Turning leads into referral partners
When I worked in college admissions, the underlying goal of all of our efforts was to push prospective students down the applicant funnel to become enrolled students. Then, as I moved into my own business, I applied the same principles, which are of course universal. Big companies recognize a sales (or marketing) funnel and have the same goal I had at colleges – to push people to the bottom. A huge part of that happens through a company’s communications strategies. We want everyone who inquires about our businesses to become repeat clients and share with us referrals, right? Unfortunately, though, while big, multimillion-dollar conglomerates keep in touch with their cu

What do you want to be when you grow up?
Recently I had to turn away a would-be client who didn’t know what she wants to be when she grows up. I find this is a particular challenge in today’s economy – no matter if the person is 25 or 55. Where will you make money? What job will still be there in a few years? In a down economy, many people start to question their chosen career path. Is it time for you to start thinking about what you’re going to do when you grow up? Talk to people who are doing something you admire Does one of your friends or colleagues do something that you think sounds really cool? How about sitting down with that person over a cup of coffee and asking him

Improve client relations through steady communications
Whether your clients generate one-time transactions or are more consistent, you want to remain top of mind as the expert in your industry – and you do that by staying in touch with them. Obviously this is easier if they’re receiving monthly invoices and weekly e-mails or phone calls, but what about those clients who only need a short-term solution? Are you keeping in touch with them to answer future questions or ask for referrals? Many of my clients only work with me for a month or so while I create a résumé and cover letter package. Even if I’m writing or editing material for them, it may turn out to only be for a couple of months. But what if their situation

How does your résumé compete today?
I’ve been writing résumés since 1996, and at that point they were little more than prettified job applications with little or no focus on differentiating the client. They were a series of lists saying what you did at each job. And they all started with objectives. In essence, they were about applicants. Today, résumés are no longer past-oriented; they are very much targeted to the reader and future-oriented. Far from the days of lists, the best résumés today highlight your value proposition and accomplishments you’ve had across your career to paint a picture to the reader and let them know how you can make their business better. The driving factor behind résumé

How are you using your resume in your job search?
As much as I would love to believe that a well-written résumé is all you need to secure your dream job, I know that it takes a strategic marketing effort to get your name out there and create that next opportunity. When you’re looking for a job, that effort becomes your small business that you are running – but it doesn’t have to be as a sole entrepreneur! There are many online resources for ramping up a great job search: LinkedIn, TheLadders.com, HireFlyer, and many others. When you find a position or company that’s of interest to you, put out feelers on LinkedIn and ask your friends. It’s amazing how many people we all know – and we forget t