target market

The High Cost of Taking the Wrong Position

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Brad Remillard, a 25-year executive recruiter, authored a blog post about the high cost of making a bad hire. It is definitely expensive.

It also made me wonder if you, Mr. CFO Search Candidate, have given thought to the high cost of accepting the wrong position. 

Failure is an option

Taking the wrong position or taking the right position at the wrong company is a recipe for failure. A sound reason for making sure you are very clear about what you have to offer and to whom!

That is precisely why I am such a fan of branding. When you understand your authentic value (brand) and the market you serve (target), decision-making is much easier. You attract the “right” opportunities and repel those that are not a good fit.

Sadly, failure …

Sticks like glue, 

And, you have to explain it. 

Do you really want that mess as the lead in under Employment History on your resume? This job market is tough enough without adding a conversation around a bad decision that led to 1) no contributions and/or 2) leaving shortly after you’re hired. 

Dissatisfaction leads to job search mode … again

Job searching is not fun. It’s hard work, filled with rejection, undermining confidence, and can even lead to desperation. Desperation can lead to repeating the same cycle of choosing the wrong position and/or the wrong company, again.

Passive candidates who are open to hearing about new opportunities HOLD THE MOST POWER. It may not be right, especially given the current market, but it is true. Making great decisions about where you go and when is a smart, long-term career management strategy.

Pain Talk

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One of my client coaching calls yesterday afternoon was around how to answer questions in a more powerful, and succinct, manner. He is very analytical and his tendency is towards providing lots of details. The kind of details that unless he is talking to his peers, might cure even the most challenging case of insomnia. What’s great is that he recognizes that tendency and is open to getting the coaching he needs to converse more effectively.

After a bit of coaching, I put on my networking hat and asked him what he did. He responded … “I’m a CFO for XYZ company.” While that was true, and may be true for you, I hope that is not how you respond! That answer screams … COMMODITY! Absolutely no one is going to hire you because there is an empty corner office with a “CFO” placard on the door, and they are looking for a body to sit at the empty desk. 

Companies ARE hiring finance executives who can take away their pain. In the course of the conversation, the most powerful words anyone can use are “pain connectors.” Those are the words that resonate with your target audience, letting them know convincingly that you understand their pain, problems, challenges, or situations … and have solved those exact sorts of things in the past. 

For example … I work with CFOs who may be feeling restless, dissatisfied, or unhappy in their current corporate finance position and are contemplating some kind of career transition. 

Restless, dissatisfied, unhappy … CFOs. Pain connectors + target audience.

Who is your target market and what are their pain connectors?