Reinke Faces Life

… … is to get someone, anyone, to talk to you.

In working with a turkey, a colleague, and a friend, they all make the same mistake. They create their sales document from their perspective.

If you start from a Unique Value Equation that you want to sell, then you have to create an ad (i.e., a sales document, which could be a cover letter and or a resume).

Then, the problems start!

Let's begin with the "Objective" section. While I personally think having the word their is redundant, some people like it for "balance". So you can have at a minimum: Objective, Career, and Education. You can have other section as you need them.

You have 15 seconds to induce the reader to read on. So people start rambling on about their objectives. Hey, get a clue. NO ONE CARES ABOUT YOUR OBJECTIVES! The reader cares about their objectives. And, how you are going to solve their problems. So the advertiser, and that's what you are, has to write an "objective" that will fulfill a reader's needs. Your objective is to solve their problem. Any objective that starts with "I" is wrong! It has to start with a "you". Here's one "we" just wrote:

“Delight Customers! Increase everyone’s satisfaction. Improve quality. Motivate a service team in a technical environment.”

How's that? Never once mentioned the word eye! If you had such a problem, would you read further?

Now in considering your 15 seconds of fame, why does everyone INSIST on making the Name Block a huge work of art? 16 point Arrial Dark, with an address, three phone numbers, four email address and two web page addresses. AND a partridge in a pear tree.

Let's assume that you didn't know any better and you put the name block on one line in two point font. You meant 24 but your finger slipped and you didn't notice it. I assert that if you have a compelling resume, the hunter will get a magnifying glass, everyone in the office, and three strangers on the street to find out how to contact you. That will not be a problem. If you are the answer to their prayers, then they will find you. They will make a telemarketer look like a quitter.

The name block imho should be there, because everyone expects it to be there. It should be in point size slightly smaller or the same size as the "objective". Why? Cause we want the reader to spend those precious 15 seconds on your "objective" statement of their needs; not learning that you live in Kalamazoo and AOL is your isp.

This is a pet peeve of mine.

That an one font family with no more than three different sizes. Left justified. Simple bullets.

IMHO YMMV FWIW

Turkey College
Introduction to Being A Turkey
A twelve week methodical overview of Turkey-ism

The course is intended to help turkeys (i.e., recently unemployed) with their thinking? It moves the new turkey from self-pity, depression, self-doubt, stupidity, blindness, and hubris to where they can embrace their inner turkey. By the end of the course, the emerging turkey will be able to: (1) Recognize their starting point, their progress, and what is left to learn. (2) Express their status as a turkey, not from a loser's pov, but from being a worthwhile and productive member of the turkey fraternity. (3) Demonstrate their value: in an elevator introduction, a two minute "tell me all about yourself" spiel, in a value proposition, in a sales document, in an interview, and in helping others. (4) Perhaps, have a new job.

• Week 01: Establishing rapport
• Week 02: Do you really really want help
• Week 03: Process & funnel (Turkey processing plant)
• Week 04: What do you want? (Requiron)
• Week 05: What can you do? (Value Equations)
• Week 06: What can I sell (UVEs 2 USPs)
• Week 07: How do I market a USP? (Sources of leads)
• Week 08: Conversation starters (covers and resumes)
• Week 09: Measuring results (Fill the funnel)
• Week 10: Networking (It ain't what you think!)
• Week 11: Interviewing (Use Role play)
• Week 12: Evaluating Offers ("yes, but")
• Week 13: Wisdom (Knowing what you don't know!)

This formalizes a FREE service offering by The Big Turkey himself. Currently, the course has 4 seats free. Ping the The Big Turkey for current availability or wait listing.

Danger Quicksand
by David St. Lawrence

I'm adding it to my required reading list at my "Turkey College". 

http://www.webpronews.com/blogtalk/blogtalk/wpn-58-20060609YourAttentionPlease.html

***Begin Quote***

He also argued the "brand promise" change that is occurring:
Old brand promise: "We have a great product," or "We are a great vendor"
New brand promise: "I know you, better than anyone else. You can trust me, and us."
***End Quote***

Interesting how the 'new brand promise' fits with the turkey is trying project to their new employer! 

Suggestions For LinkedIn:

When signing up for LinkedIn, the two MOST important thing that you will do, that you can change later, is to pick a email address to be used and your Name for LinkedIn purposes.

Choose an email address that you can NOT possible ever lose access to. Never ever use your current employer's. Stuff (i.e., firing, layoffs, bankruptcies, mergers, system changes) happens! Never use an ISPs; they change to. At best, get your own domain and use its email. You do have your own domain don't you. Mine forwards "literally anything you put here @ reinke.cc" to me! :-) At least, get a gmail free mail account. That email address you chose will be critical to people finding you.

Choose a name for LinkedIn purposes that you can live with for a long time. I suggest getting your email address in your name so that people can contact you directly without relying on the LinkedIn mickey mouse pass a note system. Put your email address as part of your FIRST name. Try to figure out how to do it without the at sign. Sooner or later, the LinkedIn folks are going to figure out why more people are NOT paying to connect.

Write your short description with your email repeated in it. When people search for others and the result is outside their "network", either too far away or not path exists, it only shows the description. If your email is in the description, they can reach you outside of LinkedIn.

Use a dedicated personal email that you can know that an inbound email comes from a LinkedIn buddy. If you use Outlook, set up a rule that alerts and flags such an email. Pay attention to this "channel" of email. It could be your lottery ticket to a new opportunity. I try to respond to every message within one business day. If you fill your inbox with crud, guarantee you'll miss one. I know I have.

Don't put your email address in front of your last name. It then sorts funny, looks "dumb", and people can't find "REINKE" in the R's. It's about being "findable". Staying logical is important.

Fill out the LinkedIn stuff as completely as you can. It helps to make you "memorable". No sense doing anything half way. A job, education, experience, or interest might make some say "Ah Ha!" and that's the effect you want to achieve.

Write endorsements of your contacts WHEN they do the LinkedIn version of the Vulcan Mind Meld with you. Take the time to figure out something that is both truthful and lauditory. Perhaps, they'll do the same for you. Don't ask. That comes off as desperate and cheap!

Measure how often you interact with your LinkedIn connections. (I use average days since last contact!) Use the new Google spreadsheet, you learn, and and at the same time have something novel to chat about in an interview. If you ask nice, I'll share mine with you.

Interact with every contact on a regular interval. I use 90 days. I want to have some MEANINGFUL interaction with each and every LinkedIn contact once per quarter. Note:"Tag, you're it" does NOT qualify.

Remember networking is not about having a grazillion LinkedIn connects that you can NOT even remember any connection with old so and so. Some people are very happy about having 500, 1000, or one fellow that has 8k+! "Scalp hunting" is not networking imho. Networking, even LinkedIn networking, is about having an ONGOING conversation!!

Take the time to load ALL your email contacts into LinkedIn as other colleagues. Then, when one of your contacts joins you'll know, and be able to connect. It's surprising how many connects you can "freshen up" into an conversational status.

Those are my suggestions. Please share yours with me. I'm still learning.

FjohnR
The Big Turkey

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060609/ap_on_fe_st/cat_scares_bear;_ylt=AsAXykSUlgd9JbTaW7C_ipLtiBIF;_ylu=X3oDMTA0cDJlYmhvBHNlYwM-

***Begin Quote***

Jack the cat chases black bear up tree

WEST MILFORD, N.J. – A black bear picked the wrong New Jersey yard for a jaunt earlier this week, running into a territorial tabby who ran the furry beast up a tree — twice.

Jack, a 15-pound orange-and-white cat, keeps a close vigil on his property, chasing small animals when he can, but his owners and neighbors say his latest escapade was surprising.

***End Quote***

Would that I had the pluck of Jack the cat. We all should take the lesson of this particular pair of the Intelligent Designer's creatures. You are what you think! Think you're a giant, you are. Think you're weak, you are. Bluster, like a poker bluff, is good until called.

… or as I "lurnt it in injineering skool" … the Joe and Harry window … aka the Johari window!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johari_window

I was just exchanging emails with a networking colleague and the topic came up.

You know "johari window, tell me what you see" … followed by  "… huh? …"

SO I figured I'd just recap for my fellow turkeys:

The obvious, my blind self-delusion, your absurd hotspots, and that which neither of us knows!

We move the Y axis by feedback. And the x axis by disclosure. Communication starts in Q1. The "fun" is in Q4!

https://reinkefj.wordpress.com/2006/05/08/255/

Data is the elemental atom of the paradigm. As in chemistry, breaking data below this elemental level loses its meaning. For example, the data element "37" can be broken into "3" and "7" but it loses its meaning when you do so.

Information is data in context. "37" can be: "37 Langley" as an address. It can be "37.com" as a web address. It can be 37 cents change. 

Knowledge is actionable information. I can go to a place in Kendall Park. I can do searches at 37 dot com.

Wisdom is knowing the implications of knowledge. I'm wise enough not to try to sell Mercedes into the blue collar suburb of Kendall Park NJ. I understand the limitations of my knowledge. While I can't know what I don't know, I'm wise enough to test for boundary conditions so I don't fall off a cliff. The nuances of knowledge are important when to use it and when not to. Where does it take you in the short and long run.

IMHO YMMV FWIW