Houston We Have A Problem...with My Blog

Static...Crackle...Houston we have a problem...
I'm receiving several errors on this blog site when I try and post my new articles over the last several weeks.
I don't know what is happening but...we are trying to fix...it as soon...as possible...
Thank you for your patience!
In the meantime...I suggest...................

6 New Pitches to Replace Your Elevator Pitch

I just finished teaching a class to another group of students on how to look for a job. One of the exercises is to create your elevator pitch. As I explain to them, as a job seeker you are in sales. What you are selling is you, no matter what your degree is and what job you are going for.
Students of mine! If you are reading this, does any of it sound familiar? Thanks Peter for writing down this great advice.
Ev


6 New Pitches to Replace Your Elevator Pitch
6-new-pitches-to-replace-your-elevator-pitch
by Peter Rathmann   

The following is a summary from"To Sell is Human" by author Daniel Pink.

We are all in "Non-Sales Selling"

You don't have to be a sales person to be in sales today. According to Daniel Pink, everyone in an organization spend 24 minutes of every hour trying to persuade, influence, and convince others to move. He calls it non-sales selling because it does not require anyone to purchase anything but in our world, that is still considered selling. You are simply trying to get others to move in a direction that you want them to go. But how do you get them to move? How do you sell them on moving?

Start with the end in mind

In today's world which is full of distractions, we get a very limited time to be in front of people to talk therefore your message has to be concise and to the point in a way that people can hear and understand simply. Ask these three questions when you are formulating your message:
1.What do you want them to know?
2.What do you want them to feel?
3.What do you want them to do?
Using these tree questions will help provide clarity to your message. Now, how do you deliver it?

Use one of these 6 different pitches for different opportunities

How may of us have been told to develop and "Elevator Pitch" at sales classes for networking events and any time we had the opportunity to tell someone what we do? Today, we have many other opportunities to get our message out there and with all of the distractions that our audience has, we need to be concise and deliver our pitch in a way that is relative to the people we are trying to move in our direction.

1.The One-Word Pitch is mostly used in things like political campaigns and social movements. What is the one word that people will associate with how you are trying to move them. Words such as "forward", "solidarity", "joy", and "believe" all have meaning depending on who you are.
2.The Question Pitch should be used when your argument is strong and making a statement might not be the best approach. Ronald Reagan asked "Are you better off than you were four years ago?" to move people away from Jimmy Carter. "What is the cost of not doing this?" is a personal favorite of mine since people move when they can understand how much money they could lose if they do not make necessary changes.
3.The Rhyming Pitch is typically used to simplify how we process the information we hear. One of the most famous rhyming pitches was used by Johnie Cochran during the OJ Simpson trial when OJ could not get the famous black glove on his hand. "If it doesn't fit, you must acquit" became his battle cry for the closing arguments. "Woes unites foes" works better than "woes unites enemies" and "caution and measure will bring you treasure" work better than "caution and measure brings you riches"
4.The Subject Line Pitch can be very effective when you have to use email to try and move people. Did you know that people and much more likely to open an email when they think they have something to lose or something to gain or the subject matter directly affects their work? Who would not open an email with the subject line:"Delivery options for dropping off your suitcase full of cash?"
5.The Twitter Pitch is quick, painless, to the point, cuts through all the PR babble, and forces people to summarize what they want you to hear in 140 characters or less. Be sure to make it 120 characters or less if you want it to be retweeted.
6.The Pixar Pitch involves six sequential sentences that Pixar executives have used to move the film industry to produce such academy award winning movies such as Finding Nemo, WALL-E, The Incredibles, and Toy Story 3. Try pitching your message in this format: Once upon a time_____________________. Every day, _________________. One day ________________________. Because of that, __________________. Until finally ______________.
The elevator pitch is not dead, it has just evolved to meet the need for us to communicate efficiently and effectively to the people we are trying to move. Feel free to contact us if you need help developing and integrating these new pitches.

Recruiters and the Excuses We’ve Never Heard Before

Thanks Christine for the fun insight!
Ev

Recruiters and the Excuses We’ve Never Heard Before
recruiters-and-the-excuses-weve-never-heard-before
by
Christine Santacroce

As I write this note to all the candidates out there, I would like you to realize a couple of things. One, I just had two interviewees pull a no show with a new client this morning. And two, calling 10 minutes before an interview does not qualify as cancelling with appropriate notice. In any case, I wanted to provide a quick rundown of excuses that any Recruiter who has been working for, oh say, three months or so has already heard.

1. Your Car Won’t Start

For the record, people’s cars do break down. I get it. Mine has broken down before. But honestly, the chances that it broke down just a few minutes before your interview are pretty slim. Especially because it can’t happen to 10 percent of candidates 10 percent of the time, 10 minutes before the interview. And that’s probably about how often we hear the car story. And if you reallllly wanted to take the interview even though your car was dead, you can call a taxi, hop a bus or ask for a ride and I would cover your late arrival with my client.

2. You JUST Got Another Job

Wow, congratulations! You just received and accepted a job offer 10 minutes ago? That’s crazy! What are the odds! (pretty slim). Nine times out of 10, I probably won’t believe that you just received that wonderful job offer. Why? Honestly, because the timing is ridiculous. And even if you just received and accepted a job offer as you were leaving for your interview…. take the interview anyway! Because really, blowing off an interview is incredibly unprofessional, reflects poorly on both you and your recruiter and burns any future opportunity with that employer.

3. You Were in an Accident

Okay, so I may sound vaguely awful and insensitive with this one, but it’s only because I’ve had several candidates over the years get into “freak accidents” on their way to an interview. And with the exception of one, there was absolutely no news coverage, blip, blurb or otherwise about the accident. Also, you sounded totally fine on the phone when you called me. Most people aren’t fine after an accident. They’re a bit tense, nervous and all over the place. And I didn’t hear any noise, as in no traffic in the background. You sounded like you were chilling in your living room, but thanks for calling anyway.

4. You Have Food Poisoning

Ironically enough, the instance of food poisoning in the US is on the rise. But most candidates who back out like to say they had to go to the hospital with their terrible food poisoning. Yet, the percentage of hospital trips for food poisoning in the US? Exceedingly small. So really, the chances that you had some crazy food poisoning are slim, but I’ll take them; I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt. But don’t try to make it that much more serious with a hospital trip—please don’t. Because then I know you’re probably lying, and that kind of ruins my morning.

In closing, please go online and look up some crazy, weird boutique illness when you call to cancel, because then I’ll at least learn something when I Google it.

Christine Santacroce is a Sr. Recruiter and Account Manager with Modis, a national provider of IT Staffing, Direct Hire Recruitment and Project Management Solutions.

Veteran's Day with Daniel Inoye

The late Daniel Inoye was a long time senator from Hawaii and a Medal of Honor winner as a member of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team in WWII. Here are a few video clips where he describes his experiences in WWII.
The 442nd is the same outfit my dad served in WWII. It has the distinction of being the most decorated unit in US military history.
Thanks to Dad, Senator Inoye, and all the veterans from all campaigns everywhere!
Ev
A Heck of A Thankful Guy

On internment in the concentration camps:

What he did to win the medal of honor:

Thanks Shalla for the good advice!
Ev

5 Ways to Turn Off a Recruiter

by
Shala Marks  |  April 10, 2013  |  

If you’re out of work in this economy, then it’s only natural to be concerned with making a good impression in the eyes of potential new employers. Oftentimes, shining in the eyes of a given establishment also means impressing a recruiter or a company headhunter first.
You’ve been on interviews before and you know the necessary steps to take to demonstrate you’re the ideal candidate. Arrive early, dress professionally, be prepared with background information on the company, ask questions—you’ve got the list covered on what to do.
However, knowing what not to do is just as important as knowing what to do to make a good first impression.

Take a look at some of the things statistics show are the worst mistakes people make according to today’s recruiters. Don’t let them happen to you!

1. Exaggerating on your Resume
If you’re like most people, you probably think that everybody does this. You may even be correct in a lot of cases. However, you should also be aware of the fact that this is one of the easiest ways to irritate a recruiter and take yourself out of the running. While it’s fine to use your resume to place yourself in the best possible light, avoid lying altogether (of course) or exaggerating your qualifications, because recruiters can often see right through you.

2. Heavy Emphasis on Salary
While we do essentially work for a living in order to make money, it’s important not to let a recruiter think that the only reason you’re applying for a given position is the paycheck. Today’s companies are looking for more than just warm bodies to do grunt work. They want people who believe in the same company values and are looking for personal fulfillment at work.

3. Obsessive Follow Up Techniques
While it’s an accepted part of good job seeking to make sure you properly follow up after job interviews, it’s important to know how much follow up is too much. Don’t call or e-mail obsessively (more than once a week) asking for updates on how the hiring process is going. You won’t come across as thorough. Instead, you may be thought of as pushy and impatient, easy ways to remove yourself from careful consideration for hire.

4. Applying to Irrelevant Jobs
Some people seem to adopt a philosophy with job hunting that pushes them to apply for every job out there, whether or not it’s relevant to their field. Recruiters really never seriously consider hiring people who do this; so, it would be more beneficial to you to focus your efforts only on positions that complement your expertise, your personality type, and your experience level.

5. Unappealing Background
While there’s not a lot you can do about not coming from the right employment background, it’s still important to understand that recruiters can and do judge you based on where you used to work.  For this reason, it’s always important to make sure your employment choices reflect well on you in the future.

At the end of the day, impressing a recruiter and landing that job is about making a strong impression. What you don’t do can be just as important as what you do.

Truth and Lies About Hiring the Unemployed

I know several unemployed people who are great workers but haven't been able to land a job despite doing allm the steps right in their job search. I'm sure you know some of the same type of people. An interesting article from Recruiter.com.
Thanks!
Ev

Truths and Lies about Hiring the Unemployed
truths-and-lies-about-hiring-the-unemployed/

The Unemployed Aren’t What They Used to Be…
The widely held belief among employers is that currently employed job applicants are a better proposition than unemployed job applicants. In fact, reports show that some employers have gone as far as to even include restrictions in job adverts stating that unemployed candidates will not be considered. And as the worrying results from a Bullhorn survey reported in Forbes have revealed, 44 percent of recruiters questioned suggested that placing a candidate that had been unemployed for two years was the most difficult candidate to place— more difficult than a candidate with a criminal record, even.

But, is this antipathy toward the unemployed really justified, or is it a result of prejudice, ignorance and misinformation? I thought I’d look at some of these negative conceptions that prevail around the unemployed and see if beneath the surface there was actually a truer, more positive story.

1. Is any unemployment is a serious red flag?
No. Today’s unemployed are there for economic reasons more than performance.
At one time this argument may have been a given. Yes, years ago in pre-recession times with low unemployment,  gaps in resumes were once justifiably seen as a candidate’s lack of employability or motivation.  Arguably, in these older times of low unemployment, anyone who struggled to get a job might understandably be seen as a weaker candidate.
But, in today’s climate of high unemployment and increased use of contingency contracts by firms, are gaps in unemployment such a sure sign of lack of employability or are they more a sign of a lack of jobs, hiring freezes and mass layoffs? What we face in today’s market are a plethora of unemployed but highly skilled and qualified candidates with gaps in their resumes who in past times of lower unemployment would have been employed.

2. Companies that layoff staff let the weakest performers go first, so avoid laid off staff.
True, but the cuts have been so deep this time that many talented staff have been laid off too.
None of you need reminding that we have faced one of the deepest and prolonged economic recessions in history. Companies are being forced to make unprecedented levels of staff cuts due to loss of liquidity, lack of customer demand and a restricted financial climate, which means companies are not just letting go of the under performing fringe, they are having to eat into the main body of talented performers.
Many entrepreneurial high fliers also seize/volunteer for the opportunity of a redundancy pay off (I have seen many talented people do this) to start their own business or simply to take a risk on the market-place. Can they be blamed for this? The redundancy pool isn’t what it used to be; sure there are some low performers, but companies have had to cut way beyond the fat into the talent and the redundancy pool contains highly qualified, talented individuals. And the skill when assessing unemployed candidates, just like with hiring employed candidates, is how to distinguish the talented from the average. There is no room or justification for pre-judgment.

3. The unemployed workers’ skills are out of date, they have fallen behind.
Not true, as many of them will be using their free time to develop their skills.
These days, there are so many professional learning resources available on the internet and via college and many of the unemployed are using their time off to develop and update their theoretical knowledge or to develop skills in specific areas, which may be of use to the business or to simply learn new skills. Many of them may have volunteered or engaged in some occasional contingent work to keep their skills fresh. The unemployed do not have to and are not stagnating in the way that they might have had to years ago. This is a woefully outdated belief.
The quality of the unemployed work pool has, in my opinion, improved dramatically, meaning it is a viable section of the job market from which employers can extract top talent, provided that employers follow the same levels of  diligence as they would do when assessing a currently employed candidate for a position.

October 2013 Jokes

Why do melons have big weddings?

Because they cantaloupe!

Why did the frog cross the road?

He tied himself to a chicken!

What makes music on your head?

A head band!

What is green and pecks on a tree?

Woody Wood Pickle!

When does a detective carry an umbrella?
When he's undercover!

What kind of birds always stick together?
Vel Crows!

Why did the baby ghost cry?
Because it had a boo-boo!

What store do dogs refuse to go to?
Flea Markets!

Where do cows go to have fun?
The moo-vies!

Why was the policeman in bed?
Because he was an undercover cop!

Thanks for reading and laughing!
Ev
A Heck of A Nice Guy

October 2013 Newsletter

Greetings!

Leaves are falling. Frost on the ground. Finally allergies are gone!
Another fall has come.
Thank you again for letting me work and stay in touch with you.
I thought you might be interested in these topics from my blog from last month.
Feel free to search my blog for other topics you’re interested in.

Never Lie to A Client
http://everetsblog.blogspot.com/2013/09/never-lie-to-client.html

Meet Them: How to get people you don’t know to link with you pt. 1
http://everetsblog.blogspot.com/2013/09/meet-them-how-to-get-people-you-dont.html

Ask A Question: How to get people you don’t know to link with you pt. 2
http://everetsblog.blogspot.com/2013/09/ask-question-how-to-link-with-people.html

Interview with Brian Weis pt. 2
http://everetsblog.blogspot.com/2011/12/brian-weiss-interview-pt-ii.html

Interview with Brian Weis pt. 1
http://everetsblog.blogspot.com/2011/12/brian-weis-interview-pt-i.html

Jokes:
http://everetsblog.blogspot.com/2013/09/september-2013-jokes.html

Thank you for everything! Happy Halloween!

Everet Kamikawa
Ev's Recruitment Answers blog
A Heck of A Nice Guy

Why Newspaper Job Ads are Dead pt. 3: Not Local

This is the third part in a  series of four articles on how newspapers fell from being the king of the help wanted ads to nothing today.
Other parts:
pt. 2 Revenue and Pricing
pt. 1: A Local Perspective

In 1997 I was the third person hired at a start up internet company called Job Connection.
Job Connection took a look at the national job boards that were just beginning at that time (remember the internet really didn't start hitting the public till 1995). They decided that internet recruitment was going to be the big thing of the employment world. Something that would fundamentally change the way people found a job. They, and lots of others nationwide, were right. Newspapers lost revenue for three reasons: local competition which was a loss of a key differentiating factor, rise of mobile and online technologies, and price per ad. This article explores the issue from a loss of the local competitive edge.

The niche that local job board owners saw was that while there were several national job boards like Monster, HotJobs, and Career Builder, there were not local focused sites. That changed quickly as Job Connection, WiJobs, and CareerBoard hit the market in 1997 followed by MilwaukeeJobs in 2000. These four sites along with a few others that came and went would accelerate the decline of newspapers faster than anyone expected by taking away the biggest strength a newspaper has, the fact it is local. 

I was told by my bosses at Job Connection that classified advertising at the local Milwaukee newspaper, the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, made up  about $100 million in revenue for the paper in 1997. About $85 million was coming from employment ads.
I would like to point out that I have no 1997 numbers to prove that either way, however it is a reasonable conclusion for them at the time given that in 2000 Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel classified advertising revenue was $85.4 million and employment classifieds were responsible for $70.2 million (source: http://www.putnampit.com/milwaukeepress/jssuit.htm).
The Job Connection owners wanted to tap into two tenths of that revenue ($200,000) as a goal for our company.

As the only salesman I accomplished that goal and then doubled it in 1999. Our team expanded to an additional salesperson and we were able to double that goal again in 2000 and were coming close to beating that goal in 2001. At the time Job Connection was the biggest local job board in terms of postings and clients (MilwaukeeJobs took over the top spot in 2001). Given what I know of the competition at the time, I would assume that the three job boards took between $500,000-$1,000,000 in revenue from the newspaper each year from 1998-2000. That figure probably doubled in 2001 with MilwaukeeJobs coming into the picture. $2 million doesn't seem like much compared to $85 million, but that number grew as $2-4 million in annual revenue was being taken by local job boards. Add on top of that the monies spent on national job boards like Monster and CareerBuilder, and nice job boards like LatPro, Dice, and Jobs4Sales, and you're looking closer to $10 million being lost to internet job boards in the area. These are just educated guesses on my part.

Why were so many companies trying the internet and taking budget away from the newspaper? The internet boom was on! Remember all the DotCom companies that were popping up? The fuel they provided for the economic boom of the late 1990's? Now days we look back and wonder how did we ever live without our internet connections? Companies were searching for other ideas to reach job seekers. There was a talent shortage going on (and still is). Companies were willing to try anything to find the employees they needed.
Local internet job boards like WiJobs and Job Connection were able to position themselves as local alternatives to the local newspaper.

Poor customer service was a big part of the problem newspapers had in losing clients. A big chunk of the clients I sold in those days were fed up with the mistakes in the layout or billing. The mistakes they could have forgiven if they were given an ounce of cooperation by the paper, however the newspaper thought it was the monster in the room and could do whatever they wanted and always be profitable. The poor customer service caught up to them.The old expression "fool me once shame on me, fool me twice shame on you" applied as more and more companies chose to spend money on a method where they got to make instant changes and speak to a sympathetic figure.

When companies decided to try Job Connection they told me the number one reason was that if they had a problem with their newspaper ads, they never got good customer service. If they multiple problems they got different newspaper reps each time. Companies liked the fact that if they had a problem they could call "Ev" who was located in the same city just a few minutes away. Since I was there for years they got to know "Ev" as a face of the company.
As long as what "Ev" said made sense and they liked who "Ev" was as a person and salesman they were willing to give the job board a try.

Being local gives you a distinct advantage in the market you are in. Sometimes this means you can't compete with the giant mega companies that can cut you in price or product availability, however the edge you have locally is that you can respond instantly to a problem or an opportunity. You should know your customers and they know you. Provide that comfort that the client you have sold can sleep easy because if a situation arises they can "call Ev" and he'll take care of it, you will get your share of the business even at higher rates, small stores, less choice of product, etc. The newspapers forgot this. By having a revolving door of customer service/sales reps and the attitude that companies would always need them and people would always read them, they sealed their own fate. They were slow to change in this digital age where we do business by email, texting, and social media. By the time they reacted customers had moved away from newspapers to e-readers, online, and mobile devices. 

It is easy to forget that businesses still need to face their customers in person (sometimes video conferencing works too). We live in an age where shopping online is common, but there will always be a space for someone local to provide a service or product. As a salesperson or recruiter find that niche that will allow you to compete and be seen as an expert by your customers and you won't go the way of the newspapers.

Thanks for reading!
Ev
A Heck of A Nice Guy

Don't Just Call to Call

You probably have a list of favorite clients.
You know the ones.
Whenever you call them they sound happy to hear from you or they always place an order, or they just make you feel good after talking to them.
We all have these customers.

Be sure when you call these customers you are not just chewing the fat.
Always call them with an idea, piece of information, or something that can help their business-even if it doesn't have anything to do with your product or business.
Doing this will help your client see you as a resource and not just someone taking orders.
They will look forward to talking and doing business with you, and that will make you enjoy talking to them even more.

Thanks!
Ev
A Heck of A Nice Guy