Here at A Sales Guy we’re looking for an outside sales, business development badass. As you could prolly figure, we go about it a little different. We don’t ask for a resume and a cover letter. We actually ask people to send us an email outlining why they would be a badass sales person for us and to share their social media presence.

You can see the entire job description here for our Sales Badass. It’s not your typical job description, that’s for sure.

Sadly, less than 10% of the applicants actually follow the direction. We only had 2 of 33 applicants do what we asked. It blows me away.

In addition to those two, I did get an email directly from a guy who was very interested. Here’s the exchange;

Jim, Id like to find out more about Sales Guy, I really want to join your organization. Infact, about two years ago was thinking of starting a company called Sales Guy. Go figure it already exists. Interested!!!!!!! (xxx) xxx-xxxx

Now, if you read the job description, this question is absolutely a waste of time. The job description is fairly robust, including goals and objectives. If there something specific he wanted to know, he should have asked. Also, he’s given me nothing to take the time to talk with him.

To help him out, I responded. He did at least reach out directly. My response;

Sell me then, your note below has given me no compelling reason to invest the time.  

His note didn’t give me any cause to move him forward or invest my time.

This is his response;

Jim, perhaps skills are a little rusty!!! Sold a Million dollars a year of pancake mix at 2.00 a lb cost was .30 cents a lb. sold 15000 lbs a yr in AZ alone. My resume may look fluffy bc it states waffles, however its really skilled and talented description of a real good Sales Guy.

This was his attempt to sell me on his ability to work for A Sales Guy. Seriously?

Look people, a job interview is a sale. All the same rules of sales apply to searching for a job. If you can’t sell yourself, then how are you going to convince the hiring manager you can sell their product or service. This poor guy may have been really “interested!!!!!!” but I don’t think he can sell. It’s that simple. There was nothing he did that said to me, this cat can sell, I need to meet him.

If you find yourself looking for a job, treat it like a sale. Leverage all of your sales talent. Do a discovery call, ask questions, uncover the hiring managers problem, taylor a solution, challenge their assumptions, teach them something new, provide insights etc. A hiring manager is no different than a buyer. They’re just buying a person rather than a product or service. They have a problem that needs to be fixed. They have  goals that need to be reached. And, if you can demonstrate how you can help them get there, then you’re an applicant worth looking at.

The job search process in sales is an audition. It’s one of the few jobs where you get to audition (show your skills) in the process. Why squander it?

Don’t make the mistake this guy made. Give prospective employers something to latch on to. Give them something that says, this person is exactly what I need to get the job done.

And no, I didn’t get back to him again. He blew his chance.