Posted by
Kurt Hoppe on Sat, May 19, 2012 @ 03:55 PM
Ten Tips for an Effective Resume
A carefully constructed resume is just as important to landing your next job as a well-planned meal is to a successful party. One mistake will cause the hiring manager to reject you as an option. Therefore, take your time. Think about your employment history. Make a list of the information you want to include so that your name and experience will rise to the top of the ‘pile’ of resumes the hiring manager receives every week. Focus on the responsibilities you’ve had that relate to the position you’re now applying for.
Get this article as a free PDF document here.
Tip #1: A Heading is Not Just a Job Title
Did you know you have about five seconds to attract an employer’s attention with your resume? To make the most of this time, be sure to include headings that match and relate to the job you’re seeking. For example, “Managed daily operations of a busy Records Department” is better than just “Worked in Records”.
Perhaps you were an administrative assistant to the president of a computer company and were personally responsible for handling correspondence and customer service to over five hundred clients. Which sounds more impressive? “Administrative Assistant,” or “Managed Correspondence and Service to 500 Clients as the Administrative Assistant to Company President”?
In order for your resume to compete with the crowd and win, it must stand out. Then it can command a thorough reading, and will motivate the hiring manager to phone you for an interview, so do your best to make it address the job you want.
Tip #2: Emphasize the Critical Information
Consider the job opportunity that you’re applying for. What are the most important points from your background and experience that should be included, so it will be clear that you’re the one to fill the position? For example, if you want to be hired as a bookkeeper, will it matter that you sold auto parts while working your way through college? That may not be worth emphasizing or even including. But if you were the treasurer of a local community organization, you’re showing relevant experience, so add that, even if it wasn’t a paid position. The experiences that directly relate to the job opening will make the most of an impression.
Take some time to try analyzing the job posting, or look for similar job postings or job descriptions. You may have to seek out competitors of that firm, or try to match the job with a description elsewhere. It is very important that you find out the requirements and skills associated with the position. Be wary because at times the job posting is not written very well, and you may find out the description was off. You could try to call the company to clarify what they’re looking for, but reaching the hiring manager may be difficult. Without knowing the details of the job offered, you won’t be able to address whether you have what it takes to fill the opening.
If your employment history is short (less than ten years, for example) or if you’re a fairly new college or trade school graduate, don’t let that intimidate you. Focus on the jobs you held that highlight the skills related to the one for which you’re applying. Hiring managers want people who are capable and educated in the profession they are seeking to fill. If you have what it takes in terms of talent and experience, even if some of it was through volunteer service, be sure to list it.
Tip #3: Specific Details Make Your Content Desirable.
Avoid simple, generalizing statements such as “helped manage office records”, “drove a delivery truck for thirteen years”, “set up appointments for patients”, or “staged homes for sale for real estate office”. This wording is clear but not specific. By focusing your writing on exact details, you’ll capture the hiring manager’s attention and pique his or her interest in meeting you in person to discuss how you can fill the position they have.
Consider how to replace generalizations with specifics. Here are some ideas that may help:
- Managed office records for ABC Computer Company for five years.
- Lead truck driver for the Northwest Division of XYZ Wholesale Foods, covering 20,000 miles per year over a five-year period.
- Handled all patient appointments, billing, and service calls for Dr. Jackson Billingsley, dentist, for eight years.
- ‘Staged’ over 100 for-sale homes per year for Cloud Nine Realty Company from 2005-2009, using my award-winning decorating skills and knowledge of real estate sales.
- Averaged 25 Toyota sales per month at Don Graff Toyota, and assisted junior sales consultants in closing deals.
- Averaged $75,000 per month in gross profit as a Finance and Insurance Manager of Don Graff Honda.
Hiring managers are looking for people who communicate in specific terms with clarity and purpose.
Tip #4: The Right Action Words Bring Muscle to Your Resume.
Vivid action verbs are the basis of a powerful resume. Words such as condensed, executed, terminated, determined, revised, promoted, approved, confirmed, and others like them will go the distance.
Strong verbs exude strength and conviction when read or stated aloud. You know something occurred. Something positive happened. Something important was accomplished. This is what hiring managers are looking for. They want evidence that you can achieve results; they want to know you made strides in your previous employment and will bring that excellence to the new position if you are hired.
Before sending off your resume, check it for powerhouse verbs and where you find a weak one such as helped, replace it with assisted, or use directed employees instead of gave directions. You get the idea.
Tip #5: Key Words From the Ad Should Be There.
When you see an ad for a job, study it for key words and phrases, not just for general content. For example: “Looking for experienced sales manager to oversee existing sales personnel, train and coach new hires, and report monthly sales statistics to management.”
What are some of the key words and phrases to note? Experienced, oversee sales personnel, train, coach, report to management. Keep them in mind when drafting your resume. Respond to them. For instance, if you wanted this particular job, you’d do well to include in your resume references to your work in sales. Did you train or coach new salesmen and women? Were you responsible for meeting with management each month to report and talk about sales statistics?
The more you tailor your resume to the needs of the hiring manager as expressed in the ad for the job, the closer you’ll be to landing the position.
Tip #6: Emphasize Benefits of Acquiring Your Skills.
It’s important to list your skills and abilities, but it’s even better to display how they have helped grow the organization you currently work for. Mention details that display how your actions produced more income, increased sales, and expanded the company’s presence in the industry to which it belongs. That’s what hiring managers need and want to see. It’s one thing to claim you have skills, but quote another to show that you’ve applied them!
For example, perhaps you were promoted to buyer of sportswear at ABC Department Store. You had a talent for recognizing trends and styles, sizes, and what appealed to your customer base. All well and good; but, how did those traits improve or benefit the store?
If you can show that since you became the buyer, sales in your department increased the first year by 30% and therefore impacted sales for the entire store by such and such a figure, so much the better. Hiring managers are looking for people who can boost the bottom line.
Tip #7: Anticipate and Address Employer’s Unspoken Needs.
Do you want to beat the competition in this tough job market? Then you need to be a sleuth. That’s right. It requires some detective work, meaning anticipating the employer’s hidden requirements. For example, a car salesperson must know the fundamentals of the consultative sales process, how to present features, advantages, and benefits, and how to close a sale. Sales managers generally need to have a cooperative relationship with the accounting personnel, as the two must work together in order to insure accurate reporting of figures. A digital marketing manager would also be in close communication with the public relations department and publicity staff—the employees who are responsible for advertising the company’s products and services.
Therefore, if you’re able to state with confidence and accuracy your ability to work compatibly with people in various related departments, the better your chance of getting the job. And if you can show how these relationships increased the company’s revenue, perhaps through the placement of an ad or by means of a special sales promotion or demonstration for potential customers, then you show yourself to be an invaluable asset to any company.
Tip #8: Create A Professional Image.
Are you ready to move out of your entry-level job as a word processor that pays $12 an hour and replace it with a salaried position as an Executive Administrative Assistant? If so, make sure your resume reflects that added sophistication. Reach for what you want by demonstrating the traits the job requires, traits that will draw the salary you need, want, and are qualified to accept.
State your objective using strong, vivid language that commands attention:
“Seeking a position as an Administrative Assistant making use of my experience: Assisting the Vice President of ABC Insurance Company, a Blue Chip organization in New York City, with client correspondence involving claims in excess of $200,000 monthly.”
However, if you’re not ready to receive a comfortable salary and company benefits, then write something like this:
“Seeking a job as an assistant in the administration department. Excellent word processing skills.”
Tip #9: Prioritize Your Content.
If you want to accomplish some tasks next weekend, chances are you will put them on a list in their order of importance to you. If you don’t prioritize them, chances are they may or not be completed, and some of them, perhaps the ones that matter most, won’t get finished at all.
The same holds true for your resume. List those jobs that are most relevant to the position you’re interested in and do so in their order of importance. For example:
- Managed the front desk and staff of Inn-by-the-Sea Hotel during 2008 and 2009 and reported all activity to the Hotel Manager every Monday morning.
- Served as part-time staff on weekends during 2007-2008 at Ocean Street Motel, responsible for booking rooms and taking reservations for the cafe.
In this example, it’s clearly a priority to display the most important and most recent job first, followed by the less important and earlier related employment.
Tip #10: Adjust the Contents of Your Resume For Each Potential Employer.
It’s easy to take your resume for granted once you write it. You make a gazillion copies and then send or pass them out to potential employers, hiring managers, and friends and colleagues who might know of someone who can help you land the job you want.
However, it’s best not to get too satisfied. It’s worth it to take time to ‘tweak’ your resume for each new contact, making sure that what you’ve written is as relevant to the new position as it can be. Watch the number of interviews increase when you make even small changes. For example, suppose you’ve been an athletic coach at a community recreation facility but are now applying for the job of Sports Consultant (a notch above the position you’ve held) at a recreation facility in another city. You’ve set up your resume to focus on your coaching and consulting skills.
However, before receiving a response on that job, you noticed an ad for a position of Facility Manager—a broader, more encompassing position than either of the other two. To compete for this job, you’ll probably want to tweak your resume so it is more compatible with the tasks required for a general manager of a recreation facility. Therefore, list your management abilities and experience in such a way that they relate to the position you want to fill. For example:
- Supervised all facility activities in manager’s absence.
- Managed a girls’ baseball and basketball team.
- Trained new coaches and oversaw player sign-ups.
Good Luck Achieving Your Career Goals!
Posted by
Kurt Hoppe on Thu, May 17, 2012 @ 01:33 PM
As we continue preparing for our big Hiring Heroes Automotive Employment Expo on June 5-6, we thought our recently returned Veterans could use some career advice. Feel free to read this article or download it from our
Free Resources page.
Tips and Advice from Don Graff and Team
7 Hints for Military Personnel Joining the Civilian Workforce
By: The Don Graff Automotive Team
There is a lot of “logistics” in the transformation from being in the Armed Services to being in the civilian workforce. It is quite a lot to handle, even for a well-organized individual or even with the help of a spouse and family. Here are some tips we’ve researched that you might find useful.
1. Attend a Transition Assistance Program (TAP) workshop
TAP was created to give employment and training information to armed forces members within 180 days of separation or retirement. TAP offers a three-day workshop that all ex-military job seekers should use. The workshop covers the following topics:
- Career exploration
- Job search strategies
- Resume, cover letter, and interview preparation
You can find the participant manual from the TAP workshop in our website’s Free Downloads area.
(http://www.dongraffautomotive.com/dga-free-resource/resume-tips/)
If you’re already out of uniform and TAP workshops are no longer accessible, most states’ Department of Labor and Workforce Development either have a military affairs desk, or you can try to contact the State Department of Military and Veterans Affairs. You can also inquire about obtaining job search assistance for free from One-Stop Career Centers in the area where you reside.
Don Graff Automotive also offers resume advice and interview coaching for no charge at any of our recruiting events or job fairs.
2. Network, network, network.
Applying for jobs online may seem like the most efficient way to get interviews, but the reality is it doesn’t work well. For any job opening advertised on Monster.com, CareerBuilder.com, and sites like them, recruiters are bombarded with hundreds, and possibly thousands of applicants. In order to secure an advantage and get seen or heard first, it’s essential to network.
Start with veterans who are now in the corporate world. By joining veteran support groups or associations, you will be able to connect with like-minded people. Don’t rush to ask for a job, because if there’s no job available, the remaining time becomes one big letdown. Instead, take time to know the person. Ask how they approached the transition from a military to civilian career. Only at the end of the conversation is it okay for you to ask whether or not they are aware of any job openings.
Getting involved with industry headhunters is also helpful, because your resume would go into a database that is constantly searched to match you with opportunities. Don Graff Recruiting is always on the lookout for people interested in joining the automotive industry, and we are always searching for the right opportunity to fill with a military Veteran. You might also find that working with a independent recruiters and headhunters is beneficial, because if you become unhappy with a job you decided to take, they can refer you to hiring opportunities more quickly than if you searched yourself.
3. Connect with recruiters and headhunters who focus on military to civilian transitions.
Two of the key leaders in the field include Lucas Group and Bradley Morris. Lucas Group has helped 25,000 officers and technicians to transition from military service into civilian careers, usually matching more junior personnel with technical and sales roles, and senior personnel with director of business development roles. Bradley Morris is another military-focused headhunter that boasts a 96% customer satisfaction rate.
Connecting with your local veterans support organizations will also help, because they are often approached by local organizations, such as Don Graff Recruiting, to help promote events designed specifically for Veterans and their spouses who are looking for work. Many of them also have direct relationships with regional companies whose recruiters have partnered up or offering targeted job offers that they want Veterans to fill. An example of this partnership is Crestron Electronics, who has an On The Job Training program running with the Rockland County NY veterans organization ROCKVETS, as a veteran recruiting initiative.
4. Find military-friendly employers
Numerous employers appreciate the skills, attitudes and moral qualities ex-military personnel bring to a civilian job. Furthermore, you’re likely to find co-workers who formerly served in the military, who can mentor you as you get acclimated into your new working environment. Large companies such as Home Depot, General Electric, and Proctor and Gamble actively recruit former military personnel.
A lot of Veterans find that trying their hand at Auto Sales or working in an Internet Call Center provide a learning laboratory where earnings are good and they get to refine their people skills. Some auto dealerships are very welcoming to military Veterans, because owners or managers have prior military service themselves, or have a connection to someone in the military.
5. Think about what skills translate into a civilian job
How can you describe your military experience as it would relate to how your skills would benefit a employer in a corporate role? Consider these examples:
- If you trained over 200 people on the Bradley Fighting Vehicle, think how your training preparation, delivery, and results could apply in a corporate classroom setting.
“By following specified processes and procedures, and preparing for each training session, I successfully instructed hundreds of Soldiers over six-week cycles on the technical and tactical aspects of the Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicle, with an examination first-time pass rate of 95%.”
- If you helped the Navy save $5 million through administering a number of government travel accounts, think how this experience could apply to a financial controller position.
“In oversight of 37 government travel accounts, I analyzed weekly spending trends compared to public pricing and recommended alternatives which saved the Navy over $5 million in expenditures and administrative costs associated with the travel programs.”
- If you were in charge of an aircraft repair department, think how the Six Sigma principles you learned could apply to a manufacturing or operations job.
“By using Six Sigma principles, I managed an aircraft repair unit and achieved a project completion rate of 95% on priority work, and completed all projects 97% of the time.”
6. Adjust from military to corporate speak
A key to starting out in your new civilian career is fitting in. Not only do you have to demonstrate the right skills for the role you’ll be filling, but you also need to adopt the right body language and speech. Here are a few examples:
- Avoid military jargon as best as you can. Rather than say you were the “black swan” expert, explain that you developed contingency plans for rare events.
- Change from using military time to civilian time. Europeans typically still use a 24-hour clock system for certain industries, but everyone understands civilian time. Therefore, instead of confirming an interview for sixteen hundred hours (16:00), use 4 PM.
- While most people appreciate the respect a formal “sir” or “ma’am” represents, there is no need to address your professional contacts that way on a regular basis. You can typically address them by their first name.
7. Play up your strengths as an ex-military candidate.
Military veterans are known for precise communication, individual accountability, impeccable execution and natural leadership. All four skills are in high demand, regardless of the type of work or position being filled. Don’t forget to highlight these qualities during an in-person interview. Give yourself credit for strengths that many non-military job candidates lack. Other key skills that you possess which would make a difference include: poise, ingenuity, and ability to handle stressful situations well.
Good luck in starting your new career!
Posted by
Don Graff on Mon, May 14, 2012 @ 10:36 AM
Don Graff Automotive has been invited to speak to the elite of online automotive dealers at the Borgata in Atlantic City.
Save The
Date: June 19, 2012!
We will be there as participants in the Mosley Automotive Training 8th Annual Online Sales Success Workshop. As our special guest, Bruce Polkes from IntellaCar will also be participating, to discuss the importance of turning your showroom customers' experience into that of a visit to the Apple Store. Your team can't afford to miss all the great speakers lined up for the workshop!
Are you interested in learning how to improve your sales through the Internet? Click Here for More Information and to Register.
"We're very excited to be participants in this workshop, and to be a local company available to offer our consulting, recruiting and training services to the best of the best dealerships in the area," said Don Graff, the principal of Don Graff Automotive.
"As technology to retrieve information quickly is placed in the hands of the consumer, our showrooms and sales professionals need their own competitive edge. Along with Bruce Polkes and our partners at IntellaCar, we believe that a powerful tool now exists on the iPad platform, which will keep the focus on what's important. IntellaCar allows the sales consultant to have all the information they need at their fingertips, while being able to effectively present and close their customers."
"Customers can not only carry information on your product with their smartphones and tablets, but can access your competition's inventory online. IntellaCar represents a powerful closing tool when coupled with a sales team that has the right training and understands how to position their product in a positive way," added Graff.
Don Graff Automotive provides outsourced recruiting and consulting services to Auto, Truck, Motorsports and RV dealers. The company is also partnered with technology and marketing companies that provide complementary services to improve your dealership's online presence and reputation.
DGA Consulting | DGA Recruiting | DGA Training | DGA Digital Services (Google AdWords Certified)
Auto E Technologies | Transparent Dealer .com | IntellaCar
Contact Vic Turselli, National Director of Sales and Business Development for more information.
1-866-980-0202 / Vic@DonGraffMarketing.com
Posted by
Kurt Hoppe on Fri, May 11, 2012 @ 04:49 PM
News Update: DGA Welcomes Additional Sponsors to the Hiring Heroes Automotive Employment Expo
The build up to Don Graff Automotive's Hiring Heroes event is in full swing! We are proud to be welcoming the following companies and organizations to the event:
New Jersey State Department of Military and Veterans' Affairs (NJ DMVA) - Representatives from the DMVA will be on hand during the June 5th general session (between 1PM and 7PM) to provide returning Veterans with information on securing their government health benefits and how to access the Veterans' Administration (VA) health programs available in the area.
AutoZone (http://www.autozone.com), a local parts and services retailer with a number of New Jersey and New York locations, has committed to send representatives to the event!
Somerset Tire Service (http://www.ststire.com), a local tire retailer, with multiple locations across New York and New Jersey, has decided to join our event!
And... if anyone is thinking about getting a jumpstart on education or using some G.I. Bill money to take some courses while transitioning back into the workforce, we have:
Lincoln Technical Institute (http://www.lincolntech-usa.com) will be joining us to share information about their educational offerings.
And Last, but not Least...
DeVry University (http://www.devry.edu) has also elected to participate in our event!
We thank all of our participants and registration is still open for interested companies and veterans, so please tell your friends!
(#DGAHiringHeroes)
Employers May Register Online - Click Here
For Veterans - Advance Register Here
Posted by
Kurt Hoppe on Fri, May 04, 2012 @ 11:30 AM
After reading Brian Pasch's insightful blog post about dealers' egos and how they can be hobbling their own successes (see here), I got to thinking about this subject in greater detail.
I've already replied to that post that our industry is really coming up short on success because of the limitations imposed by some styles of leadership. But there may also be a deeper issue - one that is the cause of many dealership headaches and lamentations:
Does the Dealer/Dealership truly value their staff?
Here is why I ask the question. When you operate a service business, you are in the business of creating relationships with people. That being said, success would be a direct result of how many people you can engage, how many you can sell a product/service to, and how many either become your champion or come back and consume more of your product/service.
How important, then, as a primary selling point of your business, is the aspect of your own staff?
How many times does a Dealer's stated Value Proposition tell about how many employees are on hand to service the customer's needs? How many combined years of technician experience in the service shop? How many years has the sales force and management been selling? How much value does the store put in its own staff? Does a Dealer realize that when they complain about high turnover, that people leave or get fired because not enough value is being placed on training them, retaining them, or helping them get motivated to succeed?
Don Graff and I had a brief conversation on the way to lunch one day with Jeff Bonnell, the principal of TransparentDealer.com, one of our partners at Don Graff Automotive (www.DonGraffAutomotive.com). He was talking about how dealers who embrace putting a lot of emphasis on who their salespeople are (both in and out of work) tend to get more social attention when happy customers share who their salesperson was. As that social sprawl happens, more explorers come to the store's website, and a marked increase of floor traffic say that they came because they got a chance to "know" their sales consultant a bit better and realized that they were a nice person and someone they thought they should work with. The customers then relate better with the salesperson and there's less "first-sight animosity". Deals tend to be a little easier afterwards.
Customers share, through Facebook and Twitter, how happy they are with a new purchase, so why not give them the ability to really highlight the sales consultant(s) or manager(s) that did such an awesome job of serving them?
I blogged on our company site (see here) about how Salespeople can at least start their own electronic Brag Book by creating a personal Facebook Fan Page. That is a grassroots way for the individual to promote themselves. But, there are limitations to Facebook, especially when happy customers may want to Google or Bing their salesperson's name to recommend them to a friend.
I say that a dealership's key staff, Salespeople, Managers and Service Advisors, maybe even the Internet/BDC team, make up a huge part of the character of the dealership. They certainly merit more than one photo (without SEO-friendly alt text) on a page, buried at the bottom of the About Us menu.
But the kicker is, the upper managers may not see things the same way. The ego comes into play because, as the dealership principal, I might say, "My value proposition is based on all the money I spend to make my dealership the way I think my customers want it." Of course, there is no mention of the importance of my team of people that make those sales happen every day.
What I should be saying is, "My total value proposition involves the investments I make in my facility, providing value-added products and services that my customers want, and the investments I make in the skills of my team. The sales consultant or service advisor or Internet call center agent that you talk to is so important to me, that I do everything I can to train them well, give them the skills to make your customer service experience second to none, and celebrate them as individuals. Because without them, I would have no ability to do business with you, my valued customer or prospect."
If a principal can't make that statement, then it's pretty certain we know where their ego lies.
That's my two cents. (And if you rub them together, you'll have two cents.)
Thanks for reading!
Posted by
Kurt Hoppe on Tue, May 01, 2012 @ 08:14 PM
Don Graff Automotive is pleased to announce the launch of our Free Resources content on our website, http://www.dongraffautomotive.com.
Our team of consultants and content writers are busy adapting our existing course materials into useful documents and job aids for the automotive industry professional.
Click Here to explore the Free Downloads library categories.
We're excited to be able to offer materials that help dealership professionals advance their careers, and this library is a vital part of our website expansion, as we evolve in the types of training Don Graff Automotive is positioned to offer clients and individuals who seek a successful career in the retail automotive business.
If you're considering joining the Don Graff Automotive Dealership Cultural Revolution, check out our website at www.dongraffautomotive.com, or contact us today!
Posted by
Kurt Hoppe on Thu, Apr 19, 2012 @ 08:22 AM
Turbocharge Your Self-Marketing with Facebook!
Who remembers being told in Auto Sales 101 that you needed to carry around a brag book to show your future customers? In my travels around the dealer world, I still see plenty of salespeople who leverage the power of the brag book to sell themselves and their expertise, and many supposed "old hands" who can't be bothered.
Let's talk a moment about taking the brag book into the 21st Century!
What's a Brag Book?
According to www.SalesCareer.net: "A sales brag book is a collection of your accomplishments, awards, ranking and basically anything that helps you prove your value when interviewing for a sales job opportunity. This is a very important self marketing tool to have and continually develop as you progress in your career." (see full article)
The brag book is a great tool for you to sell yourself to every new customer, as they interview you in order to decide who gets their sale. It should be a binder where you keep printed articles about your dealership's products, useful information for customers (like the current incentives and offers), and most importantly, evidence to show why the customer should buy from YOU. If you have happy customer photos and thank you letters, dust them off and put them into your brag book.
It's also a great "leave-behind" to keep your customer occupied while you pull up a demo car or work deals at the desk.
Here at Don Graff Automotive, in our Sales Consultant "Fast Start" process training, we address the importance of all the ways you can brand yourself to position yourself at the top of the heap when a customer thinks about who they should buy their next car from.
The 21st Century Brag Book...
So, a lot of us already know about Facebook. I'll bet some of you reading this even have a fan page for some sort of hobby or group that you're a part of outside of work. Why not create a fan page for your business self?
In Facebook, you are not currently limited to one fan page when you start an account. So, you should first set up your Facebook user profile, and keep your friends and acquaintances there.
Then, go through the steps of creating yourself a fan page. Once you have your fan page set up, you can start building a fan base out of your customers. Share photos of your happy customers, post links to car articles, and upload videos of you demonstrating your product!
Your fan page can be a separate channel to only communicate with customers and not get your actual friends mad at you for putting car stuff all over your Facebook Wall or Timeline.
Don't forget to post happy reviews from DealerRater.com about you on your fan page!
And then, take it mobile...
Once you have a lot of slick automotive content and your happy customers joining your fan page, use it as your new brag book! Put it on your iPad and show it to new customers, or bring it up on a showroom computer so your people can see other people that bought from you.
Your personal auto sales business will take off if you inject your energy and compelling marketing. So brand yourself and use the resources at your fingertips!
To learn more about social media tips, sales consultant training, and IntellaCar, the most advanced car selling technology for the iPad, contact Don Graff Automotive today!
Send your Facebook questions to: Kurt@dongraffmarketing.com!
Posted by
Kurt Hoppe on Wed, Apr 18, 2012 @ 07:32 PM
We're proud to announce a Platinum event Co-Sponsor, the Doubletree Hilton hotel and New York Steakhouse in Mahwah! They are graciously donating their space for us to hold the event, and we cannot express enough our appreciation for their help in providing us the venue to serve our great Veterans!
Watch our blog and Facebook pages for photos of the venue!
If you're looking for a great place to hold your corporate meeting or event, please give the Doubletree Hilton hotel and New York Steakhouse and Pub your consideration! Visit the Doubletree Online!
Posted by
Kurt Hoppe on Tue, Apr 10, 2012 @ 11:07 PM
Announcing the
DON GRAFF AUTOMOTIVE
Hiring Heroes Employment Expo
June 5-6, 2012
Doubletree by Hilton Hotel & Conference Center
180 Route 17 South, Mahwah, NJ 07430
There will be NO CHARGE to our honored Veterans to attend this event!
It is our way of saying THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE!
Click the Doubletree's map to get directions from Google
Join our mailing list or watch this webpage for updates.
Posted by
Don Graff on Mon, Apr 09, 2012 @ 06:47 AM
Understanding a Personal SWOT Analysis
Posted by Kurt Hoppe,
Technology Performance Consultant
A SWOT (which stands for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) analysis for employees entails a self-evaluation of a person’s strengths and weaknesses. In addition, the employee must evaluate their opportunities and threats. The employee’s strengths and weaknesses are essentially internal factors, which an employee can make changes to. Opportunities and threats are considered external factors, for which the employee has less control. However, a SWOT analysis for an employee can help that person better understand or deal with certain external factors in their work life.
Significance
The SWOT analysis for an employee begins with an evaluation of the individual’s strengths. An employee should write down all of the things that they feel make them successful in the work space. Examples of strengths can be lots of consultative sales experience, and even strong oral and written communication skills. The key for evaluating strengths is comparing individual skills versus other employees of the same pay grade. For our industry, we should also consider strengths involved in doing an employee’s specific job, and how they define what the job requires, because if the definition of the job is not consistent, then nobody is doing the job consistently and should be trained to a new standard.
The next phase of the SWOT analysis for an employee includes evaluating and recording various weaknesses. An employee’s weakness can be a lack of experience in a certain job duty. For example, a Sales Consultant may not know how to write effective e-mail while selling in an Internet environment. Consequently, this employee may need to ask another person for help sending e-mail, or they rely solely on templates and do not engage the customers directly. This lack of technical/communication skill can render the employee more vulnerable to a downsizing, if the company needs to cut jobs. This would be especially the case if other sales consultants are highly effective in that area.
Identification
The third phase of the SWOT analysis is for the employee to identify certain opportunities in their current job. These represent ways the employee can improve on their job performance or a new pipeline for income. For example, the employee may discover that the dealership is selling a specialized vehicle or service in the showroom. This may require specific training or the ability to work on a select team instead of the general showroom. In addition, the employee may have an opportunity to improve computer skills through company-paid training. These skills could potentially make the employee more valuable to the company.
Threats are usually the fourth phase of the individual SWOT analysis. In general, these are the perceived roadblocks to success. Threats can include a decrease in company sales and profits, new technology from competitors, and even a potential takeover of the company. Any external threat that affects the company can potentially threaten an employee’s career. An increased workload can also be a potential threat, which can inevitably have an effect on an employee’s performance.
Prevention/Solution
An employee’s primary goal for conducting a SWOT analysis is to determine ways to secure their future with the company, and to improve their chances of getting promoted. This can be accomplished by using the SWOT analysis to match certain internal factors, such as strengths and weakness, with external factors like opportunities and threats. For example, a manager’s leadership skills, a strength, may help get promoted to General Sales Manager, an opportunity. Contrarily, an employee that has no college degree, a weakness, may pursue a degree if the company starts requiring a degree for the job, a threat.
Consultant Assistance
In the dealership environment, having your Don Graff Automotive Consultant assist with a personal SWOT analysis would help lead to specific, personalized Action Plans that management can use to hold individual employees accountable for improving or changing their performance on the job. When Action Plans for individuals in the same job function can slowly merge into a unified, consistent process, the culture of that job will change for the better.
What Questions?
Every employee has basic job functions, and it is up to the employee’s understanding of their job and expectations, to be able to understand a personal SWOT analysis. For example, a Sales Consultant should be able to answer the following questions about their job:
Strengths/Weaknesses:
- What do you consider your personal strengths?
- What do you think you can improve about yourself? (Weaknesses)
- What is the essential process of your job?
- What do you perform well in the process of your job?
- How do you handle objections from your customers?
Opportunities/Threats:
- Are you happy with the income you earn?
- What things could you improve or do to increase your income?
- What roadblocks do you encounter which prevent you from making a change?
- Can you work better with employees that affect your income?
- What employee-driven issues hold you back?
Are you ready to embrace your Dealership Cultural Revolution? Contact Don Graff Automotive to learn more about analyzing your employees and how to improve their job performance.
1-866-980-0202 or www.dongraffautomotive.com
