The 5-Power-Play C-Suite Career Plan is designed to help you achieve career success in up or down markets:
- Become the CEO of company YOU
- Brand to land
- Get social
- Write tight
- New branded CareerCom
- Why-Buy-ROI (below)
- Power Pitch Resume/Profile
Your Next Power Play: Write Tight (Part 2) Why-Buy-ROI
The future is here and it's moving FAST! Have you noticed that today's tomorrow feels like it's already yesterday? If you're dazed and confused, you're not alone!
In today's hyperkinetic world, the rules of careering and job search have changed. Now a Google search, a LinkedIn profile review, and possibly a Facebook and Twitter scan have replaced the resume as "first-strike" information portals.
The three+ page executive resume is fast becoming a dinosaur, even for the C-suite. Most busy leaders now prefer a precision one- or two-page career snapshot resume (easily readable on a smart phone or iPad)—that delivers strong, differentiated value in a bold and brief format. When an executive says, "bottom-line it for me" he's not kidding. If you can't, you're out.
The "When can you come on board?" catalyst.
In this environment, managing your messaging with a power pitch "reason to care" (delivered on paper, email, or the web) is the way to entice an employer's "tell me more" connection.
This "Why-Buy-ROI™" is the core component of your entire organic web of influence. It is the single most important thing that you must infuse across multiple channels and documents: the Web, resumes, letters, and other career documents, pitches, video, and more!
Your Why-Buy-ROI says “I know what you need, I can do it, I can prove I can do it, I can show you how I do it, and I can do it again!”
How do you get there?
You CAN distill a career into a "write-tight" Why-Buy-ROI!
First, ask yourself these ten critical questions:
- What is most intractable problem facing your target employers and/or industry?
- Where are they bleeding and/or what's their highest desire?
- What bottom-line result is needed?
- Have you “been there, done that” or can you prove potential?
- How have you used brand & skills in past to resolve similar problems?
- What was the bottom-line benefit and ultimate impact of doing so?
- How do you do what you do (management style, process, etc)
- How have you impacted shareholder/stakeholder value?
- What have you done to create sustainable success in the economic meltdown?
- What do you bring that's different?
Next, sift and focus. Use your findings to craft your Why-Buy-ROI value message (a resource like 15secondpitch.com can help).
Aim to create five to 10 pitches around the same branded ROI message and select one to use. It will likely be one of the last. You'll be amazed at how much power there is in number ten compared to number one!
So What?
Once your pitch feels right—both authentic to you, and valuable to the market—take it through the "So what?" test.
Imagine delivering this pitch to the decision maker who can power you into your dream job. Will she say, "So what? or will she say, "Come on in and tell me more!" If the answer is "SO what?" You're not there yet. Keep distilling the pitch until the brand and value are crystal clear.
Note: If you need help crafting your Why-Buy-ROI (also known as a branded value proposition) and/or value-infused career documents, a Certified Personal Brand Strategist, "Get Clear, get found, get hired!" Coach, or an enlightened resume consultant can help. They're trained to help you laser in on brand and value.
Now that you have your Why-Buy-ROI power pitch, you're ready to craft your Branded CareerComm components. Next month: Write Tight Part 3, Crafting Your Power Pitch Resume.
© Copyright, 2010, Deb Dib. All rights reserved. Used with permission.
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About this author: Deb Dib, Job-Hunt's Executive Job Search Expert, has been a careers-industry professional since 1989. For the last few years, Deb has focused on coaching CEO's and other C-suite executives in finding their next opportunities. Deb is the founder of Executive Power Brand, and co-author of best-selling Twitter Job Search Guide, Find Your Ideal Job and Build Your Career in Just 15 Minutes a Day (March 2010, JIST). Connect with Deb at her website at www.executivepowerbrand.com, on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/debdib, on Twitter at @CEOcoach, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/DebDib, and via email at info at executivepowerbrand.com, or at 631-475-8513.
