Job Hunting: A Sales Approach

Chances are you know someone who is in sales. If they are currently in sales and not looking for a new job the odds are that this person must be pretty good at their job since they have not been fired, laid off, or quit because the work has become overwhelming. After all, someone has to pick up the slack for others as their fates are handed out in the job market. Nevertheless, I am sure if you asked that person what their approach to success is you would most definitely hear that following up, keeping in touch, and sealing the deal have been key. As much as it has annoyed me I still remember the salesmen who have called to check on my search and see if they could still help me out.

This is a great approach to your job search as well. Consider this advice from Kevin Donlin who has helped more than 20,000 people find jobs since 1996.

In sales, it's a rule of thumb that prospects must be exposed to your ad or sales pitch at least 7 times before they buy. Successful job seekers recognize this. You should, too.

Create a plan for contacting your target employers 7 times in the next 3-4 weeks. Be sure to vary the means of contact and - this is important - always have something important to say. In other words, give employers another reason to hire you with every contact.

Here's an example campaign to illustrate:

Day 1

Mail well-researched cover letter and resume to ABC Corp., promising to call in two days to follow up.

Day 3

Call, as promised. Ask for interview.

Day 5

Mail newspaper clipping of interview with company president, underlining comments about strategic plan that I can help achieve.

Day 8

Visit company office, saying I was "in the area." Ask if president got article by mail.

Day 14

Mail hiring manager a white paper, "5 Ways to Save on Purchasing at ABC Corp.," based on research done on days 1-10.

Day 16

Call hiring manager to follow up. Ask for interview.

Day 22

Email company president with 5 news items about ABC Corp. found via Google.com/alerts in days 1-21. Offer suggestions for how I could help with each.

Now, does contacting one employer 7 times seem like a lot of work to you? The answer is yes. But ... do you think any other job seeker is going to create and follow such a detailed plan of action? The answer is no. And that's good news for you, if you're willing to make these three habits a part of your job search.