Q. Margot – Thanks for the encouraging response. One quick question as a follow-up. I would like another sales job specifically inside sales and managing accounts that may have a salary + commission in an industry where I can also advance my career. What direction do I start with to narrow what I have in mind to find my next career path? Thanks again for the insight.

Sincerely,
Where in the World

A. Dear Where in the World,

The world is your oyster! Sometimes too many options are overwhelming, so it is best to pin down no more than three initial directions eliminating them one by one until the best option rises to the top. How to do that is the age old question because it has to do with your personal interests, your personal goals, and your natural talents. I would have no idea which path of the million you could take.

Just about any company or industry will have sales and marketing function. Closer inspection will reveal if they have an inside sales team with the compensation you describe. You need to decide which industries or companies that attract you and sound like interesting work. Start this way:

• Look at the job boards for job postings. Forget for the moment that you are just reading sales types of positions, but look at the descriptions of the companies and see what attracts you.
• Make a list of these companies and group them by industries. Take the top three industries and start researching them by seeing what trade organizations are attached to them.
• See if these trade organizations have a local chapter, or a publication you can subscribe to. After your trade group research decide if you should join to get to know others in that industry or by attending a sponsored event.
• Write down companies that are in the industries that you like, and contact the National Sales Manager’s office. Ask who the regional sales manager is for the Southeast and if they are located in Atlanta.
• Contact that regional sales manager and inquire if they have any sales openings specifically inside sales positions. Tell them you have been researching the “blankety-blank” industry and their company stands out to you and you are very interested in pursuing a career within the industry and very much their company. Enthusiasm sells.

Essentially, you are drilling down from the whole wide world, to an industry, to a trade organization, to a company, to a hiring manager. Again, whatever industry or company you select, there will be a sales function going on. Your job is to let the hiring manager (sales manager) know you are alive, interested, and ready to roll.

Good luck!

Q. Hi there, I currently work a mortgage company, I have worked for them for 5 years in various positions. Ranging from Customer Service to my current position in a technical call position. My career path can now take 2 directions. One is technical oriented. I just received my Aplus certification and I can now get more involved with other technical positions.

However, I am also interested in becoming a mortgage loan officer. There I can utilize my customer service skills I have learned over the years. I am 36 and recently married and I am having difficulty laying out my career path. I feel I am at that stage that I need to define what I am going to do for the rest of my life in regards to employment. Thank you for your time!

Signed,
Looking Ahead

A. Dear Looking Ahead,

It's great that you are thinking proactively about your career. Congratulate yourself on that. My first suggestion is to do some reading on current events about the mortgage loan industry that can be very cyclical. You want to be ahead of the curve as to any industry changes that may affect your job either in the technical support area or as a mortgage loan officer.

* Do your homework by visiting industry websites that speak for the trends that are going on. You might start out with http://www.mbag.org/ or http://www.namb.org/ .

* If you have the opportunity to attend any professional conferences in the mortgage industry, I would strongly suggest that to gain insight from people within the industry, but outside of your specific company. In never hurts to establish contacts within your industry anyway. The MBAG is having its annual conference in May in San Destin, Florida...maybe a good time to take a little vacation and write if off to a business expense, or better yet, see if you company will pay for some of the cost. They may start to see you in a different light especially if you mention you want to get active in the association.

* Finally, see if you can establish a person more senior than you in the mortgage industry that can be an unofficial mentor. If it is someone within your company, start out by asking if you can have a few moments of their time, and let them know of your ambitions, and what career path they could project for you, and what steps you could take to better prepare for your career progression. If you feel reluctant to talk that candidly with someone in your own company, find someone outside, and again through an association of mortgage professionals. Strike up a conversation, exchange business cards and then follow up with coffee or lunch or a phone call.

I have known many people who have made a very successful career in the mortgage industry. There is probably no better way to learn the business from the inside out than through your customer service and technical support positions. You need to know the steps to take to leap from that great foundation to a mortgage loan officer, and if it is exactly as you expect. So, in your exploration, talk to as many loan officers as you can to get the real picture...What do you love about being a loan officer and what do you hate. Every job has its pros and cons. What is a con to some may be perfect for you. Good luck and thanks for listening!!!

Q. Margot – I enjoy your radio program and insight. I have currently been in a sales position as a loan officer in the mortgage industry for 7 years. I am ready for something else the mortgage industry has really changed with the current slump in the economy for the last 3 years and I have developed a negative attitude about my job and profession from all the loan hacks that have jumped in the industry in recent years. I left college after two years to take a salary position in the banking industry and then worked my way up to my current position. I would like another sales job specifically inside sales and managing accounts that may have a salary + commission in an industry where I can also advance my career. Is this possible with out a college degree and where do I start?

Sincerely,
Mr. No Degree

A. Dear Mr. No Degree,

You are right!!! Things are certainly changing in the mortgage industry. Check out this recent report from the FDIC. The great thing is you are not just rolling along thinking everything will work out OK, but rather you smell changes occurring and want to take a proactive move to protect your livelihood. Hooray for you!!!!

You asked whether or not a college degree is important. In sales, the short answer is ‘NO’. If you demonstrate a strong track record of success, that is the most important criteria. It is not as though you are applying for a job as a brain surgeon without the necessary education requirements. The world is full of successful people that do not have college degrees, think Abraham Lincoln and Sam Walton, just to name a few.

Make sure that your resume depicts what your successes have been. For example: “My area of loan origination increased revenue by 42% within 18 months, with ranking # 3 out of 16 loan originators surpassing our lead competition whose brand was a household name.” This type of information will make a potential sales manager/employer sit up and take notice. Not only did you increase sales (expected), but you were in the top ranking of your peers (top percentage of success), and to top it all off, you did it against the odds (exceeding expectations). The more you can add specific figures and quantities to your background, the more marketable you will be.

During an interview, be sure to have some ‘war stories’ to illustrate how you didn’t just do your job well, but how you overcame obstacles, again to beat the odds. All of these things will go a long way to overcome the lack of degree. If someone asks you if you have a degree, always be honest; but you might add, ‘Although I don’t have a four year degree, I have done…(these exceptional things). Fill up what I call ‘potholes’ with something that will WOW them.

Good luck to you and thanks for listening!!

Q. Hello, I'm a free-lance instructor specializing in customer service trainings, effective communication skills and stress balancing. I have designed my own programs and they are quite unique and effective, yet I've met many obstacles when trying to offer them to Atlanta corporations.   I've found that many companies have their own training and development department and are not interested in bringing in outside programs.

My question is: do you think I should continue my entrepeneurial pursuits, perhaps improving my marketing techniques, or should I find a good headhunter and try to get hired as a trainer in a large company? I'm not familiar with the current hiring trends at this time.

My passion is to teach people to become better communicators and balance their stress, but I also need to pay the bills.

I would be grateful for any advice you would have on this matter.

Thanks in advance,
Trainer Entrepreneur

A. Dear Trainer Entrepreneur,

Congratulations on pursuing your entrepreneurial dreams.  There is nothing
wrong with your business model; you just need to make sure there is a market
for your services i.e. companies that have need for your expertise and are
willing to pay for it.  You are right about one thing, budgets have been
slashed in the past couple of years for outside training programs, but that
does not mean they are cut out completely.   Perhaps you need to do a little
more analysis of your marketing efforts.

1. Do more competitive intelligence gathering to see if you are
competitively priced along with your level of experience.  Find out what
other programs fees are ranging from large companies that offer your type of
program like a Dale Carnegie to a smaller independent.  Set your pricing
accordingly.

2. Make sure you have the proper marketing materials that exude
professionalism along with a website.  Create topic titles that have sizzle
and emphasize what benefits the audience will get along with the company
sponsoring the training program.  Back up your marketing literature with
testimonials even from people within your former company.

3. Write an e-Book that will be a hand out during your training program.
The client pays extra for this and it gives you credibility of expertise
that their inside trainers might not have.  You can self-publish with an
e-Book or get one of the printing companies to publish small quantities at a
time when you have booked an engagement.

4. Offer a menu of services i.e. speaking engagements for one to two hours,
half-day seminars, full-day seminars, and multi-day seminars.

5. Customize your expertise to their industry and lingo.

6. Market yourself through trade organizations, conferences, and
conventions.  These people have money to spend on speakers and that is
essentially what you are.

7. In addition to your marketing materials, you might need a demo tape
showing you in a training setting.  Do eight minutes and be sure that you
include pictures of your audience and their enthusiastic reaction and
participation.  Think about the political campaign segments you see on TV.
You never hear the whole speech, but you do see the audience in a frenzy.
That is what sells.

If all of these things appears a bit daunting and you are concerned about
the selling and marketing commitment, perhaps you should think about working
for a company as an inside trainer.  Remember whatever business you pursue
as an entrepreneur, you will have to sell yourself and that takes focused
and disciplined selling skills.  Only then will you have the opportunity to
show your stuff as a great trainer.

Good Luck and Best Wishes,
Margot

Q. Hi Margot, I have an upcoming group(4) interview which the H.R. specialist has described as a Behavioral Interview process. I have been in situations where a couple of folks are involved but this will be in front of four people. They are also asking that I prepare a portfolio regarding details of my sales production in 2003. Do you have any suggestions on how to prepare for this event? What's your thoughts on this process in general. Any thoughts on how to present/prepare the portfolio? Thanks for your insight and comments.

Signed, Sales Job Seeker

A. Dear Sales Job Seeker,

A panel interview can be very intimidating on the front end, but may have some advantages for you. They may want to see you in action in making a group presentation especially if they expect this to be part of the job you will have with new prospective clients. This is your area to shine showcasing your talent for presenting. Even though this could be somewhat like an audition, don’t get nervous. Think back to the times that you were ‘on’ in previous sales presentations. Remember, this occasion you are selling yourself, so you need to know your product (you) and services (expertise) that will solve their needs (sales revenues).

Be sure to bring up your sales accomplishments; not just that you made or exceeded quota, but how you did so under adverse conditions like a poor economic market, or up against the toughest competitor. Find out what their expectations (needs) are and how you can fulfill those. Be specific, think strategically, and tie into past successes.

They must be very interested in you to request a portfolio of your past sales production, but this might also be a ploy to compare you with other candidates and to see how well thought out your presentation is or how well you handle written reports. Here are some tips:

• Explain the strategy behind going after you client
• Explain how you overcame any hindrances
• Detail the client needs
• How you met those needs
• Results/outcomes of the sale: Benefit for client, revenue for employer

You might want to create a chart or table using you word processor or spreadsheet software. This shows them you are computer literate and are able to organize your thoughts using your computer tools. Also, you might want to think a little of the future, not just past accomplishments. Like, what are you bringing to the table. Outline what you would plan to do in the first 3 0, 60, 90 days to ramp up quickly and learn their market, their customer base and begin connecting with client prospects.

Lastly, be sure to ask for the job or the next step in the hiring process! This is sales 101 to ask for the business, but I have known top sales candidates who omitted this in the interview and consequently lost the job to someone else because the hiring manager was waiting for them to ask for the ‘sale’.

Good luck!

Q. Dear Margot,

I am a recent MBA grad in Business Analysis from Georgia State, with a multidisciplinary underegraduate degree from Georgia Tech. Right now I am a Tech Supervisor for a local computer refurbishing company. It seems that most companies in Atlanta don't want MBA's because they may want too much money. The only companies hiring MBAs want 8-10 years experience and are usually very large corporation. Any advice? I have about 2-3 years experience. I worked full time for most of my MBA. Thanks for any advice you may be able to give.

Signed, Frustrated MBA’er

A. Dear Frustrated MBA'er,

First of all, congratulate yourself for obtaining your MBA and especially that you worked full time throughout.  That is a real accomplishment!

We have been in an era where it has definitely been a buyers market for companies that are hiring.  I am curious about where you got your viewpoint on companies' opinion of MBA's and the salary they command.  I don't know if you have experienced rejection after an interview or having sent in your resume, and getting no response.  The latter will happen much more often than we would like.  Perhaps when you followed up on sending your resume in, you got a response that you were overqualified because of your MBA.  That is a stock response because there was some else in the resume stack that they interested in.

Your MBA is a great asset, but more so when you get experience within the industry that you choose to work in.  That way you can apply business skills to a particular field.  Seek your 'break in show business' within an industry or company that interests you, learn that profession, and then become indispensable using your business skills.  It is up to you to convince that company that you are willing to learn their industry from scratch if necessary and use your MBA later.  In other words, you don't expect to be in a different salary range just because of your MBA.

Stop thinking the negative and let's concentrate on the positive.  First, sending a resume in response to a job posting in this job market is like buying a lottery ticket.  That job will be filled by some candidate, but with hundreds of resume responses, the odds are against you even to get an interview.  That doesn't mean don't send out resumes, you do that in conjunction of other things to market yourself.  The best way to find that next job is to get connected with someone in that industry or company that interests you.

Find out what industry trade associations your target companies belong to; you can google this to research.  Find out if they have an event that will take place in the Atlanta area, or if there is a local chapter of their professional association.  See if you can become a student member of the organization.  Your professor at Georgia State may know some of these professional or trade organizations as well.  Attend the events, conferences, or trade shows and start meeting people. Very likely you may meet someone from the very company that you sent your resume into before. Now, you know an employee of that company that can refer you to someone in or around your target department, mainly to a department head that may be hiring in the near future.

Good luck to you and get out there and network.  85% of people get their jobs through some sort of networking.  Get connected through trade organizations.

Q. Margot,

Is it absolutely necessary to send a cover letter with every resume? Typically, I've been sending my resume and a short e-mail (in a neat letter type format) that serves as my introduction, notes the position title, briefly outlines my capabilities, and finally details how those capabilities match with the position requirements. My theory in doing this is that recruiters and HR professionals MUST be swamped with paperwork so what good is another piece of paperwork going to do when trying to get noticed?

Sincerely,
Too Tired of the Paperwork

A. Dear Too Tired,

I think that a brief note is just fine. The main thing you want to do is connect the dots for them…your capabilities matched with their needs, but you might want to add a positive, measurable result from your past that demonstrates how you either made money, saved money, or saved time.

A note or cover letter is also a device to bring anything up to date or to emphasize a uniqueness that will separate you from the herd. This is also the area where you compensate for any deficiency (what I call potholes). For instance, “Although I have only three years experience rather than the required five, I was promoted rapidly into a position of training other new recruits in my last job because my superiors said I was a natural.”

Good luck to you!