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?”

Email, whether it’s from a salesperson trying to get a meeting or from marketing trying to generate leads is vital for getting the word out. However, it’s only a useful effort if it gets read and it’s only effective if it is done well. It MUST convey the gains the recipient will realize by using your product or service, but there are practical hurdles to getting your message communicated.

 Spam Filters and Subject Lines:

1. Your email has to get past spam filters. To do this it’s best to avoid:
   • Sending an initial email with an attachment. Filters look for unrecognized email addresses. Couple that with an attachment and your email is toast
   • Avoid using words in the subject line that trigger filters. Terms such as: “Discount”, “Special Offer”, “Pricing”, etc., will send your email to the Land of Junk Mail
   • Your company name in the subject line may or may not activate a spam filter. I suggest avoiding it unless you are a market leader.
2. Enticing people to read the email: The Alluring Subject Line
   • The goal is to get the viewer to open your email. The way to do that is convince them via a subject line with impact that there is worthwhile information inside.
   • Unless you are a market leader the name of your company will not help. Will they care if they see, “New Product from Unknown Company”?
   • Avoid product names unless they’re well-known; the product isn’t compelling.
   • What IS compelling is how they will benefit. The Subject Line MUST contain something of meaning to them and to their work. For instance, if one is marketing to geneticists, the subject line, “10X More Effective PCR” WILL get their attention whereas “Reagents for PCR” ensures a quick trip to the “deleted” folder.

Email Content: Grabbing “Mindshare”

1. Make an Impact. This is your first (and possibly last) chance to get them to listen.
   • Focus on THE CUSTOMER and how the service/product will help them succeed
   • Focus on how using your technology to do “10X more effective PCR” will be a boon to their research.
   • As tempting as it may be, avoid technology discussions in initial emails and a list of features/benefits
   • It’s about THE CUSTOMER and THE BENEFITS that they will experience.
2. Be Succinct: They’re busy and will devote little time to reading. If it’s long they may hit delete without ever reading or, at best, make it only part way through. Hit ’em hard and hit ’em fast.
   • Introductory sentence regarding your 10X PCR improvement
   • 3 sentences about how your product will help their research and enhance their success
   • 4 bullet points to drive home the points powerfully and succinctly
   • One sentence validation about publications, other users, etc.
3. Call to Action: The purpose of this email is not to inform, it is to create leads and sales opportunities. You must have a call to action (“To learn more, visit…”) or a promised action from you (“We’d like to explore your research and discuss how we can help…”)

Getting Results

Turning Your Email into Results requires focus and follow up both of which should be directed at the customers’ needs and the way their research will benefit. After all, they are not shopping for products; they are working to find solutions.

Be the messenger of the solution to their problem.

Life Science companies often attempt to sell their product or service by telling people what it is and how it works. Their focus is on The Technology. The key to successfully selling and positioning is to focus on THE CUSTOMER. In time, they will want to know how it works but first and foremost they will want to know how you and your offering will help them succeed. Life Science companies need to communicate the merit that their technology brings to their prospective customers: THE VALUE PROPOSITION.

Value Proposition-Key to Successful Selling

The Value Proposition is a summary of the value that your company and its products/services bring to your customers. This helps to distinguish you from your competitors and aids in the selling your company’s offerings. Components of The Value Proposition are:

• Key Attributes of your company and its offerings
• Pivotal Advantages of your company’s solutions
• Vital Differentiators that make your company’s products or services unique
• Primary Benefits that the customer will realize by working with your company

When a scientist visits a booth, a website, or reads a document they want to know how they will benefit from working with your company. With thousands of companies begging for their attention this must be communicated powerfully and succinctly. You must address these three questions to draw them in:

• HOW will this product help the customer succeed?
• WHAT is different or better about this product or service?
• WHY should the customer choose your company over its many competitors?

The Messaging of the Value Proposition is as important as the Value Proposition itself. Developing a strong value proposition is imperative; communicating it effectively is vital. Marketers must resist the temptation to list dozens of advantages, attributes, etc. Pick the most powerful in each category (Quality over Quantity) to avoid diluting the value of your most persuasive selling points.

Focus on The Customer

Successfully positioning your company requires framing the benefits, advantages and differentiators with the viewpoint of THE CUSTOMER in mind. Yes, they will want to know how you’re technology works and you will want to tell them. But before they click away from your website, walk out of your booth or put down your brochure they must understand why they should listen, read and pay attention. The Value Proposition and its underpinnings gives your prospective client clear insight as to why they should do business with your company.