The Real Responsibilities of a Job Seeker

By Hannah Morgan


People with a background in sales understand basic sales principles and know how to build a sales funnel. They understand lead generation and aren't afraid of rejection because they know it's part of the process. Job seekers are sales professionals and should understand what the job duties are in their new role. The responsibilities of a sales professional closely mirror those of a job seeker, as a matter of fact, these ARE actual responsibilities taken from a sales job posting:

• Develop new and manage existing relationships by systematic outreach and follow up
• Perform prospecting on the phone and in person to build a pipeline of opportunities
• Strategically manage online and offline brand promotion
• Increase contact volume and enhance image in the community
• Plan and implement a marketing strategy/campaign
• Write strong technical and marketing materials
• Monitor activities and performance to ensure activities meet or exceed established plan

Develop relationships and build a pipeline. Just as sales professionals must identify the companies who need their product or service; you must identify companies who could use your services. Sales professionals develop a large pipeline of potential customers, not just those who have an immediate need. Their prospective customer includes anyone who could potentially use their product. The million dollar question is: How? Sales professionals target customers in different ways. One way is by identifying similar products they may use. In your case, look at companies who already employ people who do what you do. Search LinkedIn for job titles and see which companies have your job. Or you could look at what companies are doing. Are they growing? Did they win a new contract? You can identify companies that will have a future need for the problem your services solve. Once you have identified these targets, you would create a sales pitch for each individual company based on what they would gain by using your service.

Brand promotion. As you know, you have a personal brand or personal reputation. How are you strategically managing this and promoting it within the community? Sales professionals participate in trade shows, industry events, and local events. Likewise, you should seek opportunities to attend and perhaps even speak at events in your area of expertise. Get out of the house! And don't forget to build a reputation online by embracing LinkedIn groups and actively participate in discussions or by answering questions and helping others on other social networks.

For more on:
Strong marketing communication skills.
Have a strategy and measure it.
Other duties as assigned.
Thick skin.
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