Blogs

Why candidates should expand and prep their references

As headhunters scramble to match candidates with their shapeshifting clients, process and painstaking due diligence rule the day. To some candidates such rigor may feel intrusive or simply unnecessary. It shouldn’t. In fact, rigor should be embraced and used to all candidates advantage. Consider the use of references as an illustration.
Last week I interviewed a senior executive for a specific role. The candidate presented an intriguing combination of capabilities, accomplishments, values, motivation and style that appeared well aligned to my client. But there were a few cautionary flags. The candidate brushed over several questions and was vague on the circumstances around his departure from two organizations. Though my concerns may well have proven to be minor, they needed to be explored and clarified. Thus, on completing the interview I indicated that it would be helpful if I could speak to several of the candidate’s references around these specific time periods before putting him forward to my client.

Getting the job

All roads to high tech sales riches begin with convincing a sales manager that he or she should hire you for a job in the first place. Fortunately, many of the same skills required to be successful as a salesperson are the ones you will need in order to find a sales job in the first place. Perseverance, preparation and focus are all essential elements of an effective job search and will improve your chances of finding that great new job.

My vote… allow use of mobile devices in meetings.

Maybe it was the meeting I attended at a leading international firm where some participants, mobile devices in hand, were alerting the group about breaking news at corporate that may affect their deliberations. Talk about real time.

Never Trust Anyone Over 20

It seems that quantifying generations in waves of 10 year intervals is no longer appropriate. The ever-accelerating pace of technological change is minting a series of mini-generation gaps, speeding up generational differences.

The High Tech Rep

People unfamiliar with the technology industry are often amazed to learn that successful high technology salespeople can earn hundreds of thousands a dollars a year in salary and commissions. In fact, it’s not uncommon for top reps to make 3, 4, $500,000 a year or more.  Even relatively inexperienced reps at the best known technology companies routinely earn 6-figure incomes.
So why are high tech salespeople paid like doctors, lawyers and investment bankers without the necessity of spending years in school earning professional designations and degrees?  The answer is simple - they’re worth it.

The Unwanted CEO Job …and the one individual who thought otherwise

Several recent articles have lauded the success of Ottawa-based Bridgewater Systems. With skyrocketing revenues, a growing market, and money in the bank, the firm’s prospects have never been better and the street appears to love the story. It was a much more difficult story to sell in 2003, with one notable exception.
Bridgewater was founded in 1997, one of many Newbridge spinouts, a graduate if you will of the Terry Matthews school of stellar startups. The first few years were bumpy as the firm struggled to find its place in the evolving IP telecom marketplace. To make matters worse, in 2000 when its main benefactor, Newbridge, was sold to Alcatel transferring in the process its equity position in Bridgewater. It can safely be assumed that tiny Bridgewater was not atop of the French behemoth’s list of priorities.

Articles

Working for Family Businesses - Part 1 -The StoneWood Perspective

It is the dominant form of business structure worldwide From farmers to small mom-and-pop shops to one-third of Fortune 500 businesses, estimates are that over 80% of businesses are family-owned or controlled,. These include global icons such as Michelin, IKEA, Tata, Ford, Roche, Henkel, Heineken, Cargill, Mars, Bacardi’s, Wal-Mart, Samsung, Bosch, and countless others.
Family business leaders are often the best and brightest executives in their industries. They run professional, innovative, aggressive companies that expand the horizons of innovation, productivity and efficiency. Some observers believe that family firms, with their lower leverage, long-term approach and loyalty to employees point the way to a more stable kind of capitalism in the future.