Professionalism in the Market Place
I have been asked to speak to the Nursing students at a local college. I look forward to sharing my 30+ years of war stories in sales with these young people.
Most likely they will roll their eyes at some of my fuddy-duddy ideas of being a professional in the marketplace. However, some rules never go out of style like, dressing for success not dressing to your own desire–pants-on-the-ground, pink hair, body piercings, etc.
Every industry has prescribed guidelines for what is professional in their market. Before you go to that first interview you should be aware that you will be meeting someone who is going to make a judgment about you and your character within the first 5 seconds you walk into the room.
Recently a young friend of mine interviewed for a job at a major telecommunications manufacturer here in the DFW area. Prior to her interview, she was told by the agency that she was working with that she would not be allowed to carry a cell phone into the facility—it must be left in the car. Oh my, what would she do if someone needed to call her during that time? Well, duh, they would just have to leave a message.
Yes, some corporations do not allow personal cell phones in the office. Can you imagine 8 hours of not being in touch with your friends?
I think very few young people coming out of high school and college these days have a sense of what it takes to be successful in a job. I’m not trying to negative here just realistic.
The bottom line is that if you want to be considered as a professional, you must first look and act the part.
Business Networking – Do you know your ROI?
Have you calculated your actual ROI on your Business Networking activities? If not, why not?
- Periodically you should figure out exactly what it is costing you in not only hard dollars but soft costs to attend any networking function.
- Hard Costs include: Membership Dues, Chapter Dues, etc.
- Soft Costs include: Drive time, Meeting time, and any time that you spend outside of the actual event having a 1-1 with either synergy partners or prospective clients.
Ask yourself, am I getting out of this group or activity exactly what I planned or expected? If not, it might be time to make a change. Look for other networking groups that more appropriately helps you attain your ultimate sales goals.
Peggy P. Edge (c) 2013
Networking: Crafting an Effective 30-Second Commercial
Do you know how to craft an effective 30-second commercial? Most commercials that you hear at networking events really do not give you a clear idea of what that person is all about.
Some of the key elements of a well-crafted 30-second commercial will:
- Paint a verbal picture.
- Establishes you as an expert in your field.
- Profiles you and your company.
The standard 30-second commercial goes something like this:
Hello, I’m Lucy Jane and I’m an Account Rep with Joe Bob’s Freight Company. We are looking for prospective clients who ship anything. We have the best rates in town and provide excellent service.
Blah! Blah! Blah!
Using the 3 elements listed above here is how Lucy might re-phrase her commercial:
When was the last time that you had an order to ship and the freight company damaged it? It was returned by the customer and you lost money?
For the past 25 years, Joe Bob’s Freight Service has been rated in the top 5 out of 25 delivery service organizations in the region by the East Texas Business Journal based upon our excellent dependability, reliability and expedient services.
Today I’m looking for an introduction to Jimmy Joe, Operations Manager at Ralph’s Refrigeration Corporation.
My name is Lucy Jane and I’m the Regional Sales Manager for Joe Bob’s Freight Service.
When you are more detailed with explaining your target market, being more precise on the product and/or service you provide, and describe your value proposition thoroughly, your commercial will be more effective.
Source: “5 Key Steps to Effective Business Networking” – Peggy P. Edge © 2012.
