2009 is Here!

2008 was, shall we say, an interesting year for most people.

May you and yours enjoy peace, abundance, laughter, family, prosperity, and long life in 2009 and beyond!

To You and Yours....

Christmas, Hannukah, Kwanzaa, Ramadan, or whatever holiday you celebrate....they're all about peace, love, and giving. May you and yours enjoy the spirit of them all!

Enough About Me, Let's Talk About Me!

Marketing is not about you! Neither is job hunting!

Job hunting? You're in good company. Professionals and executives from all walks of life, all industries, all careers, are either on the street now seeking new positions, or are anticipating the day when they will be. You've got a lot of stiff competition out there. So, you better get moving fast, and learn how to stand out!

Financial executives, specifically, find themselves in this position, with many companies changing, merging, being acquired, closing, or just cutting back. Educated in areas of finance, operations, and strategy, the personality of the typical financial executive is one of more introspection than that of an extrovert. Most enjoy the solitude, regularity, and consistency of their chosen careers. The minority of financial executives exude extremely outgoing, Type A, personality traits. As such, many in this group of highly skilled and successful executives that keep America's corporations on the straight and narrow, often find it challenging to package, promote, and marketing themselves when in search of new career opportunities. This, despite their intellectual understanding of the steps needed to achieve their objectives.

Let's face it, if everyone in the world had the same outgoing, externally driven personality, the business world would be full of nothing but, politicians and salespeople....I don't need to tell you what a messed-up world that would make!

I can't tell you how many times I've heard executives, financial and otherwise, rescite their lengthy, self-impressing, and seemingly boring resumes that don't communicate value to the listener. They lull people to sleep and end up missing real opportunities...all because of bad marketing! They drone on and on, and are often unaware of how badly they may've missed the mark. They seem to say "Enough About Me! Let's Talk Some More About Me!" While the employer is thinking "Yeah, Enough About You Already, Let's Talk About Me, My Company, and What You Will Do For Us!"

Look! When you're seeking that dream job, here's one VERY simple lesson: IT'S NOT ABOUT YOU! That's right! So, stop talking about yourself. Who really cares about where you went to school, where you've worked, what titles you've held, and what you do? No one! So, get over yourself!

What prospective employers truly care about, especially at your very senior level, is the service you will provide, what you will achieve FOR THEM! It's not any more complex than that.

Think about it this way: When you go to a restaurant, you expect to receive something of value...a good meal, a good experience, entertainment, or perhaps some combination....for which you are willing to pay a price. "What do I want, and what will I receive for the money I'll spend?" is likely the question you ask yourself before you select a particular restaurant. Why would you think employers focus any differently? You've hired executives before. In those instances, didn't you really care more about what they would do for you, your staff, and the company, than what they did in the past? Hey, 2,000 years ago, Greece led the world in culture, mathematics, philosophy, and more. But, that was 2,000 years ago, and the country of my ancestors isn't expected to take on that role again any time soon! So, why dwell on the past, unless you're selling package tours to the Acropolis!

Well then, when you're seeking to impress an employer, stop talking about the past and focus 98% of your energies on communicating what you will achieve for them and how you'll do it, the success you'll help them build, the new ideas you'll bring, the innovative initiatives you'll lead, and the goals you'll help them realize. That's what they really care about. Frankly, it's the only real reason you're there, and the best reason for them to hire you!

So, Mr. Employer, enough about me, let's talk about YOU, and how I'll help your company achieve its objectives!

Good luck!

The Cone of Silence, Chaos (KAOS), and the Smartest Person in the Room - Part One

In the 1960's television series, "Get Smart", a play on words in and of itself, Agent Maxwell Smart considered himself to be cunning, knowledgeable, and very….Smart. In fact, he was a bumbling, funny, idiot, who despite his obvious shortcomings, always captured the agent from the evil enemy organization, known as KAOS. Despite his strong beliefs to the contrary, Agent Smart was not the smartest person in the room. Inevitably, he was assisted, and often unknowingly lead, by his partner, Agent 99…a person with a whole lot more smarts than Agent Smart.

When you attend meetings with colleagues, prospects, or clients, do you feel like you're the smartest person in the room? Do others think you are? Do you think someone else is the smartest person in the room? If you think that you are the smartest person in the room, then you may be overlooking a real opportunity!

Some people have told me that I'm pretty bright. While such compliments feel really great, they're also dangerous, because if I'm not careful, I could start to believe that they're true. And, that could spell the beginning of chaos and lost opportunities!

How about you? Have others told you how smart you are? Yeah, yeah, yeah, you're no slouch but, the world is full of very intelligent people…those who know a lot more than you and me…people who have received more and better training, have achieved higher levels of learning, have more degrees and more pertinent experience, people with greater skills, those who understand what you and I don't, and those with deeper expertise than you or me.

So, are you truly the smartest person in the room? Watch for my next upload.