In the world of people, it can be difficult to decipher the B-Players and C-Players, less difficult to figure out the D-Players and F-Players, but when it comes to the top 1% bonafide A-Players of the world, there are key things they do that set them apart from the rest.
#1 They know when to follow the rules:
I am perpetually amazed at how many people don’t know how to follow easy direction. If you have ever applied for a job through A Sales guy Recruiting, you should have noticed at the bottom of the job description are the instructions for applying for the job, and it does NOT include applying on the job board! No matter what position, less than 1% actually follow the instructions.
How exactly do you know if you want a job if you didn’t even read the job description? Indeed’s data analytics state people spend an average of 14 seconds reading a job description before applying. 14 seconds?!
Day after day, people submit the same crap: resume and generic cover letter to the job board. Do you know what I get from this?
…you need a job
…you aren’t all that invested in finding the right job
…your cover letter is actually your first lie to me.
…you don’t know if you are qualified or even interested because you have no idea what you applied for regardless of what you said on your cover letter.
…you are not an A-Player (could be a B-Player, but for sure not a 1%er)
#2 They know when to break the rules:
Let’s stay with the application process…..When you apply for certain positions, there are time-sensitive tasks provided to applicants. Less than 50% of the applicants will actually complete the tasks on time.
BUT, the A-Players of the group either make the time or they break the rules. They have the confidence and professionalism to reach out, explain why they cannot do what we asked or when we asked it by. They take initiative and communicate as a human.
It is shocking to see that most people just give up! They see one small roadblock and do not even consider a detour or different route. They just go home and call it quits.
#3 They Know Their Shit!
When top salespeople go out to sell, they have a thought-out strategy including identifying the best way to get you to walk their line; their path they have created for your success. They figured out your business problems and created solutions. A-players, whether they are in sales or not, approach life like this.
A-Players approach their career with the same tenacity and drive. They have read your website, found your people on LinkedIn, researched your space in the market along with competition. They read and read until they have found your social, your blog, your reviews, everything they can.
When they bring themselves to the table, they already know you, what you need, and how they fit into that plan. Often, they even bring a new plan that you didn’t even think of.
And I have to tell you…when someone brings a baller new plan that solves my business problems…they are hired!