Win with a sales mindset
If you’re considering switching jobs, changing careers or reentering the workforce, you’re probably excited and absolutely overwhelmed.
There are many ways to go about it but if you want to see results, I recommend taking some pages out of the sales playbook. Keep in mind though that highly effective salespeople are not the stereotypical aggressive, pushy character. They are purposeful, active listeners who are making connections on how they can help.
Here are ways to take on your job search process like a cool, confident salesperson.
Adopt the sales mindset.
Believe in your product.
In this case, yourself. What are your strengths? What are you great at? How have you made a difference for the business in previous roles? If you are clear about your talent and you believe in it, you will have a much easier time ‘selling’ yourself to potential employers. If you’re unsure, they will see right through you and will move on to the next candidate.
Understand their why.
Do your research as to why the company is hiring for this role. Are they changing their business model? Did they get new funding and are scaling for growth? Are they struggling with morale and retention? Identify their biggest business challenges to understand exactly what they need.
Find solutions.
Now that you are clear on your strengths and their challenges, position yourself as the perfect solution. Bring this into every conversation – LinkedIn messages, resume, cover letter, phone screens. Share specifics on what you have done in other jobs solving similar challenges. Be genuinely curious, ask questions and keep drawing connections between their needs to your skills and experience.
Commit to your goal.
Know exactly what you’re aiming for (role, salary, start date) and set a personal timeline to get there. I typically recommend three months, with milestones to keep yourself in check. If you end up missing your deadlines and not progressing, ask yourself why. Are there other priorities or distractions? Are you afraid of rejection so you’re putting things off? Be honest with yourself. Acknowledge those feelings, revise your goals and recommit.
Implement useful sales tools.
Create a CRM (customer relationship management) system.
Most sales professionals use tools like Salesforce or HubSpot to manage their outreach. You can create your own version in a spreadsheet that keeps track of companies, why you want to be a part of their mission, people to connect with, the last contact with them, follow up dates, etc.
Use assumptive language.
I love this one because it exudes positivity. It’s a simple tool that replaces subjective, individual words with active, collaborative ones.
I hope to hear back from you… → When we connect again…
If I am hired for this role… → Let’s start brainstorming…
Could you let me know… → We can discuss next steps…
Be a warm lead.
Word of mouth is the strongest form of advertising so whenever possible, apply through a referral. If you don't know anyone at the company, browse LinkedIn for mutual connections and ask for introductions. If you’re not successful at getting a referral, apply through the website to get your name in the system. Then continue to find creative ways to stand out and get noticed.
Throughout the process, stay genuine and focused. Being genuine is attractive and will get you more connections. More connections will make it more likely to get a referral. Referrals will open up more interviews. Interviews will result in more potential offers. The more offers you have, the stronger your negotiating power.
And control what you can. You’ll get rejections. You’ll make mistakes. Keep moving because just like sales, this is a number's game.
Do whatever it takes to be your number one salesperson.
