by: My-Ly Nguyen
“People who are applying for jobs have to be very careful, very selective in what they present in their application or resume,” said Bierbusse, of the work force group in Michigan.
That means researching the company to which you are applying, reading the job description with attention to detail and building your resume around what the bosses want. The same is true for job applications. People need to plan what they are going to include based on the position.
It’s always been the case that every period, comma and word counts. But most employers used to be willing to overlook a few small mistakes.
Today, even the slightest slip can push your resume to the wastebasket.
“Mistakes that are ’show stoppers’ today include misspelled words, lack of proper keywords and inappropriate usage of words within a resume,” said Ryan, of the consulting firm. “I cannot tell you how many ‘project mangers’ I have seen on resumes when the person really is a ‘project manager.’ Spell checkers will never catch that mistake.”
Julie Ruiz, a career and employment specialist at St. Clair County (Mich.) Community College, said people need to approach finding a job as a campaign.
“This is their life and they are the project manager of that campaign to sell themselves,” she said. “They need to put their heart and head into it.
“You have to work a lot harder nowadays to get a job.”
OPM Survey Flags Top Cyber Skills
by: Brittany Ballenstedt
Integrity, computer skills, and technical competence to name a few, according to survey results released Wednesday by the Office of Personnel Management.
The survey results, released Wednesday, identify current and future critical competencies for cybersecurity occupations based on occupation and grade level. Important competencies across all occupations included integrity, computer skills, technical competence, teamwork, attention to detail, interpersonal skills, communications security management, self-management, reading and customer service. Ranking much lower on the list were skills like computer network defense (No. 21), stress tolerance (No. 23), organizational awareness (No. 27) and network security(No. 32).
OPM in September reached out to approximately 50,000 employees and their supervisors to identify which skills are most critical to effective cybersecurity work. The survey results are being used to create a cybersecurity competency model for four key occupations: information technology management, electronics engineering, computer engineering and telecommunications. Chief human capital officers can use the competency model to pinpoint the skills necessary for a cyber professional and establish a plan for successful recruitment, performance and development in federal cyber positions.
“Cybersecurity is essential to protecting the American people,” said OPM Director John Berry. “The Federal government must create a comprehensive model to recruit and retain the corps of highly skilled cybersecurity experts necessary to support our national security.”
The survey is part of the National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education, a government-led initiative supporting President Obama’s cybersecurity, education and innovation goals. OPM is leading the federal workforce track of NICE, and the workforce survey is one of several projects OPM is undertaking to improve cyber awareness, education and training.
Author: Nealsbor Clandon
Put your sales on steroids using these very simple yet effective marketing techniques.
Banners and ads or pop ups that puts your ad right in front of the face of the possible client are time-tested marketing tactics that work. The ad may be a teaser that get users to click right through to get to the main website that presents a complete sales message.
Use coupon codes to build additional sales. These codes are used like traditional coupons from newspapers or magazines, but they are digital. Toshiba and Logitech use these quite effectively with a www.toshiba-code.com or www.logitechcode.com posted to several sites that consumers then use to buy from their websites.
Produce a perception of urgency to fight buyer’s procrastination. Do this with a “countdown” box that tells your visitors precisely how many days are still left before the offer is unavailable or the price raises.
A newsletter is a superb and cost-effective way to stay in touch and build a relationship with potential customers and customers. Create regular online newsletters or blog posts and encourage all visitors to the site to subscribe for the free newsletter. Many email submission programs will enable you to track the stats of deliver, open rate, etc. Use the free offer to generate your list–you want to get a considerable number of subscribers.
Make sure your marketing message is consistent so that people hear the same thing repeatedly. In case your marketing message keeps modifying, possible prospects might either decide that you aren’t sure what you’re selling or they might not fully appreciate that the product or service you are selling is right for them. If your focus is on price, don’t drift into yet another direction and push quality or selection.
Capture the email and mailing address of every customer. If you had been just marketing with direct mail or email, include both methods in the future. This tends to double your effectiveness and reach people that had fallen through the cracks previously.
from: marketscan.co.uk
1/ Shape and size…
Even if you have an irresistible offer supported by great copy, the way your direct mail piece is presented can still make that critical ‘percentage point’ difference between a good response and a GREAT response. Rather than conforming inflexibly to the standard, single colour A4 letter format, try experimenting with original ideas: A3 folded, A5, unusual shapes, striking colours and designs – anything that will stand out and grab attention.
2/ Your envelope…
Don’t fall at the final fence by economising on envelopes. Think of your envelope in the same way that savvy manufacturers think about their packaging. Outward appearances matter. The sales process begins from the split second your prospect looks at and judges – consciously or subconsciously – whether or not they should open your mailing. Whenever possible, use good quality envelopes, overprinted with a compelling message. Done properly, this will make a quantifiable impact on conversion.
3/ Hand written envelopes…
That said, a hand written quality envelope with a stamp is virtually guaranteed to be opened by the recipient. Clearly, this is only practical with relatively low-volume mailings such as cherry-picked local prospects, or previous customers, etc.
4/ Experiment with ‘lumpy mail’
What on earth is in this envelope? Lumpy mail (i.e. placing bulky or irregular shaped inserts inside your envelopes to arouse curiosity) is a sure-fire way of getting your mail noticed and opened. People can’t help themselves – those lumps just cry out to be discovered. CDs, DVDs, pens, key rings, post-It notes, fridge magnets and booklets … all of these and more have proven to be successful lumpy inserts. What could work for your business? Use your imagination!
NB – postage weights are graded in bands, so make sure that you tailor your direct mail pieces to take advantage of the upper weight limit in your band.
5/ Incentives work…
Incentives to respond are proven to have a measurable effect on conversion. It doesn’t have to be anything complicated: a straightforward 25% discount for the first 50 customers or ‘throughout the month of August’, for example, can significantly improve response rates.
6/ End your offer with a hard-hitting call to action…
You would think it was obvious, and yet so many direct mailings fall down on this last critical element. Very often the copywriter has been so immersed in selling the product that that they quite literally forget to end with a relevant call to action. But the fact is we all respond – if only unconsciously – to being told firmly and unambiguously what to do. If you fail to tell your prospects what you want them to do, you can be fairly sure that they are not about to do it spontaneously!
7/ And finally, follow-up on the phone…
A follow-up telephone call can increase conversion rates by more than 100%. In fact, in many cases, B2B prospects will perceive a polite, non-pushy phone call as an added benefit, as it makes it easier for them to quiz you further about your product or, depending on what you are selling, arrange a meeting or place an order. Whenever it is possible and relevant, always follow up your direct mail campaigns with a call. It is one of the best and easiest ways of maximising ROI.
by: Brian Warren
In today’s competitive market scenario, lead generation is key to generating quality business- to – business sales-ready leads. All companies employ different lead generation techniques to increase conversion rates and boost profit margins. However, only a few succeed in closing deals. Why is this? Most companies blame lack of funds for not being able to put on a good show. They consider it the greatest impediment to the successful attainment of their target margin. But, in fact, it is the shortcomings in their lead generation strategy and not shortage of funds that contributes to bad sales figures.
Most companies lack focus when it comes to strategically planning their lead generation approach. They are so caught up in the perceived problem of not being able to spend enough money on advertising that they fail to explore alternative means of boosting sales. Actually, an effective lead generation strategy has nothing to do with budget as its success depends more on planning and implementation. Spending money on advertisements and brand building does not guarantee any results if the lead generation techniques employed are not up to the mark. Effective lead generation techniques implemented even on a minimal budget can assure high quality leads.
Though companies are aware of the fact that lead generation is critical to leverage their businesses, they are not sure about the ways to make it most effective. They employ two or three techniques to generate leads, and that is all. They continue with the same marketing automation strategy without making any effort to evaluate whether it is serving the purpose or not, thus failing to achieve positive results.
Today companies have a myriad of choices to generate and Lead nurturing programs. The catch is that they need to implement the most effective techniques that suit their businesses to get more sales. Imitating the lead generation techniques employed by other companies would not yield any results as the success of any technique depends on the company’s objectives, target audience, expected profit margin and so on. What is the most effective lead generation strategy? Here are some pointers on the most effective lead generation strategies that work the best for all businesses.
- There are different lead generation techniques that, if implemented properly, can produce positive results. Hence, the first step is to identify the various techniques.
- Every technique has its own pros and cons. Since it is not possible for any company to evaluate success ratios, the only course of action is to employ as many techniques as possible and then monitor their results.
- Companies need to evaluate the success of each technique employed by them and then measure their results. This helps to identify a mix of six or seven techniques that yield benefits.to evaluate the success of each technique employed by them and then measure their results. This helps to identify a mix of six or seven techniques that yield benefits.
However, the process does not end here. Companies need to constantly evaluate the techniques and, if necessary, try new ones as well. This can be done with the help of good lead generation software. However, the greatest benefit of implementing such a strategy is that it helps companies with effective lead generation and lead nurturing.