Is there a feeding frenzy out there?

They are circling!

Pictured above are representatives from several leading promotional products distributors who are just waiting for a few "starving" reps to fall by the wayside.

I posed the question about whether or not there is a feeding frenzy out there with respect to companies looking for salespeople to join their firms. Personally I think that there is!

My perspective on this comes from the fact that I spend a good deal of time looking for salespeople to join The Vernon Team. We place ads. We send out emails. We use direct mail in addition to sending out letters. We use word of mouth. We use job or career websites. We have a referral program for suggesting names of individuals who might join Vernon.

We also spend a good deal of time watching what others in the industry are doing and how they are doing it. I know this might sound a little bit like the proverbial "pot calling the kettle black" but who cares here is my two cents on this issue.

It is getting down right nasty out there! The latest fashonable thing to do appears to be to take shots at other companies and their ownership structure. At a recent industry get together there was almost a fight between two of the biggest advertisers in the industry about the truth or "lack of truth" in each of their campaigns. Quite frankly it was embarassing for all who attended this event.

Other recent ads have targeted companies because they are privately held and have been around for a while, passed from generation to generation. I thought longevity of staying in business was a "good" thing. I must have missed the memo!

Way back when when I was just out of college I found myself taking a Dale Carnegie Sales Course. I learned some very valuable things while taking that course but perhaps the most important take away was that you never knock the competition as it makes you look cheap.

Sell your stengths and leave it at that. I only wish some of the others who are placing ads and promoting their companies could have taken that course with me.

Again, I prefaced all of these comments stating that we are recruiting and advertising using the same mediums. And while Vernon has not necessarily been the victim of any of these knocks, other than having successfully passed a business down through four generations (is this a bad thing?) and being called to task for it, I want to ask for a cease fire....

Sell what you have! From my perspective all of these companies have something to sell. Talk to those that are interested about your strengths and what you can do for them. Don't waste your breath on the fact that some company has lawyers involved or not involved in running their organization. Come on... let's all grow up!

There are pros and cons with all of the large distributors out there! Can we all agree on this? I can!

If you are selling any product or service or even just an opportunity to sell promotional products in the marketplace keep the focus on what you do and what you offer. Usually if you lead the discussions this way you will be able to do some direct comparisons with other companies if asked. It is here where you hope that you match up well based on the prospective salesperson's individual's needs.

Are we the best company for candidate A? I don't know as I have not yet talked to him or her. Only after a having an open discussion with the sales prospect will we have some idea as to whether we offer a fit.

And before anyone asks, let me say that many times we recognize early that someone might not be a fit for one reason or another. Understanding this and pointing it out where necessary is the right thing to do. To try and fit a "square peg into a round hole" is not good for anyone.

So at The Vernon Company we are taking the high road. Hopefully others in the industry will follow because it appears that several others are on a different route to their success!