| The idea of getting inside the customer's head, or | | | | go to work for, who really needs you to fix all those |
| "entering the conversation right where they are" is | | | | same problems in their organization. That one has no |
| difficult to master for any marketer, perhaps more so | | | | clue whatsoever what all those buzz words on your |
| for people trying to market themselves for a job, since | | | | resume are, or how they are going to help him stop |
| effective marketing skills aren't taught or used much | | | | getting attacked and ridiculed every day. He knows |
| with job seekers. | | | | nothing about what you do. |
| A recent 30-minute conversation with a client named | | | | All he knows is what is happening every single |
| Susan illustrates the mindset shift required. | | | | day...friction, unhappy customers, sore backsides from |
| Susan was looking for an IT Help Desk management | | | | getting kicked around by the boss, and constant anger |
| position. As we talked about Susan's background and | | | | over not being able to figure out how to make it all |
| what she had accomplished for her previous manager | | | | stop. |
| (the CIO of a large non-profit) it became apparent that | | | | The Key to Getting Inside Your Future Boss's Whacky |
| when she thought of a future employer, she was | | | | Little Head is This: |
| visualizing the person she had just recently been | | | | He or she probably doesn't know WHY things are the |
| working for...the experienced, | | | | way they are, or what to do about it, so you'll have to |
| happy-about-the-helpdesk CIO Susan knew at the end | | | | start where they are, not where YOU are. |
| of her employment. | | | | You absolutely cannot hope someone competent and |
| That CIO would look at her resume and have no | | | | willing is reading your resume. You must draw them |
| problem understanding all the details and nuances of | | | | simple, easy-to-follow lines from his problem back to |
| the work Susan did, because he could see the whole | | | | your skill set. |
| 5 years of changes that had happened in detail. | | | | Bottom line: |
| Unfortunately, Susan was quite literally writing with that | | | | 1. You MUST know what the clueless, pain-bound |
| person in mind. | | | | manager is feeling and thinking. There are broad |
| She should have been remembering the clueless, | | | | categories of pain that are common, but EVERY |
| inexperienced, unhappy start-of-employment CIO that | | | | SITUATION is slightly different (or at least they think it |
| originally hired her. The one who took a verbal beating | | | | is) so you have to do your homework and be |
| at every meeting, every week for years on end. The | | | | prepared to meet them where they are - clueless and |
| one who took a lot of heat from his peers because | | | | pain-bound. |
| the whole company referred to that part of the IT | | | | 2. You must talk to them in the language of pain FIRST |
| organization as the "helpless desk." | | | | and FOREMOST. It makes them stop in their tracks |
| Same actual person; very different target customer by | | | | and really look at you because you're talking about |
| five years. | | | | something important to THEM. |
| Susan's resume was focused on all the clever things | | | | 3. If you don't focus on the pain, you are just part of |
| she implemented and measured to improve the | | | | the incredible amount of useless data he or she is |
| performance of the group. She assumed her future | | | | getting today from thousands of sources. In short, |
| boss was just as smart and clued-in as the one she | | | | you're not special because you're a job seeker who |
| just left. So instead of painting very clear picture of | | | | can do the work. You're just noise unless you are |
| how she could help a potential employer, she just | | | | zeroed in on their pain. |
| blurted all the factoids out on paper and waited to be | | | | 4. They secretly, passionately want you to make it |
| discovered. She even said, "Well I thought they would | | | | easy for them to see that you're the right person for |
| just know how all this stuff helped them and the | | | | the job. The in-depth information about your work |
| business." | | | | history, detached from their limited understanding of the |
| Often even the "end-of-employment" boss can see | | | | problem, is like speaking to them in Ancient Babylonian. |
| the result and understand everything that happened, | | | | They cannot, WILL NOT interpret what you're saying; |
| but still knows very little about the details: willfully little | | | | they secretly despise you for assuming they will. |
| because he is too busy with all the details of his job to | | | | 5. When you can draw clear lines between the pain |
| take the time to really understand yours. | | | | they are feeling, how you've solved that pain, and how |
| But you probably aren't marketing to the smart boss at | | | | you'd solve it for them, you will be in control of the |
| all! | | | | hiring decisions. |
| You're probably marketing to the old CIO you went to | | | | |