Million Dollar Interview Question: How Much Are You Looking To Earn?

Compensation is a negotiation. And as a result, your negotiating skills need to be in top notch to be able to get you an impressive compensation that can keep you productive and motivated at that new position you are being considered for in XYZ company.

Before sending out your resume to any organization, it is extremely crucial that you are able to address the question “How Much Are You Looking to Earn?”

As a candidate looking to change jobs sometime in the future, you need to start thinking about how to negotiate good salary compensation for any role you may be considering to apply into. And except you are being poached from your present company into another company already offering you quadruple of what you currently earn, being unprepared for salary questions can cost you thousands to millions of Naira and cause you to concede power in the “salary rhythm".

And understand that if you are not well prepared to answer the famous question “How much are you looking to earn”, you will lose the salary negotiation battle even before you resume on the first day. You may even lose the job opportunity should you over quote or over-value yourself. And the worst that may happen is that you may lose a future negotiating power with the same company.

To enable you prepare and execute a salary negotiation, follow these steps:

i.                     Research competitive salary information for your position, industry and region.

ii.                   Calculate the total value of your last compensation package, including base, bonus, commission and any other extras. Be prepared to be specific and exhaustive.

iii.                  If you’re asked for salary history, counter ask with what the company is prepared to offer.

iv.                 Don’t lie or inflate. Expect that the company can and will check every number. They usually have a strong and wide network pool.

v.                   Have a compelling speech ready explaining why you’re worth what you’re asking based on your research of the market, not your previous salary. 

 However, how do you avoid negotiating yourself and your compensation benefits to the company's exit door?

UNDERSTAND WHEN & WHO TO DISCLOSE YOUR REMUNERATION PACKAGE - As a general rule on this side of the continent, it is expected and not considered strange to share your current company’s compensation with a head hunter, as they need to know that you are a very close fit with the hiring company’s specifications as they don’t want to be in the position of recommending a candidate whose salary expectations are either too high or too low to be viable. Rest assured that all they want to know is whether you’re “in the ballpark” of who they want to recruit. With direct employers looking to recruit you into their organisation, the story may however be quite different. It’s neither considered necessary nor advantageous for you to reveal salary information before you have a job offer in hand. After all, your current salary does not really have any effect on the value you can deliver in the position you are being considered for. And when you reveal how much you currently earn, you automatically give the prospective employer negotiation power. However, being able to negotiate might only be applicable to only mid-level or highly experienced candidates who have a lot to offer the organization in question. For entry applicants, you may not have enough playing ground to negotiate that high up just yet.

Now, how do you deflect remuneration questions like a smart professional? Simply by reading several books, conducting online research from relevant articles or go ahead to engage the services of a career or life coach who will help you learn and practice how to provide appropriate responses during these periods.  

BE PREPARED FOR THE QUESTION- It’s inevitable that you would come across this question. It's like the time of day. Just like morning shows up everyday, this question is on the lips of every recruiter/employer. No organization wants to overpay a prospective candidate hence the famous question “how much are you looking to earn”. You may consider practicing a variety of responses until you can say them naturally, impassively and non-defensively. However, communicate to your interviewers that the primary purpose of the interview is to determine whether you are the right person for the job and once you have both mutually conceded the strength of your candidacy, you can now move towards discussing remuneration. Give the accepted assumption that the employer will pay an appropriate salary, and simply ensure to sell yourself in a compelling way and once you have succeeded in giving the wow factor, you can then begin to negotiate.

Below are some suggestions on how to go about this: When a recruiter asks you, “How much are you looking to earn?” consider the likely responses below:

You- “I’d like us both to determine whether I am the appropriate fit for this position. Once we can ascertain I am a good fit, I believe we should be able to come to a mutually agreeable situation.”

 You- “I am quite certain an organisation such as yours offer very competitive remuneration so I am quite certain remuneration should not be an issue at all so long as I am qualified and fit to hold this position.

You – “As a qualified and experienced --------, I am quite interested in a remuneration package that will keep me motivated and productive. I am very certain your company pays competitive salaries to retain talented people. So I am certain my remuneration expectations wouldn't be an issue”.

However, if the recruiter or organization’s contact insists on getting this information out of you, consider responding as below:

You- “As I reiterated earlier, I am quite certain compensation should not be a problem once the suitability is confirmed. If I may ask, what is the compensation benefit you have budgeted for this position I am being considered for? I can let you know whether it falls within my remuneration expected range”.

If the recruiter/organisation comes back with a figure, you can respond as suggested below:

You- “That certainly falls within my expected range. However, let’s keep talking to see if I’m the right person for this job.”

If the interviewer presses further or asks, “So, how much would it take to bring you on board?” Consider responding like below:

You- “I am very excited about this position and quite eager to tackle the challenges we have discussed so far. I assume I will be paid a salary that will keep me motivated and productive. What figure did you have in mind for this position?”

However, considering Nigerian recruiters always want to get a figure from you and you may begin to feel pressured to mention a figure, It is perfectly normal to surrender to this pressure to answer the recruiter’s or employer’s questions. You certainly don’t want to create an antagonistic atmosphere in the interviews so most times, you may need to give out some responses.

If you feel compelled to share your salary expectations, I’d advise you mention a wide salary range instead of quoting a specific figure. Also be sure to tie your remuneration expectations to proven facts, and not what you think you deserve because of the institution you graduated from or the company you are being poached from.

CONDUCT YOUR RESEARCH- Before you attend any interview, ALWAYS conduct your research either online or through appropriate network  to determine the current salary type and the perks that come with the position you are looking to fill. That way, you will be able to mention matter of fact that “My research shows that salaries in the N9M per annum to 12M per annum are very appropriate for this position. I anticipate a competitive salary in that range.”

Summarily, remuneration negotiation preparation is an important early step in a successful job search and also play a major role in ensuring you clinch the job. There are no rigid rules on how you can negotiate. If you are a good fit and have a lot to offer and bring to the new company’s table, you can use your negotiating power so that you get the appropriate perks that come with the position you are being recruited for BEFORE you sign the employment letter. 

With a little practice and after some time, you’ll be able to respond naturally, appropriately, and non-defensively when the question, “how much are you looking to earn” comes up, and you’ll put yourself in an advantageous position to field appropriate offers.

How To Get That Promotion You Know You Deserve

You had always been a diligent and proactive student throughout your college days. So it wasn't really a surprise to anyone when you got a job with a top technology company even before the ink on your college certificate dried off. You had always been voted as the most likely to succeed early anyway. And as an extremely bright individual, your folks and friends went ahead to vote you as the most likely to get promoted within a year during your new-job celebration party.

It was a foregone conclusion anyway so you just smiled and in your mind, probably said “No doubt about that”.

First year passed, nothing. You however got a new wireless mouse (exactly the white color you requested 5 months back from the Admin team) for your white laptop.

Second year passed, same status quo. The Admin team was kind enough to change your seat which had been giving you back ache for some months and the tech team also upgraded your operating system to Windows 8. (Everyone was a bit nice during your second year so maybe your promotion time is close?)

Third year passed, same job title, same office corner but nothing else. You were however commended for the good work so far by the company’s CEO who didn't look like he knew your name and he wasn't even looking at you while shaking your hands, along with other 146 colleagues on your work floor. 

But that was all for year three, just the handshake.

Now, it’s almost four years and you still have just one offer letter, the same job title, the same seat that was graciously changed in year 2 but is now beginning to make that creaking noise you hear in horror movies before something bad happens to the actor, same stapler and laptop, and the same office seat corner you were led to some years back when you just joined. 

Depression starts to kick in and your work productivity is gradually space-competing with your office shoes for the first to get to the ground every morning.

You have worked for years and if you may say so, your promotion was way over due. (which I agree to as well. I mean, 4 years and you couldn't even get a new laptop and new mouse! Who is your Admin personnel please?) You have produced your best (or so you think) and felt like it was time for you to earn what you rightly deserve. 

Here's what you need to do...

ASK/APPLY FOR THAT PROMOTION- I have been opportune to watch many employees get passed for a promotion for one reason only- they refused to ask or apply. Many employees who may have spent some time with an organization are under the misplaced conception that their organisation should know those workers, like themselves that are due for promotion. I mean, they are special and hardworking, right! So they cap it all with “if it’s meant for me, it will come to me”. Sorry to burst your bubbles Princess Aurora, but your organisation does not owe you a promotion. Just as you believe you are deserving of a promotion, there are several other employees as well who could even give more compelling reasons why it should be them and not you. And the organisation cannot reach out to everyone or promote so many employees at once. The only way they can give everyone a fair opportunity is to make a higher position available for interested internal employees to apply(You'd be surprised that not everyone is ambitious enough to want to climb the corporate ladder so many will not apply). And the only way you can be considered for a promotion as such is when you apply. Success does not walk up to anyone, you have to walk towards success.

Many people have been forced to report to someone who was once a junior colleague because they failed to apply for an open position in their company and failed to blow their own trumpets hoping against all hope that their line manager, (who probably manages 43 other team members as well and who are also as impressive) will read their minds and make them that promotional offer they didn't apply for. 

Statistics however revealed that women are guiltier of this than men as men tend to become restless after some few months in the same position and ask their line managers what they need to do to climb higher. Women on the other hand tend to wait hoping their bosses, probably wearing a warrior cape will put in a word during the monthly management meeting with a visual presentation on “why Marilyn Martha is the only one that deserves this promotion and not Susan Chef, not Bola Cole, not Bukky Philips and not Simi Peters. 

WHAT TO DO- If you want to be considered for a promotion, you need to ask and apply especially when a higher position you qualify for is available, simple as that! And when you meet with your HR or Line manager to discuss why you deserve a promotion such as this, the easiest way to be bounced off the list is to come in from the emotional angle.  Avoid soapy and emotional stories about the day you came into the office when it was raining heavily with a torn shirt and a bruised knee or that you were usually the only employee that applauds when the CEO recounts one of his usual boring stories and the last to leave all your company's boring end of the year events. This is the time to polish your negotiating and persuasive skills such that when you mention all you have achieved while compulsorily using statistics and percentile figures to list your accomplishments, your listeners will have no choice than to concur with your compelling speech. Logic and clear reasoning is key when negotiating or persuading as this is the only language the average CEO and top management understands. You have to be objective and be able to give reasons that can be backed with existing statistics on why you deserve that promotion. Avoid emotions and sentiments as this has proven never to work (except you genuinely fell flat at the front door of the CEO's office and you are badly bruised and covered in scrapes and bruises that hurts like crazy!). 

And be prepared to answer all questions based on what stands you out from your other colleagues who also have impressive work profiles. You may also choose to add an existing problem that the position you are gunning for is required to solve and provide a very subtle solution that you can work on when you are considered for this promotion.  Understand that the greatest impediment to your career mobility is yourself.

GET YOUR INTERNAL NETWORKING GROOVE ON- Yes, everyone who knows you would agree you are quite disciplined and can work alone. In fact, during your interview, you were the only candidate that mentioned candidly you work best when you are left alone. And besides you don't like your seat colleagues- Bob in Marketing, Sharon in Finance, Jide at the Engineering team, Yetunde at the Front Desk, Akin the CEO's Chief of Staff, Kate is just too lousy when she eats, Mark types too loud. Everyone is just out to make you upset. You are just not cut out for office drama so you would like to be alone if we all please! Hence when you are in the office, you are known for putting on your huge Dr Dre Beats headphones, turning it to the highest volume and known to work in that state till work closes. This makes you produce impressive work content and everyone knows. Awesome right? 

Absolutely, but only if you are a cashier or an IT associate and intend to remain in that position until your 3 months old baby leaves for college and your first son has been remarried for the third time. If you however want to move to top management in due time, you would need to lose the headphones and the Robinson Crusoe attitude.

Every successful entrepreneur understands that the key to remaining at the top of the ladder or climbing rapidly is the ability to turn on the smooth charm often, build a huge network of supporters and develop mutually beneficial relationships with key people at strategic times. 

As an employee aiming to grow within an organisation, you would need to network within your department and team as well as throughout your company.  Consider it a form of future motive knowing you would be running a promotion campaign soon. And since animals and computers are still unable to vote or able to put in a good word for you with your bosses, you would need to start playing a harmless office politics called NETWORKING.

As a result, keeping to yourself and putting on your headphones between 8am-5pm everyday so Kathy across you would not chat about last night’s episode of Friends might not be favorable for you in the long run, not to mention the benefit of good office networking for a 360 degree feedback. Remember, people remember clearly negative experiences with other people first no matter the number of good experiences they may have had with such person.

WHAT TO DO- Create some time every day to get to know your colleagues, bosses. Consider joining group gatherings once a while such as team bonding. When you are with colleagues, engage freely in carefree discussions that’d reveal the playful side to you without dishing out embarrassing or dry jokes. (You really don't want to be that colleague that everyone suddenly has something to urgently attend to when you mention you recently heard this new joke you want to share...) 

Be that employee that everyone loves to be around. Don’t be an island. Offer to assist one or two colleagues in your department once a while as well as in other departments. Consider putting in extra times with one or two bosses who are influential in convincing management on key decisions. Simply put, be the screwdriver in everyone's vehicle dashboard and the stapler everyone needs very often. The idea is to leave a positive professional impression of yourself in the minds of many of your colleagues and bosses such that if you are not even present, you have a set of devoted supporters vouching and routing for you. 

And understand that most often than not, management team do not take solitary decisions where promotion is concerned. Usually, they tend to ask some set of other employees at your level and slightly above you if they think James from Finance or Yvonne from Marketing deserves a promotion yet.

I’m sure you’d want them to extol so many virtues that is almost unbelievable to the ears but cannot just be proven to be untrue. 

Think I've omitted any tip that can make one a successful consideration for promotion? Do share in the comment box below.

In my next post, I’d be sharing tips on what you need to do before actually requesting for that promotion. 

-Teju' Fola'-Alade

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4 Secrets to Building Sustainable Businesses- Imagining your Customer is YOU!

Have you gotten to listen to what they want?

In today’s rapidly evolving economy, everything seems to be moving at such lightning speed that it seems hard to keep up. I mean, was I the only one that had to look up what centricity meant? It wasn't even in the Oxford dictionary some few years back.

With so much excitement and buzz about the latest initiatives and development, we continue to race breathlessly forward towards creating something that will be loved by people, the type of product/service that will be consistently purchased by the people we want to call life-time customers.

It is an inarguable fact that customer service or customer experience as it is now being referred to by different organizations is at the core of any thriving business, no matter the size or industry. Gone are those days when companies could call the total shot and could get away with telling their customers to take their tantrums somewhere else. They couldn't care less back then as there were no standard nor functioning platform for customers to vent and share their purchasing tales of woes from various company.

Flash-forward to the millennial and the web is now bursting at the rims with various platforms to air different grievances and experiences from manufacturers and organizations that are giving less than the desired customer experience. Just putting a call through to a call center and not getting any response within 30 seconds will find the aggrieved customer swiftly posting on Twitter or Facebook to share the embarrassing experience, while complaining of lost airtime even though it may be a toll free line. It doesn't and wouldn't matter. In the here and now, the customer rules the organisation and deserves the crown. As a result, companies now understand that they must continue to invest heavily in their customers happiness and satisfaction to generate more lead businesses. It is neither finance, strategy, nor technology that leads to consistent and repeat business but CUSTOMER SERVICE/CENTRICITY. Customer Centricity remains the ultimate competitive advantage, both because it is so powerful yet so rare.

Adding the term, “customer-centricity” to a mission or vision statement isn't enough as many organisations seem to think. There are various steps to delivering good customer service as well as growing a company that is customer-centric and which focuses most, if not all of its objective goals around its customers.

It's really about your customers. Leave the stage please!

THINK LIKE YOUR CUSTOMER - For an organisation to achieve customer-centricity requires rethinking the way the business is done. Everyone knows how to think like a customer because everyone was a customer at some point. Now, think about your experience as a customer either recently or sometime in the past. What impressed you and made you want to go back to that business? The baritone voice of the Customer Service Rep at the end of the phone who you could swear was quite good looking and boy, did he just sound so good as he kept apologizing and assuring you this would be resolved within the hour? Or was it the gorgeous ebony skinned lady with the never ending legs at that company’s front desk? What irritated you and ensured you would never return? The gum snapping Customer Rep who kept interrupting every complaint with an excuse or kept asking you to hold on without as much as a please? 

Advice -Make your business do more of the first and less of the second. Start building a strong customer centric team that understands your business is still existing because of your customers.

Can you hear what is not being said?

TO YOUR CUSTOMER, THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS 'CUSTOMERS'- When a customer purchases a product or service from you and experiences some glitch, when they place a call to you or visit your organisation, they are concerned with just one person- THEMSELVES. They see their own self as an individual with individual needs and they expect you to treat it as such. The last thing your customer wants to hear from you or your Customer Service rep is “our other customers are experiencing the same thing”, “this is a very generic issue and we assure you it is not an isolated one”. Frankly, that’s the wrong form of assurance to give to your customer. Because they don't care what other customers think or want or like or are going through, they expect you to ask what they think, want and are experiencing. The minute you begin to treat your customer as 'customers', they will come to the quick conclusion that you really don't care about them, and go looking for a business that does. And in our extremely dynamic world where your competitors are literally waiting at the door step of your organisation to poach your customers, it is very key that you consider your customers as the golden goose that lays the only golden egg in the world.

Advice- Get rid of your customer service policy or ensure your Customer Service Reps do not give out the policy in a scripted autonomous voice whenever the customer calls, except where necessary or when the customer seems to be taking advantage of the leverage. Customers hate policies because they realize that the policy is more important to you than they are. Train your staff on how to deliver customer service.

Every complaint from your customer is feedback and an opportunity to improve. Listen!

ASK FOR YOUR CUSTOMER’S OPINION & FEEDBACK – Every customer believes that the money he/she has used to purchase from your company was what was used to build that new office, buy those new set of trucks or used to purchase another manufacturing machine. It does not matter that they had purchased a few Naira/Dollar/Pounds worth just a key holder. Once a customer shops from you, they believe they have contributed to the continued success of your company and as such, they expect to be treated like a major stakeholder. This is what every customer wants from your business. They have a problem that needs a solution, and they will give their money to the person who helps them solve it. And they will expect you to ask them how they want that problem solved. They don’t want you to assume you know what they want. They want you to ask. They want you to help them identify what their problem is, explore options about how to solve it, respect their choice and then help them achieve it. Customers don't care about your business or your products, only about how you can help them. Sounds selfish but if I am spending my money somewhere, I want to be considered important enough for my problems to be prioritized for solution.

Advice- For repeat customers, ensure you have their personal and sales history with your company stored and have your Customer Service Rep contact them periodically to ask for their feedback and opinion on past service and how it could be better. Many customers may complain at this point and even offer unrealistic advice but deep down, there will be that satisfaction knowing they were called by their first name from a company such as yours and to top it all, you wanted their opinion. Nothing would trump that feeling. And guess who would be coming back to make more purchases and possibly refer people to your business?

Doesn't matter their social status. To you, your customer has got be treated like a king.

MAKE YOUR CUSTOMERS IMPORTANT - A restaurant manager once told his staff, "The customers are not here to eat food or drink wine. They can do that at home. They are here to be treated as if they are important; as if they are royalty. Do that and they will reward you for it”. Most customers aren't unreasonable (Ok, maybe most are) but they know there are limitations on what you can do for them. But they expect you to do as much as you can. Don't just make them important because they are your customer. Just make them important and they’ll want to be your customer time and again.

Advice- Inform them on newer updates regarding a product. For instance, if a customer wants to purchase an electronic item by November 1st and the electronic item’s price is intended to be slashed in 4 days’ time, you can inform that customer letting them know they can hold on from purchasing immediately as there will be a price slash on that product and would they want you to reserve one for them while you call them back in 4 days to remind them to place that order? Be rest assured that by doing this, you have bought the said customer’s brand loyalty and guess who would be going on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram to gush about the customized Customer Service they just got?

So, as a business owner whether small, medium or large, are you treating your customers like real people, or just some voices over the telephone, or a statistic figure on your latest digital infographic or just some fresh new policies you recently showed your latest investors?

Understand this- For your business to succeed in our current dynamic economy, the stakes are very high. Failing to deliver a high-quality customer experience at this day and age WILL result in a staggering erosion of your organisation’s customer base. Your customer is your king. Learn to treat them as such.

How to Make Memorable Speeches & Presentations.

The ability to deliver stunning speeches and presentations will impact positively on your success as great speakers are generally perceived to become great leaders.

Have you ever sat to listen to a speech or presentation by a well-known motivational speaker, pastor, entrepreneur or sales man and just felt like rising out of your seat there and then to take an immediate call to action towards achieving a goal or chasing a dream?

If yes, you are not alone.

The ability to elicit responses and effortlessly lead listeners on an action journey with words, presentation and gesticulations is what makes a speaker successful. The power of a delivered speech is determined by the communication style the speaker or presenter chooses to use. What is seen and perceived to be a seamless speech and awesome presentation actually comes from a well-practiced, dedicated, intelligent, and sophisticated writing. Although several entrepreneurs are no strangers to public speeches and presentation, not every business owner or employee is quite as persuasive as they’d like to be.

Below are some tips on how to make memorable speeches & winning presentations.

Voice Clarity- As a speaker or presenter, what will endear your speakers to you starts from your voice as a clear voice projects confidence and sincerity. Having a clear voice tells your audience you know what you are saying and aren't scared or too embarrassed to share what you know. Speaking clearly also projects your intelligence, honesty and presents an image of a good leader to your audience. So, few days before that presentation at the workplace or that speech at the public stadium, ease off on the cold water and ensure you are drinking enough water to stay hydrated as this affects your voice. It takes conscious and persistent effort to pronounce and enunciate clearly, even if you otherwise have good speech habits so try and practice in front of a mirror and sincerely ask yourself whether your voice sounds convincing even to you. Watch out for your voice evenness and listen to your voice as the trick is to be clear and use a version of your accent that you would use for your colleagues, classmates, teachers and your boss.

Own that Speech: It is generally assumed that talking fast suggests one is lying or that one has got something to hide. As a speaker, you need to slow down and assume your audience has attention & hearing defects, especially when you are about to pass an extremely important point or information. Place pronunciation emphasis on key words and phrases that you want to use to pass a very essential information. To be understood from the podium or during a presentation at the office, you must speak more slowly than you do in everyday conversation. This slowdown is needed to compensate for the time it takes for auditory information, especially technical jargons to be digested and processed by your listener. Speak in a conversational style, but more slowly and deliberately, always pausing between phrases, to facilitate the listener's cerebral processing of your message. And it helps when you make eye contact very often as people are compelled to stay listening to you when you focus your gaze at them for some seconds. You can repeat important information and look into one or two faces of your listeners while pausing to stare at some directly. This shows you want that information that you just passed to really sink in.Don't be also afraid to use natural hand and body gestures to help express yourself, but don't overdo it as this could leave your listeners in a daze when your hands and body move very often, leaving them slightly disoriented.

Use Powerful Visuals- No matter the age of a listener, the presence of visual images will elicit more responses than pure texts. Make sure your visual material is well designed for presentation. Your first presentation slide should be powerful enough to grab your audience as statistics have shown that speakers have the first 20 seconds to grab the attention of their listeners. The first few seconds determine whether your listeners will listen with rapt attention or bring out their phones and start gossiping. Projected graphs and interactive photographs can significantly add to the impact of your talk and help your audience absorb its content. But your material, whether slides or PowerPoint needs to be properly constructed such that each slide leaves your listener waiting on the edge of their seats eagerly for the next slide.

Keep It Very Very Short – Whether you are giving a motivational speech or presenting a business idea to your bosses, it is important to know that the average listener has a very short attention span. Hence, make your most important points in the first few minutes ensuring your listeners have an idea of the information you are trying to pass across within the first 5 minutes. During work presentations, your presentation audience will determine the length of your speech as it is generally believed that top management leaders require just 60 seconds to make a decision whether to go with your idea or move on mentally to start thinking about that meeting they are scheduled to attend the coming week in Brussels. You can then spend the remaining minutes expanding your points and having enough time for the questions and answers. Statistics have also shown that the shorter the speech/presentation, the more positive impact it will have on the listeners. Once a speech or presentation exceeds a certain amount of minutes, the listeners tend to wander off mentally as the long epistle merely distracts the audience from the point of the talk. This also applies to office presentation as most leaders have low attention span for long details.

More Visuals, Less Texts: Too much written information on a slide is not only hard to see, it beckons the audience to read it while the speaker is talking. This definitely distracts from the reason they are gathered in the first place as they could have simply picked up a good book to read. Simultaneous reading and listening is almost impossible so when a speaker attempts to make the audience read lots of texts on a presentation slide, it will generate audience distraction. Also avoid using full sentences on a slide as it encourages the speaker to read from it, which should never be done as your audience will have to read along internally. Your slide might serve as a prompt, but never as a script for reading.  Remember, less is more.

Dress the Part- The most successful speakers are those who understand the influence of powerful dressing during any presentation. Your audience would come from different backgrounds and may judge you, however dressing responsibly and powerfully will project a confident and assured presence which would captivate not only their visual interest but also their mental attention. You can also consider adorning colorful clothing especially in dark rooms and if the background is also white. This would ensure you are very visible to everyone in the room.

The steps to being a successful speaker and communicator start with consistent practice and personal development which should be never ending. To make impact with your speeches and presentation, simply keep learning about your intended audience and listeners.

In my next post, I’d be sharing tips on how NOT to release remuneration details about your recent job when scouting for a newer job.

5 Email Mistakes that Could Threaten Your Business

Five minutes, five months or even five days before receiving that harsh email from a boss or wealthy client with a very cold subject title “You are fired”, or “Not Interested”, you had been given the opportunity to take that one decision that would eventually lead to a devastating outcome for your business/career. It could have been one email or maybe a series of emails but in today’s business world where everything seems to be moving at an accelerated pace, the power of email communication is becoming more frighteningly magnified.

Email is used for all business communication purposes and as a result, it is important to get it right so as to keep that good job or maintain that impressive list of wealthy clients.

So what are those rules and netiquettes governing the use of email for business communications purposes?

A lot!  

SENDING AN EPISTLE - There's nothing worse for a colleague, boss or a business client than receiving an email from you that looks like a hymnal meditation on all the saintly galaxies of the stars as seen through the eyes of the blind. Though, it is understandable that some emails may be long based on the required type of information to be disbursed, a standard email should be brief, clear, concise, correct, coherent & courteous. It should be in readable size keeping in mind that the recipient may have other tasks they need to get back to and the shorter your mail, the more likely they get to read all the content before sending straight to the archive box. And except the recipient is an author proofreading your recently completed work of fiction, keep the email very concise where official information is concerned, well, except it is a wage reduction email alert. If however, the intended information needs to be detailed out which should not be in all cases, you can consider introducing each thought in another paragraph to hold the attention of your recipient step by step. Lumping up thoughts and information will no doubt ensure you hear their bored snores from your office. So, remember to keep it short and simple so it is not confused for some multiple questions examination.

LACKING IMITATION SKILLS– When sending out an email from a professional correspondence, it is very important to understand  and mimic the work attitude & culture of your recipient or the format of all mails received from them. If you have a boss that sends a mail to you like “Hey Dave, why don’t you come on over and let’s hash out those pending budget forecast”, you can certainly respond with “Hi Femi, I’d most certainly be right down in a minute”. If however you have a colleague or boss that sends mails formatted like a presidential speech or one that is meant for ears of the Queen of England -"Dear Manuel, may we have a look at the presentation slides for tomorrow’s board meeting. Kindly bring to the board room if you please", then certainly responding with “Yo Natalie, hold up and I’d be right down with the deal, aiit” will move you down their respect ladder. And when it comes to the content of the mail, it is important that you follow the pace & tune of your recipient. If you are responding to a mail that asked, “May I understand why sales happen to be low this afternoon”, it is important to keep your responses as short so this may not be the best time to explain it was as a result of the head of sales pulling out 20 team members from the work saga which occurred 4 weeks ago. Consider responding with a concise statement such as- “This may be as a result of low staff turnover for today due to the bad weather. However, I suspect this may also be as a result of the system upgrade currently in process”. If the recipient now sends a mail asking you to “explain”, you may then go ahead and compete with the lengthy verse of Alexander Pope’s Rape of the Lock.

Misunderstanding your Recipient: Miscommunication can easily occur because of cultural differences, especially when writing as body languages cannot be read. And in the current global economy where work diversity and inclusion means several workers from different cultures now work closely together, it is important they take time to understand mannerisms and work attitudes to create a great work culture. When you receive a mail, it is perfectly okay to read repeatedly until you get the message. It is a standing joke among my colleagues that when we receive a mail from above, we usually share among ourselves asking one another what they think the message meant. It could be a one liner but we could take several minutes debating on the clarity and if there were any hidden meanings. Tailor your message depending on the receiver's cultural background or how well you know them and their behavioral patterns. Some recipients want immediate responses to any mail sent. Even if you don’t have the answer, simply acknowledge the mail and promise to get back to them. You should understand what your recipient wants and how he/she responds to mails and once you have a good idea what your recipient expects from you, sending mails that’d get & hold the person’s attention will help in getting you through.

Icy Email Alert: Have you ever received a message from a colleague or boss that makes you think of the “world war zombies” or "robocop"? You must find ways to be personable in your mails without sounding like a crush longing for his/her colleague/boss' affection. Leave your humane signature in every email you send out. Let colleagues, bosses or business partners be able to identify your mails even without seeing your name or email address. It could be in the way you use “please” after every request or “kindly” after every task assigned or “thank you” after every request has been fulfilled. Simply show your own humanity and learn to personalize once in a while. Don't get too personal however -"I hope this hot season doesn't make you all sweaty and dripping" just sounds weird & off the beat. If you however receive an email in which your correspondent steps into more personal territory asking after your family or your health, you can take it as a friendly cue and make sure to respond personally but succinctly.

Not Proofreading like Your Life Depends on It: I judge people based on spelling errors. And be rest assured that every email you send to your bosses, colleagues or clients is being proofread even while digesting the information. Reason? The human mind is prone to identifying errors and loopholes. Hence be assured that your mistakes won't go unnoticed by the recipients of your email. Try not to rely on spell checkers and if in doubt, simply leave it out or type the word on Google and it will bring out the correct spelling. Never write a colleague/boss/client's name in small letters nor the names of their companies in small caps.It not only suggests rudeness in some culture, it shows the sender is tacky and not respectful.(I know my Chinese colleagues may take it personal having their names written in small tiny letters) Read and re-read your email a few times like it’s an exam. While working closely with a great boss, I ensure that I proofread my emails religiously and even seek the opinion of other colleagues whether there is a word out of place. It never mattered whether it was a one liner. With him, making spelling or grammar mistakes would have earned me a sarcastic comeback. Everyone in the organisation also knew that. With him, your mails must be devoid of errors, ambiguous meanings and most importantly, very concise. To be certain it is devoid of ambiguity, you can consider reading out aloud to be fully certain. Only then can you hit send.

In my next blog post, I’d be sharing useful communication tips on successful public speaking.

Successful Job-Networking Tips

Hi My name is..........and you are?

Many a job applicant believe the best way to get a good job is by applying to several positions available at once whether or not they qualify for that position. So you find HR professionals receiving resumes from applicants with their email address appearing in BCC: while the applicant’s name appears in the TO: section. This shows the resume was sent as a mass mail. I had once received a resume from a graduate with less than 3 years working experience applying for the role of a CEO of a relatively known organization(well, you have to admire his courage and tenacity however misplaced). Some even go the extreme extent of stalking several contacts holding an HR position in their dream organisation, spamming their mail boxes with “don’t forget me o” mails.

These are unacceptable ways to successfully network for a reliable job either in physical social functions or on professional networking sites. Below are some key tips on how to make the most of job networking and the acceptable ways to search for jobs.

What's your niche?

FIND YOUR NICHE- Having done my fair share of recruitment and job profiling in the past, I discovered that many experienced professionals do not know their skill set even after several years of work experience, nor can they mention their professional areas of expertise where they can excel the most or focus their career path in the long run. I have received tons of resumes and cover letters and what many of the messages these resumes convey is that “I am ready to work anywhere, just employ me and I will be a jack of all trades”. Only an HR professional or an MBA holder is allowed to be a “generalist” in the technical sense and both professional degree holders still have their specialized aspects as an HR Generalist can only function within HR as a generalist while an MBA holder can only concentrate in managing the crucial arms of a business. The first step towards successful networking is for you to have a niche and have vested career interest in one particular field. There may be other areas of interest you have, however, there has to be a primary niche that lights up your eyes and voice with enthusiasm whenever you describe where your career passion lies, especially when you meet an advantageous network partner that can assist in connecting you to your dream job. The last thing a reliable network with good referral wants to hear from a job seeker is “I can work in sales, good in project management, adept in finance, customer service expert, marketing & admin. I also have experience in research”. So before rolling out the speech, identify your core strength(s) and why your job search is tailored towards that aspect. This is where you can refer to the importance of passion and enthusiasm & research in a job search as I discussed in my last post here.

Hmmm, what do I do?

WHAT DO YOU DO –As a job seeker whether experienced or a recent graduate, being able to clearly explain exactly what you do will automatically lift you from a wide pool of other job seekers either to the front row or relegate you to the farthest background. The question “what do you do” is not an avenue for you to say “I am a director of finance operations or I am a regional manager or I am the senior vice president of seriously,who gives a hoot”. The other party will probably just smile artificially or boldly yawn and move on to the next network partner who is well equipped to answer the simple question that was just posed at you. When asked “what do you do”, this is your opportunity to propel yourself to the limelight of your listener(s) so it is very important that you mention and include in your speech what you are really passionate about, something that lights the fire in your eyes when you talk and put the lilt in your voice when describing what you do. This question does not even have to be singularly related to the position you currently hold if you happen to be employed. However, if your current job function is your main area of interest, then consider expanding your job description rather than simply providing only your job title. So when asked the famously misquoted question “what do you do” consider responding like this:

“I currently provide lasting e-solutions for business partners who experience difficulties getting huge customer base to market their products and provide the platform for them to showcase their products/catalogs and also provide marketing solutions for clients who are looking to gain competitive advantage within this marketplace. And doing that has given me an opportunity to build my knowledge regarding business forecasting and sales projection. And in my spare time, I provide online training video tutorials for a specific skill set of entrepreneurs and also give occasional motivational speeches to budding entrepreneurs”

With the above opening, not only will you impress your listeners but you will create a lasting & memorable opening that will lead to further curious “how”, “what”, “where” and other questions that you will invariably get bombarded with. This means your listeners will be able to deduce that outside your job role, you also have other passions and interest which you are putting to good use. So, ensure to brush up on how to answer convincingly and confidently “what do you do”. And guess who they might be contacting should they be needing the services of a public motivational speaker either at a physical location or online?

GET THE EXPERIENCE & THE CASH WILL FOLLOW- Usually, most job seekers either searching for fresh jobs or seeking to change jobs are seeking new positions for only one reason- higher pay. There is nothing wrong with wanting to earn enough money to commensurate with what you are bringing to the table(emphasis on being able to offer exactly what you are asking for as many graduates have an over inflated idea of what they are worth based on their past school fees or the cars they ride & the distance between the company and their residential location.). However, when seeking new positions, it is important that you do not come across as someone seeking a job based on the salary on offer. Because this will suggest to your contact that once another job offer comes with a higher pay, it’s “zoom baby” for you.

And as a rule, however harsh it may seem, I do not process resumes from contacts nor refer contacts for jobs who ask before finding out the job description that “how much is the pay”? This is a turn off question and only very experienced professionals who have an extreme lot to offer in areas of job experience and specialized expertise are allowed to consider the “benjamins” and the perks before signing the contract of employment. For other mid-level or fresh job seekers, it is usually unappealing to ask for the salary band a company is offering before asking what the job actually entails. When networking and you meet a contact who mentions an available position, ask intelligent questions that will suggest you are looking to grow your experience and career path first in that organization. So during the interview, you can now negotiate and explain passionately why you feel you are worth more than what is being offered to you. And based on your level and areas of expertise, many organizations may actually be willing to negotiate higher once they are convinced you are well qualified for the position you are being interviewed for.

And really, wouldn't you rather start on a considerably average level with a company and prove your competency level towards a salary upgrade than start big and be told after some complicated key performance metrics that you are actually being paid much more than what you are giving in return to the company and "the management has reviewed your net pay and have agreed to initiate a cut pay but if however you choose to resign, management will understand"? 

If you fall in the latter, you may refer to the above networking tips once again to prepare you for the job search ahead.

In my next post, I will be sharing tips on email etiquette & effective communication skills in the work place.