Join our network!
Matching candidates and clients just got easier with Treeline’s new automated sales network. Update your profile today.
We’ve just automated our candidate network to make it even easier to match you with the right opportunity. Our extensive network is a confidential and searchable database that will allow our consultants to match you based on criteria that matters (sales type, size, cycle, etc).
To maximize its effectiveness, we need your help. Go to Join Our Network and fill out the Join Our Network form to automatically update your profile in our records. It only takes a minute and asks all of the questions our clients want answered about your current sales role (sales type, size, cycle, etc.) and your perfect job. If you are matched with an opportunity, we’ll call you with the details. It’s just another way Treeline helps you conduct a confidential job search. So update your profile today. It’s free. It’s easy. And you’ll know we’ve got you covered.
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Sales 2.0 Conference
Sales 2.0 is a conference sponsored by Selling Power to introduce sales professionals to the new methodologies and technologies that can help accelerate sales growth. In today’s world, buyers are smarter and more educated than ever before, as a result corporations must communicate and share ideas to support the true needs of potential customers today. Today’s market is centered around collaboration; companies working together to build businesses and industries.
The Sales 2.0 conference was held on May 21st in Boston and was attended by some of the nation’s most innovative and technologically advanced companies. The conference was unique in nature and instead of the standard sales pitch from a company’s executive, we as attendees had a chance to hear from the sponsor’s clients and then ask questions in an open forum. In this market, we don’t want to hear the standard pitches where companies over promise and under deliver, we want to hear about how it works and what the products/services can actually do for our business.
The future of selling is here and the Sales 2.0 conference delivered the message that businesses need to collaborate in order to build new enterprises and industries. The majority of the products presented were solutions about how to increase your sales. From Lead Generation, Customer Engagement, Sales Process and Analytics / Compensation Management, the leaders and innovators of these processes were at Sales 2.0. For more information, check out http://www.sales20conf.com/boston
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Candidate: How to Use an Agency
Head Hunter…such an ugly term that I have never embraced but seems to be the going phrase that people often use to describe our profession and industry. Granted, we are hunting for top talent on a daily basis, but “head hunter” makes it sounds like we’re running rabid around the streets looking to chop people from their companies with conniving tactics, which is not the case.
Utilizing an executive search firm can either be an amazingly successful experience or it can be a bit disappointing. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve sat across from a candidate or a client and they have told me that they’ve had terrible experiences with recruiters in the past. Treeline turns that misconception around on a daily basis and we provide our candidates and clients with what they’re looking for because we’re really digging in deep to find out their real wants and needs. We have had a great deal of success over the years but it’s not because we have all the answers; it’s because we form partnerships with our candidates and clients and work together. Working with an agency is a two-way street, the more you give, the greater you’ll get. Therefore, what are the things that you should know about working with an agency?
Two things you should know:
1) What you’re looking to get out of the experience
2) Who should I utilize?
Finding a great executive search firm can be a daunting task. There are many out there, all of them cater to a different audience. There are temporary staffing firms, IT firms, medical firms, administrative firms, etc., etc. Do your homework, ask around and chose a firm or firms that cater to your specific career path or who you’re looking for in a candidate. For example, Treeline specifically caters to permanent placement of sales professionals. We have clients from all verticals (medical, financial, technical, general business, etc) with the common goal of building top sales forces, therefore if you’re looking for a sales position at any level, Treeline is one of the best agencies to call. Once you’ve found the firm(s) you wish to utilize, here’s what you should know:
Searching for a job, especially in this marketplace, can be difficult and exhausting. People often look to search firms to find them the amazing job that they’ve been searching for their entire life, but didn’t know existed. That can, and does, happen but not if the candidate does not expect to do any of the leg work. A relationship between a recruiter and a candidate needs to be a trust worthy one, if you are not open to sharing information about your previous employment or compensation structure, chances are a search firm is not for you. You cannot walk into an agency with a “show me what you can do” attitude and expect a great experience. In order to find maximum success with minimal frustration, you need to work with your recruiter and not expect them to do all the work. An important fact to remember: recruiters are compensated by their clients to find top talent, therefore it’s in your best interest to work with your recruiter and create a strong relationship so they will push for your candidacy to their clients.
In order to maximize your time with a recruiter, you should come to the table with a few things:
1) A full knowledge of your background
I know that this may sound ridiculous, but it’s extremely important to have a full knowledge of your background. I’m not talking about knowledge of what you’ve sold or who you sold to. I’m talking about numbers! What your average size sale is? What is the average sales cycle is? What was your quota and what was your percentage to that goal? These are important pieces of information to share with your recruiter because they need to understand how to sell your background. Take a minute and make sure you know this specific information. Bring a brag book if you have one and look at your W2’s for confirmation on what you’ve made. It’s also crucial that you are honest with this information. Falsifying your numbers or your salary information will only hurt you in the end and taint your reputation with staffing professionals.
2) A general idea of the type of position that you’re looking for
You want to treat your job search in a similar manor as you did when you started looking at colleges. Your guidance counselor told you to pick a few safety schools, a few match schools and a couple of reach schools. The same applies for a job search. You always want to have a diverse pipeline of job opportunities but be realistic about the positions that you’re applying to, especially in this marketplace. So before applying to jobs, it’s extremely important that you have some idea of the direction you want your career to go in, whether it be by industry, job responsibilities or job growth: have an idea of what you’re looking for. Do you want inside sales or outside? Are you looking for a hunter or a farmer role? Do you want to have a team quota or an individual quota? These are things your recruiter will ask you, so be prepared to answer them.
3) An open mind!
This is the most important thing you need to bring to a recruiter! Be open to the experience and collaborate with them on your job search but be open to receive feedback regarding your resume, your background or your interviewing skills. They also may be able to open your eyes to different positions and industries. You maybe presented with an opportunity that is not in your direct wheelhouse but take their suggestion and go on an interview. You may get in there and hate it, but you may interview and find that you really enjoy the company and the job. Be open to different roles and take a look at them yourself. Your friends are sure to influence you about companies and positions you are looking into but they typically don’t know any of that information first hand, they’ve just heard it through a massive game of “telephone”. Also, just because one of your friends didn’t like the company doesn’t mean you won’t. It’s like restaurants or movies, not everyone is going to like the same things. There is a lid for every pot but you won’t know if you’ve found yours until you try it on for size!
For any other questions prior to your interviews with a recruiter, feel free to reach out to us. We’re here to help you…
COMING: How to use a agency if you’re looking for sales reps
Posted in About Treeline, Sales Advice, Comments Off
Sales Karma 2.0
Share information about who’s hiring with Sales Karma 2.0
More and more we are finding that the traditional job search is outdated in today’s market. Companies do not use job boards like they once did, and don’t publicly post all positions.
That makes information sharing more important than ever. As a community of sales professionals, we at Treeline are always looking for new ways to connect people. If we can communicate our experiences with each other, we will be a much more educated group. That is the idea behind Sales Karma 2.0.
The goal of Sales Karma 2.0 is to share information about who is hiring, so that everyone can get back to work. Participating is easy. Use this blog to let us know who you’ve interviewed with. Have you recently been offered a new position? Take a quick moment to share contact info from the leads or jobs you didn’t want or didn’t get. Pay it forward and over time it will pay you back!
Sharing your wisdom with others will not only make you a better sales person, but it may help you and others land that next sales role.*
*Please note that Sales Karma 2.0 is for sharing information only. It is not a forum for promoting your organization.
Posted in About Treeline, Sales Team, Comments Off
Retained Search vs. Contingency Search
At Treeline we offer both contingency and retained search services. Many of our clients have asked me what the difference is and I thought it prove to be useful for many of you hiring executives that are looking for a resources to assist you in a particular search. Please note that both types of search are proven and very successful.
Contingency Search is based strictly on performance and less expensive for the hiring firm. The advantage to launching a contingency search is that there is no upfront cost. There is no exclusivity so you can use as many firms as you like and it is basically risk free because there is no charged fee unless you hire. The disadvantage if you don’t have strong partnerships with your vendors and seek out well known search firms you may not know what kind of message is being driven to the marketplace. You want a trusted ally to communicate your message to the market. Because there is no exclusivity make sure your partners are strong and your comfort level is very high when it comes to there ability to drive your message to the market. Signing lots of firms does not necessarily drive more qualified leads. In many cases it causes confusion in the market. The average contingency search is 25% of base salary, with a 30 day guarantee and net 10 payment terms.
The key to a successful contingency search is to find reputable firms that have the recognition and brand that you can trust. Build a strong partnership with those firms and you will find success. Do not try to negotiate price too strongly with a contingency firm. It will not help you. Never sign a low contingency search fee because you will get no attention. A well known and successful contingency based firm will say no to risky fees. If a good firm says no to your fee you may want to re-evaluate your fee. Remember that contingency firms have many clients and you pay them nothing to start the search. Contingency firms will focus on companies that have the largest fee, the most urgency and the greatest amount of communications and feedback. The key is to commit to your firm. For a contingency firm to succeed, they must find clients that want to build a partnership with them. They cannot afford to work with companies that are not serious about making a hire. It has to be a win-win so make sure you work with the firm not against it. Remember that you get what you pay for.
Retained Search has an upfront cost associated with it and is typically more expensive. The advantage is you have one exclusive partner with dedicated resources to fill your vacancy. Retained search is more consultative. A retained search takes control of the search; they focus on discovery, assessment, research, candidate development, interviewing, consultation and close. You have hired guns protecting your interests by investing the necessary time to help you find the right fit. The disadvantage is that this is very costly and there is no guarantee. Because you have exclusivity with this firm if you find and hire a candidate on your own you still owe the entire fee and if the firm is not producing great results you are bound by the contract. The average retained search is 33% of total compensation including bonus, with a 60 day guarantee and 1/3 payment at signing, 1/3 payment at shortlist of candidates and the last 1/3 at offer.
The key to working with a retained organization is to find a firm you trust. Make sure you know who will be conducting your search and meet those people. Make sure you understand exactly what you are getting and make sure you understand the timeline. If you can find a team you trust and can afford the cost of a retained search then make sure you commit to a strong partnership and you will have a great and successful experience.
What have you found to be successful in your search and why?
Posted in About Treeline, Sales Jobs, Comments Off
Opinions Wanted: What do you want in a search firm?
We work in the search business and would like to hear from you as to how we can make it better? What do you need from our industry? We are a flexible and ever changing organization and look to you for more ideas on how to change. Please let us know what we can do to revolutionize our industry.
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Live from Fox 25!
Recently I did a live interview with Fox TV and wanted to share my experience. The first thing I have to say is that the team at Fox News is incredible. Every single person there is a consummate professional, very personable and, most of all, positive. Because of that team, the experience of being on live TV was awesome.
With my first experience on live TV back in January, I was unsure of what to expect and had no idea of what to anticipate. On multiple occasions, I have spoken at events in front of audiences of more than 1,000 attendees. So, I channeled my past experiences so that I felt comfortable that everything would go off without a hitch this time around.
What I have found, is that the people who I surround myself with are never short of pre-interview advice. From how I sit, to how I speak, even to how I dress (I wear a suit and tie every day) – everyone had some input for me. My advice to anyone who is subject to an influx of said advice is to listen, say ‘thank you’, and move on. The one major piece of advice that I took to heart and utilized during the interview was to just be myself. Many people will offer suggestions prior to the interview but I think the most genuine way to conduct an interview is to just be yourself. Know who you are and offer honest and genuine input that you believe in. I am a huge subscriber to Karma. What you give to this world will come back ten fold so always do the right thing. And being yourself is very ‘right.’
After the interview had ended and the lights and cameras were no longer on me – I got into my car, drove to the office and continued being me. It was a great experience and I believe in the message I delivered. Most of all, I hope my words helped some people. We, at Treeline, are neck deep with the challenges of this job market everyday and there are people out there who need to know that they are not alone. For those people, I hope that my time on TV let them know that we are all in this together.
Some people may have liked the interview and others may have not. I would love to hear your opinion now that you have seen the footage. Thoughts?
Posted in About Treeline, Sales Jobs, Treeline Videos, Comments Off
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