As a salesperson, sales manager and sales trainer for the past 20-something years, I work frequently with people for whom putting themselves forward for something comes naturally. But I also work with non-salespeople, who may find this uncomfortable, pushy, and even a little overwhelming. Having spent 14 years of my career working for the publishing organisations IIR then Informa, I’ve met many such people and have helped them on their career paths within the business.

It’s common knowledge that publishing is a competitive industry, and also one where people tend to stay in good companies. This means that the right opportunities don’t come up often. And when that dream job (or even a tiny foothold low down the publishing career ladder) comes along, it’s important not to waste it. Yes, “sales” is still a dirty word in the UK, but it’s only by putting yourself forward for things effectively that you can get the career you really want.

Here’s my “selling yourself” guide for people who don’t “do” selling.

Know your target company

As early as possible in the recruitment process, you need to ramp up your knowledge of the organisation you’re applying to. Have in mind that you want to know the business better than any of the other candidates, to set yourself up for success. I summarise the areas to focus on in the 3 Cs: 

• Challenges:
  • What’s going on in the industry?
  • What challenges might there be in the next 6-12 months?
  • How will these impact the team you’re going into?
  • How can you make a positive difference to these challenges? 

• Culture:
  • What are the company’s values and beliefs?
  • What’s the working environment like?
  • How are newer staff members treated?
  • Is this a forward-thinking business, or something more traditional? 

• Career path:
  • Who will be on the interview panel?
  • What’s that person looking for in an employee?
  • What comes next after this role?
  • What do you need to do in order to progress? 

But where can you find answers to these questions? Internet searches, Glassdoor, LinkedIn…the web is certainly a good place to start. Performing a STEEPLE analysis would also yield useful results.

You can be a little proactive as well, though. Is there someone on LinkedIn who works for your target company that you can contact and ask for some advice? Many people are happy to help out others, but they’re rarely asked. And of course, some of these things you can’t find out until interview day, so make sure you’ve got your questions prepared.

Know yourself

To sell yourself into a job, it’s vital that you have a clear picture of your own knowledge and skills. To do that, there are 3 questions you should ask yourself: 

• What am I really good at?
• What makes me unique (if anything)?
• What is the combination of my answers to questions 1 and 2 that makes me the best person for the job at this company? 

Sell yourself

Most junior job candidates (and many senior ones) go to interviews and do three things: 

• Answer questions
• Ask questions
• List their experiences 

The top candidates, who position themselves well for the job, do one more: they tell the interviewers why they are the perfect candidate. You can do this by using your knowledge of the target company and of yourself, plus my favourite sales question: so what?! 

It might work something like this example: 

Know your target company

“Dear interviewer, I know that the COVID-19 crisis has led to a sharp drop in advertising revenue in the industry.” 

Know yourself

“As a teenager, I earned some money proof-reading documents for local businesses. I started by having to market my services on a very small budget.” 

Then, imagine the interviewer wondering “so what?” and finish off your “pitch” as follows: 

Sell yourself

“What this means to you, dear interviewer, is that I am used to working in an environment where budgets are tight. I also understand what advertisers are going through, wanting to get their messages out without breaking the bank.” 

By using this approach, you’re showing the interview panel that you: 

• Care enough to have done your homework
• Are able to articulate your skills clearly
• Understand what the company is going through at the moment and how you can help 

Because, if you think about it, the only reason an organisation is going to employ someone, is if that organisation feels they will benefit from that person’s experience, attitude, and skills. You, and many of the other candidates, probably have the experience, attitude, and skills that the employer needs. It’s your job to make your “selling points” crystal clear throughout the recruitment process.

Neil Shorney is a sales and business skills trainer who spent 14 years working for global publishing groups, and now runs a training business with sales at its heart.

18 March 2020

This is my favourite time of the year. Between February and April, The Printing Charity invites those aged 18−30 and working in the publishing, print, paper or packaging sectors to apply for a grant of up to £1,500 to invest in themselves. We receive hundreds of applications and it’s fascinating to learn about the exciting things that young people in our industry are doing and the challenges that they face. This insight helps inform the work of the Charity to ensure we remain relevant.

Inspiring young people to broaden their skills
 
The Print Futures Awards are now in their 11th year and have helped over 500 rising stars progress in a diverse range of roles and careers, from the practical and creative to the highly technical and complex. We urge young people to invest in their own personal development to inspire them to take the sector seriously as a long-term career choice. These awards are not designed to replace employer-training costs, but to offer applicants the chance to undertake training to broaden their skills outside of what is required of them at work.

The Publishing Training Centre (PTC)’s courses are a great example of how young people can improve their skills and every year we are pleased to support a number of Award winners who undertake a variety of PTC courses.

I'm also looking forward to meeting the applicants at their interviews in May/June and celebrating with them at the House of Lords reception in July, hosted by Lord Black of Brentwood, our President Emeritus. The opportunity to meet and chat, and form networks, is a great one and there is always a great energy in the room.
 
Here to help make life better

As well as celebrating new talent, The Printing Charity has a number of other roles. Here to help make life better for people working in or connected to printing, publishing, packaging, paper, and the graphic arts, we have been supporting people since 1827 and our aim is to help those in genuine need through our practical and emotional support. Our welfare team are a friendly voice at the end of the phone to try and help with everyday advice and ways forward when you feel unsure of what to do or find yourself in a crisis. Whatever your situation, our team are here to help support you and feel more in control. Call them on 01293 542820.
 
We also have two purpose-built sheltered homes in Bletchley and Basildon, originally alms houses built to house poor printers and their families. Our homes now offer support for older people in retirement who have worked for at least three years in the sector, or are a dependent of someone who has. The secure and friendly environment allows residents to live independently whilst knowing help is on hand from the home manager.

Initiatives keeping the sector alive today

Another important aspect of our work is keeping the heritage and craft skills of our sector alive today, by offering support to various initiatives that help to promote these, including Designer Bookbinders and The Queens' Bindery Apprenticeship Scheme. Designer Bookbinders Transferring Design initiative aims to increase the number of students taking up the craft and entering the profession with bookbinding tuition. The initiative launched in April 2019 as a pilot scheme at colleges and universities already offering printing, design, illustration, and 3D studies, with professionals from Designer Bookbinders invited to run one-day, show-and-tell sessions to introduce students to the craft. As Gillian Stewart, a 2019 Print Futures Winner, says: "Bookbinding is increasingly difficult to learn, with no full-time courses in the UK and apprenticeships incredibly hard to come by. This means that the support I've had from The Printing Charity makes a huge difference. I'm also very keen to share any skills that I learn through workshops and teaching, meaning that I can help others looking to learn!"
 
Through all our activities, we aim to make life better for people and find ways to extend our reach and impact.

Sophie Kirby is Head of Education & Partnerships at The Printing Charity.

You can keep up to date with its work by visiting the Rising Star Awards page or on social media, @printingcharity. Its support line is available on 01293 542820.

20 March 2020

1. Get dressed
You can work in your pyjamas, but that doesn’t mean you should! Best to keep some standards I always feel. Plus I got caught out recently by impromptu video call as I sat in a tatty old jumper with no makeup and my hair not done. A good friend goes one better and tells the story of a forgotten meeting where she only managed to salvage the situation because she was dressed and ready to walk out the door as soon as they rang to see where she was.

2. Work the hours that suit you
This is my complete favourite thing about freelancing. I work early then break mid-afternoon when my children come home from school, picking my work up again in the evening. The downside is that I also work weekends and sometimes I don’t know when to draw the line because work is always there.

3. Have an office space
I have a separate office at home which is where I work for the majority of my time. Although I could work on the sofa or the kitchen table I am much more productive when I keep my office and home separate. Even without the luxury of a separate room, it is good to create a space that is just for work and which you can shut the door on at the end of the day. A closed door is also a signal to family and flatmates that you are working and not to be disturbed.

4. Get out more
Don’t just work from home or you will go stir crazy. By Friday I’m ready to talk to PPI callers, invite the postman in for coffee or buy a new set of dishcloths just to have some human interaction. Mix it up a bit – work in a client’s office for a few days, take a co-working desk for a few hours a week or just go and work in your local coffee shop a bit. It breaks up the week and stops the isolation.

5. Be a good salesperson
I don’t’ mean you need to develop the patter and start talking like an estate agent, but you do need to always keep one eye on where the next project might be coming from. It’s all about nurturing relationships with existing clients, not being afraid to ask for recommendations and being prepared to shout about your achievements.

6. Be prepared for the quiet times
Feast or famine is the old adage and it is true – there will be times when you have far too much to do, and other months where you are kicking your heels. Sounds obvious, but make sure you keep money set aside for the quiet periods and have a plan for what to do with them. Don’t panic but do know how long you can go without work before you need to worry, and have a plan in place for generating more business when it does go quiet.

7. Network like a pro
Both virtually and in person. You cannot work for yourself without a website, business cards or LinkedIn profile – how are clients ever going to find you otherwise? Get out and get seen at industry events, this is where you will make contacts and find fellow freelancers to swap horror stories with.

8. Keep your skills up to date
It’s easy to get let behind if you work for yourself. You need to keep abreast of new developments and invest some of your income each year on conferences and training courses. Invest in yourself and you will be rewarded with new and interesting work going forward.

9. Take advantage of technology
When I first went freelance it was in the early days of working from home. I was armed with a fax machine and a dial up internet connection which enabled me to check my emails two or three times a day. Archaic as this sounds now, this was cutting edge back then and enabled me to work efficiently. So what is the equivalent for today’s modern freelancer. Here is a quick summary of some of the key tech tools on which I rely:

• Slack – more efficient communication
• Googledocs for effective collaboration
• Toggl – to track my time per project
• Trello – for planning my to do list and blocking out my time
• Wetransfer for sending big files
• Joinme – for video conferencing, screensharing

10. Enjoy it
There’s no point having all this flexibility if you never sneak a lunch with friends, or a weekday shopping trip. Enjoy the freedom that comes with working for yourself and feel a smug sense of satisfaction that you are not chained to a desk 9am – 5pm.

One route to freelancing as a proofreader is the PTC's Essential Proofreading course. It's the ideal opportunity to learn the all the skills and knowledge required to proofread effectively.

Full information on the course can be found here.

This is an updated version of a blog posted 5 September 2016.

10 March 2020

Imagine the scene. The whole team is frantically busy in the run up to a sales conference. As its manager, you’ve carefully divided up the tasks that need to be done and, so far, you’re on schedule. Then, one of your people admits that he’s struggling with something. What’s your response? Do you:

       a) Sigh, roll your eyes and say ‘Leave it with me; I’ll do it.’ or

       b) Sigh, roll your eyes and just tell him exactly what to do.

After all, you’re under pressure too. But maybe, just maybe, jumping in as a ‘rescuer’ or a ‘guru’ might not always be the best approach. As a manager, getting things done is not your only responsibility, important though that is. You also have to get things done through other people. And that involves helping them to learn and develop along the way. I imagine that the person struggling with his task would not be especially motivated by either response.

If we’re honest, even the most experienced managers among us will default to behaviours we might not always feel proud of, especially when under pressure. It’s entirely understandable. But being a manager means learning to recognise those situations when we need to stop and check our response before acting. It’s about developing the self-awareness to know what our defaults might be and to consider whether they’re really going to lead to the best outcomes.

It’s also about practice and experience. In this case, the rescuer/guru default would probably get the job done. But a third alternative would be to use a very simple coaching technique: asking questions. Responding with:

       c) ‘What else/other approaches could you do/try?’

might well have elicited all sorts of creative solutions (‘Why don’t I…/Perhaps I could…/I know, I’ll try…’) which would also have got job done, but with the added benefits of encouraging the person involved to (a) think for himself and (b) learn something along the way. It probably wouldn’t even have taken up any more of your time; perhaps even less.

Taking this coaching approach to management can be very powerful for publishers, staffed as they are with intelligent, motivated and ambitious people. In the words of coaching guru, John Whitmore, coaching is about ‘unlocking a person’s potential to maximise their own performance. It is helping them to learn rather than teaching them.’

It’s a collaborative approach to management that balances support with challenge and empowers people to come up with their own solutions. Well deployed, it can really help people develop expertise and confidence – and it’s good for managers’ own empathy, self-awareness and personal development too. It’s an investment well worth making.

There are, of course, any number of coaching models and toolkits that can be employed to support coaching, including Whitmore’s own GROW (Goal-Reality-Options-Will/way forward) model. A quick internet search will give you a sense of what’s out there. In the meantime, you can start to build a more coaching approach into your management practice by deploying some very simple coaching skills and techniques:

1. Resist the urge to tell or direct

Yes, we know you know the answer, but that’s not the point.

2. Ask open-ended questions

Encourage people to come up with their own solutions.

3. Listen actively…

…and reflect and summarise to prove it.

4. Work on your empathy

Walk in other people’s shoes; be open and non-judgemental. Think especially about people who are less like you.

5. Set clear goals

        Stay focused – whether that’s on a particular task, or behaviour.

6. Give feedback

Develop the habit of giving regular, forward-facing feedback, focussed on learning for the future.

If this sounds like a more personal, interactive style of management, you’d be right. It’s a long way from traditional directive or process-oriented approaches. But there’s plenty of evidence that the trust and rapport-building that comes with a coaching approach is at the heart of positive, enabling cultures at work. And that gives us just what we need to drive impact and results: energised and engaged people.

Follow Clare on LinkedIn and X.