Write Help Wanted Ads that Attract the Right People
Be Careful What You Advertise For…
I was deleting some old files in my computer recently and came across a want ad I had written for a client. He was looking for a PARTNER who would treat his business with true passion and integrity. So I tried something a little different. I described the PERSON, not the JOB. Here’s what I wrote:
Do you believe the best is yet to come?
Can you help make our company better?
Are you willing to learn what great customer service is about?
If the answer is “yes,” then we should talk about your future with Hilltop RV Superstore.
The following important positions are open…..
Job Descriptions.
No whiners! No lazy people!
Please send resume to ________________.
Or if you just can’t wait, stop in Hilltop between 10AM-noon and ask for Steve Swanson.
According to Steve Swanson, Owner of Hilltop RV Superstore, this ad brought in more QUALITY applicants then ever before. Over 200 resumes and very few “whiners.”
Here’s the want ad I wrote when I needed an Account Representative for my own business, Bottom Line Marketing:
HOW MUCH DO YOU CARE? Some folks dream of success, others wake up early and work at it. We’re looking for the latter! If you think your customers deserve your best AND you don’t care how hard you have to work to make it happen, and you stay up nights thinking about how to make your customers more successful… THEN WE SHOULD TALK! Oh yeah—you’ll need top notch creative writing skills, organizational skills, communication skills and maybe some media and selling experience. No lazy people, no whiners. Only positive out lookers need apply. Cannot be allergic to Border collies.
The point here is this—DON’T FILL POSITIONS, FIND PARTNERS! Look for what’s in someone’s heart. Does it match what you are looking for? If it does, the skills will come later.
Jim Grundstrom, owner of Frei Chevrolet was looking for a person to call customers and make sure they were satisfied with their service. He told me one day— “Chris, I just wish I could find someone like Jessica.” I told Jim to ask Jessica if she knew of anyone just like her who was looking for a new career. That’s how Frei found Jamie, a tremendous asset to Jim’s company. Good PARTNERS normally hang out with other people just like them and it’s worth asking your employees for recommendations. While care needs to be taken when hiring family members or friends of employees, the rewards can be great. Finding the right PARTNER is critical to the success of your business. Next time you need someone, follow a few simple guidelines:
• Get straight in your own mind what you really want in a partner.
• Be clear about your expectations for them and communicate that.
• Consider what is in the person’s heart, not just what is on their resume.
• Listen to that little voice inside your head—that so-called “gut feeling” is often correct.
