Happy Holidays! I just had my house buying anniversary a few days ago and wish you the best for your purchase.

I have another tip that my loan officer gave to me that I thought was a little out there but I think did help in the end.

She mentioned when submitting a purchase offer to attach a personal letter saying how much you love the place, instantly felt at home, see myself living here a long time, yadda yadda yadda. Sure it sound corny and I did tell her that and that it’s strictly a professional transaction between the buyer and seller.

She replied in theory, yes. But the fact is people have their emotions tied to the house they are trying to sell. If there are multiple offers for the same house, the sellers might be swayed with a letter that makes them say “Awwww they sound just like us 10 years ago.”

Granted it’s not a guarantee but there is no harm to not include it.

Ties are on the fence.
Sport coats and collared shirts are on the fence as well.

Granted, I am normally dealing with technical peeps, not bankers, sales, etc…

I seldom “suit up” unless the meeting or conference has a “formal’ dinner.

Great follow-up! Another perspective of speaking with past employees is dealing with disgruntled employees which may be presenting the company in a worse light than is reality.

It is no wonder that getting referrals for jobs is key as both the company and the employer will feel more confident with the decision.

The takeaway, for me, is to never sign a non-compete as it does come back to haunt you. With the avg. tenure of sales professionals being 3-5 years, and companies looking to draw talent from competitors/”like” industries, it can come back to haunt you. Looking back (personally) I see signing this document as a sign that confidence is lacking or a sign of desperation.

The 2nd point would be long and/or interrupted interviews. I spent 3 8-hr. days interviewing with a previous employer, with intermittent discussions with staff, and found that this behaviour was indicative of how the Organization made (or not!) decisions. .

Bringing a book of business with you is commonplace, and is (overall) considered an unspoken requirement. Always keep your contact information close in the event that an unexpected event surfaces that results in a change of employment.

The two common outcomes of speaking with past and/or current employees is that (a) they candy-coat the truth for fear of this “intel” getting back to the employer, or (b) perceived liability in sharing privileged insight into the employer’s operations. In all fairness, take this information (or lack of) with a grain of salt and make the decision that feels right to you. There are no guarantees; all you can do is perform your due diligence and make the right decision for you.

Finally, be careful with “turnover” numbers in the sales space as this profession tends to turnover much more rapidly than other positions in organizations. Territories change, compensation plans are reviewed frequently, market changes, product/service saturation (etc.) are factors that facilitate change.

Again, great piece!

Joni Fisher, CSP
Fisher Search Group

I also have respect for vendors that do not over promise and will communicate when a project (or parts of a project) falls outside of their expertise rather then saying “we can do that!” and struggling to get it done. I think it’s a win/win for client and vendor in the end. Even if the vendor is successful in the end but struggles behind the scenes, chances are they’re going to get awarded similar projects with the same requests and you’re right back to struggling. Start with what you excel at and grow the business relationship & vendor capabilities from there.

It’s so rational that it seems like common sense when you read the “here’s why…” but sometimes we’re so focused on making good impressions that we miss the hints and the gut feelings.

Josh :

What do vegetarian zombies say?

GRRRRRRRRRAAINSSSSSS

Hahaha! I love it.