Getting your player ready...
There are more similarities between your search for work and the classic sales funnel than you might think. If you haven’t been in sales, think of the sales funnel this way: The idea is to find multiple hot leads and translate those into solid opportunities by uncovering the needs you can meet. From there, the idea is to conduct an honest exploration of fit, and determine the ability to address the prospect’s needs. When there is a good match of solutions to needs, and an agreeable price, a sale results.
The successful sales person knows that the sales funnel is wider at the top, with many prospects that come from multiple sources. A great sales person does not wait for opportunities to arise (like job postings) but thinks strategically about how to uncover well-qualified prospects (the hidden job market). She takes it upon herself to build a network within her industry so she is constantly talking to decisions-makers and influencers. She finds her prospects before the prospect’s problem has been broadcast widely. Now apply that thought process to your search. Too often, the search is limited to answering job postings. This is akin to waiting until your sales prospect has a tall pile of proposals on his desk before submitting your qualifications. I think of job postings as the least productive part of the sales funnel because the competitive field is most crowded and your leverage is weakest, thus your chances of getting hired are likely at their lowest. Why not compete where the field of applicants is smallest? You can certainly continue to respond to postings where there is a potential fit. However, that is just the starting point if you wish to accelerate your search and influence your duties and compensation. Build your search in the same way that successful sales people build their sales funnel: By uncovering the hottest leads, identifying multiple quality opportunities, and capturing the attention of decision-makers who value the solutions you offer. In order to adapt the sales funnel approach to your search, begin here: Define the problems you are best qualified to solve, and prepare to provide evidence Build a network of decision-makers and influencers Become an expert in defined, high-demand areas Consider contract opportunities, not just full-time jobs Take a step back from your best work, and think more broadly about your industry or job function. What solutions do you provide, and how can you get into the sales funnel earlier? For instance, if you are an architect specializing in restaurants, your network should include restaurant consultants because they know who is opening a new restaurant before an architecture firm is selected. If you are a client retention expert in group health insurance, you need to know third party firms who advise employers. They will know the companies who need your services before the hiring process begins. Admittedly, this process requires creativity, research and targeted networking. Think of these elements as a required part of managing your career and the most certain path to creating opportunities for today and the long-term. – Kathleen Winsor-Games is theprincipal of The Winsor Group, a Denver-based boutique firm offering career counseling and career transition coaching for professionals and executives.www.thewinsorgroup.com.
