How to Lose a Client in 10 Days

This is a shout out to all my fellow sales people.  You know that feeling of bliss and utter excitement when after weeks, months or in some cases even years you finally nailed it – You landed a new customer – Right now nothing else in the world matters, you are soaring high. . .

I urge you to come back down to reality for a couple of minutes and face the harsh reality of a little thing called CUSTOMER RETENTION & AFTER SALE SERVICE.

Ever hear the saying it costs seven times more to find a new client that it is to retain them?  I can hear a lot of you go – blah, blah, blah – Wake up! This is true.  Dissatisfied clients will tell twice as many people, as satisfied clients about their experience, and do correct me if I’m wrong, but don’t many of us rely on referrals and word-of-mouth?

On a weekly basis I hear of what a war zone it is out there in the recruitment world, how people take swords out of their backs, how the recession has had a devastating impact on their business, this is where I go – blah, blah, blah – no offense, but is it just me, or has poor customer service become increasingly more acceptable to South Africans both from a receiving and handing out point of view.

You would think that all the work we have to put into landing a new client, we would hang onto them for dear life.  Most try and many succeed, but a lot of clients are still lost every day, by Companies who didn’t think too hard and long about what they needed to do to keep them.  One of the biggest challenges facing any business is maintaining a balance.  More often than not, more emphasis is put on getting new business than serving existing clients.

Many of you may think that your clients are loyal and that you have such a great relationship, perhaps even a personal one, again, if you want loyalty, buy a dog.

The only thing that will set you apart from your competitor is good, no, Excellent Customer Service.

Here are a few things to keep in mind:

• Strive for zero defect
• 68% of customers are lost due to the attitude of people, only 9% because of price
• Customers expect a product or service to measure up to their demands, make sure you exceed expectation
• Treat your customer as a person of value every time
• Should anything go wrong, correct it in an open friendly manner – no need to be hostile or shift blame
• Don’t make false promises – behavior breeds behavior –
• Make sure your staff are adequately trained and motivated
• Do unto others, as you would like done unto you
• A customer retention policy, should be driven from the top down with consistency across the board
• Combine high tech with high touch – your customer is NOT a number

Remember this one thing; a commitment to quality and service pays.

You don’t want to find yourself losing your customers quicker than you can say – EXCELLENT CUSTOMER SERVICE-!

Written by Cathy Gillmer – Jobs.co.za

10 Things Job Seekers look for in a job ad.

A Job Seekers Plea …

Dear Recruiter

I write this letter with the best intent and I sincerely hope that you can understand where this is coming from.  This letter is presented to you to better understand what a person like me (i.e. a Job Seeker is looking for in a job advertisement).

So without further delay let’s kick of the list of 10 things jobseekers look for in a Job advertisement:

1.  Job Title:

Job title is always a good start… it tells me what I will be doing for your company to make the company run like a well oiled machine, and thus be profitable.

2. Company / Client Name:

Please inform be who I will be working for. Come on there is no life threatening reason why your company / client name should be the best kept secret since the Coke a Cola recipe.  This way I can do some research about the company and be more prepared for my interview, which will mean that you’ll be able to hire me on the spot without delay and save time and money by not interviewing endless amount of Job Seekers.

3.  Location of the Position:

Location, location, location… If you just list ‘Gauteng’ as the location that leaves my mind to wonder, and that is a very dangerous thing.  Gauteng is a vast space of real estate and guess work is not by strongest point!  Let me know the location so I can start planning the shortest route to work to prevent always having to blame the traffic for being late for work.

4.  Salary Range & Benefits:

Is this job going to be worth my while?  This is the type of question I ask when I look at the job. The salary – and of course additional benefits – is always a top selling point, even if it just says that there is a coffee stand close to my desk (a major plus for any worker, caffeine keeps us peppy and happy staff are profitable staff).

5.  Job Requirements:

Am I qualified for this job?  I need numbers and minimum qualifications please… Minimum number of years experience to know how well qualified I am for this position.

6.  Job Description:

What are my duties?  How will my performance be measured?  What can I do for you and how can I add value to your business?

7.  Short listing questions:

Challenge me with some good questions regarding the job spec.  Let me prove to you that I’m suitable for this position by asking me a couple of challenging questions when I apply to the position.

8.  More useful information:

Please tell me more about my working conditions.  What kind of company will I be spending most of my day with?  Who will I be reporting to?  Let me get to know the company before I apply so that you and I know that I already appreciate your culture and business environment, hence I don’t waste your time in applying if I am not the right fit.

9.  Etiquette:

Please refrain for using CAPITAL letters and too many exclamation marks throughout the job spec. I know that you are very excited to hire a great Job Seeker like me, but this will seem to me that you are shouting at me before you’ve even hired me. Let’s be honest, the shouting may only start once you’ve actually hired me (and of course if I’ve done something wrong, which won’t happen because I’ll be peppy due to all the coffee you have provided me).

10.  Conclusion:

If you can please follow these guidelines then I’ll have all the information that I need to prepare my application to the best of my ability so as not to dissappoint you either before or after the job interview.

Also please be so kind as to let me know whether I was successful (or not) in my application.  There is nothing worse for us Job Seekers so as not to get feedback on the status of our application.  Please, Please, Please at least do us the courtesy of letting us know.

Thank you for your time to read my plea.

Hope to here for you soon.

Best regards

All Job Seekers Everywhere.

Written by Hane Calitz, Jobs.co.za

Social Media Jobs

On CBC News: Ottawa at Six (June 16, 2009)

How To Use Social Media To Get A Job

The credit’s crunched, the recession is biting and certain jobs are getting harder and harder to come by, especially by the traditional means of finding employment. To get ahead of the game you need to utilize the social media world in your quest for another job. That’s right, Facebook, Twitter and Linkedin can all help you to find that next pay-check… here’s how!

Step 1:

Clean Up Your Profile

First things first, clean up your profiles across all the social media sites you use.

Remove any inappropriate photos, comments and applications that might give someone the wrong impression!

Once you’re happy with everything, make sure your profiles are all set to be accessible publicly.

Step 2:

Twitter

As more and more people are using it for business purposes, Twitter has become one of the ultimate recruitment tools.

Many of the recruitment agencies that use Twitter have an RSS feed which you can find a link to on their Profile pages. Simply follow the prompts and subscribe to their feed so you’ll be instantly informed when new jobs are posted.

Its Important that you regularly communicate on Twitter with other users if you want to build online relationships that might bear fruit in the jobs market. As well as using hashtags in your own posts you should also re-tweet comments by people you want to develop connections with.

Step 3:

LinkedIn

Recruiters are starting to use LinkedIn as one of their primary means to source candidates so getting a profile up and running is a must if you want to be ahead of the crowd.

Once you’ve completed your profile there two key things to do to increase your chances of finding work through LinkedIn. Increase your number of connections and get some recommendations.

The easiest way to start making connections is to import your contacts from Outlook or Gmail and see if anyone you know is already on LinkedIn. If they are simply find their profile and click to add them to your network. By adding connections, you increase the likelihood that people will see your profile first when they’re searching for someone to hire or do business with.

The other way to increase your employability is to get people to recommend you. If you have a former employer or friend already on LinkedIn, you could ask them if they would mind recommending you. This simply adds a little thumbs up icon to your profile that prospective employers will be able to see when they search for job candidates.

Step 4:

Facebook

Whilst one of the biggest social media sites on the internet, Facebook mostly caters to personal networking rather than businesses. However, there are things you can do to try and utilize Facebook to your advantage in the quest for employment.

The main tool at your disposal is Facebook’s Social Ad’s. These allow individuals and businesses to advertise via Facebook’s news feed, meaning that your ad will spread through all of your friends mini-feeds in a ‘word-of-mouth’ friendly way.

Its important to get your Social Ad right. The title is the most important piece of the ad as it has the most text emphasis. Try to be specific and toute your skills.
Next select an appropriate image, something professional but personal would be ideal.
Finally your description should be concise, no more than 25 words for instance, giving the viewer a quick overview of who you are, what you do and what job you would like.

Once you create your Ad, link it to your facebook page, and also your LinkedIn profile or Twitter account to have the maximum impact.

And there you have it, all the knowledge and advice you need to find employment using Social Media sites!

Thanks for watching our video How To Use Social Media To Get A Job For more how to videos, expert advice, instructional tips, tricks, guides and tutorials on this subject, visit the topic Starting A Job Search

Source: www.videojug.com

Urgent Jobs on Jobs.co.za – Apply Now!

Advertising Telesales Consultant
South Africa – Gauteng – Bryanston
Salary: R7000.00 to R10000.00 MONTHLY

SEO Developer
South Africa – Western Cape – Cape Town
Salary: R15000.00 to R18000.00 MONTHLY

Senior Linux Systems Administrator
South Africa – Gauteng – Bryanston
Salary: R360000.00 to R440000.00 ANNUALLY

Customer Services Manager
South Africa – Gauteng – Johannesburg
Salary: R40000.00 to R45000.00 MONTHLY

Retail Branch Manager
South Africa – Mpumalanga – Hazyview
Salary: R17000.00 to R25000.00 MONTHLY

Senior C/C Developer
South Africa – Gauteng – Sandton
Salary: R5000.00 to R50000.00 MONTHLY

Brand Manager
South Africa – Gauteng – Bryanston
Salary: R400000.00 to R500000.00 ANNUALLY

IT Sales Executives
South Africa – Gauteng – Midrand
Salary: R18000.00 to R25000.00 MONTHLY

Sales Executive – Car Care/Motor Industry
South Africa – Gauteng – Randburg
Salary: R6000.00 to R10000.00 MONTHLY

External Junior Sales Reps
South Africa – Gauteng – Sandton
Salary: R4000.00 to R6000.00 MONTHLY

Java Developer
South Africa – Gauteng – Sandton
Salary: R15000.00 to R30000.00 MONTHLY

Vehicle Branding Sales Executive
South Africa – Western Cape – Cape Town
Salary: R10000.00 to R20000.00

Account Manager – PR
South Africa – Gauteng – Randburg
Salary: R10000.00 to R15000.00 MONTHLY

Office Automation Sales Agents
South Africa – Gauteng – Sandton
Salary: R5000.00 to R10000.00 MONTHLY

Graduate Finance Clerk
South Africa – Gauteng – Rivonia
Salary: R10000.00 to R10000.00 MONTHLY

Sales & Marketing Manager
South Africa – Gauteng – Roodepoort
Salary: R45000.00 to R55000.00 MONTHLY

Health Service Manager
South Africa – Gauteng – Sandton
Salary: R30000.00 to R30000.00 MONTHLY

Vehicle Branding Sales Executive
South Africa – KwaZulu-Natal – Durban
Salary: R10000.00 to R20000.00 MONTHLY

Web Graphic Designer (CS3)
South Africa – Gauteng – Randburg
Salary: R15000.00 to R20000.00 MONTHLY

Receptionist / WIP Controller
South Africa – Gauteng – Johannesburg
Salary: R5000.00 to R7500.00 MONTHLY

Graduate Finance Clerk
South Africa – Gauteng – Rivonia
Salary: R10000.00 to R10000.00 MONTHLY

Storeman
South Africa – Gauteng – Randburg
Salary: R6000.00 to R9000.00 MONTHLY

Online Advertising Sales Executive
South Africa – Gauteng – Randburg
Salary: R8000.00 to R8000.00 MONTHLY

Sales Representative – Courier Industry
South Africa – Gauteng – Johannesburg
Salary: R15000.00 to R25000.00 MONTHLY

Graduate Finance Clerk
South Africa – Gauteng – Rivonia
Salary: R10000.00 to R10000.00 MONTHLY

Hottest Jobs Spotted!

This weeks hottest jobs spotted on Jobs.co.za:

• Sales Executive Learning and Training Job in South Africa – Gauteng – Bryanston
• Privaty Equity Associate Job in South Africa – Gauteng – Sandton
• New Business Sales Executive Job in South Africa – Gauteng – Bryanston
• Flash Developer (Freelance/Contract) Job in South Africa – Gauteng – Randburg
• Health Actuary Job in South Africa – Western Cape – Cape Town
• Fleet Mechanic Job in  South Africa – Gauteng – Midrand
• C# Developer Job in  South Africa – Gauteng – Randburg
• Master IT EngineerJob in South Africa – North-West – Rustenburg
• J2ME Job in South Africa – Gauteng – Johannesburg

SA Recruitement Survey 2009 results are out.

The SA Recruiters Network recently conducted a survey amongst South African Recruitment agencies as well as Human Resources and Hiring Managers of Corporate South Africa to review the impact that the recession is having on recruitment and the results are out!

hroughout the month of June the network ran two separate surveys – one focused on Recruitment agencies and another on HR and Hiring Managers from Corporate South Africa. There were over 170 participants.  The surveys were both geared around acquiring insight into the impact that the recession is having on hiring within companies as well as the effects that are felt as a result thereof by the recruitment industry. A second part of the survey focused on understanding how both the Companies and Recruitment agencies are adapting their recruitment strategies to meet their current hiring needs under the financial crunch.Over 170 companies participated in the survey.

You can catch up on the most important info on Jobs.co.za by reading the article: The Impact of the Recession on Recruitment in South Africa. Or you can download the full report right here by clicking on the PDF icon below.

Watch out for work from home scams.

I was totally horrified today when we received an email from a Jobseeker who applied to a “Work from Home Data Entry” position. After doing some careful research we discovered that this is all a big “Get rich quick” scam!!!

This is how it goes:
“Job ads” (and I use this term very loosely here as you’ll see from the rest of my post that this is no “job”) wherever there is an opportunity to advertise for free whether online or in print, passing their little scam off as a real job opportunity to poor unsuspecting Job Seekers. The advertisers paint a colorful picture of the “perfect” work from home opportunity.

…Waking up late doing a bit of work and receiving a fat check at the end of the week having free time to live your life and spending time with your loved ones…

You immediately decide to apply to the ‘dream come true’ opportunity.

*Glass shatter*

Little do you know at this point that this is all just a scam and you have sadly been tricked!

After “applying to the job” you receive an email informing you that you have been successful (even though you have not been for a job interview or spoken to anyone about the job). You – and many others – are informed in a standard letter that you are perfect for this position, and blah-blah … Such rubbish! In the very same letter they ask you (oh so matter of factly) to deposit X amount into the banking details provided. This amount can range from R10-R300 (depending on how greedy these people are) this amount is for a “Training Manual”. “Training Manual” my… cat’s toes!!!

In this “Training Manual” they tell you the following: And I quote “This training manual will teach you how to have your own successful business via the internet. Read your manual thoroughly. It’s as easy as 1,2,3”

1. Create a new email address
2. Placing Ads
3. Response Letters

In this “Training Manual” they teach and “advise” you on how to cheat the next innocent Job Seeker out of X amount by doing exactly what they’ve just done to you: Luring innocent Job Seekers into believing that they are applying to a “real” job opportunity that does in fact not really exist!

With this warning I leave you: If you’ve applied for a “Work from home data entry” or similar position and you received and email that asks you to deposit money in a bank account for whatever reason, please do not do so unless you are sure that this is not a scam, some positions are legit but you never know if the next person is trying to cheat you out of your hard earned cash!!!

We here at Jobs.co.za will do our utmost best to prevent these people from advertising on our website.

If you are aware of any suspicious behaviour or are unsure about anything that appears unusual then please let us know at support@jobs.co.za

Winner of the R10,000 professional make-over. A dream come true.

Congratulations to June Veeran who is the winner of the Jobs.co.za R10,000 professional make-over competition.

June went for a job interview the very same day of her make-over and got the job! It just goes to show what a good CV coupled with a professional image can do for your self-confidence.  Read June’s amazing success story.

June’s dream come true experience – and a job ‘in the bag’ to write home about!

“I would like to thank Jobs.co.za for the most wonderful prize that every woman only dreams of winning.   My dream came through and started on Thursday, 28 May 2009. I arrived at Image Excellence Consulting Services offices in Randburg and it seems as if the entire office was awaiting my arrival, the front office staff with the warmest and friendliest smiles.  This already made me relax and felt very welcomed.

I was then taken and introduced to Hennie, who I instantly adored, not only by his professional appearance but the professional manner  in which he conducts himself,  which made me even more confident knowing this is the gentleman who will be changing my appearance.  A brief discussion with Hennie about myself realised that I spoke my heart out.  Hennie giving me some Self Image tips.  We then took some photos of myself (the before).

We were off to North Gate Shopping Centre, Stopping at the coffee shop indulging in a cup of  cappuccino and again Hennie giving me self esteem tips  – which I had lost somewhere within the last 3 weeks.  We then went to have my hair done.  Coloured, Cut & Blow dry.

We were then off to Sandton City – the highlight of the day (the biggest dream) we walked into ALDO’s Shoe Store, I wanted to scream with excitement, but managed to keep myself together, fitting on all the shoes was just one thing, finding the most beautiful stiletto’s and purchasing two pairs was just unbelievable, I had to pinch myself to make sure this is reality.  Off to purchase some outfits, tried on quite a few outfits in various stores with loads of fun, and eventually got the perfect Suit, Blouses, and Scarf & Accessory.  Famished, we headed to the restaurant where we had lunch, relaxing as I felt my self esteem & confidence return to me.

We then headed back to E Consulting’s offices where the final part of the makeover was to take place – The Facial Make-over.   A consultant from Estee Lauder – with extensive knowledge of the products, ran thru everything step by step as she was going about doing the make-up.    I then had the privilege of meeting the lovely photographer again taking the after photos.

What I thought is impossible, became possible within just a couple of hours, I regained my self worth, self image, Confidence and looked and felt like a million dollar person ready to take on the whole world , believing that I could achieve anything I want, including reaching for the stars and catching it.   I actually had a Job Interview the same evening  – and guess what – Just like Henie predicted and made me tell myself (That I will get that Job)……….   I did

From the bottom of my heart I would like to thank Jobs.co.za for giving me the opportunity of a lifetime as well as an experience most women only dream of. You have no idea what value, mentally, physically and emotionally this had empowered myself which I am sooooooooo grateful for!

Thank you that I could find myself again better than every before!

Thanking you,”
June Veeran

Join South Africa’s Recruiting Community

If you work in the recruitment industry and are located within South Africa, then come and join us on www.SARecruiters.co.za - the South African Recruiters community now!

SA Recruiters provides a platform where recruiters can network with, and share recruitment best practices and insighs with other industry professionals.

Why join SA Recruiters?
-Publish your own blog posts regularly and be seen as a recruitment expert.
-Get the latest updates on recruitment news from around the world.
-Be notified of recruitment industry events or submit your own events.
-Find jobs or advertise your recruitment and HR positions to be filled.
-Showcase your company to potential clients, candidates – and the world.
-Participate in or create discussions around issues facing the industry.
-Solicit advice from other community members.

Become an industry expert right here on SA Recruiters – South Africa’s Recruiting Community Network. Sign up now!