tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-68847674477607929652011-04-21T12:02:50.744-07:00red-peghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04627641974720153728noreply@blogger.comBlogger21100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6884767447760792965.post-53287682064569285872008-06-28T04:53:00.000-07:002008-06-28T05:06:10.814-07:00As a seasoned marketer, beavering away on behalf of my clients, I earn a living finding solutions for recruitment businesses and rarely take time out to work on my own business proposition. A startling admission I know, but I attended a Sales and Marketing Bootcamp run by <a href="http://www.connectmidlands.org/">Connect Midlands</a> last week at the University of Northampton. This body is part of the University of Warwick and has helped Midlands businesses raise over £80million in capital funding since its inception.<br /><br />The Marketing session was run by <a href="http://www.strategicbusinesspartnership.com/">Richard Allsop</a>, also a seasoned marketer and I learnt a few valuable lessons.<br /><br />Firstly, understand your core product, define it and work out what are the "benefits" of my product.<br /><br />All basic stuff, but I had been too busy working on the client side to hold a critical eye up to my own service offerings. Then once these issues have been decided upon, ask yourself "do the messages we give out synchronise with the brand messages we want to convey?"<br /><br />It was a light-bulb moment for me and one of the most productive days I have spent all year.<br /><br />I raced back to the office brimming with a new found enthusiam and perspective. Even though consultants have to portray they have the answers to everything, they sometimes don't!<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6884767447760792965-5328768206456928587?l=red-peg.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>red-peghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04627641974720153728noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6884767447760792965.post-91800488739491248482008-06-16T05:14:00.000-07:002008-06-16T05:22:51.086-07:00As a veteran of the recruitment industry (15 years) and a marketer to boot I thought I would see what it is like on the otherside and I can tell you the results are mixed...<br /><br />Great recruitment companies value their candidates- and anyone who takes the trouble to contact them- as gold-dust. They are courteous, see you as a product and should market you, asking inciteful questions. Keeping in touch on a regular basis, even if there is no news.<br /><br />The poorer companies view a candidate as a statistic, they play a numbers game, don't bother to contact you or acknowledge an email. This is an opportunity lost as the candidate experience becomes a brand's window on the world.<br /><br />The best form of advertising is word-of-mouth and if a candidate has a pleasant interface with the recruiter then they will recommend the company on to others far quicker than a "Refer-a Friend" scheme can do.<br /><br />I can tell you that <a href="http://www.big-fish.co.uk/">www.big-fish.co.uk</a> and <a href="http://www.blue-skies.com/">www.blue-skies.com</a> are shining beacons.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6884767447760792965-9180048873949124848?l=red-peg.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>red-peghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04627641974720153728noreply@blogger.com0