6 Steps to Social Selling on LinkedIn

6 Steps to Social Selling on LinkedIn How do you get going with your social selling  activities on LinkedIn? Whether youre doing business development for a staffing agency, selling yourself to your next employer  or looking for sponsors  for an  event theres no denying LinkedIn is the place to start. Our friends at LinkedIn Sales Solutions (the good people that bring you the Sales Navigator) have devised a 6-step action plan to social selling success: 1. Set up your foundation Your LinkedIn profile is not your resume, its your personal brand. Use it to demonstrate the value you bring to your clients. 49% of buyers research vendors through their LinkedIn profile and 50% of clients will avoid producers with incomplete. Get more LinkedIn profile tips at  How to Optimise Your LinkedIn Profile for Social Selling. 2. Build your network Three-fourths of B2B buyers now use social media to research purchasing decisions, with twice as many using LinkedIn as any other social network. 92% of B2B buyers will engage with sellers who are known industry thought leaders. 65% of buyers said the winning vendors content had an impact on their purchasing decision. 3. Find the right people Use the advanced people search tool on LinkedIn to find professionals within your target market. Newly hired decision makers are up to 10 times more likely to make a purchase than established ones. Sales reps focused on new business who exceed targets make 148% more connection requests each month than other sales reps. 4. Engage prospects with insights 64% of B2B buyers report that they appreciate hearing from a sales person who provides knowledge or insight about their business. Sellers who reach out to prospects with relevant insights about heir business are nearly five times more likely to get a response than sellers who reach out cold. 5. Build strong relationships Sales reps who exceed their targets engage on LinkedIn with their prospects 39% more than other sales professionals. Its up to you to grab the attention of a prospect and start a relationship; ask yourself what kind of content they would share and even publish? 6. Measure and optimise Top sellers on LinkedIn can increase their sales opportunities by up to 45% and are more likely to hit their quotas than other sales professionals. RELATED: How to Master Social Selling with Tim Hughes of Oracle UK

On the Job by Anita Bruzzese How to Get Your Big Idea Into the Marketplace

On the Job by Anita Bruzzese How to Get Your Big Idea Into the Marketplace Scott Anthony refers to it as the first mile that place where innovation moves from an idea on paper to the market. It is often a treacherous first mile, full of obstacles of your own making and roadblocks thrown up by others. If you cant make it through that first mile, says the international strategic adviser, then you may find that your great idea goes nowhere. In a new book, appropriately called The First Mile, Anthony, managing partner of Innosight, provides ablueprintfor how anyone can ensure that they dont let themselves or others sabotage their innovation. What often happens is that people confuse a concept with a business or an idea, he says. They come up with something fun or interesting, but it gets screened out because it wont drive value. For example, you may believe that youve got areally cool idea, but if it doesnt drive a customer need consistently and reliably, then it wont be profitable and will fail, he says. You have togo beyond the what to the why, he says. Why should a customer or boss care? Youve always got to understand what it is youre selling. While this certainly makes sense, Anthony says it can often be difficult for the person infused withenthusiasm for an ideato see why the idea may not be just as appealing to others. Once we wrap our mind around our idea, then we reject what we dont believe, he says. Thats why the first mile is so important. You recognize that any idea is partially right and partially wrong, and the quicker you figure out the weak points, the quicker you can fix them. Among his suggestions is first doing the documentation simplywriting down what you plan to do. He says that its often this most simple step that many innovators miss. Once youve documented it, then its time to: Evaluate: This part of the process looks at the customer, the key stakeholders, the economics involved, how it will be commercialized, the team and the financing. What exactly are you trying to accomplish? He suggests one way to evaluate an idea is torole play. For example, lets say youve come up with an idea for a device that will fly you to the grocery store. That means you need to play the role of the retailer who will sell it, the customer who will buy it (and the customers spouse) and even (read more here) - See more at: http://quickbase.intuit.com/blog/2014/07/28/how-to-get-your-big-idea-into-the-marketplace/#sthash.cjybxNye.dpuf

The Graduate Fair in June Are there opportunities for international students University of Manchester Careers Blog

The Graduate Fair in June Are there opportunities for international students University of Manchester Careers Blog The Graduate Fairs will be taking place  on 12th 13th June at The Armitage Centre  in Fallowfield, Manchester. They are a popular event for international students to attend each year, but what are the chances of finding a job offer there? With over 70 organisations attending on each of the two days the fair is an attractive location to find out about graduate jobs across Manchester and the UK. There are also some international organisations attending such as Decathlon China which is great for Chinese students and Mandarin speakers on the Thursday 13th. However, not all firms at the fair will be able to hire international students for their positions. This blog post explores how to manage your visit, if you are heading to the fair and prepare effectively: Who  will be  hiring international students? It is difficult to predict which firms will be sponsoring international students specifically, but there are a few guidelines  which may  help you to manage  your fair experience. 1) Typically, only firms who are  on the UKs  Sponsor Register are   currently in  a position to sponsor graduates.  Firms can apply to join the register, and some firms did attempt this last year, following the fair, but it can take time and money to do this. For many firms, that do not struggle to fill vacancies, there is not the incentive to do this. However, if you have a strong CV and a professional approach,  some firms may spot the opportunity. http://www.careers.manchester.ac.uk/students/events/graduaterecruitmentfair/internationalstudents/ 2) For those firms who are on the Register, and can sponsor, the next consideration is the salary for the position. There are minimum salaries in place for different career areas for employers looking to sponsor. The absolute minimum is £20,300 per year, but different career areas  will have a higher minimum than this. You can find the list of minimum salaries under the Codes of Practice on the Border Agency website, but this UKCISA listing give you a quick idea  too. www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/business-sponsors/points/sponsoringmigrants/employingmigrants/codesofpractice/ www.ukcisa.org.uk/student/working_after.php#april 3) So if the firm is on the register and the salary is high enough, will that be okay? The good news is that it could be! The bad news, though, is that it may not be. Some recruiters are not up to speed with the latest visa regulations for recent graduates and may not be aware of some recent changes. It can be helpful if you follow the latest legislation yourself as you may find it appropriate to help  a recruiter with the latest regulations. For example, some changes that recruiters may not be aware of are that:  if you apply for Tier 2 sponsorship before your Tier 4 visa expires, then there is no longer a labour market test required.  sponsoring a recent graduate who is moving from a valid Tier 4 visa to a Tier 2 visa means that these  posts do not fall into the monthly quotas for the UK,  so certificates are not restricted for Tier 2 visa sponsorship. You can track the latest changes and the most up to date information  through links on the following website: www.manchester.ac.uk/careers/international       (Dont rely on us, we are not immigration experts in Careers, just trying to help you find your way through the regulations!) What about the other firms? As mentioned above, firms not on the sponsor register may still be an option for you, but it will come down to whether they are impressed with you as an individual, rather than their policy on hiring international graduates.   Many firms at the fair are smaller organisations, who may not have a history of hiring international talent. If you show a real interest in their firm, what they do,  demonstrate your own passion for the role and ensure you come across well who knows. If your first question is do you hire international students?  , how much do you pay? or you find yourself shouting but you have to hire me, just get on the Sponsor Register! probably not!   Professionalism is crucial its the one quality they can definitely observe when at the fair. If the minimum salary is not high enough there is not much they can do. There may be opportunities to do something short term whilst your Tier 4 visa is still valid, if you are looking to get some expeirence in the UK. Perhaps think about the unique skills that you could offer that organisation (language skills/expertise) and communicate that. How do I prepare effectively? There are some useful documents/sites that you should read in advance of the fair. The most essential is the Exhibitors Day 1   and Exhibitors Day 2 links  for each of the days of the fair. This will tell you about each of the organisations attending and their vacancies with a link to their website. This can be an excellent way to ensure that you come across informed and motivated by specific companies. http://www.careers.manchester.ac.uk/students/events/graduaterecruitmentfair/ One complaint that I have heard many times from exhibitors at fairs is that students do not have an idea of their own career strengths and motivations. If you hear yourself saying I am a finance students at MBS, what have you got for me?  or I am studying  business information systems,  what do you think I could do? then you may as well spend your time having a cup of tea at the kiosk. Employers want to hear something more  akin to:  I am a finance student at the Business School and I am keen to explore opportunities in xxxxxx, I was really interested to read about your xxxx programme on your website, could you please tell me a little more about it? Tips on the day for international students We have also put together a handy summary sheet for international students who are attending the fair. It provides a summary of firms who are not on the Sponsor Register (they will be less likely to be able to sponsor visas) and also a summary of key visa legislation and sources of information. www.careers.manchester.ac.uk/students/events/graduaterecruitmentfair/internationalstudents/   If you are not up to date on regulations, this will help you.   The attached sheet was produced in good faith, but please check out firms on the Border Agency website yourself, or ask the firms directly to ensure you have the most up to date information.     Getting help On the day there is an immigration solicitor available at the fair to offer free one to one short sessions, on the first floor. There are so many different aspects to immigration (Ancestry/ EEA rights) that it can be useful to explore your own situation. The International Advice Team in the Student Service Centre may also be a source of help. There is no doubt that for some career areas, where firms are typically not on the register, or do not pay minimum salaries, and if you have very little experience on your CV, then it can be disappointing.  TIer 2 sponsorship may  provide many options.  Considering shorter term UK experiences or applying for graduate positions at home alongside trying the UK graduate schemes is encouraged to provide a back up plan. Our pages on International job hunting, international visas and our country pages are all useful sources on the Careers Service website. www.careers.manchester.ac.uk/students/international/internationaljobs/   Our international networks can also provide you a way to connect back into international job markets or explore new ones. Find them at: www.careers.manchester.ac.uk/students/international/whatsonoffer/ All International Careers fair international students

Big Challenges for Small Business Owners - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Big Challenges for Small Business Owners - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Small business owners wear many hats and make many decisions each day. Most of these decisions are small and they  have minor impacts. Some, however, are common to most small businesses and can have major impacts. Thats what this post is all about. The first big challenge facing most small business owners is finances. As the CEO of a start-up frequently said to me, Cash is king. Businesses exist to make money and most small business owners run their finances without adequate planning or oversight. They monitor bank balances, accounts receivables, and expenses, but most dont have a basic financial forecasting and reporting/monitoring structure in place. Many dont have the luxury of a line of credit or other source of funding to help them remain solvent when inevitable financial speed bumps occur. If your business needs some help in the financial area, here is a short best practices checklist to consider: O   Get help to create a basic financial reporting structure, such as within QuickBooks or your chose accounting software O   Document financial reporting guidelines to assure timely reporting and item entries that  you, your  employees, 1099s, etc. will follow O   Create a forecast of all important financial data, such as revenues, accounts receivable, and key expense types O   Commit to  a regular schedule to review the reports, comparing your results to forecasts and previous time periods O   Investigate short-term financial options such as a line of credit, credit card, silent investors, or other personal funds The second big challenge facing most small business owners is people.  Every person is critical to the operation. One poor performer can have major negative impacts. A sudden resignation by a key  contributor can slow production of goods or services. Finding new  talent for growth or to backfill openings can drag out for months because the owner is distracted by other activities or simply doesnt have the skill to find good talent. Motivating the current  team members can be overlooked or not be an innate talent of the owner. If your business needs some help in the people area, here are a few ideas to consider: O   Block off a few hours to consider carefully the  performance of  each member of your current team O    Determine  those  who are critical to your success and what you can do to motivate and retain them, then  do so O   Determine those who are not performing successfully and what action you will take to address this, then do so The third big challenge facing most small business owners is time. Few seem to have enough of it, even if they are working 60 hours a week or more. After working long hours for years, they begin to feel they have become a slave to their business that it is running them rather than they running it. If you are working more hours than you want and not feeling like it is getting any better, then consider these suggestions: O   Jot down the action items you are doing for a day or two, then review them with an eye toward those that could be eliminated O   Take a good long look in the mirror and ask yourself Am I failing to delegate  work that others could be doing?, then delegate appropriately O   If not in place, establish more organizational  structure in  your daily activities, such as a daily to do list and time scheduling for key activities on your calendar O   Make a commitment to yourself to reasonable work hours and hold yourself to them, which will cause you to avoid low-value work If you are a business owner who doesnt have any  of these big challenges, its possible you are not paying attention to  one or more of them. Think again.  Dont miss this opportunity to improve your business and your work/life balance!

Digital Recruiting 8 Important Tips to Interviewing Online - CareerMetis.com

Digital Recruiting 8 Important Tips to Interviewing Online Source â€" businessnewsdaily.comThe age of the internet is definitely taking a toll on how everything is done at workplaces. From video interviews, automated communication processes, research to presentations, there is so much you can look forward to even this year.As a matter of fact, the wheels of innovation are fast grinding towards the next big thing in online recruitment in a bid to match the ever-changing hiring trends!The interwebs have made it possible to work from anywhere in the world and so is a possibility to hire professional writerfor a company’s web content creation job.evalRecruitment managers no longer wait for days on end to physically meet and choose the right candidates. Everything has been revolutionized by more effective digital platforms and instantaneous communication channels.The transition and revolution in recruitment: Online Perhaps it would be appropriate to tag along Live Chat computer and computer Applications as having hugely inspired digital recruit ing.Some of these are embedded on company websites while others are downloaded and installed on Smartphones or computers before a recruiting process can be connected live on both ends.Tips for employers And with as much as involved in one-on-one job selection processes having been brought intotechnology-driven recruitment; chances are that companies that fail to get the best employees on board usually fail to make the best out of video interviewing applications or are perhaps employing outdated methods.Other times, lack of proper knowledge of the basics as well as advanced hiring techniques workable to present hiring processes is to blame.Here are tips that will give you; the new age employer, a competitive advantage in hiring.1. Project the Right Image This should take place right from the time a job opening is posted on digital platforms such as social media. There is a host of reasons why it is important.evalFirst, millennials are becoming more and more concerned about compani es they want to work for, at least to fit well alongside their social beings and personalities.Thus, when posting job listings, they should be tailored to the brand identity of a company while taking into account expectations of job seekers.During the interview, it is equally imperative that a recruiting agency or manager factors in the communication styles and interests of recruits with regard to age, values, and views. All these determine the success of online talent placements.2. Visuals and infographics This is a strategy that works pretty well if properly implemented. It is largely a multifaceted way of presenting a company’s image in a way that job seeker would find it hugely interesting to apply to an opening.The catch here is that showing everything that takes place behind the scenes brings the image of a company to life and given that it’s packed as multimedia information through videos, company catalogs, and infographics; all in digital format, it will always make avid eo recruitmentprocess hugely successful.3. Post jobs on relevant of digital platforms Modernity has it that at some point in time, employers have to share information via digital platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Snapchat.Depending on the caliber of employees you are looking for, posting properly tailored job listing in any of these platforms depends on whether you are looking for a highly professional person or a millennial that harbors savvy skills ideal for your company’s needs.4. Big Data analytics This is particularly applicable to situations where companies seek to solely be in control of the whole recruitment process based on certain data. It’s almost similar to Google’s data analytics when deciding which ads fit certain interests, needs, and profiles.With the help ofbig data tools, a good number of recruitment agencies have embraced this approach of analyzing profiles and behaviors of prospective employees based on data that is available on di gital platforms.evalAt the end of the day, it’s always about hiring people whose personalities are relevant to certain jobs.5. Understand Next Generation recruitment software This cuts across a range of cutting-edge software developments which largely enhance the success of digital recruiting on the web. It’s thus important to look into which Video App/software is most suitable.Skype, Montage, InterviewStream, Jobvite, and Zoom are a few great examples of very successful online video recruitment software. However, it is important to go down into specifics and evaluate the pros and cons before making a decision on which perfectly fits your hiring needs.6. Ask the right questions Digital hiring brings along distractions which are likely to interfere with the focus on the main task at hand. Every question should be drafted down so that once the interview kicks off, everything is under control.7. The technical aspects Face to face interviews has long been known to create personal ra pport and appeal among interviewers and interviewers. The question is; how can this be realized in online interviews. Well, it actually depends on how the job seeker and a prospective employer approach and interact on digital platforms.evalNote that as is the case with live chats usually aimed at generating more conversion by the PR (sales and marketing) team, online recruitment, which largely employs the use of a video link, is equally technology-driven.Skills needed thus cut across both ends (The prospective employee and employer) to includedata aspects of hiring.Employers should, therefore, keep up-to-date which trends that take place in the digital world in terms of needs and innovations. There are actually lots of modern hiring tools and programs to help with this.8. It should be conversational and secureInteractivity is what every digital platform aims at achieving and one way to go about it is by factoring the conversational aspect of digital communication.Therecruitment soft wareshould be built to allow employers initiate a conversational virtual atmosphere. Further, it should be secured from possible data leaks.In conclusion, digital recruitment goes beyond embracing change. It has much more to do with technology-driven process that bring on board effectiveness and efficiency into hiring processes so that the right fit is found at the end of the day. It equally involves filtering out those who are savvy about these changes and those who aren’t.

Summary Sunday Empower Yourself

Summary Sunday Empower Yourself This weekly collection of posts centers around how you can empower yourself. No matter what career and/or life stage you are in, it is up to you to take control. Youll find advice on networking, interviewing, as well as some new ideas to help boost your skills and knowledge. Its too easy to complain about how your manager/company is holding you back, employers are rejecting you, or that somehow, life has treated you unfairly. Yes, we probably all feel defeated and held back at times, but dont get stuck there. Move forward.  Job Search 4 Ways to be Different On Your Job Search | JobMob These are some creative ideas that can help you stand out. Using Social Media to Attract Potential Employers | CareerCloud Yes, you read that right. YOU can lure employers if you are using the right type of bait. Networking 18 Easy Conversation Starters For Networking Events by Ariella Coombs | CAREEREALISM Never stumble again to make small talk. Interviewing Six Reasons You’ve Failed the Interview Before It’s Even Over | Undercover Recruiter No one is naturally fabulous at interviewing. These are six things you can do to improve your interviewing savvy. New Job and Your Career 10 Terrible Things You Must Not Do On Your First Week At A New Job by William Arruda | Forbes Please dont make these mistakes when starting your new job! 20 Signs Youre Emotionally Intelligent | HubSpot Are you self-aware? Can you manage your emotions in any situation? Here are 20 signs you need to up your EQ. Interesting 20 Cognitive Biases That Effect Your Decisions | Business Insider Research suggests that there are a number of cognitive stumbling blocks that affect your  behavior, and they  can prevent you  from acting  in your  own best interests. https://www.pinterest.com/pin/176062666666146294/

How to Write a Professional Summary Resume

How to Write a Professional Summary ResumeThis article presents a two-part series of tips on how to write a professional summary resume. What happens in these sections is actually the first step to writing an effective resume. By writing out your entire resume in this section, it will make you appear professional and organized, which are both extremely important qualities.The first tip for writing a professional summary resume is to avoid some very common mistakes. These mistakes are very easy to avoid, so I'm not going to repeat them. If you have made any of these mistakes, it would be best if you make a note of them and either go back and revise your resume, or find someone else to proofread it for you.This is the most common mistake, and one that a lot of people make. They simply use the first or second paragraph to provide information about themselves. For example, you may be applying for a job as a preschool teacher. So in your first paragraph, you would say something like: 'Aft er working as a preschool teacher, I decided to go on to pursue my career in education. In my spare time, I'm a great cook, great sports fan, and a good friend to all of my family and friends.'That's all well and good, but it doesn't help your professional summary resume that much because it doesn't provide any real information about you. After all, you've spent the whole resume talking about your accomplishments, but you never mentioned the things that made you unique.The second tip for writing a professional summary resume is to use as little of the first paragraph as possible. The reason why this is so important is because your employer is going to want to know more about you after your first paragraph, and it's only at this point that they'll get a feel for who you are as a person.In your second paragraph, you want to describe your experiences, accomplishments, skills, and so on. As you write these paragraphs, you should think about how much you actually want to get the job, and the reason that you're applying for it. This will make your resume appear professional and organized and will help you get the interview.There are two main points that you need to cover in your summary resume. Your first paragraph should include all of the major accomplishments and achievements that you have, while your second paragraph should simply provide some details about you. You can always use your first paragraph to briefly list your accomplishments, or use your second paragraph to go into detail about the specific position that you're applying for.This is how to write a professional summary resume. Just make sure that you do your best to make sure that you provide as much information as possible. And also make sure that you proofread it and make sure that it looks professional and organized.