J Patrick + Associates Blog

One of our Information Security vendor clients was recently purchased by one of its main competitors, a division of a multinational technology firm.   The combined firm is one of the market leaders in the PCI security world, securing payments between financial institutions, retailers, businesses and consumers.   The following search engagement is a case study in how to a committed client makes the best use of an Executive Recruiting firm to adapt to change and achieve its business objectives.

After a transition period of rationalizing certain functions, staff turnover and reducing the number of office locations, the successor firm had a large volume of open positions in critical revenue-producing functions.  J. Patrick was brought in to deal with a burst of hiring that would subside.  The CEO had a strong sense of urgency in filling these positions in Marketing, Channel Marketing, Direct Enterprise Sales and Channel Sales, and wanted to build a relationship with a recruiting that understood the firm’s needs and culture.   The client also wanted quality candidates, an efficient and speedy process, as well as control cost-per-hire.  In addition, our client wanted us to identify key individuals from their strongest competitor, regardless of role.    J. Patrick designed a recruiting program that ensured the fulfillment of all of these goals, which included a volume discount on placement fees (the fee percentage declined through several tranches of hires) as well as a small upfront engagement fee to begin the program.

Due to a strong partnership, based on trust, communication and mutual commitment to a defined process, we have been able to place six strong candidates (with total compensation exceeding $1M) within 4 months of program onset, in the following positions:

Director Product Marketing, Boston

Channel Sales Manager, Western Region, Dallas

Channel Marketing Manager, Western Region, Boston

Sr Manager, Customer Product Support, Maryland

Business Development Manager, Western Region, San Jose

Enterprise Sales Manager, Financial Services Vertical, NY, NY

We are also currently performing search work for the same client:

Alliances/OEM Business Development Manager, Eastern region

Enterprise Sales Manager, Seattle, WA

Director Marketing Communications, East Coast, virtual office

In many ways this firm is the profile of our ideal customer.

• Committed to hiring the best available candidates.
• Well-written and detailed business objectives, job descriptions and competitive compensation.
• Sense of urgency and ability take action,
• Does not generally have continuous volume hiring to justify a dedicated internal recruiting resource. 
• Human Resources, Executive and Line Management, dedicated time and resources to the screening process.
• High degree of trust and respect for the value of an executive recruiter.
• Strong deal-making and closing skills by hiring managers, working in concert with recruiters.

We have replicated this experience with many other clients, in many industry verticals.  The elements for success have to be in place and the client has to participate in the process.

Do you have an assignment like this?

Let us know!

by Guest Writer Barbara Safani, Career Solvers 

Job search is tough and it’s certainly a lot of work; but it doesn’t have to be drudgery. Here are ten suggestions for things you can do to make job search more rewarding, more enlightening, and hopefully more fun.

Eat. No, I’m not talking about pity eating and downing a bag of chips and a pint of ice cream in front of the TV. But meeting a friend for coffee, a drink, or lunch is a great way to combine something pleasant and fun with some power networking.

Write. Journaling is a great way to record how you are feeling during your search and examine the trends that could be indicators of what is working in your search and what is not. Some even turn their journals into blogs to create a following and make new friends and contacts as they chronicle their unemployment experience.

Study. Did you know that The Department of Labor funds job training programs? You may qualify for training in a specific skill or funding to return to school to complete a degree program. Going back to school can be fun.

Volunteer. Find a cause you are passionate about and volunteer for a role that allows you to create visibility in front of the decision makers in this volunteer community. You never know who these people may know and what types of introductions they may be able to make for you. And volunteering helps you feel needed and reminds you of all you have to be grateful for.

Exercise. Aerobic conditioning and weight workouts can help you feel better and burn calories more efficiently during the day. Pilates can help reduce the muscle aches often associated with hours of sitting at a desk hunched over a computer, and many people find that a regular yoga practice is a great way to reduce stress.

Do Someone a Favor. When you were working you probably didn’t have the time to watch someone else’s kids or pet or help someone with a home improvement project. Now that you have some free time, offer to help make someone’s life easier. Your efforts will be remembered and that help may be reciprocated in the form of an important introduction or job lead.

Primp and Pamper. This is not an indulgence. The little details like your hair and nails count during a job search. And it can be rejuvenating to get a new hairstyle or experiment with a new nail color.

Shop. I’m not suggesting a totally new wardrobe. But a new scarf, tie, hair piece, or handkerchief can change up the interview suit you are tired of wearing and give you a renewed sense of confidence.

Read. Books by Harvey Mackay and Keith Ferrazi have provided inspiration for millions of job seekers over the years. Check out some of their titles at your local library.

Reconnect. Get over your concerns about reconnecting with past colleagues and friends. Social media tools like LinkedIn and Facebook have made it fun, easy (and less creepy) to get back in touch with people from your past. Rekindle past relationships and you are bound to find a friend or two that can help you with some aspect of your search.

Barbara Safani,
Author, Happy About My Resume: 50 Tips for Building a Better Document to Secure a Brighter Future

For more info, contact:
Career Solvers
www.careersolvers.com
info@careersolvers.com
866-333-1800
212-579-7230
 
 
Visit our blog at www.careersolvers.com/blog/

By Mark F. Matejik, Guest Blogger

“People who don’t sell don’t sell for me.”  I got this great concept from my friend Dan Sullivan one day as we talked on the phone.  Dan is one of the best recruiters I know and got me into TANDBERG in 2007 which was one of my best trainer jobs for which I am eternally grateful.  

So I am giving him and you a gift today my sales executive and sales management friends, to boost your insight and awareness about how we as top people go about finding and hiring top sales talent who will sell!

There are four keys of selling excellence that you’ll find in those who sell.  And oh by the way, they form the acronym SELL. Find them to please your executives, board, and wallet. You may find your next #1 salesperson too!

The Four Keys of Selling Excellence-SELL:

1)    Serving with Skill!  “A man’s gift makes room for him and brings him before great men,”  Solomon is quoted as saying; And the way I say it today is that the skilled stand before the great.  You will if you work your skill.  How well does the sales candidate ask questions, play back what they heard, align with you and get agreement?  How well do they paint a picture of successes they’ve had that compel you to take them off the market?  

2)    Expecting the best with exceptional ethic! Top people cast vision for a brighter tomorrow and show up in that today to make that real.  When I was promoted to take over the Boston Branch for Information Builders, they were in the basement but I told them: “You can be #1!”  In one year they went from worst to first by saying and showing up in that.  Meeting people in blizzards by getting out the reps Range Rover and surprising everyone but my team as we took the prize.

Sales is not only about persuading others. It is about persuading yourself to do the best for yourself, your customer, your boss and your family.  Getting up earlier than most; calling more executives before they get started and showing up and following up even when it’s tough and others are going home or having fun.  Ask candidates about when it looked bleak and how you came from behind.  How did you message a better vision to your team and customer and what extraordinary things did you have to do as a leader to make it all come true?  What does their work ethic look like? Were you a paperboy before you grew up?!

3)    Loving sales and people at the same time!  Sales is an awesome gift and game and I enjoy playing it every day.  It’s a rare gift to play, get paid and enjoy it! Play it all the way!  Ask them what they love in life.  Love to make money? Love to lead?  They better love to sell and love people.  You go after what you love.  When you saw someone you loved you went after it didn’t you?  “I love showing up in pay time!” (In front of new customers between 9-5 every day!) Do you?

4)    Learning to Leverage: Covey said “Sharpen the Saw.”  At least that’s the first time I heard it!  But then I saw he got it from Abe Lincoln who said that if he had a job to do he’d rather spend 75% of the time sharpening his axe and the other 25% effectively cutting!  How does that work in sales?  Well first you commit to lifelong learning.  Prideful execs say I already know how to sell!  Really?  Remember Randy Moss?  He knows how to catch too but did not work out because he wasn’t humbly and continually learning to leverage his God given talent. Get good coaches and mentors into your life.  Ask them who their best mentors, coaches and partners are!  What is the best business book they just read?  Also find out about how eager they are to leverage new approaches and techniques.  When are the best times to call executives for you?  Did you know it is 6-8 in the mornings Tuesday through Friday (or Thursday and Friday 1-5)?  Do they get up that early?  Where are they Friday afternoon: Are they in the office late calling or playing golf? When and how are they reaching out to open up new relationships and are thy open to new more effective ways to reach the fish when and where they are biting?

Find the SELL in your hires and you will always sell well!  Enjoy these tips to the most rewarding sales hire yet!  It may give you the best hires of your life!

Stay hungry and SELL well my friends!

By Guest Blogger Jim Novy, President, IT Marketing World LLC

What J.Patrick & Associates is to IT recruiting, IT Marketing World is to marketing best practices.   As the first and most social-savvy online community of IT marketing professionals, IT Marketing World is seeking the best and brightest minds in the industry to establish and refine long-elusive industry best practices. 

Although nearly every industry relies on information technology to drive growth and innovation, IT marketing standards have woefully lagged behind other industries due to ill-defined, inefficient and ad hoc practices.  IT Marketing World fills the gap between tech-heavy IT trade publications and general B2B marketing resources, essentially picking up where blogs and LinkedIn Group discussions leave off.

“Marketing planning and implementation varies widely from company to company, and point pieces of information about successes and failures are spread around the industry,” said Marije Gould, vice president of marketing for Tandberg Data. “This new community gives IT marketing professionals a sorely-needed platform to share their experiences in order to fine-tune best practices and raise the bar throughout the industry.”

 “General marketing practices are well defined but IT marketing best practices are not,” said Holger Schulze, director of worldwide marketing for SafeNet and ubiquitous IT marketing blogger who manages the 18,000-member B2B Technology Marketing Community LinkedIn Group.  “The industry transition from old media to social media has been terribly inefficient and there has been a void in structure driving IT marketing standards.  IT Marketing World fills that void by harnessing the industry’s brightest marketing minds in an interactive community, essentially picking up where LinkedIn Group discussions leave off.”

Specifically, IT Marketing World members provide content, comments, survey insights and resource referrals based on their respective job functions, technology focus and sales channels.  From this data stream, advisory committee leaders develop best practice models for review and implementation by members, providing continuously improved and actionable industry standards.  Other services on the site include a job board and a referral-based directory of marketing services.  The community is currently seeking IT marketing subject matter experts to serve as advisory committee members to manage category topics, content and best practice models.

The community offers marketing vendors a palatable way to reach members through the directory and online advertising. IT Marketing World research shows 92.3% of IT marketing buyers solicit referrals from their peers when shopping for third-party service providers, and 65% of vendors’ new business comes from client referrals.  Therefore,IT Marketing World’s promotional vehicles are based on member (client) referrals to ensure integrity.  Additionally, vendors do not have access to the site’s interactive features, thus minimizing sales-oriented spam.

Community founders Jim Novy and Frank Berry, who have a combined 50+ years experience in technology marketing, developed the concept for IT Marketing World while collaborating on a model to measure IT marketing effectiveness.  They determined the best way to identify, validate and benchmark IT marketing best practices was to create a central clearinghouse and vetting process for the tremendous volume of IT marketing data found in industry blogs, company web sites, online discussion groups and other valuable resources.  IT Marketing World leverages social media techniques to begin the process of building IT best practice models for members to share and refine.

Jim Novy, president and chief editor of IT Marketing World, held senior marketing positions with several leading IT companies since 1987 including Quantum Corporation, NetApp and CA Technologies.  He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Journalism from the University of Illinois.    

IT Marketing World is currently recruiting members, soliciting content and inviting category experts to serve as Advisory Committee members.  Membership is free, though IT marketing professionals must register on the site in order to participate in interactive features.  Members can register at www.itmarketingworld.com/account/register/.        

By Elissa Jane Mastel

As the technology industry continues to evolve, so do the requirements of the needs for Marketing Professionals in the field.  No longer relegated to just one task, marketing executives are expected to be integrated wizards with the hands in a host of activities moving skillfully like a quick moving jaguar who always lands on his feet.

Today’s hiring professionals are looking for candidates who can not only strategize, but can also implement all the tasks needed to propel their company forward.  The best way to exemplify your level of expertise is to present a strong portfolio.

Here are a few things to think about before crafting your portfolio for the hiring manager at the job of your dreams;

Brand Yourself

Branding is crucial in today’s market place.  Make sure you are well branded consistently throughout your portfolio.  Create a letterhead and put it on every document with contact information.  Use consistent fonts.  Pick a color scheme and stick with it.   Language is crucial, before crafting your portfolio and descriptions, sit down and do a little messaging workshop for yourself.  Identify keywords that represent you and utilize them strategically throughout the portfolio and your resume for punch.   

Quality not Quantity!

Chose each piece of collateral strategically.  Your portfolio will be stronger with a few key examples of your abilities.  Forcing the recipient to go through lots of pages of the same thing will dilute your presentation.  Pick a few examples of each category.  I like to pick pieces that garnered success, such as a press release that got a lot of pick up, or an email promo that generated a ton of buzz.  Be selective.   Show that you know how to get the job done skillfully with a few trophies. 

Key Ingredients – Use all the Food Groups

Variety is the spice of life.  Make sure you incorporate a pastiche of examples of your work that highlights your range and capabilities.  Make sure you save things as PDFs, that way they don’t get altered in the transfer.  Another solution is to create your portfolio using an online client such as Box.com, DropBox, Behance Network or Coroflot for example.  Make sure your portfolio is easy to access and send.  Try to use a client that doesn’t require a login by the human resources professional. 

“I’ve seen a growing trend of people using the Box.com platform on LinkedIn, and we really like it!  Candidates can post examples of work,” explains Dan Sullivan, President & CEO of J. Patrick + Associates, “I’ve seen multiple versions of resumes, writing samples, PowerPoint presentations and more.  The feature is free with LinkedIN, people should use it.”

Now, what on earth do you put in it?  They want to see what you can do, which includes writing.  Start with strong writing samples such as press releases, blog posts and media kit materials.  If you created a campaign, share key ingredients such as sales sheets and screen shots from the web site.  I recommend that you group your clips by campaign, showing you are a strong strategist who gets results.  Start with a short description of the campaign, and highlight the successes with your included pieces as evidences of your proven results. 

by special guest contributor John Care, Author of Mastering Technical Sales

I’m constantly amazed at how little time most Sales Engineers put into a debrief after the sales call. It’s strange when you compare it to the amount of preparation that actually goes in before the call.

There are two really good reasons why a structured debrief is worth your time. Firstly, you can determine if you hit the mark during the call, figure out next steps and make any necessary strategy changes – that’s all standard sales 101. Secondly, it’s the only way you can improve your professional skills – by obtaining and then acting on feedback. I’m going to focus on the feedback mechanism because a “the demo went great” really doesn’t help you get any better.

If you’ve ever attended one of my Mastering Technical Sales workshops you’ve been exposed to the T3-B3-N3 model of getting constructive feedback. I routinely use this both to give and receive feedback. So here it is..

It’s a non-threatening collection of positive reinforcement, constructive feedback and new ideas mixed in with a little “don’t do that”. Now you need to take notes, try to get specific examples (my example: “When you interrupt the customer before he finishes asking his question it shows a lack of respect and professionalism. Next time pause and count to two before you answer”) and if appropriate, put a plan in place to fix or to reinforce the behavior. Then follow-up with that person within a few weeks – that way they will give you some more feedback once they know you are listening to them.

Feedback is a gift, and together with learning more about your own solution, it’s the #1 way you have of improving. You may not always like what you hear, but it is still a gift.

So after the next sales call – if you want more than “you did good”, try the T3-B3-N3 approach and see what happens!

John Care (john@masteringtechnicalsales.com) is Managing Director of Mastering Technical Sales, a consulting company dedicated to improving the professional skills and capabilities of pre-sales organizations worldwide. For more information on this and other Sales Engineering topics, or to sign up for the newsletter visit the website at www.masteringtechnicalsales.com.

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SEAL THE DEAL: THE SALES ENGINEER PRODUCT DEMONSTRATION INTERVIEW

SALES ENGINEER SALARY PIE CHART

As Executive Recruiters focused on jobs in the Information Technology sector,  J.Patrick works with many job-seekers these days who are unemployed, underemployed, or just plain "consulting".   We see that in many cases, due to feelings of loss of control and helplessness, and being action-oriented people (not to mention not having the workload, boss, water cooler talk, and career concerns of an employed person) jobseekers' Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder come roaring to life. Here are a few things to do your best to let go of...

Don't focus on the competition.

You can't concern yourself with who else is interviewing for the marketing job you are zealously pursuing.  Candidates ask us how many other candidates are interviewing for the job.  My response always is:  "Would you rather be the winner in a field of 100, or the loser in a field of 2?"

Does the hiring manager have enough information about me to make a decision?

"He has to hire me if he sees my genius <insert ppt, resume addendum, writing, video resume"> Candidates who try to correct any interview mistakes by pinging the hiring manager repeatedly asking to submit more materials are missing the point.  Managers have made their decision viz. your candidacy.  If they don't ask for more data in response to your tasteful Thank-You email, they are unlikely to want it.  And just like the in personal sphere, continued attempts at contact will move you into the creepy stalker category.

What should I wear to the Interview?

Recently I read an article on preparing for running a marathon.  Literally, on preparing for the NIGHT BEFORE a marathon, and it had a nifty checklist approach, including small details like "use 2 forms of alarms, such as your watch and the hotel wake-up service" as well as "pin your racing number bib to your shirt at night".  All this was so a) you wouldn't miss anything in the morning and b) that you would sleep well before the race. 

The point is to focus on the factors and actions that are fully within your control, and that will make a concrete impact on your job search. Figuring out what levers to pull, which ones to ignore and which ones to surrender control of will help you feel more in control of your destiny.

Quality interactions with hiring firms and recruiting agencies:  strong, focused resume, cover letter, phone screens, interviews, follow-up email, writing samples, online presence (LinkedIN, FB, Twitter) and references.  Success in ths phase come from preparation, attention-to-detail, as well as soliciting and implementing input from others.

Quantity is the force-multiplier of quality interactions.  More touches with more employers will translate into better opportunities to meet with someone who can hire you.  As I noted above, this does not mean following up with HR or hiring managers to the point of begging for a restraining order.

Put these together and you'll uncover more opportunities to find that manager that requires what you have to offer.

Good hunting!

Sully

Congratulations!  You made it! You talked to an executive recruiter, you sent your resume along, and even passed the initial phone scree.  Now you're one of a few candidates called in for an interview.  To succeed during the interview and move on to the next step it is important to avoid mistakes- the closer you are to the end of the process, the more small mistakes matter.  Here are some common mistakes of job applicants during the interview.  Read them, save them and most important- avoid making them :-)

Impatience and arrogance while waiting for an interview - your conduct while waiting for an interview can have a strong influence on your success or failure during the interview.  If you are asked to wait a long time before the interview, or fill out various forms, be polite and have patience. If you can not wait - for whatever reason - contact the relevant person, explain yourself, apologize and try to coordinate a new time.

Before going in to an interview - Turn off your cell phone (!)- Do not switch is  to silent, do no switch is to vibrate (do no pass go…) - just turn it off.  Even if you feel the vibration of your cell phone, or hear a beep – you will get distracted; your sequence of speech may be affected as well as your chances of getting the job. "If your wife is supposed to give birth any minute let the interviewer know why you are forced to leave the cell phone is open, otherwise there is no justification for that!

Dress well- even if you're convinced you are God's gift to mankind, you should still dress well.  Do no wear clothes that are wrinkled, tattered, unclean, or not flattering. 

Iron your shirt, press your pants and make sure your shoes are polished.  Your shoe color should match your pants.  If you chose black trousers - it'll be the color of the shoes. If you choose beige or cream colored trousers, wear brown shoes. 

Men- Fix your hair up, make sure you didn’t forget deodorant and mouth wash - and show up with a clean shave.  If you have a beard- make sure it is trimmed and cleaned up. 

Women- should avoid provocative clothing, bright colors, or wild patterns.  Use light day make-up, and if you have nail polish on- make sure it is a low key color.  

First impressions are everything, don’t sound condescending or dismissive - avoid disparaging or condescending behavior. No chewing gum during the interview, No sunglasses on your head (or eyes!), no slouching.  These behaviors show clear disrespect towards the interviewer (and the job), They will not get you hired and will probably get you disqualified before you even walk our of the office. 

Make sure you arrive early- This way you have time to fill out any forms and applications before the scheduled time.  Tardiness is unacceptable.  If due to no fault of your own you are running late, make sure you notify the interviewer as soon as possible (phone call or e-mail), make sure you apologize, try to estimate your new estimated time of arrival, and of course take a queue from the interviewer on whether you should still come in or reschedule.

A note from Gal Natel, the guest Blogger:  I will be writing more on this topic in the next couple of weeks- if you have any thoughts or suggestions, I will be happy to talk to you.

Over the past few months we have seen a great increase in the number of companies looking to hire channel and grow their channels group (Channel Marketing jobs, Channel sales jobs, channel management jobs).  As a recruiter looking for candidates and finding what I need is sometimes challenging.

Some of the problems I ran into are easy to solve and can greatly increase your chances of getting seen and eventually hired.

• Companies that are looking to hire channel people are looking to hire the person that came from a competitor- someone that doesn’t only know and understands the channel market but also has an insight to the product or industry the company is in.  As a candidate, this means that your resume should be very specific.  Again, make sure that you list the technology you worked with.  If working for a small company, a sentence on what the company did is very useful and will immediately spark a hiring manager’s interest if it is appropriate.  If working for a large company (like IBM) where you focused on a specific product line, make sure it is clear, this will save you time on calls that aren’t relevant, and will get you to the top of the list for positions that are relevant.

In channels you have big players and small players.  Most companies like to see “names being dropped” on resumes.  Make sure you note any national channel partners you worked with. 

• If your work is purely channel oriented and you have a long roster of channel partners, you can list them at the end of each position (i.e. Channel partners I recruiter and conducted business with include: Nexum, Accuvant, IBM….)
• If your work was both direct and channel focused, make sure you make special notes of large deals you closed with channel partners. 
• If you worked both direct and through channels, it is acceptable to have 2 versions of your resume, one specifically targeted towards channel positions.
• If you worked at a channel partner, you should list the different partners that the partner represented, and if the company had a specific focus (security, networking…) list that as well.
• Some channel positions (particularly sales) are region specific.  If you worked nationally or within a specific region, make sure you specify.  Some channel partners focus on a territory and not a sector… this will help a hiring manager see the value in your resume.

These apply to all aspects of channel, not a particular position.   

Take a look at the channel positions that are currently open, and that were recently filled.

Channel Marketing

Channel sales (Information Security)

Channel Sales (Western and central region)

A note from Gal Natel, the guest Blogger.  Recently I have been getting more and more Channel positions that companies are looking to fill.  I wanted to address certain aspects of channel resumes and candidates that will not apply to other positions we typically work on.  I would love to hear comments, thoughts and of course answer any questions.