Posted By Amanda Collins on March 21, 2009

As a business owner, it’s imperative to market your business. Networking is a low-cost or free way to meet movers and shakers and get the word out about your business. Naturally, there are many ways to go about networking – some good, some not so good – but the most important thing to know is what you do and the value you offer potential clients.

Networking events are full of business owners and decision makers, many of whom have overlapping businesses. So how do you differentiate yourself so people remember you at the end of the event? The key lies in sharing with others who you are for them. If you’re a financial advisor, Realtor, or mortgage professional, it’s likely there will be a few other folks in the room who do the same thing – and are looking for the same clients. As you’re meeting people and say what you do, many will stop listening when they hear the same thing they’ve heard three other times already in the past 20 minutes. So, instead of saying what you do, share how you can help others.

No matter what your profession, there is a way to differentiate yourself at a networking event. To think of your best approach, consider some of the following points:

•    Who is your target audience?
•    What value do you provide?
•    What excites you about what you do?
•    Can you tie something in to the name of your company or your name?

No matter what you do, remember to share who you are (in their eyes) and how you can help others. That will truly differentiate you and your company among your competition.

Category: marketing | No Comments »
Tags: business identity, business owner, networking, target audience

Posted By Amanda Collins on March 13, 2009

I was recently invited to be on a local Phoenix morning show to discuss the top three things your resume should have to be successful. The appearance hasn’t yet occurred, but I thought I would offer a heads-up to you, my loyal readers, to make sure your resume is meeting the mark. In addition, I have some ideas to really set your resume apart from the competition.

1. Title.
When I started writing resumes in 1996, at the suggestion of a college professor, we used objectives at the top of the resume. I bucked the trend a little bit by being more succinct, but most people would write something like:

Objective: To acquire a position in which I am able to contribute to the team environment while achieving personal satisfaction.

Huh? What does that mean exactly?

If you’re still using something like this, stop! It’s very unclear what you want. More importantly, this objective is all about you – and a resume is really about the employer and what you offer them. Make sure your title is to the point and tells the reader who you are for them.

For added oomph, add a branding tag after your title to really drive your point home.

2. Summary
A resume is a marketing document designed to get you an interview. As such, employers don’t “read” resumes, they scan them. You have roughly a minute to make an impression. That starts with the design of your resume, but then it goes to the content. If you go right into your work experience, how are you differentiating yourself?

Your summary is just what it says: a summation of you. It should answer these questions: “Why should an employer hire you? What do you bring to the table? Why are you better than the other candidates?” This isn’t where you say you’re a nice person who shows up to work on time. Say how you consistently spark creativity and ideas from your team, how you deliver results in sales efforts, how you have developed relationships around the globe, etc. This is the most important real estate on your resume and should pack some punch.

For added oomph, put in a core competency section with strong keywords that show your skills.

3. Accomplishments
So many resumes I see are task-based, meaning they say the person did things. While that’s certainly a component of a resume, it’s not at all the most important component. Here’s an example I like to share with clients:

You’re interviewing for a custodian and – for the sake of argument – you ask for resumes. One custodian says on his resume that he cleaned toilets, mopped floors, etc. The other custodian said that he did those things but he also received an award for the cleanest toilets in the building and reduced water flow 25% by suggesting upgrading to low-water use toilets. Which person are you more interested in meeting?

In your accomplishments, think about ways you made a difference for your past employers, preferably with quantitative results. This is the area where an employer is likely to say, “Hey, WE have that same problem, and look at how she solved it at ABC Company! I need to call her.”

Writing a resume is kind of like selling a house; when you’re selling, you want to allow prospective buyers to envision themselves in your house. On your resume, you need to allow prospective employers to envision you in their company. Make it easy for them.

Category: resumes | No Comments »
Tags: accomplishments on resume, key components in resumes, resume summary

Posted By Amanda Collins on March 5, 2009

As a writer of materials for others, it's sometimes challenging to get my carcass in gear and actually start writing things for myself. Granted, I have my PDA (that's right, PDA; I'll get an iPhone or Blackberry eventually) set to remind me to blog twice weekly and send out my newsletter every three weeks. Of course, I can just click the "okay" button and this gentle reminder fades into the background. Worse yet, I can delete the offensive reminder altogether.

But how far does that get me?

I recently met with Patricia Brooks, a book shepherd who assists writers get their books out to the waiting public. What she doesn't do, however, is actually help one write. Of course, once I do get my helpful hints into the computer and out of my head, Patricia will be waiting to assist me in creating an appealing presentation and then put the book into the hands of job seekers (and others).

So what is this magic formula for making a book flow? I recently reviewed an amazing book for a client. Written in the style of Dante's Inferno, it's a masterpiece of rhymes and reason. How long must it have taken this writer to complete? I can't get the ideas out, much less get them out in anything other than rote prose.

So it goes for a writer, I suppose. I continue to type useful words and phrases for my clients to advance their careers, expand their SEO, and get them known in the world. One day, I will go away to a beach or mountain with my laptop and write for myself. Well, as long as there's no Tivo or Internet there.

Category: writing | No Comments »
Tags: books, publishing, writing