Preparing for Negotiations with Employers: Representing Job Seekers for Customized Employment...

Preparing for Negotiations with Employers:

Representing Job Seekers for Customized Employment

Michael CallahanMarc Gold & Associates

Employment for AllNovember 7, 2011

TACE Center: Region IV, a project of the Burton Blatt Institute.Funded by RSA Grant # H264A080021. © Marc Gold & Associates

2

The Sales Aspect of Job Development

• Customized job development is primarily a negotiation interaction with employers that seeks to find an intersection between employer needs and job seeker contribution.

• It is critical for job developers to utilize all connections that exist between job seekers and potential employers.


3

The Sales Aspect of Job Development

• Even though most rehabilitation professionals did not prepare themselves for a career in sales and, indeed, most would rather not make employer calls, job development is “job one” in our field.

• We need to understand and play by the “rules of sales” that dictate interactions between sales personnel and employers.


4

Embracing the “Rules of Sales”

• Make appointments first. We should never make a presentation without first establishing an employer’s interest in hearing it.

• Time is the most important commodity of business. We’ve got to minimize the time we require of employers.

• Use the language of business. We must strive to identify and use business-focused language instead of human service jargon.


5

Embracing the “Rules of Sales” (cont.)

• Focus on employer needs, first, before negotiating the needs of the job seeker

• Dress respectfully, but it’s not necessary to compete with employers

• It is permissible to have two job developers make a call without asking for permission in advance


6

Embracing the “Rules of Sales” (cont. 2)

• You have a reasonable expectation of respect and a place to present, as long as you haven’t broken any rules

• Dress for respect to the employer more than for expected success

• Always be on time and keep to promised timelines with employers


7

Embracing the “Rules of Sales” (cont. 3)

• Don’t try to “sell”, rather let the employer buy the concept of CE

• It is not your responsibility to persuade, it is your responsibility to inform

• Always focus on decision makers in companies, not just on easy access

• If you don’t know, say, “I don’t know.” but find the answer


8

A Typical Job Development Process

• Sales focused steps… PROSPECTING: RESEARCH AND

PREPARATION MAKING EMPLOYER CONTACTS:

GETTING IN THE DOOR HOLDING THE INITIAL MEETING:

MAKING YOUR PITCH TO EXPLAIN CE FOLLOW-UP NEGOTIATIONS - MAKING

THE FINAL MATCH: EMPLOYER/JOB SEEKER

CLOSING THE DEAL


9

Elements of Successful, Individualized Prospecting

• Determine your negotiables relating to customized employment services.

• Research the targeted business to obtain information necessary for successful negotiations and matching.

• Identify already-existing linkages which may be of help in more narrowly targeting and securing jobs.


10

Elements of Successful, Individualized Prospecting (cont.)

• Obtain and use referrals which can assist in getting appointments and job opportunities.

• Develop a system/strategy for compiling and organizing information on employers.

• Develop and use a business vocabulary and strive to view employment issues both from a business and human service perspective.


11

Qualifying Employers Starts With Discovery

• The first step in engaging employers starts with getting to know the applicant. “Who is the person?”

• By carefully answering this question, we have a way to explain to employers the reason for contacting them. In sales terms, this is qualifying your contacts.


12

Determining Your Negotiables

• The first step of negotiation is to determine the negotiables that you will use when contacting employers.

• Remember, Customized Employment principles ask us to individually determine those negotiables related to the job seeker. However, you will have negotiables related to your agency.

Components of Negotiation

• Essential Selling Points

• Sweeteners

• Hole Cards

• Non-Negotiables


13


14

Employer Research

• Employer research starts with discovery

• Expand research during the final part of the planning meeting

• Use the Specific Employer list as a way to encourage connections and referrals

• Plan to spend about an hour per employer for research


15

Issues for Employer Research

• Name and address of the company

• Type of business the company engages in

• Name of decision-maker for company commitments

• Name of one contact, related to you or the applicant, who can give you information regarding the company

• How the company refers to itself/industry segment

• Discrete tasks likely to be performed

• Demographics of employees

• General viability of business• Location in community• Distance from applicant• Entry wage paid to all

employees

• Culture of Workplace

• Accessibility

• Community alignment, initiatives/partners

• Company values/mission

• Clarity as to why you are planning to call on this employer


16

Determining Who to Contact

• In customized employment avoid personnel and HR. Target decision-makers in the company, usually the person at the top.

Organizing Employer Information

• Use a simple card file system, alpha organized, or a contact program or “PDA” to organize information learned during research.

• Use an employer contact list, for each participant, that accounts for contacts made in a sequential manner, based on the Planning Meeting list.


17

Employer Contact Sheet

• 9x7 Chart: Employer Contact Sheet.


18

Name of BusinessResearch Time

Date con-tact

Method of ContactInf. D.I. Phone

Who made contact

Date of I.M.

Follow up Mtgs.1st. 2nd 3rd

Used Referral (Yes/no)

Name of Referral

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.


19

Referrals & Linkages

• Referrals: A referral is a recommendation or direction offered by an employer or other respected figure that assists in getting an appointment and making a deal.

• Linkages: A linkage is any connection or relationship between any and all the parties related to the applicant that might be used to enhance the chances of successful job development.


20

Cleaning Up Our Language

• Abbreviations: using the first letter of words to shorten descriptions.

• Acronyms: using the first letter of words to spell another word.

• Jargon terms: using words and phrases, within a certain field, that have specific meanings outside typical use.


21

Getting the Appointment

Decide on the type of initial contact to use to get an appointment for a face-to-face meeting Third party connection Informal Context Drop-in Visit Telephone Contact with letter of self-referral E-mail Contact (only in certain cases)


22

Types of Initial Employer Contact

• Informal Contact Occurs when you ask for an appointment in an

informal context, not associated with the employer’s business.


23

Types of Initial Employer Contact (cont.)

• Drop-in Visit Stopping by unannounced

in an employer’s business for the purpose of getting an appointment.

This strategy is appropriate a) when the business and your contact are “publicly available”; and b) when you are able to establish your contact’s availability to talk.


24

Types of Initial Employer Contact (cont. 2)

• Telephone Contact Calling the employer to ask for an

appointment. This strategy is used when informal contacts

and drop-in visits are not feasible. You should always use a referral when making a telephone contact.


25

Types of Initial Employer Contact (cont. 3)

• Letter of Self-referral Used when you are not able to secure a referral

when making telephone contact to get appointments


26

E-Mail Contact

• Use this strategy: a) only when given your contact’s email personally, and) when you have tried to use the telephone and have gotten stuck in voice mail.

• Be sure to send a letter of self-referral prior to making an email contact.


27


• Develop the scripts, letters, brochures, and other presentational media which represent the philosophy and services of the agency and which serve as a means of introducing the job developer to the employer.


28

Sample Letter of Self-Referral

Dear Ms. Jones:

My name is Michael Callahan. I am with Marc Gold & Associates, an agency in our community that works with people with disabilities and employers. We are starting an exciting new program that I feel would benefit your business. I will be calling you in a couple of days to see if you would have about 25 minutes to listen to a presentation on this initiative. Please realize that I will not be soliciting any funds and it is not necessary that you may be hiring. Thanks for your consideration.

Sincerely, Michael Callahan


29

Sample Script for a Call

“Hello, my name is Michael Callahan with Marc Gold & Associates. I sent you a letter earlier this week and am following up to see if you might be willing to meet with me for about 25 minutes one day later this week. I have Thursday morning and early Friday afternoon available.”


30


• Develop and use effective telephoning and person-to person techniques to get appointments with employers.

• Handle the common questions, objections and stalls which will be encountered when attempting to secure appointments.

• Implement a strategy for determining the number and type of employer contacts to make each week from the "Call List".


31

Making Your Pitch: Initial Meeting

• Thoroughly plan for the initial meeting, focusing on fulfilling all the critical components.

• Develop a proposed outline and "flow" for the meeting.

• Get ready, practice for, and conduct the initial meeting.


32

Making Your Pitch: Initial Meeting (cont.)

• During the meeting, determine the interest of the employer by recognizing and dealing with negotiation stance used.

• Negotiate a follow-up meeting and establish a process for handling the follow-up meetings and negotiations.


33

The Role of the Portfolio

• A presentation portfolio is a sales tool that can address the first four components of the initial meeting – introductions, explaining CE, explaining employer services and supports, and use a visual resume to introduce the job seeker.


34

Outline for an Initial Presentation

1. Introductions Introduce yourself -- business card, referrals Introduce your agency – first page, fact sheets

that are left behind

2. Why you are here “We match applicant skills with employer

needs” through customized employment


35

Outline for an Initial Presentation (cont.)

3. How we do what we do Use portfolio to explain the negotiation and

support strategies to be used

4. Introduce applicant represented Use portfolio to explain the tasks/contributions of

the applicant

5.Wrap up with employer questions - “Close” to the tour/needs analysis


36

Cutting the Deal: Follow-up Negotiations

• Learn about and assess the company through a tour and Needs Analysis.

• Offer in-depth information about the training, facilitation and support procedures which are to be offered to the employer.

• Match and negotiate the job seeker’s conditions for success.


37

Cutting the Deal: Follow-up Negotiations (cont.)

• Handle the negotiation stance taken by the employer.

• Gain approval for employment and set a date for the job analysis and hiring.

• Finalize an understanding with the employer by agreeing to a customized job description and a set of shared responsibilities between the agency and the employer.


38

Employer Responses

• Questions: legitimate requests for clarification, uncertainty, confusion.

• Objections: statements that refute a point made by the job developer or that challenge an underlying assumption.

• Stalls: requests by the employer designed to avoid saying “yes” or “no”.


39

Negotiation Stances

• “Oh Boy” stance

• “Show Me” stance

• “Oh No” stance


40

This Stance Ends Like This

• “Oh Boy” stance: ()This is the successful result (though occasionally the starting point) of any negotiation. In this stance both parties clearly stand to gain from the deal.


41

? This Stance Starts Like This ?

• “Show Me” stance: This is the typical position of both parties at the outset of negotiation. In this stance one party has much to gain and the other party is uncertain. “Show Me” stances are often represented by questions, objections and stalls, and must be converted to “” in order to be successful.


42

This Stance Usually Ends Up Like This

• “Oh No” stance: () This negotiation stance occurs when one party has something to gain and the other feels clearly that it does not. Since threats are the most successful way to convert “Oh No” stances to “Oh Boy”, it is recommended that job developers bow out of negotiations and contact others.


43

Negotiating a Customized Job Description

• One of the last features of negotiation is to agree on a customized job description with an employer. This is based on the Needs Analysis.


44

Closing the Deal

• Negotiating customized job descriptions is somewhat different that typical sales. Traditional sales techniques call for “closing the deal” at the end of every sales session.

• CE requires the development of a relationship and of an understanding between developer and employer.


45

Closing the Deal (cont.)

• It is recommended that developers not try to close in the initial, or possibly even after the second, meeting with employers.

• The “close” is appropriate and necessary when it is felt that the employer has enough information to make a positive decision about a customized job.

Comments & Questions


46


46464646


47


47

Contact Information

Michael CallahanMarc Gold & Associates - Employment for All

4101 Gautier-Vancleave Rd. Ste. 102,

Gautier, MS 39553 (228) 497-6999

Email: [email protected]

THANK YOU!


48


48


49


49

Upcoming Webinars: Job Development Exchange

1. Employer Networks: An Overview of Various Types of Employer Networks (December 8)

2. Employer Networks (December 16)


50


50

Archived Webinars: Job Development Exchange

• An Overview of Employment Approaches and Strategies to Serve all Persons

• Introducing the Online Toolkit for Job Placement and Employment Professionals

• Distinguishing Employment Relationships: Competitive and Customized Employment

• Job Development in Rural Areas

• Developing Sales Tools for Customizing Employment: The Portfolio and Visual resume

• Preparing for Negotiations with Employers


51


51

TACE Talks Transition (TTT)

• Monthly concise information on best practices to transition counselors available for their own pace learning; sign-up and start your subscription via the Transition Email-List

• http://tacesoutheast.org/network/transition/email_list.php

http://tacesoutheast.org/network/transition/email_list.php


52


52

Education CreditsCRCC Credit - (2.0)Approved by Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor

Certification (CRCC)• By Thursday November 17, 2011, participants must

score 80% or better on a online Post Test and submit an online CRCC Request Form via the MyTACE Portal.

My TACE Portal: TACEsoutheast.org/myportal

http://tacesoutheast.org/myportal


53


53

TACE Center: Region IV, a project of the Burton Blatt Institute.Funded by RSA Grant # H264A080021. © 2011

535353

Southeast TACE (Region IV)

Southeast TACE (Region IV)

Toll-free: (866) 518-7750 [voice/tty]

Fax: (404) 541-9002

Web: TACEsoutheast.org

My TACE Portal: TACEsoutheast.org/myportal

Email: [email protected]


54


54

Disclaimer

This presentation was developed by the TACE Center: Region IV ©2010 with funds from the U.S. Department of Education, Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) under the priority of Technical Assistance and Continuing Education Projects (TACE) – Grant #H264A080021. However, the contents of this presentation do not necessarily represent the policy of the RSA and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government [34 CFR 75.620 (b)].


55


55

Copyright Information

This work is the property of the Marc Gold & Associates

Permission is granted for this material to be shared for non-commercial, educational purposes, provided that this copyright statement appears on the reproduced materials and notice is given that the copying is by permission of the authors. To disseminate otherwise or to republish requires written permission from the authors.

Preparing for Negotiations with Employers: Representing Job Seekers for Customized Employment...

Documents

Transcript of Preparing for Negotiations with Employers: Representing Job Seekers for Customized Employment...