As I Continue to Reflect During My Job Search – Chapter 1

Introduction

I am going to use this story/blog to kill two birds with one stone. I was asked to write down my two biggest wins, which will follow below. However, no story has context without a good introduction, scene setting if you will. The very nature of how these stories are presented is in a small way, a look into the psyche of the writer. 

It is hard to quantify a life experience accurately and as many before me have discovered, this is never brought into sharper focus then when looking for a later in life career change. The job seeker quickly discovers that they fit some of the criteria, some of the time. They further discover that they fall into one, two or perhaps three job title categories and could be viewed as a generalist or a specialist dependent on the readers point-of-view.  

The next great hurdle is the application process; it is time to become familiar with the many applicant tracker systems (ATS) used by most mid to large size companies. These systems herd applicants through a rigid question and answer format that averages out the applicant in the hope of finding the best average applicant with subjectivity dissuaded along the way!

It is true these ATS systems have become faster and more efficient, making an application event quicker, but to my mind and through experience as both a job seeker and job poster, they do little to help identify the best fit. Some corporate recruiters may balk at this, and I should point out at this juncture that I have met some excellent ones, but there are always diamonds cast away as paste in the early review rounds. 

As I started my journey, I realized I needed advice from people who had either already climbed this metaphorical mountain or had a very good view of it from afar. I needed help from my former colleagues, recruitment specialists, and from friends and family. Together this group helps you ‘shake the tree’, helps you remember all you have done, and the extremely valuable lessons you have learned.  This website was the suggestion of a recruitment specialist, it is the safety net that catches all the information that does not fit into the dreaded ATS.

So, here goes….

Big Win Number One

During my time working for Watt Gilchrist in the mid 1990’s, there became a point where the scheduling and production tracking software needed to be replaced due to it being on an outdated and soon to be unsupported technology platform. I was an Associate Director at the time looking after the sales and major accounts of the business. I worked with operations, then lobbied and ultimately won the support of the board to create our own platform, but with the caveat that it had to be web based and have the ability for customers to login and enter data.  This may be common now, but it was simply unheard of in packaging graphics at the time; we were told we were crazy more than once. This platform was called ODIN (online digital information network) and it quite simply revolutionized our business. The company went from an internal system tracking our own process to being a full-blown packaging launch management company in five years. ODIN grew by allowing our customers to manage the pre-production process, such as pack-copy, through the portal. Watt Gilchrist is now known as Sun Strategy; it has pivoted from a skilled production business to a creative and process management business; from skilled to intellectual. ODIN is a very large part of this change, and it is unlikely the business would have survived as a stand-alone entity without it.  From a tangible standpoint, Gilchrist’s revenue increased 30% and margins rose by 5%.

Big Win Number Two

General Parts had for some time been changing its customer relationships. Traditionally it had been an agent to foodservice equipment manufacturers, therefore having little need for traditional prospecting sales and marketing. Along with many other businesses in many other industries, General Parts saw the wisdom and security of moving into more direct end user sales relationships. This was under way as I joined the company, and was meeting several challenges. Firstly, there was a general lack of familiarity as to who General Parts was in newer markets; our very name was hampering us from a recognition point of view, especially online. Parallel to this, local market management were used to playing the role of an agent rather than a relationship owner. My role in helping the company develop was initially in two areas, firstly I rebranded the company with a new logo and added the word ‘Group’ to the name, as well as the text Foodservice Equipment Support. This was an enormous help in general recognition but was especially powerful online in our SEO efforts. Secondly, a change in selling style was needed. My role here was to help frame the differences between transactional selling and relationship selling. I worked with the VP of Sales to develop a more holistic ‘whole lifecycle’ offer as well as sales tracking, targeting, and reporting. When I joined General Parts there were nine locations, when I left there were 29. Revenue had risen by $30 million, and we held direct relationships in multiple markets, with many of America’s most recognized restaurant chains.

Final Thoughts

I am lucky to have worked with some extremely talented people during my career. My role has been to connect the dots, to see the value around me, harness it and help the company as a whole move forward. In connecting the dots, you must have a good sense of what is marketable. You must know your customer and know your product, and when I say ‘know’, I really mean ‘experience’.

Data is vital in modern business, but it has not and never will supplant the physical needs and uses of a product or service. The adage of ‘people buy from people first’ still stands, even for digital products. Customers will always need to know that you ‘get them’, you listen to them, and you will put right whatever needs to be putting right. Show empathy and give empowerment, all day, every day, that’s the secret sauce.

So, what is my job title? I’ll leave that to you, the reader to decide!

For invaluable support and guidance on Big Win One thanks to Jack Taylor and Paul Bean, for Big Win Two thanks to Bruce Hodge and Jeff Weber Sr.