Marketing is King!

Is it possible to get three job offers in just three hours? Absolutely! You just need to know how to market.

Marketing is broad and multi-dimensional and can be applied to improve all areas of your life, not just to sell products. This is why I wrote the book Marketing is King! It can show you the power and impact of focused marketing.

It all starts by being proactive

The mind is an amazing thing. Use it well, and it can change your life; Abuse it, and it can destroy you. I am a great believer in “mind food,” inspirational and motivational material. This keeps me focused on what is possible and keeps me in proactive mindset.

I went to a career fair one recent morning, all part of the promotion for my book and Marketing for Life! workshops. A lot of “hungry fish” attend such career fairs – in this case, my potential customers: people who are looking for a job!

Remember, the starting point for any marketing professional is to be proactive, wanting to go out and make things happen versus waiting for them to happen. The next characteristic of a true marketing professional is that he or she will many times do things in reverse to what others do.

So not only did I hand out flyers to people attending the show, but I also approached each employer at the show. I told the employers I was at the fair for a different reason – not to look for a job, but to tell them if they had to terminate employees, to consider sending them to me. I do one-day Marketing for Life! training, where I teach people how to use marketing to get a job. After all, job hunting is really no more than marketing.

I showed them a copy of my book, and they were very impressed. Most of them called me a natural sales person – an important lesson here. I did not fear to approach total strangers, to tell them about something I passionately believe in. Three people gave me immediate job offers to join their respective sales teams. They told me that top sales people in their organizations earn $250,000 per year.

The secret to marketing is value

In my book, I talk extensively about value, and how the world pays for value. This value is perceived value: Value that is important to others. Why did these people want to give me offers?

I had something they found of value to them. I showed all the characteristics that all top sales people show:

Courage

Tenacity

Total belief in the product/service/idea

Drive

No fear of rejection

Although I was selling my book and workshops, they knew I had the characteristics that could be applied to any product line. I talk extensively about the 19 characteristics of world class sales people in my book. I highly recommend you read them. I also show how sales is a transferable skill – It doesn’t matter what the product is!

It’s never about me in marketing, it’s always about you!

Marketing is all about others, not about you. People will be interested in you if you have what they want. Most of the companies’ representatives at the career fair told me they were very disappointed with many of the people at the event, because most of them had only one goal – “to get a paycheck.” But a company does not hire you to give you a paycheck; they hire you because they need a problem to be solved! I talk extensively about this concept in the job hunting chapter of my book. (Please refer to pages 205-208).

The reason I got three offers is that I talked to the representatives about their products, services, ideas. I showed a real interest. I asked a lot of intelligent questions. I made suggestions. I was not looking for a “hand out” or begging for a job. I showed them value. This is the secret: show people the value you can add. That gets them involved and gets them excited!

Once people can see how you can help make life easier for them, you will never have to worry about getting a job. They will come looking for you.

So what is the lesson?

I know it’s hard to keep a smiling face and a positive attitude when looking for a job. I understand the financial pressures. But those pressures are your pressures. You have to act. Remember, actors, singers and dancers do not take their personal problems on stage, and neither should you.

During an interview, you are being studied for at least two factors: Do you fit the need, and will your personality fit with the corporate culture, organization and customers?

The greatest rewards in life come through having the right attitude, and being proactive. People want to hear what you have to say if it is of value to them. Make value propositions!