Imagine the scenario; a pile of CVs with accompanying letters for the sales or marketing role. It is a daunting task to read them all. They all sort of seem the same. Lots of bragging, lots of pointless industry jargon, and that’s just the good ones!
The CVs and letters have been through the vetting process of the recruitment consultant, so it should be more straightforward.
But hang on, how come some candidates have no B2B knowledge? And can you really be an expert with just a few years’ experience? Of course not.
A CV needs to lure the reader
A CV needs to work like any marcoms, sorry, I almost forgot myself, marketing communications. It needs to be interesting and relevant to the reader. It needs to lure, almost seduce the reader to want to read more.
It needs never to presume, and it needs to be, not only truthful; it also needs to be confirmed by all the other places the reader might look for reassurance.
Isn’t this the same stuff I tell my B2B clients?
As I’m writing this, it’s made me think. Isn’t this the same stuff I tell my B2B clients about how they set out to promote their own business?
And of course, it is! If you want a potential customer to buy from your business and not another, you need to remember it’s not about you, your passion, your awards, your ego. It’s about the potential customers’ pain (remember, we’re talking B2B here). They need to feel reassured, and they need to feel listened to.
And then, and only then, you might just have a quality conversation with them. That conversation is often just the beginning of a process. Keep the conversation going, and there’s a good chance you’ll end up working with them.
Sure, on the marketing side of things, you need to get targeting, reach and conversion funnels sorted too. But all that’s wasted if you don’t understand why people buy – and respect that.
And if you’re in any doubt, think about the cold calls you hang up on and even the LinkedIn messages that ask you ‘how are you and your family during these challenging times?’, only to then try and sell you financial services! Goodness, I hate this complete lack of authenticity.
People do not like to be sold to.
Stop selling yourself
And it’s the same with CVs; – just be you, be credible and relevant to the role you’re applying for and prove you can do the stuff you say you can do. Your website and your LinkedIn profile are pretty good places to start!
Marketing is really pretty simple if you understand and respect what drives a customer to engage with and buy from your business. And of course, understanding the way sales and marketing are delivered is crucial; the technology, automation, analytics and accessibility to name but a few.
If you’d like to know more about how things could work better in your business, please do get in touch. I’d be happy to share my knowledge and thoughts with you. Feel free to give me a call on 07971 279564.
Perhaps I should be looking for a Head of Marketing role? Maybe you know of one that might exist!
