1 A personal view on careers in sales, marketing and customer serviceSteve Cole

2 About me Graduated 1982 Pharma / Lab equipment / ITBirmingham University BSc 2ii Biological Sciences Pharma / Lab equipment / IT UK sales International sales management Direct experience of marketing and customer service Board level experience of finance, R&D, production 2005 set up own business Sales training & interim management

3 Customer facing roles in the commercial worldScientific Sales Field service Application specialist / technical support Customer service / internal sales Marketing

4 Professional selling – what it isn’t…….Making people buy something they don’t want! Foot in the door Phoning people in their homes at night Driving around in a flashy car being nice to people

5 Professional Selling – how would you describe it?“Professional: business to business” “99% perspiration – 1% inspiration” “The most fun you can have with your clothes on!” “Challenging and rewarding – in every sense” “ A great stepping stone for any career”

6 Marketing – what it should be

7 Marketing – advertising & promotion - building the brand

8 Marketing – strategy and product life cycles

9 What are your options? What kind of business do you want to work for?High tech specialist manufacturer of instrumentation Wide ranging equipment supplier Consumables Pharmaceuticals IT

10 What are your options? Is size important? Geography New start upEstablished SME Global corporation Geography UK International

11 What sectors do they operate in?Private sector Pharma R&D / biotechs Food production / agriculture Environmental / waste management Energy Public sector NHS Clinical diagnostics Medical devices Pharmaceuticals Academia / research Others

12 Are these roles suitable for you?“People person” Good communicator Self sufficient yet enjoy working in a team Results oriented Outgoing and willing to step outside your comfort zone Flexible & committed – not a clock watcher! Embrace change

13 What could it lead to? Sales management International distributionStrategic marketing General management Applications / technical Service management Office / admin management Self employment / consultancy

14 Career development hintsMake yourself valuable Transferable skills Knowledge Get qualified (esp for marketing) Network around your chosen industry Don’t worry about the money!

15 How to be a winner at interviews

16 Your cv 3 pages maximum Focus on your achievements AND what makes you different Include a variety of aspects of your life Include a reference (personal and professional) Write a personalised cover letter Explain why you are suitable for this job

17 Common mistakes TYPOS SPELLING ERRORS GRAMMATICAL ERRORS LIES

18 The employer’s perspectiveWe see thousands of CVs We interview hundreds of candidates We look for reasons to EXCLUDE We look for good people that can stand out from the crowd – tomorrow’s leaders We want you to demonstrate either ACHIEVEMENT or POTENTIAL Preferably BOTH!

19 Interview hints and tipsPreparation – what can you do? Questions you want answered Questions they will want to ask you Shadow someone already doing the job Research The interview The follow up

20 Interview hints and tipsArrive early! Smile Firm handshake Good eye contact Upright body position Clear voice Dress code No spinach on your teeth!

21 Interview hints and tipsBring your “brag file” with you Show us you are a bit different Show why you would be a good choice for us Take the opportunity to ask any questions you want Employment is a two way contract MAKE SURE YOU “CLOSE” AT THE END

22 Interview hints and tipsFind a good recruitment agency “Debrief” the interview with the recruiter