transition into a new season of your life, one in which you can experience new things, new challenges, and accomplishments you can be truly proud of. This new season of your life should be truly new; new as in not doing the same thing you did during the last season.

You are probably saying,

"Wes, I need income, the check book is running dry and so are my credit cards."

I understand, I've been in your shoes a lot of times, not so much between "jobs" as between sales while selling on straight commission, as in if I don't get a sale, we will have to choose between gas in the car and food on the table; with four children, no less. I have always talked with God, which has been a big help: this has taught me to be patient, think before I act, and constantly remember that I am a good man. It has also taught me humility, enough humility to take a job at night, stocking shelves, cleaning a restaurant and other things, just to provide some income, while I worked my day job with energy. By the way, being in transition and doing the things I am suggesting, is a full time day job. Give your self and God, time, with Him there is no need to panic.

While you are finishing the proudest achievements and thinking about what they tell you, do three other things, if you haven't already.

Make a list of all the skills you have developed.

Make a list of all the different kinds of experience you have had; the source of this is probably in front of your mind now that you have been looking at achievements you are proud of.

Get a small notebook, the size that you can carry in your shirt pocket or a side pocket of your purse. When you get up tomorrow morning write the day and time on top of the first page and thereafter, all day long till you go to bed, whenever something makes you happy, write it in that notebook. It can be the smell of roses, the smile on someone's face, just being with a person special, whatever it is, put it in the notebook. Do this for two weeks, then put the notebook away for two weeks, then read it.

Then read again, your five proudest achievements. At that point, you will know what you really want to do in this new season of your life.

Think about it, do not put restrictions on your thinking, get out of the box and mental walls you may have installed, and look out, way out.

Next week we will talk about finding the company, the way, to make this happen.

Wesley (Wes) Zimmerman

In Transition aka Looking - What are you looking for?

In Transition

aka Looking…

What Are You Looking for?

I meet and talk with five to eight new people every week. I do it by attending networking events. I usually start the conversation with “What has made you successful?” and eventually the person says, “I’m in transition.”

“I’m in transition” replaced “I’m looking for a new challenge,” which replaced, “I’m looking for a job with a future”, which replaced, “I’m looking for a job”, which replaced “I’m looking for work.”

If you figure 15 years for each evolution in term, you know about how long I have been around. I even remember when our city’s Sanitary Engineers, were known as Garbage Truck Drivers. We give out new, less informative, titles in lieu of raises, hoping to add dignity to a task, forgetting that all work is worthy and good when performed properly and in a timely manner

The fact that we have been laid off because the employing company is not as successful as it once was, or because we got tired of working with someone we didn’t like and finally popped off, is not a thing to be ashamed of. We forget that it means we were at that job too long and got bored, or should have asked for transfer to a different work team so we were not close to the person we did not like. I have been advising people for years, that five years is the longest anyone should work at the same task. One of the most successful companies, in the country, helps everyone in it to change jobs, learn new skills and experience new challenges at least once every two years. As a result, turnover is very low, customers and staff are happy and profits, which are shared by everyone, are outstanding.

Being “In Transition,” for whatever reason, is a time of opportunity, but only when you know what you want to do in your next five years at work, choose the company you want to work for, the income you want from it, and sell the employer on buying you for that work. Notice the key steps,

• Know what you want to do
• Choose the company you want to work for
• The income you want from it
• Sell the employer
• On buying you.

To know what you want, do this.

Make a list of the accomplishments you are proud of, in your life as a whole to this point. Consider your whole life’s activities, personal, career, or business, from high school to the present.

Next, choose from the list, the five accomplishments you are proudest of. Take your time in this process.

Next, write one or two paragraphs about each of the five you are proudest of, describing what it involved, the satisfaction you felt from it, and why.

Type these, check carefully for grammar and spelling, and appearance on the paper. Use good quality paper. Put a bold face title at the top, My Proudest Achievements and your name and date on the bottom.

Next week I will tell you the next step in the “In Transition” adventure, including how and when, to use, My Proudest Achievements.


Wesley (Wes) Zimmerman