Often I hear folks say, “I’m not looking right now. When I’m ready, I’ll start looking.” There’s a significant flaw in that strategy…

If you are talented, the likelihood is that when you are ready to look, you will find a good job. The problem is one of timing. Your choices will be only the positions that are available at that particular time. You may get the best job possible, but is it the best job for you? Probably not, because the odds that your desire to look for a new job and the ideal job becoming available happen at the same time are infinitesimally small. You may decide to explore new opportunities in the fall; but if the ideal job is available today, it will be long gone by fall.

My suggestion to candidates that aren’t looking is to be “on the lookout”, be open to communications because the “right thing” may be right there. Looking is an active process: networking, contacting companies, recruiters, exploring websites, etc. Being on the lookout is passive but productive; taking calls/emails from recruiters or companies, looking at an opportunity a friend tells you about, etc. If a great job comes to your attention, you can look, listen and learn, then decide whether or not to pursue it. But if you close yourself off to opportunities because you are not in the market, you may be missing out on the role that is ideal for you, for your career and your financial success.

Think of how you met your special someone. Were you not dating or going out because you weren’t looking? Were you ignoring phone calls, parties, trips to the museum, etc.? Or were you open to relationships, not with the intention of getting married, but knowing that the right person could come along when you least expect it? That sort of attitude should pertain to managing your career. You don’t need to be in search mode to find the right job. But if it finds its way to you, what you do with it (listen and learn or delete and ignore) is what can make all the difference.

You may not be ready to get married just yet, but if you wait until you’re “ready”, you may have missed out on the meeting the right person. Keep an open mind, and keep the lines of communication open. View calls from friends, recruiters and companies as an opportunity, not a distraction.

As a Commercial and Executive Life Science recruiter, I often receive unsolicited LinkedIn notes from persons looking for new jobs in our market. This is certainly one way to go but there are many other avenues. I will deal with this in two parts: Recruiters and Other.

RECRUITERS: Frankly, the best way to find new opportunities if done the right way.

DO’s for working with Recruiters:

• It can never hurt to ask/reach out to a recruiter. They may focus on Life Sciences but not specialize in the type of role you are seeking, but nothing ventured, nothing gained.
• When writing to a recruiter give them a VERY brief background overview and what you’re looking for.
• “Work with recruiters”. By that I mean, if you’re contacted and asked for help networking, try to help. With an established relationship, you are more likely to hear from that recruiter in the future with a good opportunity.
• Something you are not likely to hear from other recruiters: I believe that sharing your resume with multiple recruiters can help. We all have our own networks, companies we work with and jobs to fill.
• “Link” with recruiters. You won’t get fired for having recruiters as connections.

 

DON’Ts for working with Recruiters

• Don’t send a note asking recruiters to keep you in mind; it’s impossible. Once you have established communication, send a resume for their database.
• Don’t send multiple recruiters your resume for the same role or apply to the company and the recruiter. You are wasting your time and theirs. Pick one avenue and use it.
• Don’t close yourself off to inquiries from recruiters. Keep an open mind. Even if you are not looking, their position could be a great opportunity. Recruiters can be a resource if you allow them to be.
• COMPANIES: If you are a manager, use recruiters. DON’T try to do it yourself. You will waste more money (in the form of your time) doing it alone, your network is not as extensive as someone who does it for a living AND while you are spending half your time recruiting, you are only doing your job half the time.

OTHER METHODS:

• Large companies often use internal recruiters or post positions on their sites. Go directly to their sites to find out what is available. Still use recruiters but know that some companies prefer to use this approach.
• Network: Your friend, or your friend’s friend may know of an opening. Create relationships and make LinkedIn Connections. It certainly can’t hurt to be connected to a lot of people.
• Join LinkedIn discussion groups that are pertinent to what you do: Most have “jobs” pages which include paid-for ads and a “Jobs Discussion section” where you will find many more potential opportunities.
• If you are actively looking, call your friends. Don’t just email. Emails are easy to blow off but calls are not.
• There are other sites to look for jobs besides LinkedIn (“Indeed” is one).
• Post (relevant) updates on your profile and in the Discussion groups. If you have interesting info related to your field of endeavor, the update will get you seen by your network and potentially by others.
• Try many things, not just one or two. The more you do, the greater is the likelihood of success.

The key to an effective search is NETWORK, NETWORK, NETWORK.

The end-goal of sales and marketing organizations is the same: increase revenue. The tactics are also very similar. Find the target audience, get them to listen to what you have to say, help them make a buying decision and guide them to the fact that your product/technology/service is the one that they need.

In the middle of the process the two groups diverge in their approach. This negatively impacts the end goal of revenue generation. The problem lies in how the two teams go about convincing people that theirs is the right product to buy.

In life sciences, marketing tends to be product focused. What the product is, how it works and what it does. Someone visiting a web site or looking at a brochure may be able to figure out how that will help them. But not often. There is too much info vying for their attention and not enough time to dive deeply enough to understand all the technologies.

Sales persons are taught to “sell the value”. This means determining the customer’s pain points and positioning your product/service as the solution. “Sell, don’t tell” is the general rule of sales. Talking about the product is not the way to sell. Meeting a customer’s needs is. So, why doesn’t marketing do that in our industry?

THE SOLUTION: SELL DON’T TELL MARKETING

Sales and marketing need to align. Find your target audience, determine their needs and then Market AND Sell your solution to meet those needs. Make your Web Site, your Message, your Sales Collateral customer-centric rather than product or technology-centric. After all, people don’t buy technology, they buy what is going to help make them more successful. While marketing can’t find out what every customer needs, it is not hard to define the target customer profile, then find them and determine their needs. THEN MARKET TO THOSE NEEDS on a macro level.

Sales will find the the target customers and, through one-on-one or small group meetings, deliver the message and sell the need on a micro level.

When done correctly, with the two groups in “lock-step” the message is consistent, it is clear and it is communicated both to a mass audience and a small one. This creates synergy and helps the customer buy the solution they need rather than forcing them to figure out, “How is this going to help me?”

Successful sales people understand the importance of finding a customer’s pain/need and selling a solution to their problem. Many scientifically oriented reps, however, try to sell the technology rather than its value. This mode of operation is repeated in Marketing being done by many Life Science companies which are founded and run by scientifically astute persons who have spent their careers immersed in science. Often they miss a key to commercializing successfully: branding, positioning and marketing their product as a solution, not just a technology.

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In the Life Science field too many companies focus their web site, sales collateral and sales training on their products and technology. Too few focus on customers, their needs and how the technology provides solutions to a problem.

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The Problem:

• Companies understand what their technology does, how it can be used and its benefits because they’re immersed in it. Potential customers are NOT. They’re immersed in their work and their challenges. They don’t have time to look at a technology, kick back and determine how it could help. That’s not their job, it’s the company’s.
• Many companies assume that giving potential customers technical information will help them understand what it means for them; after all they’re scientists, they’ll figure it out. This is a faulty assumption. Customers are bombarded with information; if the company isn’t explicit about how their technology will solve the customer’s problems, customers don’t hear about a solution, they only hear about a technology.
• “We have built it, they will come” is an approach often taken. But they will not. They aren’t browsing in search of technology; they need answers and they need them fast (and easy).

Six Keys to Fixing the Branding and Positioning Problem:

• FOCUS ON YOUR CUSTOMER NOT ON YOUR TECHNOLOGY
• Customers constantly receive communications from companies touting their technology. If you want to stand out, tout your benefits. “Here is how we can help you succeed” is much more powerful than, “Here is how we do sample prep.” Ask yourself, which one would get your attention?
• View marketing and selling of your product from the customers’ standpoint. Do they need to know HOW it works? Maybe, maybe not. First they need to know how it will help them. When buying a car do you surf the internet to understand internal combustion engines and various methods of fuel injection? No. You need an SUV, a hybrid or (ugh) a minivan. Your NEED is what you focus on first.
• Since customers will not connect the dots you must connect the dots for them. You have to be explicit in how they will benefit personally and professionally from using your offering.
• Leave nothing to interpretation; interpret for them. This makes it easier AND faster for them to understand your message and value. Spoon-feed them the solution-oriented information.
• You can’t determine every individual’s needs so understand your market and the needs of scientists in that market. Then position and brand yourself as a solution for those needs.

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Marketing and selling are an art not a science. Market/Sell Professionally and you give your company the best chance for your great technology to be commercially successful.

The first question that needs to be answered is, “What is content marketing?” Of course there are as many answers as there are marketing “experts”, but here is one man’s opinion.

Content marketing is the technique of creating informative and pertinent information in an effort to entice and engage a clearly defined target audience. The goal is to drive a successful customer action; one in which both parties benefit. It is definitely a “best practice” if practiced correctly.

What do visitors need to see?

Too many companies in our industry, run by scientist/founders, believe that content marketing and data dumping are the same thing which, in my opinion, couldn’t be further from the truth. If I place myself in the consumer’s shoes, when I visit a web site, trade show booth or read a brochure, I have three basic questions that I want answered quickly:

• HOW is this going to help me succeed?
• WHAT is different about this product/technology/service that will make a difference?
• WHY should I choose this company to help me solve my problems?

Many marketing experts believe that the scientific community is skeptical and hard to sell to, that these are the reasons for challenges associated with marketing successfully. While there is truth to this assertion, my belief is that, just like the rest of us, these people are incredibly busy and time is short. To market successfully you must understand their need for rapid gathering of pertinent information to develop their interest quickly and powerfully.

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How does that impact the way to market/sell to them successfully?

• Make it easy for them: Tell them what you do differently, why it matters and how you will help them.
• Do it quickly: communicate via bullet points, powerful but succinct text and some data but NOT too much
• Don’t present them with technology and expect them to figure out how they can use it to their advantage; TELL THEM.
• In short, keep it short, easy and impactful.

There are thousands of companies trying to get their attention. If they spent a minutes on each company’s site or in their booth, that would be their job. Rapidly and powerfully give them insight on what they need to know and why it matters to them. Just like the cover of a book, your sales and marketing communications should entice them to open up the cover and begin to read inside. You have 30-40 seconds to make them want to spend another 1-2 minutes with you. Use those first 30-40 seconds wisely and you will more frequently “win” the right to the next few minutes whether you are making a sales call, doing a presentation or creating a marketing campaign.

What do YOU care about?

Put yourself in their shoes. What do YOU do when you receive an email blast or a phone call from a salesperson? What are YOU looking for once they engage you? If you don’t have a need, how likely is it that they can create one? All these questions and so many more are part of what I consider content marketing and selling.

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