Fancy Working on a Cruise Ship?

The problem with most folks (and I include myself here) is that they are dreamers when it comes to working overseas. Often these armchair traveler's have expeditions planned for far away places, but they remain secretly hidden in the fantasy of the own minds. How many of us have dreamt of backpacking our way around the world stopping off at the occasional tropical location to do a bit of work in order to bump up the funds before moving on to pastures new? Most of us at some time or another I bet! 

job vacancy indonesia

Well folks, if Mohamed won't come to the mountain then the mountain will just have to come to Mohamed. Ever thought about working on a cruise ship? Once you secure a cruise ship job you no longer have to look for work on your travels. You travel with your job and your job travels with you. What better way to see the world! But it gets even better than that. Working on a cruise ship is not just about mopping floors, washing dishes, decks, and passenger's salt ridden hair. In fact there are a whole range of full time career opportunities available on a big cruise ship. employee

The modern day cruise ships are like floating hotels or small townships and there are shops, restaurants, entertainment spots, fitness centers, swimming pools, engine rooms, and one heck of a lot more. Should you find a job that interests you, you can then have fun weighing up all the fringe benefits which go with working on a cruise ship.

For starters, you get free room and board on most, along with free medical care and meals. When the ship docks in ports around the world you'll get what's considered as 'down time' and you'll be able to jump ship and explore the lands along with the paying guests. Sounds fantastic doesn't it! But there's obviously a down side, there always is, and working on a cruise ship is no exception.

You will be expected to work hard and long hours, possibly for days on end without a break depending on the duration of the cruise. You'll most likely need to sign a contract for a minimum 4-6 month duration. If you get fed up or just want out, where you gonna go? You're on a floating island with no escape in sight, so you have to see the job through. You've probably guessed by now that this kind of work is not really suited for married couples and parents. If you're young and fit without a care in the world, then it could be just the career opportunity you've been looking for.

If you like your employers and your employers like you, then they may give you the opportunity to gain valuable work experience in the different departments if you show promising. Most ships are divided into the following 3 areas: Hotel, Deck, and Engine, and the various job opportunities within theses areas is vast.

My daughter now works aboard Sterling Casino Lines in their Show Lounge and next year she hopes to land a job with The Sea Princess sailing from America to Europe. Me, well I missed my boat when I met her mother, but working on a cruise ship is something I definitely wished I'd experienced as a youth. This is why I'm so happy to see our daughter having the time of her lifetime as she moves ranks on the opens seas. She always comes home with great tales about the people, places, and things that she gets to experience with each sail.
She always laughs on her return and says how this lifestyle beats the socks off a boring ole 9 to 5 job in some dreary office all week. Good on her!
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Do More than Expected to Get Ahead

One of the best things you can do to increase your career advancement opportunities where you work is to do more than expected.

It's often not enough to just do a fine job and expect promotions now and then based on longevity. So find opportunities to show you can handle more responsibility or different duties than those in your job description.

Here's one example from my own personal experience. I had a great job as the executive assistant to the general manager. But I often didn't have enough to do to keep me busy. I hate being bored, and I enjoy writing. So I began writing articles and submitting them for the employee newsletter, even though none were solicited. 

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The editor liked what I wrote, and every article I submitted was accepted and published. Readers even began looking forward to my articles.

One day the editor left for a position with another company. Having already demonstrated my writing talent, I was asked to apply for the job. I had to go through the standard hiring process and compete with other applicants, but because I had volunteered to write articles, the hiring manager had first-hand knowledge of my capabilities and I was hired. Not only was this a promotion, it was a move into a position that I found much more challenging and rewarding. 

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So look around and take advantage of opportunities to do more than expected. You'll enjoy more job satisfaction, help others, and -- just maybe -- get rewarded for your efforts!

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5 Steps to Finding Your Dream Job

The successful job search all boils down to one word -- synergy.

Synergy is defined as "the interaction of two or more agents so that their combined effect is greater than the sum of their individual effects." 

Synergy explains the difference between John, Paul, George and Ringo (individual musicians) and The Beatles (a magical combination).

Most job seekers apply for positions haphazardly--sending out an email resume for this opening, a printed resume for that one, sometimes following up and most often not. >vacancy

But you'll get far better results--and create synergy--if you first write out a job search calendar, to schedule your efforts over the next 60-90 days. Then, follow your plan and systematically use as many tactics as possible for each job you apply for. Organizing your efforts this way will focus your job search, like sunlight through a magnifying glass.    

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Here's how to create synergy and job search magic, in 5 easy steps.

Step 1 -- Choose your target job You can do so by picking a job title (example: Sales Manager) or skill set to shoot for (example: sales, marketing, management). No target job = no results in your job search. Because you can't score if you don't have a goal.

Step 2 -- Choose your tactics There are many. Among the most effective is networking with your personal and professional contacts. Let people know you're in the job market and tell them what you're looking for. Then ask this question: "Who do you know that I should be talking to?" This one question can double or triple the size of your network. Other job hunting tactics include submitting your resume to online job postings, the newspaper classifieds, recruiters and temp agencies. But try to spend 80% of your time networking.

Step 3 -- Plan your work Create a job search calendar. Any calendar will do, so long as there's room to write brief notes for each day. Map out the next 30-90 days with specific goals for every day, such as visiting 5 web sites, calling 10 networking contacts and mailing 7 resumes. Post your job search calendar prominently. Then ...

Step 4 -- Work your plan Devote at least 3-5 hours a day to your job search if you're currently employed, and 5-8 hours a day if you're unemployed. Recognize that your job search is a job in itself, the most important one you have right now. And that means you look for work EVERY day, Monday through Friday. Because just one day skipped per week equals a 20% loss in output. You can't afford that.

Step 5 -- Fail your way to a new job As you follow your job search plan and contact all those people every day, you're going to hear one word more than any other: "No." Learn to embrace failure like Thomas Edison, who "failed" 10,000 times before inventing the light bulb. He said: "Every wrong attempt discarded is another step forward." Every "no" you hear in your job search is another step closer to the one "yes" you need to get that position you really want. It's simply a numbers game. Take heart in this fact.

By following this five-step formula, you can create synergy, magic and the job offer you're dreaming about. 

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10 Steps to Getting Maximum Benefit from Job Fairs

Many job seekers tend to overlook job fairs. They are crowded, busy, competitive and sometimes confusing events. But where else can you visit dozens of potential employers on the same day and in the same place? And you know what? Job fairs can help you land a job! 

Here's how to get the most out of these events: job vacancy indonesia

1. Do advance research. You don't want to wander around dropping off resumes at every booth. Your goal is to target the most promising employers at the job fair. To do that, you need to know who those employers are and what they offer. Usually, the promotional materials for job fairs list participating employers and the general types of jobs they have open. 

Get online and search for information about the companies you are interested in. Knowing more about the companies than the other job seekers who visit their booths will help you make a memorable impression. The more you know, the better. vacancy

2. Bring enough résumés. Bring enough clean, crisp copies of your résumé for the employers you targeted in Step 1, plus about 5 extras (more if it's a large event) in case you decide to apply to other companies on the spur of the moment.

3. Be prepared to fill out applications. Most companies will not accept a résumé instead of an application. So even if you provide them with a nice résumé, you'll probably be asked to fill out an application form, too. Be sure to bring a pen and a "cheat sheet" with the information you'll need to complete job applications on the spot. This is better than taking the applications home and sending them back later, as most job seekers will do. You'll beat them to the punch!

4. Dress for success. First impressions are important, even at job fairs. Just because they tend to be friendly, informal events, don't be too casual. Dress and act professionally, be enthusiastic, and remember to smile.

5. Arrive early. Pick up a booth-location map and plan your route. By arriving early, you may be able to get in and out before it gets too crowded. Visit your targeted companies first, then "shop around" for other possibilities and do some networking.

6. Think "Quality" over "Quantity." Some job seekers think they will improve their odds of landing a job by increasing the number of places they apply. But at a job fair, it's much better to spend quality time talking with a few, well-targeted employers who are looking for your specific skills, than to run around tossing out your résumé at every booth you see.

7. Be prepared for interviews. Some companies may want to do short, on-the-spot interviews at the job fair. Be prepared to talk about your best selling points, the assets and skills you will bring to the company. Doing research, as suggested in Step 1, will help you to prepare and practice answers that meet the company's specific needs. As the interview is wrapping up, remember to ask what the next steps are in the hiring process.

8. Keep track of where you submit your résumés. Collect business cards and make a list of the companies you apply for. Jot notes about conversations you have with representatives or topics discussed during interviews. This will help you when following up later.

9. Send thank-you letters. Send thank-you letters within 24 hours to each of the companies/representatives you spoke with. Even if there was no real interview, doing this will help you to stand out in their minds among the hundreds of job seekers who visited their booth during the job fair. Tell them how much you appreciated the time they took to talk with you and answer your questions. Mention the name or location of the fair and the positions you discussed, and reiterate your interest in working for their company. 99% of job fair attendees will not do this... you'll have a huge advantage over them if you do.

10. Follow up. Depending on their answers to your "what are the next steps in the hiring process" question (see Step 7), follow up appropriately with the companies for which you applied. employee

Get helpful advice on how to write your resume.

The best resume format to use is the combination resume. This resume format is not chronological nor functional. It combines both! It is extremely flexible and allows you to use strategies in a way that would normally be considered wrong.

The difference between the combination format and the chronological format is that the chronological format resume is very easy to follow. The hiring manager will typically start to read the chronological resume at the bottom of the work history or professional experience section (heading depends on your career level) and will continue reading his or her way up towards the top to trace your career history. If there are employment gaps, it will be obvious because it is difficult to hide breaks in employment using this resume format. This is why most hiring mangers prefer the chronological resume format. It is easy to read and leaves little to the imagination. This can be a great advantage (marketing tool) if you have been in the same type of position because it shows continuity and progression in your industry.

But what happens when you've held different types of positions across several industries? Reasons for gaps in employment and holding too many or unrelated jobs include raising children, caring for a family member, illness, returning to college, corporate downsizing or merger, joining the military, and difficulty finding work for long stretches of time because of a tight job market or weak resume! So, the first thing you will need to do is toss your old resume. It will not help you to change your career. You need to make a fresh start!

Create a resume that clearly indicates at the top what type of position you are seeking.

Include a career summary section that highlights where you've been in your career. being careful to only mention what would be of most interest to this particular company. Emphasize your transferable experience and skills that match the qualifications of the position (if there is a job ad, study it and do your best to make a connection between the position's requirements and what you've done. Do not use the exact wording!).

Use a keywords section to list transferable skills so the reader can find them immediately. This is also important if the company uses resume scanning technology. This will ensure your resume is retrieved from the company's database in response to a keyword search.

Under your Professional Experience section or Work History (again, depends on your background), present your experience in functional sections such as General Management, Sales Management, Staff Training and Supervision, Budget Planning and Tracking , etc.

Take ALL of the experience you've gained over the years and categorize it into skill areas that the new position requires. If the company is seeking someone to manage budgets, and you managed budgets ten years ago and four years ago, but not in your last two jobs, then list the collective experience under a Budget category.

Continue this formula until each respective category has a minimum of four bulleted sentences or two two-lined sentences to support the name of the heading. It is a good idea to have at least three categories to show how well rounded you are.

Below this section, list the companies, locations, job titles, and dates. You can either create a separate section named Work History if you've already called the above section Professional Experience, or simply list the section without a main heading as part of the main section. It will be understood. Or, you can start the section off with the company names and dates followed by the functional categories. In other words, flip it. Vacancy*

The most common problem with this resume format is identifying where your experience was gained. But, that's the whole idea. If they are interested in what you can do, they will call you in for the interview. It is at that time you can explain the how, when, where, and why of it all. It will make for great conversation--which by the way, a job interview should be. A meeting between two people with a common interest (the position) who engage in conversation in a professional manner.

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Job Interviews Can Be a Real Bore

I'm sorry, but job interviews can be a real bore. If you get an interview with a company and have four people to meet, the odds are that two of those interviews will be boring. What do I mean by boring? Well, there are a lot of people asked to interview who don't do it very often and don't really know what to ask. There are also those that are so scripted that the candidate is forced to fall back on answers that are also scripted. If the interviewer was nervous or unsure going into the meeting and remained that way through until the end, you will be blamed for it.

Boring interviews end up in a cycle of generic interaction that leads the interviewer to neither like you or dislike you. In the post-interview meeting that most companies have, you will likely not stand out. Instead, as you are peeling off your business suit or scraping off your fancy interview shoes, you are being described as "OK", "good gal/guy" or "capable". Not very inspiring for the hiring manager and not much cover if he/she wants to make you an offer.

Whether your fault or not, you have not broken through to this interviewer. Because the interview was uneventful, even if the fault of the interviewer, you are going to pay the price.

So how can you turn a boring interview into a memorable one?

Turn the discussion around to focus on the interviewer.

In some cases, this will be a relief. They were not comfortable asking questions anyway. In other cases, they will love the idea of sharing a success or describing a key project that they led.

Yes, you have to take over. But you have to be careful. Each interviewer is different and may require a different style of takeover. Sometimes one question from you can change the entire structure of the interview, make it more personal and provide the opening for you to become more than just one of five candidates being seen that day.

How about some ideas, you say?

1. Ask the first question and keep asking.

Here's an easy one: How long have you been with (COMPANY)? Kicks off the interview as conversational and sets the tone a bit. If you sense that the interviewer likes talking, ask additional questions to better understand his/her role in the company and what influence they may have on the position in question. Once you've established a more conversational format, you can introduce key points about yourself with more precision.

2. Ask a personal question that focuses attention on the interviewer in a positive way.

"What have been your best moments here at (COMPANY)?" This allows them to share something with you and allows you to follow-up in a number of different ways. If the response is that the interviewer was critical in the installation of a new piece of plant equipment, ask him to show it to you. Oh, how an interview changes when you can get up, walk around and get conversational. You are now building a relationship and having an impact. And, by the way, everyone else you are interviewing with sees you on your walk - you look to be getting special treatment, right?

3. Ask questions to introduce your key and unique skills.

Ask a question like: Do you have a system to consistently guarantee new products will launch on time? After they answer, you are free to describe your skills here and cement yourself as someone who can make a quick and substantial positive impact. Be careful not to ask questions that could potentially embarrass an interviewer or force them to look less than strategic.

Now I hear some of you saying: "Hey, I'm thankful for every interview I can get. I need interviews, boring or not to get myself back in business!". I hear you. In times when interviews are hard to come by, your ability to make a really positive and obvious impact is crucial. You want the interview team to come in to the candidate review meeting with words like "wow", "I could see him starting here tomorrow", "that's the one we need". And those reactions won't come from a team of four when two of the four are asking standard questions and getting acceptable, standard answers. Don't wait until the end to ask your questions. You may run out of time and, for sure, you will not stand out.

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Catapult Your Career by writing an Effective Resume

“Just send me your resume and I’ll get back with you.”  Most of us have heard this line quite a few times in our past.  Fortunately, most of us have a resume.  But is your resume doing its job of representing you to prospective employers and ultimately getting interviews?

In a job market where layoffs abound and competition for jobs is fierce, our only contact with a hiring manager may be a 30-second scan of this important document.  But what is a resume?  In today’s job market the answer is clear.  It must be a powerful marketing tool.

Unfortunately for many a job seeker, this all important marketing brochure turns out to be a regurgitation of their job history.  Bullets drone on endlessly with “Responsible for this…” and “Responsible for that…” as the poor recruiter or hiring manager is bogged down into the mire of mindless boredom without ever really knowing what a great contributor the individual was.

The biggest key to a successful resume is to turn it into an accomplishment-driven document, quantifying each achievement as much as possible.  This is true throughout the entire resume. 

But what are the most common parts of a resume?  And how can each be used to market a job seeker?  Let’s break down this document and look at its individual parts:

The “hot zone”

When a recruiter or hiring manager first sorts a large stack of resumes they often scan the first three quarters of the first page.  This section is a “hot zone” that needs to be full of accomplishments that market your specific skills and abilities.  Aside from the obvious name and contact information, the hot zone is composed of two key areas:

• A professional summary
• A list of selected accomplishments (optional but an excellent marketing tool)

The Professional Summary

Gone are the days of the objective in a resume.  With a few exceptions, a summary is a more powerful intro to a strong resume.  Hiring managers and recruiters frankly don’t care that you are looking for “an upwardly mobile position in a strong company that will provide me with…”

The summary should act as a short commercial about YOU.  It should tell the reader what kind of position you seek, and answer the question “what makes you different or better than the other applicants for this position?”

The first sentence should effectively tell the reader what kind of position you seek and possibly even what industry in which your experience lies.  Listing the broad or generic title of the job you seek in this sentence is ultra-effective in giving a crystal-clear picture of your objective.

Identify yourself as a “Highly effective Software Developer/Programmer with extensive experience in…” or a “Thorough and accurate Accountant with a proven track record of success in…” 

The remaining three or four sentences should begin to paint a picture of your traits and skills directly related to the position you seek.  The summary will serve as a “road map” for the rest of the resume.  Remember to support the statements in your summary in the other portions of your resume.

Remember, tell not what you want the company to do for you; tell what you can do for the company! 

The Selected accomplishments

The next section in the “hot zone” is selected accomplishments.  Since past performance is a key indicator for future contributions, a list of previous successes can be the hook that scores an interview.

This portion should be a list of 3 to 6 selected accomplishments directly relating to the position that the summary indicates you seek.  These should be as quantifiable as possible.  Answer the questions: How many/much?  Which one?  To what extent?  What kind?

To get a better idea of what kind of accomplishments belong in this section, put yourself in the hiring manager’s place and try to see his or her point of view.  What kind of things would be important to you?  In most cases the answer boils down to the bottom line.  How can you save time and money?  Statements that show your success in saving time and money or implementing new process and procedures will be well received.

The Body

The next portion of the resume will be your professional experience.  List the companies you have worked for, your title and the dates of employment (year to year, exclude months).

One of the biggest pitfalls job seekers fall into in this portion is dryly listing job duties.  Employers are interested in achievements, successes, and contributions.  Even in roles where you feel you did not make contributions, upon careful consideration you may be surprised to find out how much of an impact you made.

Were you a supervisor?  Then you led and motivated a team.  If you were a cashier you were entrusted with money, were likely responsible for some type of ledger, and provided customer service.  If you received an award or were recognized for going above and beyond in these roles, that also belongs in the resume in this portion or in the accomplishments section.  Remember to quantify, quantify, quantify!

Another way to make your resume shine and avoid making it sound like a job description is to present your bullets focusing on the problem you encountered, the action you took to solve it and the good results that came about from your actions.  This method, referred to as the PAR method, will show that not only have you done XYZ job but that you have also made positive contributions in your role.

Education/Professional Development

The final portion of the resume should list education and any other pertinent information about you such as continuing education, seminars and other classes you have attended, professional organizations and affiliations you are a member of, and civic involvement (if related to the position you seek).

When listing education, the last degree completed should go first.  There is no need to put the dates you attended.  Also, if you have completed a college degree, High School is assumed and is not necessary to list.

Personal information does not belong on a resume and should be omitted.  Hobbies, gender and a physical description (except in VERY rare and specific instances when it relates to the job) never belong on a resume.

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CV Tips Articles on Jobseekers Advice

CV Tips - some tips on how to write your Curriculum Vitae

There are literally hundreds, if not thousands of sites out there offering tips on how to write your CV or Resume - this article covers the basic CV and Resume tips you need to get started.

CV Tips - Use clear formating on your CV - there's no point having having great content if it is horrible to look at!

CV Tips - Don't make your CV too long - your Curriculum Vitae isn't an essay!

CV Tips - Only certain groups of people need photos on their CV (actors, models, etc) - NOT everyone!

CV Tips - Your CV /Resume is about tomorrow, not yesterday. Concentrate on experience and achievement that equips you for an even better future and leave out stuff you have gone beyond.

CV Tips - Put yourself in the mind of the reader and ask what will make them excited. Your CV is not a list of demands for what you want so don't focus on an objective or a naive profile; replace both with a strong but simple list of the assets (knowledge, skills, track records, achievements) that you will contribute to your NEXT employer.

CV Tips - PELLING. Check it once. Check it twice. Have others read it.

CV Tips - There is no conventional grammar in a CV -resume (it's all bullets; phrases; headlines and captions) so turn the grammar checker OFF and don't try to use full sentences.

CV Tips - Never use the first person, I, me, we, our - unless you are very young and want to seem cute.

CV Tips - No text boxes or tables under any circumstances; agencies may wish to manipulate and reformat your CV and that will hinder them.

CV Tips - Watch for repetitions like "responsible for" and try to make your points more than just a job spec or an embarrassing list of "action words" - being all functional and results biased is already old hat - read our advice for more sophisticated and thoughtful alternatives.

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10 Ways To Develop Confidence In New Situations

by Maria Marsala

Do you enjoy one-on-one networking, however, the thought of walking into room full of people you don't know horrifies you?

You're not alone. Yes, even a social butterfly, President of the Social Committee in High School and avid networker knows how you feel. Here are some of my tricks. And they have all worked!

• A great way to network at a conference is to volunteer at the registration desk. Why? You get to say hello to everyone who registers in your line and everyone who registers gets to see you behind the registration table. At the event, you'll feel more comfortable talking with people because you've "met" them already. And if those aren't enough benefits, people will "recognize you" from the registration desk, and be more likely to come talk with you.
• Once you join a new group, ask the Chairperson what volunteer opportunities are available. Take on a small or large task, based on what you like to do and/or do something that may quietly help you market your business.
• If you teach a class or speak, go into the room early. Get a feel for it, change it around if need be, and greet everyone who walks in with a big "hello my name is ...". Bring name tags or recycle the tops of old manila folders, have each person put their name on it, and put it on the table in front of them.
• When you are planning to attend a meeting for the first time, call up whomever you can from the organization. Ask them if you can meet them at the meeting. Then you'll "know" someone that you can look for when you arrive.
• Carry a nametag in your glove compartment. Make one for personal use, another for business use. Then people will feel more comfortable walking up to you in meetings.
• Put your notes on the back of duplicates of pictures (photography) you've taken. Then they won't stick out so much from the podium (like white paper or index cards do.)
• Practice some opening lines and your handshake before you attend the event. Practice using a mirror and ask your family to let you practice on them, too.
• Develop two a 30-second commercials (also called elevator speeches, USP - unique selling propositions). One is for personal use, and the other would be for business use. On a recent telelclass I attended, provided by Jay Levinson of Guerrilla Marketing fame, suggested creating a 7 word commercial, too.
• Remember that everyone in that room is a human being, too. Everyone has their own fears to deal with... and they might even be the same as yours.

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17 Surefire Ways to Annoy Potential Employers

(1) Being unprepared for the interview. Prepare, plan, and practice! In today's tough job market, you MUST do everything you can to give yourself an edge... preparation is the key. 

Job Vacancy Indonesia, Employee  

(2) Not being able to communicate clearly and effectively. This is important during the interview and on the job. Being nervous can really mess up your communication skills, so being well prepared and practicing what you're going to say are always your best bet.

(3) Being aggressive, arrogant, or acting in a superior way. No one wants to hire or work with people who think they're better than everyone else. Be careful with your attitude, even if you think you're surrounded by incompetent fools. Being confident is good. Being an arrogant jerk is bad.

(4) Making excuses for failings. Your teacher never bought "The dog ate my homework!" and your boss isn't going to buy "The finance department gave me the wrong figures!" In the grown-up world, you have to take responsibility for what you are responsible for! You'll never earn respect by blaming others when things go wrong.

(5) Saying unfavorable things about previous employers. Even if you left a job because the boss was an egomaniac who took credit for all of your hard work, verbally abused you in front of others, and poisoned the plant on your desk, don't say anything bad about him/her during an interview. When asked "Why did you leave your last job?" say something like "My manager and I both agreed that my advancement opportunities were limited there and obtaining another position was the best option for me and my career goals."

(6) Having a poor/limp handshake. Why do people think you'll be a lousy employee if you have a lousy handshake? That's not really logical, is it? Doesn't matter. It just turns people off and gives them a bad impression of you. So make your handshake firm and confident but not bone-crushing. (It's not a competition to see who winces first!)

Sales Basics, Prospect to Partner

By Ken Rogner

Job Vacancy Indonesia, Employee, Vacancy   

Recently I had a call from the manager of a wholesale distribution sales center in Houston. He had a question, "Is there a ten-step program that I can teach my salespeople to take a customer from prospect to partner?" It got my attention so I probed into his situation.

His sales center is part of a large national chain of wholesale distribution centers and he has two full-time outside sales people, one very experienced and one new. There are three other locations of his company in that market. My caller had been traveling with his new salesperson for the first time and, as he watched and listened to the presentation made to a potential customer, he realized how it rambled and lacked a specific overall plan.

My caller has been in distribution management for a long time but some of his past training included exposure to sales training from well known authors and consultants. He knew that there was no systematic process involved in the sales call he had viewed and he was hoping for a simple set of steps he could share.

His question forced me to reflect on the history of sales training. I realize that sometimes we complicate things because we try to continually improve the process. My caller made me take a look into the past into what the basics of sales education really is. Here is what I came up with.

I have read Tom Sant's book in which he gives the credit for developing a process for selling to John Henry Patterson. In about 1880, Patterson had taken over the rights to a patent for manufacturing a machine called a cash register. His new company was called NCR (National Cash Register). Even though Patterson was a strong believer in this machine and its ability to improve retail businesses, he had serious challenges finding a method for letting the rest of the world know its value. When Patterson held his first national sales meeting in 1886 the company was stuck at a sales volume of about 12 cash registers every month. He shared with his sales people all of the features of the new models and then began questioning them to determine "tips and techniques" they were using to sell these units. He had invited his brother-in-law, Joseph Crane, to attend that first meeting and offer input. Later that year Patterson convinced Crane to join NCR and they soon realized that Crane didn't need to be technically strong at servicing the machines to be successful at selling them. Crane eventually recognized that he didn't need to point out every feature of these machines but rather to concentrate only on features that would benefit each specific customer and meet his/her needs. As Crane became the most successful representative for NCR, Patterson worked with him to uncover the "system" that Crane was using. Patterson soon recognized that it was not the script or consistent wording that Crane was using but rather his focus on specific needs of the customer. This was, in effect, the beginning of what we call the consultative approach to selling. Patterson then created a process selling book called the primer, that all of his salespeople were required to follow. The primer system consisted of four basic steps, Approach (identify customer's problems), Proposition (develop a proposal to show value), Demonstration (show the answer to the problem) and Close (ask for the order).

So there, for my friend in Texas, was the start of process selling, a simple set of steps to be used consistently as a system. I could share those basics but he was asking for more. After all, he wanted a road map to go from prospecting to partnering.

I had to expand my proposal to my new friend. Here is the "simple set of steps" as I presented them:

1. Prospecting: This is "digging" to know and understand the marketplace, evaluating the territory first to find where your sales people should focus time and energy. I recommend doing a formal SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) Analysis of your sales territory first.

2. Know and understand your customer: Learn everything about that target opportunity you can. Check with every independent and manufacturer's rep for input, use the internet, check with trade publications, pull out all the stops....know your target and as much about her business as possible.

3. Approach: Develop a series of questions that generate information about the customer's need and her definition of value. A well thought out and customized approach is key.

4. Proposal: This is step to create a response that comes from the results of the questioning and the matching to our products or services to address the customer's needs or value. I sometimes call this "marrying" the correct service with the correct need. Sometimes developing the skill that comes with writing good proposals is an additional necessity here.

5. Demonstration: This is where we must show that the product or service provides the hoped-for solution. It could be as simple as showing a new product that fills the customer's needs or as challenging as loading and demonstrating a new B2B software. Here is where product and service education within our respective companies becomes critical.

6. Close: This may be the most often taught and yet most avoided portion of every selling system. From trial closes, to dollarizing, to overcoming objections, etc. there are many approaches to this step. My recommendation was to ignore gimmicks; instead have his people develop a comfortable close that is honest and non-manipulative. In his case, as a wholesale distributor, everything is about long term relationship building, so sometimes a very successful close is making another appointment to bring in a specialist or for meeting with additional people on his staff.

7. Partnering: Success in sales definitely revolves around follow-up, continual contact and relationship building. This is where the relationship expands to one of trust and a mutual sharing of ideas, opportunities and information. This is the point where a sales person demonstrates to a customer that their loyalty is earned.

Obviously, I didn't end up with a ten step program...only seven. But these steps are the basics as I see them. The steps are somewhat simplistic but I hope they work for my friend in Texas. Developing a system for selling helps assure success, keeping it simple is sometimes the surest way of making that happen.