Being a successful freelancer means achieving the delicate balance between pitching for the clients you know you can achieve and pitching for the clients you really want. The fact is that we are all working to earn a living. We need to pay our mortgages, put food on the table, get our kids through college. Money makes the world go round, and your world won’t go around without it! Unfortunately that often means taking on the bread and butter jobs we’d rather not do more often than we’d like, and leaving the convoluted pitches process for highly sought after jobs we’d really like to do to those that are younger and have more time and less responsibilities. But it doesn’t have to be this way. Here are three overlooked ways to pitch for the business that you really want and actually succeed:
       
Spend Time Maintaining Relationships

Most small businesses and freelancers understand the importance of generating solid leads, but so often once those leads have been generated they forget to maintain those new relationships and cultivate a culture of mutual understanding and respect. Although it won’t directly add to your revenue, it is important to take a couple of hours out of your week and spend it talking to your customers: existing ones, potential ones, ones that you have been working with for years and those that are newly acquired. Follow up on every business opportunity you are offered and make sure that you are maintaining a good reputation within your community. This might not immediately lead to an uptake in your services (remember that 73% of newly generated business to business sales leads are not ready to purchase) but all of these things are important to building your business  identity and ensuring that, if and when they need the services that you provide, the right people will know where to find you.

Believe in Yourself

It’s so easy to criticize yourself and make excuses for why you won’t get a job, or why it’s not worth pitching to that new client. Often in business we can be our own worst enemies and the more we listen to our inner critic, the less proactive we are in reaching out, networking, and reaching for those goals that might seem unobtainable right now. This is particularly true as our responsibilities grow and we juggle running our businesses with the needs of our family. It may sound a little trite, and like something out of a Disney movie, but believing in yourself is one of the very best things you can do to boost your business success. Confidence comes from many different things, but if you are lacking confidence in yourself or in your brand then why not have a makeover? A new website, new business cards, updated email signature, even a haircut, can all help to increase your confidence in your brand and enable you to sell it to others in much more positive way.

Leave The Comfort of Your PC

We live in a modern internet age that makes it much easier to arrange all the marketing for your business from behind your computer screen whilst you sit in your jammies.  Whilst engaging in online social networking, utilizing social media and having a great website certainly will help you to generate leads for your business, nothing beats leaving the comfort of your PC and going out and meeting people. Show people who you are and what you do: being visible is the very best way of ensuring that you will be remembered by potential clients, and you can impress upon people the wide range of services you can provide for them much more comprehensively in the flesh than you ever could over the internet. Understand your business niche and know who your target market is, then get out of the house and go and target them! You could do this by attending national conferences, professional events for individuals in the same market as you, or even by going out and talking to local small businesses. The key is to put yourself out there and ensure that as many people as possible know who you are.

Your feedback helps me continue to publish articles that you want to read. Your input is important to me so; please leave a comment.

Jim Weber, President

New Century Dynamics Executive Search

JimWeber@NewCenturyDynamics.com

Author of: Fighting Alligators: Job Search Strategy For The New Normal

Current Assignments

1. COO- Atlanta-based Casual Dining Restaurant Company – New
2. Director of Business Dev, Atlanta-based B2B Professional Services Company: Complete
3. Payroll-Benefits Manager, Atlanta-based Retail Company:  Complete
4. Senior Accounting Manager – Atlanta-based Manufacturer. In Process
5. Controller – Atlanta-based Restaurant Company:  New

I talked with two very accomplished job seekers this week. Both have MBA’s from prestigious Universities and twenty-five-plus years with Blue-chip companies. Both are accomplished in their fields, having held senior level positions. Both lost their job due to a company-wide reorganization. However, the similarities end there. After a short hiatus, one found a new situation in a smaller, entrepreneurial company. The other is approaching two years in job search. The difference in their results is instructive.

In my last post, I wrote about the hiring criteria for senior managers in a tightening labor market. I wrote that employers looking to fill senior-level roles expect the new hire to have a very short learning curve. They are expected to make an immediate contribution. Adapting to the employer’s culture should be the majority of their learning curve, a reasonable expectation.

Much of my work recently has been placing CFOs with Private Equity Groups’ (PEG) portfolio companies. In case you have been disconnected from all economic news for the last decade, PEGs have been reshaping the economy, creating a lot of opportunities. These companies have a defined timetable to divestiture. Their time horizon is relatively short. During their holding periods, they maintain a focus on strategic initiatives to maximize terminal value. They need senior level managers who can help them achieve their goals within the holding period. They seek specialists.

The lack of industry-specific experience is another obstacle facing Baby-boomers in transition. There are many factors in play in this situation; however, this bias is not absolute. To be sure, a transition into some industries is difficult. Job functions like CEO, COO, and senior level marketing positions may require significant industry experience. Hiring a senior manage without relevant industry experience is usually unwise, but not always. Typically, there is somewhat more flexibility regarding specific industry experience for other job functions.

If you want to change industries, focus on your leadership skills. Senior-level jobs are about directing and managing teams, leadership. As a serious job seeker, you will research new industry segments to become familiar with revenue models, customers, and operational challenges. That work will help nullify a lack of industry experience. However, in competition for any job, you must sell your strengths. As a senior executive, leadership should be your greatest strength. As a candidate for a senior position, focus on accomplishments which required effective leadership, then translate those situations to the needs of the employer.

As an effective leader, you will have developed “street cred,” specialized skills. You did not get to this point without becoming proficient in a particular discipline or activity. In the New Normal, employers are looking for people with specialized skills. For example, some people are great at turnarounds, whereas others may be adept at penetrating new markets. Some executives are good at building new companies where others are skilled at protecting mature brands. If you look back on your career, you will find common threads for your success. Do you have particular strength in re-engineering, business development, or maybe, systems implementation? If so, these are your specialties. Your next step is to build a resume that highlights these skills so as to match the job. Skill sets that are transferrable to other industry segments are highly desirable.

Referring to the two Executives mentioned at the beginning of this article: the difference in their results is due to the quality of their networks. More to the point, the successful job seeker (a CFO type) has a contact that is well-networked into the community. His contact made an introduction to a CEO who needed a CFO. The referral source was highly credible, which led to a positive hiring decision. The other candidate’s networking efforts have not been as successful.

Since most job seekers find employment through networking, managing your network is vital. However, the size of your network is not as important as are high-quality, highly-motivated contacts working on your behalf. They must understand your search strategy to best present your capabilities. Actively manage your network to ensure its effectiveness. Make sure they know how to help you.

Your feedback helps me continue to publish articles that you want to read. Your input is important to me so; please leave a comment.

Jim Weber, President

New Century Dynamics Executive Search

JimWeber@NewCenturyDynamics.com

Author of: Fighting Alligators: Job Search Strategy For The New Normal

Current Assignments

1. COO- Atlanta-based Casual Dining Restaurant Company – New
2. Director of Business Dev, Atlanta-based B2B Professional Services Company: Complete
3. Payroll-Benefits Manager, Atlanta-based Retail Company:  Offer extended.
4. Senior Accounting Manager – Atlanta-based Manufacturer. In Process
5. Controller – Atlanta-based Restaurant Company:  New

3-02-2017:  New Century Dynamics Executive Search is pleased to announce that it has landed a Search for a Chief Operating Officer.

I am looking for a COO to join my client’s team. They are an Atlanta-based, Casual Dining Brand. The position offers a competitive salary plus healthy incentive program. If you know anyone with a Restaurant Company Operations/Franchising background who is looking for a new opportunity, please contact me for further information.

Your feedback helps me continue to publish articles that you want to read. Your input is important to me so; please leave a comment.

Jim Weber, President

New Century Dynamics Executive Search

JimWeber@NewCenturyDynamics.com

Author of: Fighting Alligators: Job Search Strategy For The New Normal

Current Assignments

1. COO- Atlanta-based Casual Dining Restaurant Company – New
2. Director of Business Dev, Atlanta-based B2B Professional Services Company: Complete
3. Payroll-Benefits Manager, Atlanta-based Retail Company:  Offer extended.
4. Senior Accounting Manager – Atlanta-based Manufacturer. In Process
5. Controller – Atlanta-based Restaurant Company:  New

This past year, I experienced three rather unique, but similar search assignments. I found them to be interesting if not a little odd. The employers were established and profitable, but not necessarily on anyone’s radar screen as a highly desirable employer.

The searches in question were for a Controller, a Director of Business Development, and for a Payroll Benefits Manager, otherwise known as a Human Capital Manager. In each case, the client advised me that these would be difficult searches. They believed this to be true as they called me after they had failed to recruit these positions with internal resources. One client told me that he doubted that his ideal candidate even existed. As I came to learn, the difficulty of these assignments was due to the experience and attributes required by these. In other words, the candidate requirements were more rigid than I thought necessary. These employers were looking for people to be immediately productive. I get it! This expectation has become commonplace even if less realistic in a low unemployment environment.  Unfortunately, the compensation packages offered were average for the market, but not so attractive to entice one to leave their current employer.

As a practice, I begin my assignments by helping my client develop a Position Spec. This document combines the Job Description, desired candidate profile, skill-set required, and public relations. This document helps me sell the opportunity to prospective candidates. It is a useful tool to gain close alignment with the client and better understand their needs. The process of developing the Position Spec serves to validate the importance of each profile attribute and to assign a metric to its priority. It prepares the client’s expectation as to the caliber of candidate available for consideration. With this process completed, I can qualify more candidates for my client’s consideration. Seldom do I find a candidate that is a perfect match to the search criteria. Intangible factors around personality and chemistry usually hold sway.

As measured by the Department of Labor’s U-3 metric the employment situation has improved, and most professionals, by now, have found work. In fact, the current unemployment rate for Professionals is about half the total unemployment rate. The current labor market for Professionals is composed of people who lost their jobs due to mergers and acquisitions, or reorganization; and employed folks looking to improve their situation. Most job seekers will find employment after an average amount of time. Baby-Boomers are still struggling, however. The market has shifted so that employers don’t have the leverage they had a few years ago. One would expect that, given a tightened labor market, employers would become somewhat more flexible in their hiring standards. In the current job market, management should expect to make hiring decisions that will get them to within 80% or 90% of their requirements. This should be acceptable, so long as the candidate can close the gap through training and experience.

In the end, I was successful in two out of three of these assignments. One search was not that difficult as I found plenty a viable candidates, completing the search within my norm. The second search took twice the normal duration to complete. In the third case, the client who did not think his ideal candidate existed, changed his mind and promoted from within. They were not impossible searches, just a little out of the norm.

At this time, to get closer to a 100% match to expectations the employer must be prepared for a
longer search; to pay more to attract viable candidates, or to bridge the gap through training.
What does this mean for candidates? I will discuss that issue in the next post.

“You can’t always get what you want. But if you try sometimes well you just might find,
You get what you need.” Rolling Stones

Your feedback helps me continue to publish articles that you want to read. Your input is important to me so; please leave a comment.

Jim Weber, President
JimWeber@NewCenturyDynamics.com
New Century Dynamics Executive Search
Author of: Fighting Alligators: Job Search Strategy For The New Normal

Current Assignments

1. Strategic Partner – Atlanta-based B2B Professional Services Company – Complete
2. Director of Business Dev, Atlanta-based B2B Professional Services Company: Complete
3. Payroll-Benefits Manager, Atlanta-based Retail Company:  In Process
4. Senior Accounting Manager – Atlanta-based Manufacturer. In Process
5. Controller – Atlanta-based Restaurant Company:  New

Text To Join Our Mailing List:

Send the following text message:  NEWCENTURY

To:  22828

Saturday March 4th, 2017
3:00 PM – 5:00 PM

Le Meridian at 111 Perimeter Center West, Dunwoody
Is 2017 the year you embark on your entrepreneurial journey?
Don’t miss this opportunity to meet face to face with select franchisors expanding their franchise
brands in metro Atlanta.

DISCOVER
• What are the most important research tools and tips for investigating franchising?
• Who is SCORE and how do they help entrepreneurs start and grow their businesses?
• What does it take to get started?

WHO SHOULD ATTEND?
Anyone who has ever dreamed of owning their own business as a means to personal and professional growth,
a path to self-employment, family legacy or creating wealth and equity beyond what a W2 wage can offer.

COST AND REGISTRATION
$25.00. All proceeds benefit SCORE Metro Atlanta.
Visit http://www.atlantafranchiseexperts.com/events/get-face-to-face-with-the-franchisors
for event information and registration links.

WHAT BUSINESSES & INDUSTRIES WILL BE REPRESENTED?
Business Services, Home Services, Retail, Home-Based, Automotive, Staffing, Child Enrichment, Disaster
Restoration and more!

WHAT MAKES THIS EVENT DIFFERENT?
SCORE mentoring support plus the franchise expertise of FranNet – with actual businesses presenting their
concepts.

QUESTIONS? Contact Julie Denise at 678-249-9867 or jdenise@frannet.com.
Join us on March 4th and make the rest of your career,
the BEST of your career!

 It is rare for me to work with candidates who lack experience working with recruiters.  After 18 years in the executive search business, most of my work is with senior executives who know the drill. However, from time to time I am asked to perform a lower level search to help a client.  In those cases, I often work with candidates who lack experience working with an Executive Recruiter.  The vast majority of these folks are interested in learning how the process works and how to work most effectively with me.  Instinctively, they know that I am there to broker the transaction and to help them to the extent that I can.  There are times when the candidate is unable or unwilling to work within the system.  Invariably, those candidates fail to land the job.  In fact, they tarnish their reputations with the client and with me.

Your feedback helps me continue to publish articles that you want to read. Your input is important to me so; please leave a comment.

Jim Weber, President
JimWeber@NewCenturyDynamics.com
New Century Dynamics Executive Search
Author of: Fighting Alligators: Job Search Strategy For The New Normal

Current Assignments

1. Strategic Partner – Atlanta-based B2B Professional Services Company – Complete
2. Director of Business Dev, Atlanta-based B2B Professional Services Company: Complete
3. Payroll-Benefits Manager, Atlanta-based Retail Company:  In Process
4. Senior Accounting Manager – Atlanta-based Manufacturer. In Process
5. Controller – Atlanta-based Restaurant Company:  New

Text To Join Our Mailing List:

Send the following text message:  NEWCENTURY

To:  22828

Recently I heard that a smartphone had become the most important fashion accessory. I don’t doubt it. It is a powerful tool, especially if one is properly connected. I have apps on my iPhone to fetch my email from each of my various accounts. Messages left on my desk phone are relayed to my cell phone via text. All of my data is backed up on the cloud and accessible via my iPhone. My iPhone includes apps for LinkedIn, Google+, Twitter, and Facebook, among others. My office is wherever I am, whenever. As a result, my clients know that I am at their service 24/7. I hardly think that I am unique among recruiters, so I am certain we are all working pretty much the same way.

In last week’s post, I wrote about being prepared to talk with your recruiter. Now it’s time to talk about accessibility.  Just as I am accessible to my clients, my candidates must be equally available to me. When someone indicates interest in one of my searches I put their contact information into my database, tied to that search. I invite them to connect with me on LinkedIn and to opt into my mailing list. Accepting those invitations helps me stay connected to those folks, during and after the completion of the assignment. In an earlier post I stated that I prefer to make contact to a candidate’s personal email account; one they use regularly. Using a candidate’s work email address introduces a risk component that the candidate should avoid. Most companies don’t like their employees looking for another job while employed.  Using their company’s email account is like waving a big, red flag. Text messaging is becoming more important.   People who are gainfully employed can acknowledge and respond to a text message when they cannot respond via email or by telephone. It is especially useful for getting answers to questions where a yes or no answer is required.

So, what should you do to be most accessible to your recruiter? To begin with, ensure that your resume contains the appropriate contact information. Your home address is not important anymore. It is unlikely that you will be contacted via the U.S. Postal Service. Your cell phone number and your personal email address are critical. Secondly, be sure to put the recruiter’s information into your smartphone so that you will recognize that he is trying to contact you. You don’t want important email going into your spam filter, do you? My contact information is widely published and available on all of my emails. In fact, you should have a detailed signature block in your emails too. That tip makes it that much easier to respond to you, especially by phone or text. Finally, my best candidates keep me apprised as to their upcoming schedule so I will know if they are traveling or on vacation.

Life moves quickly. Technology has us connected like never before. We live in a real-time world, or very close to it. Business moves quicker than ever with the expectation for immediate results. “Time is of the essence” has taken on an entirely new dimension. We have tools like voicemail, email, text messaging, and LinkedIn among others. To be competitive one must be competent and technically savvy.

To ensure that I am in the best position to help you land that next job, make sure that I can easily reach you when I need you. Use technology to your advantage. Ensure that all of your contact information is on your resume and in the signature block of your emails. Keep me abreast of your calendar, especially your travel plans. Make sure that my contact information is in your contact list as well.

Help me help you!
1. Include your full contact information in all correspondence.
2. Make your communications smart phone friendly.
3. Use the full capabilities of your technology.

Thank you for visiting my blog.  I hope you enjoyed my point of view and would like to receive regular posts directly to your email inbox. Toward this end, put your contact information on my mailing list.  

Your feedback helps me continue to publish articles that you want to read. Your input is important to me so; please leave a comment.

Jim Weber, President
New Century Dynamics Executive Search
Author of: Fighting Alligators: Job Search Strategy For The New Normal

Current Assignments

1. Strategic Partner – Atlanta-based B2B Professional Services Company – Complete
2. Director of Business Dev, Atlanta-based B2B Professional Services Company: New
3. Payroll-Benefits Manager, Atlanta-based Retail Company.
4. Senior Accounting Manager – Atlanta-based Manufacturer.
5. Controller – Orlando, FL-based Restaurant Company: 

Text To Join Our Mailing List:

Send the following text message:  NEWCENTURY

To:  22828