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Pitch Yourself
PrenticeHall
BUSINESS
PearsonEducation
Books to make you betterBooks to make you better. To make you be better, do better,feel better. Whether you want to upgrade your personal skills
or change your job, whether you want to improve yourmanagerial style, become a more powerful communicator, or
be stimulated and inspired as you work.
Prentice Hall Business is leading the field with a new breed ofskills, careers and development books. Books that are a cut
above the mainstream – in topic, content and delivery – withan edge and verve that will make you better, with less effort.
Books that are as sharp and smart as you are.
Prentice Hall Business. We work harder – so you don’t have to.
For more details on products, and to contact us, visitwww.business-minds.comwww.yourmomentum.com
PitchYourselfStand out from the CV crowdwith a Personal Elevator Pitch
Bill Faust and Michael Faust
an imprint of Pearson EducationLondon • New York • Toronto • Sydney • Tokyo • Singapore • Hong Kong • Cape Town
New Delhi • Madrid • Paris • Amsterdam • Munich • Milan • Stockholm
PEARSON EDUCATION LIMITED
Head Office:Edinburgh GateHarlow CM20 2JETel: +44 (0)1279 623623Fax: +44 (0)1279 431059
London Office:128 Long AcreLondon WC2E 9ANTel: +44 (0)20 7447 2000Fax: +44 (0)20 7447 2170Website: www.business-minds.com____________________________
First published in Great Britain in 2002
© Bill Faust and Michael Faust 2002
The rights of Bill Faust and Michael Faust to be identified as Authors of this Work have beenasserted by them in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
ISBN 0 273 66171 X
British Library Cataloguing in Publication DataA CIP catalogue record for this book can be obtained from the British Library
All rights reserved; no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying,recording, or otherwise without either the prior written permission of the Publishers or alicence permitting restricted copying in the United Kingdom issued by the Copyright LicensingAgency Ltd, 90 Tottenham Court Road, London W1P 0LP. This book may not be lent, resold,hired out or otherwise disposed of by way of trade in any form of binding or cover other thanthat in which it is published, without the prior consent of the Publishers.
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Designed by Claire Brodmann Book Designs, Lichfield, Staffs.Typeset by Northern Phototypesetting Co. Ltd, BoltonPrinted and bound in Great Britain by Bell & Bain Ltd, Glasgow
The Publishers’ policy is to use paper manufactured from sustainable forests.
To Sophie my girlfriend and Brighton Beach.
Bill
Thanks to my wife Kimi and to the lost autumn days
and nights.
Michael
Acknowledgements
The kernel of this book was generated by the positive reaction from those
people who were unexpectedly exposed to the early versions of the Elevator
Pitch. Thank you.
We would also like to thank friends and colleagues who acted as sounding
boards and were kind enough to let us use their life experiences. They
acted as both judge and jury. Without them our words would be poorer.
John Baldwin, Ken Livingstone, Justine Cobb, Mara Goldstein, Nancy
Prendergast, Richard Davies, Jack Gratton, Mark Bailey, Charlie Dobres,
Kate Marsh, Marc Schavemaker, Darren Fell, Louise Medley, Laura
Neilson.
vii
The rallying cry ix
Introduction xi
Chapter 1 The death of the CV 1
Think and act differently 2
Do you zig or zag? 2
Your sales tool 4
Chopping the corporate structure down to size 21
Chapter 2 The birth of the Elevator Pitch 29
The Personal Promise 33
Transferable Assets 34
Career DNA 35
The Career DNA Bank 37
Chapter 3 Writing your Elevator Pitch 41
Your Personal Promise 43
Defining your Transferable Assets 50
Critiquing your Elevator Pitch 67
Contents
Chapter 4 The benefits of the Elevator Pitch 69
Flexibility and adaptability 71
Forward looking 72
Establishing rapport 72
Results-driven 73
Dangers of ‘CV Thinking’ 75
Coping with redundancy 77
The demands of interim management 78
Experience is diverse 79
Work experience versus Transferable Assets 80
Better and more successful interviews 80
Chapter 5 Top-floor Elevator Pitches 87
How the EP answers a job brief 135
Chapter 6 Summary and conclusion 141
The candidate 143
The recruitment services industry 144
The employer 144
The final rallying cry 146
viii
C O N T E N T S
ix
“The CV is dead. Long live the CV!
There has to be a better way. The purpose of a CV in my opinion is simply to
get you in front of a prospective employer. It should therefore be short and
sharp without introducing negatives. That’s where the problems start to
arise. You are judged on a piece of paper, which can’t portray the real you.
Using the Elevator Pitch technique is a brilliant way to put over your case
quickly and succinctly.
I hope it becomes the industry standard.”Jack Gratton, Founder and CEO of Major Players, the UK’s
leading marketing and services recruitment agency
The rallying cry
xi
Over the last 100 years, the CV has become a standard world currency that
is now debased by the changes in our work patterns and environments.
The CV is dead. The Elevator Pitch takes off where the CV stops. The
Elevator Pitch is the 21st century successor to the CV.
In today’s world, you need to constantly market yourself at each and every
point in your career path. You might be a graduate or have 15 years’ line-
management experience, or perhaps you are returning to work after a
family career break, or even making a functional change or jumping to a
new industry sector. Each break and renewed step requires you to sell
yourself. Over and over again.
Ask yourself the following questions. Is my CV the hard-hitting sales tool
I think and hope it is? Does a functional, linear and ultimately historical
view of my career sell the real me? Can I see the real me in the words of
my CV? Does my CV really explain what I can deliver in the future and
showcase my abilities?
Unfortunately, the answer is invariably no. The CV is a straitjacket on your
next career move rather than a life jacket. The CV is like a rococo building:
it’s so rich and opulent that you miss the reason it was built. As a sales tool
it tries to communicate everything. It focuses on the wrong issues as it
begins from the seller’s reality rather than the buyer’s perspective. It is
what you have done and where you have done it. You often forget that a
CV is meant to get you through the door, not do the interview as well. The
Introduction
CV shrouds your career in the past. It hides your core worth, your ability
to deliver in the future within a new work environment, beneath the
historical and functional façade of your career. Consequently the CV needs
to be deciphered to get underneath this façade yet we do not provide the
key. We allow people to make snap judgements about us based on this
outmoded document. The CV has stood in a time warp for over 100 years
while the world has moved on.
Why write a CV if the CV is dead? Perhaps it’s down to those 100 years
of convention and tradition. But then you don’t give a fig about being
hidebound to tradition, do you? Maybe it’s time to step back and think
about a better way to show what you’ve really got to offer.
The Elevator Pitch is the better way. The Elevator Pitch is the 21st century
replacement of the CV. The Elevator Pitch is not about incremental
improvements to a CV. There are many books we’d gladly recommend for
that.
Rather, the Elevator Pitch is a fundamental and lateral rethink of what is
required to sell you in today’s market. The Elevator Pitch debunks the CV
of its extraneous wrappings and conventional padding by jettisoning the
historical and functional veneer of your career. Instead the Elevator Pitch
focuses on your unique set of behaviours, abilities and skills, sometimes
referred to as competencies, that help define how you will perform in a new
job under a new set of circumstances. The Elevator Pitch demonstrates your
value and worth by showing who you are and how you have done it
The Elevator Pitch focuses on the things your buyer is looking for. It
successfully differentiates you through selective communication. You
control the agenda and the speed at which key information is released
through the negotiating phase. The Elevator Pitch allows you to cut to the
chase. Time is not wasted. The Elevator Pitch provides a common language
of understanding. Effective recruitment decisions will be faster and easier.
The Elevator Pitch is the only sales tool you need, after yourself.
xii
I N T R O D U CT I O N
It is focused, highly targeted, concise and proven to work. It is usually just
one page.
The aim of this book is to introduce the Elevator Pitch. You will be
provided with the essential tools to create your own personal Elevator
Pitch. We will show you how to discover and understand your Transferable
Assets: those behaviours, skills and abilities that define and predict your
performance. We then show you how to construct and write your own
personal Elevator Pitch and how to position yourself in an overcrowded
and overcommunicated society.
Welcome to the non-stop, ever-changing world. Welcome to reality.
Welcome to the Elevator Pitch.
xiii
I N T R O D U CT I O N
1The death of the CV
“CV’s try to sell, the Elevator Pitch will make employers wantto buy ” Charlie Dobres: CEO of i-Level
chapter
1
Think and act differently
‘When the world zigs, zag’ is the mantra of the world’s best known and
most fêted advertising agencys, BBH, based in London. Their
philosophy is to look at the world from a new vantage point by thinking
and acting differently.
They are not alone. The Onassis oil dynasty, Apple, Warren Buffet,
Virgin, South West Airlines in the USA and easyJet in the UK have all
zagged while the world zigged. Indeed, we also probably all know a
friend or a colleague whom we secretly admire for their ability to zag
when we still zig.
These people, and others like them, have stepped off from the
world, taken a back seat, viewed it from afar, jumbled it into a new
perspective, and then got on ahead of us. Their view of the world helps
frame and change ours. They challenge common assumptions. They
throw normal convention out of the window. They are willing to step
outside their comfort zone. They are willing to be counted. They are
not afraid to push boundaries and question conventional or traditional
wisdom. They have done things differently. They are doing things
differently. They aim to stand out, create value and be successful.
They want to challenge not just for the sake of the challenge but
because there is a better way.
So the question you must ask yourself is simple: do you want to stand
afresh and zag, or do you want to be boring and zig?
Do you zig or zag?
To find out how willing and able you are to zag when others zig, answer
the following questions:
P I TC H YO U R S E L F
2
➡ Do you believe that in our overcommunicated and hectic society,
the key to being noticed is to communicate selectively and not try
to communicate everything?
➡ Do you believe that you buy goods and services, including hiring
people, on both rational (objective) and emotional (subjective)
grounds?
➡ Do you believe that time is only one of the factors that create
emotional and spiritual growth?
➡ Do you want to realize your individual potential rather than simply
fill a job market vacancy?
➡ Are you an individual, not simply a number, within a company
hierarchy?
➡ Do you want to find the job to fit you?
➡ Do you wish to enjoy your career?
➡ Are you loyal and true to yourself rather than waiting for the
company to be loyal to you?
➡ Do you believe that changes in organizations impact on the type of
career you will have?
➡ Do you believe that people searching for vertical ladders in a
horizontal career game will, more often than not, lose?
➡ Do you have a defined view of how your career will start, progress
and continue?
➡ Are you happy with variety?
➡ Are you likely to want several careers, not just one? Do you have
a choice?
➡ Do you want to find a job where the demands of the job fit you, not
one where your job-related knowledge simply matches the job
description?
T H E D E AT H O F T H E CV
3
➡ Are you brave enough to sell your future worth rather than relying
on previous achievements?
➡ Do you want the market to buy you?
If you found yourself saying ‘yes’ you’re ready to begin
Your sales tool
What are you using to sell yourself? No doubt it’s your CV. What does
your CV say about you? If you are not there, what impression does the
reader get? Does it sell you? Would you buy you?
Worryingly we know that despite all your efforts, your CV will look
similar to many others. Few actually stand out. The CV is a straitjacket.
It is normally in reverse chronological order. It is based on function. It’s
autobiographical. The CV provides a linear, one-dimensional perspective
to you. It is fact and form. It is rational and safe. It is what you are and
what you have been. It is historical. It is an inventory of your jobs. It is
simply a catalogue.
Let’s look at the basic CV structure. Many CVs are similar to those in
Figure 1.1, which shows a simple success story: a career within one
function, such as accountancy or marketing, over a couple of industries,
P I TC H YO U R S E L F
4
Would you
buy you?
with a steady progression through the job ranks presented in reverse
chronological order. The CV presents and uses criteria such as length of
employment, job title, qualifications, number of people managed, and
budgets managed as prima facie evidence of your capability.
Several of you will have gone a step further. Let’s look at the same basic
CV where you have quantified some results. You might also add a career
mission statement. You throw down some good-sounding adjectives from
a thesaurus. You make it rational and logical. You forget that the world
turns on emotions. You take up lots of room describing job roles. You may
even have created several objective–analysis– action–result scenarios; you
construct a basic SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats)
analysis on yourself; you pry into your 360-degree assessments; you look
long and hard at your Belbin or Myers Briggs profiles. And after this soul
searching, you include a list of how you made things happen around
yourself. This is shown in Figure 1.2 – a familiar sight to many of you.
So you have fine-tuned your CV. You are happy. You have a catalogue of
your career history. Yet too many CVs are wrong. They are wrong for
many reasons.
T H E D E AT H O F T H E CV
5
Job
Board director
Director
Manager
Graduate
Function
Function x
Function x
Function x
Function x
Industry sector
Industry B
Industry A
Industry A
Industry A
Most Least
Reversechronology
Hierarchy of emphasis
Figure 1.1 The CV stripped bare
First, basic mistakes are made
A recent survey by FirstPersonGlobal, the UK’s leading online
executive recruitment service dedicated to technology professionals,
and part of Harvey Nash, looked at 200 CVs submitted in response to
two separate Harvey Nash recruitment campaigns, one searching for
an IT director for a financial services company and the other search-
ing for a marketing director for an Internet company. Each CV was
reviewed against four criteria: readability, impression, page length
and relevance.
Amazingly, 31% of these CVs made so many basic mistakes that they
were considered poor and only 19% of all the CVs submitted made no
P I TC H YO U R S E L F
6
Job
Board director
Director
Manager
Graduate
Function
Function x
Function x
Function x
Function x
Industry sector
Industry B
Industry A
Industry A
Industry A
Results
Results AResults B
Results AResults B
Results AResults B
Results AResults B
Most Least
Reversechronology
Hierarchy of emphasis
Figure 1.2 The better CV stripped bare
competencies your future
mistakes. Just over four out of every ten CVs had issues with structure
and therefore understanding, and nearly one-quarter were over three
pages long, putting undue pressure on the reader. Crucially 34% of the
CVs could not answer the question, ‘what does this person actually do
and where have they done it?’ And 23% showed evidence of incorrectly
prioritizing less relevant information.
So one in three CVs could not answer what this person does, and over
one in five could not prioritize correctly. You could say that this is a
pretty sad state of affairs. This research is not an isolated example. You
probably know of some more. You have probably seen it on CVs you
have seen when recruiting. You can therefore conclude that many CVs,
and potentially yours, do not even do the basic job expected of them.
Second, and worse, the CV actually hides what you are selling
Behind the results you have just added to your CV lie the traits and
behaviours that enabled you to deliver these results successfully in the
first place. These are your competencies. Results don’t evidence the
role you were in, but they do evidence your competencies within a
given context. In other words, competencies really define your future
worth and capability, as they are your fundamental building blocks.
Competencies aid understanding of the behaviour patterns that make
T H E D E AT H O F T H E CV
7
really define worth andcapability
an individual successful in a given environment. Understanding your
own competencies allows you to answer the questions, ‘Who am I?’
and ‘Why am I who I am?’ Competencies have existed ever since man
first walked the earth. Why is one person a better hunter than another?
What made this person the leader during a crisis and their adversary a
leader during a period of consolidation? What made Shackleton inspi-
rational to his lost men? What drives entrepreneurs? Why do some
people take risk? What makes a great teacher? Why do mountaineers
continually push themselves?
The CV is not good at showcasing competencies. Your CV hides your
fundamental building blocks behind a criteria-based chronological
façade. This is shown in Figure 1.3.
So, a criteria-based CV shows what you have done and where you have
done it, rather than who you are and how you have done it. Look at
Figure 1.4, which illustrates the flawed CV.
P I TC H YO U R S E L F
8
Job
Board director
Director
Manager
Graduate
Function
Function x
Function x
Function x
Function x
Industry sector
Industry B
Industry A
Industry A
Industry A
Results
Results AResults B
Results CResults D
Results EResults F
Results GResults H
Competencies
Competency 1Competency 2
3456
What you expose to the world(What you write on your CV)
What you hide from the world(What you do not write on your CV)
Figure 1.3 The errant CV
Third, CVs aren’t customer friendly
Let’s place ourselves in our customer’s shoes. What are you selling?
What are they buying? How do you bridge the gap to establish
common ground?
Funky Business, a treatise on our new world order of funk has this
rallying cry
“The moral: what companies sell and what their customers buy are two
different things. Therefore, every once in a while it is wise to place yourself
in the shoes of your customers and ask the question: ‘What are they really
buying?’ The answer, 99 times out of 100, is not what you think you are
selling.”Recruitment agencies are one of your many customer bases. Whether
you like it or not, recruitment companies work for the employer and
not the employee. Indeed, there is a fundamental conflict between
the recruitment industry’s imperative to fill vacancies and the need
by candidates to take control of their careers. Recruitment agencies fit
people into jobs not find jobs for people.
The aim of the recruitment process is to minimize the risk of hiring
rather than maximize the opportunity for the employer and successful
applicant. Risk is minimized by using two broad filters, criteria
T H E D E AT H O F T H E CV
9
What you expose to the world
Functional, criteria-led, linear catalogueWhat you areWhere you have beenWhat you have done
What you hide from the world
Your fundamental building blocks – competenciesWho you areWhy you are who you areHow you have done itWhy you can do it again
Figure 1.4 The flawed CV
(schooling, qualifications, time in job, number of people managed …)
and competencies.
Think about this for a short while and your own experience of the
recruitment process. Which is more important and which is easier to
acquire? Surely it would make sense to hire for core motivation and
traits first and foremost, as these are more difficult to acquire than
skills and knowledge? Absolutely.
So why do so many companies appear to do the reverse, and why do so
many recruitment companies not advise them any better? It might be
down to the way recruitment takes place. Many of us have probably
been through a relatively unstructured recruitment process, where
discussions have meandered and you have never got past talking super-
ficially about yourself. In this instance, you have probably gone no
deeper than the criteria signposted on your CV.
On other occasions, you will have read an ad, met the recruitment
consultant, seen the brief, and undergone a structured interview. The goal
of a competency-based structured interview is to estimate what people
will do under a given set of circumstances and to determine what skills
and attributes they will bring to the position. This is achieved by encour-
aging the interviewee, you, to share examples of your past behaviour and
describe how this experience can be applied to future situations. This also
P I TC H YO U R S E L F
10
recruitment for the employer
places an onus on the interviewer to be prepared and understand what
competencies they are seeking and so increase the chance of a great
hiring. Competencies form a common language that helps reinforce a
company’s culture and helps you establish whether you like the company.
During the interview you share a number of experiences until you
unlock the hidden depths of your career as though you were peeling the
layers from an onion. You go past the criteria based functional and
historical veneer of your CV to showcase your base motives, traits and
competencies. You can only do this because the interviewer, through
their questioning, probes aspects of your behaviour and so provides the
key to decipher your CV and therefore gain an understanding of what
makes you tick. They are wanting to know the value you will add to
their company in the future.
Your CV needs to be deciphered to showcase your career and your
future value. Your CV can only be deciphered through a structured
competency based interview. What happens when you are confronted
by an unstructured interview? Why do you lock your career into the
straitjacket of a CV? Why are you hiding your competencies behind the
traditional CV façade and veneer? Why are you missing out on a huge
opportunity to gain an advantage? What happens when you are not
there to guide the recruitment agency, say at the shortlisting stage?
T H E D E AT H O F T H E CV
11
companies work and not the employee
The initial gatekeeping decision to shortlist you appears to be based
around your criteria and not your competencies. This might have
something to do with time and tradition. Criteria have existed for
hundreds of years and have been codified by the CV in the last 100
years. Similarly, competencies have been around for hundreds of years
yet only codified since the mid 1990s. You might say that you use a CV
because everyone else does. Just because it has been done this way for
so long does not mean it must be good. Just because something is
familiar, tried and tested, and therefore understood within a certain
context and accepted by certain people, does not necessarily mean it
fulfils the many diverse needs or demands placed upon it. Tradition is
not always correct. There is a constant flow of new ideas. Our written
and spoken language does not stay static. It changes. The Swiss army
knife has given way to the Leatherman. The Hoover has given way to
the Dyson. The Filofax has been replaced by the Palm Pilot. The desk
diary has been replaced by Microsoft Outlook.
The reality is that competencies are often used in hiring. Using com-
petencies ensures that better hiring decisions are made. The compe-
tencies that are analyzed are defined by the organization’s competency
matrix. The problem is that CVs don’t highlight competencies, so short-
listing, the critical start to any job, remains the most inaccurate part of
the recruitment process. But you can improve the shortlisting process.
P I TC H YO U R S E L F
12
because it has this way for
mean it must
Jim Bright and Joanne Earl are two prominent organizational psychol-
ogists, based in Australia, who consult and write extensively on career
development, selection, testing and training. Their recent book is a
culmination of years of dedicated research into what makes a winning
candidate and CV based on interviews with hundreds of recruiters
across a wide industry spectrum. One of the areas they looked at was
the inclusion and exclusion of competency statements, and how this
impacted on the decision by these recruiters to shortlist and interview
a candidate. The results were startling and also consistent:
“[We] were amazed to find that, when we included them [competency
statements] … they boosted our candidates’ chances by as much as 30 per
cent … The more competency statements you put on … the more chance you
have of being short listed …”Conclusive and concrete evidence that competency statements provided
at an early stage in the recruitment process, i.e. before shortlisting even
begins, make a real difference. The difference between a yes vote and a
no vote. The difference in shortlisting. The difference between an
interview and no interview. The difference between landing a new job
and returning to your existing one. The difference in being noticed.
We’ve established that CVs lack focus. They concentrate on criteria
rather than competencies. However, the interview process focuses on
T H E D E AT H O F T H E CV
13
been done so long does not be good
both criteria and competencies. At some stage, there is a change in
emphasis from criteria to competencies. But you are currently letting
other people work this transition out for you. Figure 1.5 illustrates this
contradiction. The wider the shaded area, the greater the emphasis.
We can illustrate this point further and the difference between criteria
and competencies by considering the lonely hearts pages found in
newspapers and magazines (Figure 1.6).
Both the CV and the lonely hearts ads are trying to be alluring and sell
the benefits of you to another person. Both are laid out in a familiar and
unique format, both carry stock phrases and both are a suggested
length.
P I TC H YO U R S E L F
14
CV
Advertisement
Recruitment agency
Job description/brief
Interview
Criteria basedmeasures
On your CV During an interview
How you present yourself
Competencybased
measures
Emph
asis
you
r pr
ospe
ctiv
e em
ploy
erpl
aces
on
crite
ria
and
com
pete
ncie
s
Figure 1.5 The CV’s emphasis is flawed
Think of some lonely hearts ads. If you’ve never looked at one, grab a
newspaper and analyze them carefully. Our guess is that over 80% of
them describe only the physical characteristics of the person sought.
They might say, ‘Tall, dark and handsome educated man sought by,
Latin, well-travelled female who is into walks in the country and
T H E D E AT H O F T H E CV
15
Figure 1.6 The CV is a lonely heart
cinema.’ It doesn’t exactly help you understand her emotional make-
up, the character of the person she would like to meet, or why they
might actually have a bright future. Think back to your CV.
The well-travelled, Latin female is equivalent to the top part
of a CV, where many people include a number of adjectives describing
themselves, such as, ‘professional salesperson with ten years’
experience managing clients across international borders’. The tall,
dark, handsome section is the equivalent of your own criteria-based
historical catalogue of your career (Figure 1.7). Where do you attempt
to explain what makes you tick and why you would be a good fit for
a company?
CVs are also unfocused in their overall message. CVs need to be more
relevant, pertinent and accessible.
P I TC H YO U R S E L F
16
Format
Length
Focus on what you want
Focus on what you are
CV
Ad to sell yourself
2–3 pages
Career mission statement
Adjectives describingyourself (professional)salesperson with tenyears’ experiencemanaging clients …)Criteria-based careercatalogue (company Xfor five years, rising tojunior sales assistant …)
Lonely hearts
Ad to sell yourself
10–16 lines
Criteria (wanted: tall,dark, handsome …)
Criteria (sought by: curvy,
petite female …)
Figure 1.7 CV versus lonely hearts
The CV is a blunderbuss (Figure 1.8). The CV throws mud at a wall,
hoping some will stick. However, mud flinging is a fine art. Just
because more mud is thrown at a given wall does not mean that a
greater proportion sticks (Figure 1.9). The CV is too generic to
communicate well.
Think back to FirstPersonGlobal’s research. They want you to provide
the answer to their questions, ‘What does this person do or offer me?
Where is their value add?’ They want this answered, rightly or wrongly,
in a fast and furious (and generous) 90 seconds, without you being
there. Think about what this means for you. The onus is on you to
communicate not then to understand. In order to communicate you
need to provide pertinent, relevant and accessible information. In other
words you need to be selective in how you describe yourself.
T H E D E AT H O F T H E CV
17
Spotlights all informationNo focus
Potential employers
You
No real thought as towhat is needed
Figure 1.8 You – the blunderbuss
Every product sold has an angle or positioning in the marketplace. This
is the most motivating and differentiating thing a manufacturer can
say about the product. By its very nature, it cannot be all things to all
people. The angle can be unearthed from one of many sources.
➡ Product characteristics, e.g. ingredients, texture, availability, country
of origin.
➡ User characteristics, e.g. experts use it, celebrities use it, competent
DIY-ers use it.
➡ Ways of using the product, e.g. sharing, indulgence, giving.
➡ Price characteristics, e.g. value, price, cheap, expensive.
➡ Image characteristics, e.g. being friendly, offering quality, being
serious.
➡ Product heritage, e.g. established in, matured since.
➡ Direct comparison, e.g. the Coke/Pepsi challenge.
P I TC H YO U R S E L F
18
What you are Adjectives
Job move, industry change
Job move, culture change
Job move, functional change
Job move, horizontal change
Job move, vertical change
Returning to work
Interim management
Graduate, new career
Self-employed project teams
All t
hing
s to
all
peop
le –
not
on
mes
sage
One
-way
com
mun
icat
ion
What you have doneWhere you have been
Historical CVJob 1Job 2Job 3Job 4Job 5
Figure 1.9 Mud thrown – some will stick
➡ Newsworthiness shown by topical anniversaries.
➡ And many more category areas.
You’ll notice that some of the sources of positioning can be rational,
whereas others are much more emotional, richer and more resonant.
Try and think about some of your favourite brands and what they stand
for. It’s relatively easy for the big global brands but what about the tea
you are drinking, the biscuits you are eating, the batteries in your
torch, the pen you are writing with, the computer you are using, the
watch you are wearing, the chocolates you shared at a dinner party,
your kitchen cleaner, your toothpaste, your favourite fizzy drink, the
mobile phone shop, your favourite website to the jacket you
are wearing?
You can probably think of a catchphrase or strapline for many of these
brands or at least a collection of sentences that sum up what they are.
But, most importantly, whatever the words, they will have a meaning
that is relevant, accessible and personal to you.
So positioning satisfies a consumer need as it addresses why a brand
is relevant for that consumer. At the heart of positioning is selective
communication. Positioning is customer-centric not supplier-centric.
Positioning is the bottom rung on a Maslowian hierarchy of com-
munication needs. Correct positioning identifies the core dimen-
sions of relevance and prioritization leading to understanding and
comprehension.
How often have you written your CV from your perspective rather than
from your customer’s perspective? When did you last ask yourself what
constitutes relevant information? What does my potential employer
want to know about me? We’ve seen that criteria are important but not
that important. Should criteria or competencies form your positioning
or angle? Why did you write a CV if you had no angle?
T H E D E AT H O F T H E CV
19
We have seen that CVs are flawed. The first flaw arises because they do
not focus on the buyer or answer their needs for relevant, succinct
and pertinent information. A catalogue is not a dialogue and lacks
engagement. Less is more. A CV is like a rococo building – there is too
much to take in — and the wood is obscured by the trees. The second
flaw is the emphasis on criteria rather than competencies, which is
related to the third flaw: CVs are not customer friendly. Competencies
aid the recruitment process. They increase the chance of you being
shortlisted. They improve the interview process by examining how you
have coped in the past to describe how your experiences can be applied
to the future. Competencies increase the likelihood of you being
hired as they help unearth what makes you tick and why you are a good
fit for the organization. A criteria-based CV therefore needs to be
deciphered. Deciphering is an inexact science. You rely on a third party
to break the code. Recruitment agencies may get it wrong when
making value judgements about you based on less relevant infor-
mation. They will make these value judgements quickly yet you have
provided a catalogue of information that is not focused on their needs.
The CV is under a barrage of consistent attack. However, the biggest
force toppling the apparent ubiquity of the CV is the changing
corporate landscape.
P I TC H YO U R S E L F
20
criteria are but not
Chopping the corporate structure down to size
The Man from the Pru, the blue-suited IBM sales man and the Japan-
ese salaryman evoke the era of the company man working within
a pyramid-shaped, hierarchical organization. These command-and-
control structures relied for their success on recruiting specialist
functional knowledge into defined silos. There was an emphasis on
long-term employment, time in a position was important, knowledge
rested within the company and there were clear rules for performance.
Careers were essentially vertical as well as defined and delivered
through the company.
This organizational structure of time lines, functions and vertical
progressions moulded your career. Your CV unsurprisingly mirrors this
current organizational structure which in turn mirrors the structure
and shape of many recruitment agencies with functional and industry-
led silos of ‘expertise’. All this changes in a new world of exploding
organizational change.
There is a healthy academic debate on the actual breadth, depth and
speed of organizational change. This in turn affects career patterns, the
nature and scope of management, and the skills and abilities required
for the future. However, one thing is not debatable. Change is
happening and it has been happening for the last 30 years.
T H E D E AT H O F T H E CV
21
important that important
We are seeing the erosion and breakdown of this predominant
corporate hegemony, albeit earlier in some industries than others,
coupled with the rise of the ‘individual’ or ‘intelligent’ career, in
response to a more flexible, decentralized, increasingly virtual, matrix
organization. A process that began slowly and predominantly in the
early 1970s with the economic slowdown has precipitated into a
seismic shift, compounded by the dot.com bubble and reinforced by
the recent 21st century global slowdown and the likely impact of
technology.
The relevance and usefulness of the command-and-control organi-
zation is being challenged. Organizational boundaries are constantly
being redrawn in an ebb and flow as organizations seek to drive
competitive advantage, manage uncertainty, deliver the promised
upside from technology and find their feet in a global economy. The
world has been re-engineered, restructured, merged, consolidated,
networked, matrixed, downsized and de-layered. Thinner and flatter
organizations emerge that lack the formal ties of hierarchy, functional
specialists and job titles. New organizational models based on virtual
companies with virtual teams, existing only in cyberspace, irrespective
P I TC H YO U R S E L F
22
new-style need managers
capable of learning
of time, space and location, not practicably conceivable several decades
ago, could turn into the paradigm of the future.
But let’s not get carried away. The world is never an open-and-shut case
of black and white. Rather, there are myriad shades of shifting grey.
Today, the organizational landscape is littered with varying organiza-
tional structures adapting to their market niches. A continuum of
organizational structures now exists, sometimes coexisting at the same
time, with extremes at either end. We see this range from traditional
command-and-control centralized organizations with the emphasis on
capital allocation, clear demarcation lines and agreements with other
companies, to the flexible, decentralized team-based organizational
models emphasizing networked relationships across a flexible matrix
with the emphasis on individuals having knowledge, taking action
and doing the right thing. However, the fragmentation and erosion of
organizational structures changes the way your career will evolve
and happen.
These new-style organizations will need managers who are flexible,
capable of learning and displaying new skills for the performance of a
T H E D E AT H O F T H E CV
23
organizations will who are flexible, and displaying new skills
wide range of changing tasks. Changes in managers’ careers therefore
come from changes in organizations. This in turn leads to new theories
on managerial action, where there is far greater autonomy and fewer
directives than in the old bureaucracy. You will need to learn and adapt
rather than simply perform and execute. Competencies and internal
motivations become more crucial as boundaries evolve.
Iain Herbertson, CEO of Manpower UK, the world’s biggest employment
agency, put it like this in a recent BBC Radio 4 interview:
“For everyone to recognize that in today’s world all of us need to keep
refreshing our skills and picking up training so that we are best equipped,
we have transferable skills so that we can take advantage of new work
opportunities that occur … that reflects some of the changes in the
employment patterns taking place.”What you do, when you do it, with whom you work, how you work, and
where you do it are all changing into a complex web of multiple relation-
ships. People are now managing their careers actively. Career variety is
part and parcel of the career landscape and not necessarily within the
same company. Indeed, it is generally accepted that we will now have
several careers. Fuzzy and flexible working patterns proliferate, vertical
career paths can replace horizontal ones probably crossing lines, project
P I TC H YO U R S E L F
24
Your CV belongs obsolete corporate
teams replace functional teams, flexibility and agility are key dynamics,
multiple skills are required to navigate around, loyalty to the company
declines and the individual owns their career. Specialist knowledge
becomes less important than the ability to get things done.
As your career is owned by you and is less dependent on an organi-
zation to execute it, you need to ask yourself, ‘What drives me? What
is my ideal job? Which skills and relationships are most important?’
This shift begins with looking at what’s available so you can find the
job to fit you rather than fit yourself to the job.
As organizational boundaries change, the nature and types of careers
that are possible change. As careers change, shouldn’t you consider
how you sell yourself to make the best opportunity of this new-world
paradigm? And, as there is an increasing reliance on individual
learning, adaptation and competencies, then surely a criteria-based,
functional, linear CV is the wrong document? Your CV belongs to the
days of those obsolete corporate monoliths that are crumbling and
changing around you.
You need to look at the organizational models of today and see how
they are responding to the future. You need to respond and be in tune
with the changing workplace.
T H E D E AT H O F T H E CV
25
to the days of thosemonoliths that are crumbling
Don’t try and solve the issues you have writing a CV as you are
correcting a fundamentally flawed document. Rather than focus on
criteria and the linear past, you now need to consider your future
capability in a non-linear dynamic world and how you prove this to
others: this is where the Elevator Pitch comes in.
Welcome to the Elevator Pitch.
P I TC H YO U R S E L F
26
29
2The birth of theElevator Pitch
“CVs try to sell, the Elevator Pitch will make employers want tobuy.” Charlie Dobres, CEO of i-Level
chapter
P I TC H YO U R S E L F
30
The Elevator Pitch is the new and improved way to summarize your
career and work experience so that better and faster hiring decisions
can be made. In this chapter we focus on defining the distinct elements
of the Elevator Pitch and in Chapter 3 we will show you how to write
your own Elevator Pitch.
A traditional CV emphasizes criteria such as job title to employment
history in order to place a value on your career. A CV concentrates on
what you are and where you have done it. They are linear static
Answers what and where
CV begins hereby placingimportance onthese attributes
Elevator Pitch beginshere by placingimportance on thesecompetencies asevidenced by yourachievements
Job 1
Answers how and who
EP buyCV sell
Job 2 Job 3
Function
Industry
Results
Competencies
Job 4 Job 5
Figure 2.1 The correct starting point
The Elevator Pitch who you are and
T H E B I R T H O F T H E E L E VATO R P I TC H
31
concentrates on why you are who you are
documents written in reverse chronological order. In the last chapter
we saw that CVs are fatally flawed. The inherent weakness of your CV
restricts your ability to find the best job as the real reason for
employing you is hidden. Your information is not correctly prioritized
and you fail to answer why you would be a great employee.
On the other hand an Elevator Pitch begins with your behaviours,
skills, traits and abilities that define and help predict how you will
perform in the future. An Elevator Pitch does not need to be
deciphered. Your Elevator Pitch focuses on who you are and how you
do it. Your Elevator Pitch is dynamic and non linear. Your Elevator
Pitch will be concise, relevant and targeted. Your Elevator Pitch only
highlights the information necessary to help you secure your next job
allowing your prospective employer to quickly and easily answer the
question ‘What does this person do or offer me? What is their value
add?’ This give you a better chance of securing a place on the shortlist
and therefore a job.
Figure 2.1 neatly captures this new perspective and starting point: the
correct starting point of an Elevator Pitch and the wrong starting point
of a CV.
P I TC H YO U R S E L F
32
There are four core elements to your Elevator Pitch,
➡ Personal details. Name, contact details including your e-mail
address and international dialling codes.
➡ Your Personal Promise. Think of this as your own executive
summary, based on the three core components of who you are,
how you do it and what you do.
➡ Your Transferable Assets. These are your competencies, behav-
iours, traits and abilities that are relevant to the job you are
Competencies themselves in you
What you are
What youhave doneWhere you
have done it
Adjectives
Contactdetails
Linear career historyCriteria based
FunctionResults
PersonalPromise
Contactdetails
CompetenciesResults
Non linearDynamic
Careerbiography
CV Your ElevatorPitch
Who you areHow you do itWhat you do
How you do itHow you can
do it again
Figure 2.2 Highlighting the big difference
T H E B I R T H O F T H E E L E VATO R P I TC H
33
applying for. Your achievements are used as evidence of your skill
in that particular competency
➡ Short career biography. A list of the companies you have worked for,
positions held and length of service.
Figure 2.2 shows the differences between a CV and your Elevator Pitch.
The Personal PromiseThe Personal Promise is your executive summary. It replaces the list of
unstructured adjectives that many people include on a CV. If you have
ever reviewed several CVs, these adjectives become meaningless as
everyone uses stock phrases. Your Personal Promise has three key
components.
➡ Who you are
➡ How you do it
➡ What you do
In Chapter 5, you will find a number of Elevator Pitches. From these,
two Personal Promises have been highlighted as they provide good
examples of tackling the three components in a couple of sentences.
“I bring zest for life to my work making ideas happen. 14 years of practical,
integrated marketing ideas generation for both clients and advertising
agencies across the world.”
manifest and are hard to imitate
P I TC H YO U R S E L F
34
“Customer-focused, intelligent risk taker. Direction setter of inventive
solutions with the willingness to absorb situations and get on with it. 28
years’ leadership of multimillion-dollar mechanical engineering projects in
the international oil industry.”The Personal Promise is similar to a strapline in a magazine: easy to
take in and very easily understood. The Personal Promise sets the tone
and style of the Elevator Pitch. It is an umbrella statement that the rest
of your Elevator Pitch sets out to prove.
Transferable Assets
Transferable Assets are your fiduciary currency. Just as a bank note
promises to pay the bearer a certain sum in the future, your Trans-
ferable Assets are your tokens that guarantee the promise of your
future contribution and value.
A Transferable Asset is a competency that you are skilled in. A compe-
tency is what you are good at. More importantly, they are what you are
better at than other people, so they have a degree of relative and absolute
measure. A competency is one aspect of your make-up, your under-
lying motives and traits that differentiate outstanding from typical
performance. Competencies give you a source of differentiation and
generate distinct value and benefits. Competencies manifest themselves
in you and are hard to imitate.
Competencies focus on how you do a job and the way you do it rather
than what you do. They describe the underlying characteristics that
enable you to perform better in your role and go beyond the traditional
focus of your qualifications, technical skills and experience. Compe-
tencies are observable and measurable. Some competencies are easy to
pick up, while others are difficult to learn and some cannot be acquired.
T H E B I R T H O F T H E E L E VATO R P I TC H
35
The key is to discover the ones you have, the ones that you are devel-
oping, and the ones that are sitting on the horizon. In this way, you will
see the progression of the early behaviours that form a competency.
To understand and get to grips with your Transferable Assets you need
to quantify their quality. This quantification process can be absolute,
relative or perceived. It also needs to be objective and ideally bench-
marked against norms. In Chapter 3, we show you in detail how to
define your own Transferable Assets.
You can also be skilled, unskilled or overskilled in your use of each compe-
tency. The word ‘skill’ refers to your degree of ability or capability. If you
have demonstrated a competency just once, then it is unlikely that you are
skilled in that area, so you cannot claim it is one of your Transferable
Assets. Conversely, one can become overskilled or over-reliant in the use
of one competency, which negates the upside of using the competency.
We can merely scratch the surface of competencies in this book. There is
a wealth of data on competencies. If you type the word ‘competency’ into
a good search engine, you’ll find hundreds and thousands of references.
Hay McBer and Lominger are the leaders of this field and their websites
are good starting points: www.lominger.com; www.haygroup.com. Happy
hunting.
Your Transferable Assets define you. They are you. They are your
essential building blocks. Your Transferable Assets form your
Career DNA.
Career DNA
Your Career DNA sets you apart from all other individuals and gives
you your own Career DNA fingerprint that is easily identifiable.
However, unlike biological DNA, your Career DNA expands as you
P I TC H YO U R S E L F
36
CV
Advertisement
Recruitment agency
Job description/brief
Interview
Competencybased
measures
Criteria-basedmeasures
How you should present yourself onyour EP and during an interview
Emph
asis
you
r pr
ospe
ctiv
eem
ploy
er s
houl
d pl
ace
oncr
iteri
a an
d co
mpe
tenc
ies
Figure 2.3 The Elevator Pitch redresses the balance
experience new roles, dynamics, cultures, events and tasks within the
workplace and social environment.
When constructing your Elevator Pitch you need to pick and select the
relevant and most pertinent Transferable Assets to suit the project
you’re facing. This is fairly similar to your own biological DNA, when
certain parts of the genetic code are switched on and other parts
switched off to form specialized cells most suited to the task in hand.
Competencies also help you understand the type of organization and
culture where you thrive best as a company’s culture is defined by the
people it employs.
Through placing emphasis on competencies, you redress the recruitment
balance (Figures 2.3 and 2.4).
The Elevator Pitch reverses the CV (Figure 2.5).
T H E B I R T H O F T H E E L E VATO R P I TC H
37
Your fundamental building blocksWho you areWhy you are who you areHow you do itWhy you can do it again
Hierarchy of emphasis of what you expose to the world
Functional, criteria-led, linear catalogueWhat you areWhere you have beenWhat you have done
Figure 2.5 The brilliant Elevator Pitch principle
Executivesummary
Your PersonalPromise
TransferableAsset
TransferableAsset 1
TransferableAsset 2
TransferableAsset 3
TransferableAsset 4
Results
Results AResults B
Results CResults D
Results EResults F
Results GResults H
Job
Job 4Job 3
Job 3Job 2
Job 4Job 4
Industrysector
Industry BIndustry B
Industry BIndustry A
Industry BIndustry B
Career history
Chronologicaljob history
Functionalgrowth
Hierarchy of emphasis of what you expose to the world
Figure 2.4 The Elevator Pitch framework
The Career DNA Bank
You will discover you have many Transferable Assets. You will use a
selection of your Transferable Assets on each Elevator Pitch you write.
You need a quick and easy way to refer to your Transferable Assets so
you can pick and choose the best ones for the job you are applying for.
We have called this your Career DNA Bank.
Essentially you should think of your Career DNA Bank as a toolkit. A
Career DNA Bank is a repository of your Transferable Assets. These
Transferable Assets can be either deposited or withdrawn at will to target
a specific industry or role fully maximizing your potential.
P I TC H YO U R S E L F
38
Competencies
People-specific
Job-specific
Function-specific
Behaviour-specific
Examples
Works the matrix, persuasive, inspirational manager,cares about direct reports
Understands role within organization, robust analyticalskills, customer segmentation, articulate spokesperson,works hard, plays hardUnderstands what goes on around the organization,fiscally, legally, operations, external ventures
Emotional IQ, sets correct targets, results-driven, long-rangethinking, stands alone and challenges convention, intellectuallysharp and agile, picks up concepts easily
Your
Car
eer
DN
A B
ank
Figure 2.6 Your Career DNA Bank
A Career DNA Bank is good allowing you to make bespoke Elevator
Pitches. How often have you done this in the past with your CV? Not
much is our guess, as the level of tailoring is pretty limited with a time-
line, criteria-based CV. However Transferable Assets can be presented
in a much more dynamic and fluid manner adjusting to your needs. The
results-driven evidence that supports each Transferable Asset can be
displayed in a number of ways and different evidence can be used to
support variations in the overall Transferable Asset.
Transferable Assets can be grouped into four clusters: job-specific,
people-specific, function-specific and behaviour-specific assets
(Figure 2.6).
T H E B I R T H O F T H E E L E VATO R P I TC H
39
Job move, industry change
Job move, culture change
Job move, functional change
Job move, horizontal change
Job move, vertical change
Returning to work
Interim management
Graduate, new career
Self-employed project teams
Personal Promise
Contact details
Career history Two-
way
feed
back
on
mes
sage
all
the
time
Transferable Asset 1Transferable Asset 2Transferable Asset 3Transferable Asset 4Transferable Asset 5
Match Transferable Assets to opportunity usingCareer DNA Bank containing Transferable Assets
Figure 2.7 Mud thrown is lost ground – the importance of the message
Figure 2.7 shows the elements of an Elevator Pitch.
The Elevator Pitch aids dialogue and encourages communication in a
common and universally recognized language that is used by your
customers. There is no need to decipher the information as a common
bond is established. The Elevator Pitch is highly adaptable.
Your Elevator Pitch helps you get the job you want.
3Writing your
Elevator Pitch “CV’s try to sell, the Elevator Pitch will make employers want
to buy ” Charlie Dobres, CEO of i-Level
chapter
41
P I TC H YO U R S E L F
42
To write your own Elevator Pitch, you must first consider each element.
There are four core elements to your Elevator Pitch,
➡ Personal details: name and contact details, including your email
address and international dialling code. This is self-explanatory.
➡ Your Personal Promise, based on the three core components of who
you are, how you do it, and what you do.
➡ Your Transferable Assets, chosen from your Career DNA Bank
justified by the use of results, which we call quantifying the
quality.
➡ Short career biography, stating the companies you have worked for,
positions held, and length of service.
The Elevator Pitch should reflect the needs of your audience. We know
they are looking for concise, relevant, targeted and pertinent infor-
mation. We also know they don’t have a lot of time. Help them,
because you will be helping yourself. Write a short Elevator Pitch. If
you cannot write your Elevator Pitch on one page, why not rethink
what you are writing? If it is more than two pages long, you are
definitely not being hard enough on yourself.
The Elevator Pitch the needs of
W R I T I N G YO U R E L E VATO R P I TC H
43
Your Personal Promise
Your Personal Promise is your executive summary. It is you in a
nutshell. How do you crack it? All Personal Promises are founded on
three component questions:
➡ Who you are?
➡ How you do it?
➡ What you do?
Before we learn how to write your own Personal Promise, let’s consider
two we have already seen in Chapter 2 and pull them apart.
Bill’s Personal Promise is: ‘I bring zest for life to my work, making ideas
happen. 14 years of practical, integrated marketing ideas generation for
both clients and advertising agencies across the world.’
John’s Personal Promise is: ‘Customer focused, intelligent risk taker.
Direction setter of inventive solutions with the willingness to absorb
situations and get on with it. 28 years’ leadership of $ multimillion
mechanical engineering projects in the international oil industry.’
should reflect your audience
P I TC H YO U R S E L F
44
The ‘Who you are?’ component is answered by ‘I bring zest for life to
my work’ and ‘Customer-focused, intelligent risk taker’. What does
this tell you about these two people? One has a sense of fun and
passion, and plays hard and works hard, in a larger-than-life outgoing
capacity. The second person is more contained, in a balanced practical
manner, and relishes challenges and the associated risk. John is
passionate about his customers and what they want yet he is willing to
make that big leap through quantifying the risk.
The second component is ‘How you do it?’ This is a summation of your
overall competencies at a broad level. Here, we have ‘Making ideas
happen [through the zest for life]’ and ‘Direction setter of inventive
solutions with the willingness to absorb situations and get on with it’.
What underpins these statements? In order to make things happen,
Bill challenges the way things are done, asks whether they can be done
better and doesn’t just think about an idea but acts upon it and gets
stuck in. John’s statement shows he is a man who is comfortable and
content in fluid situations requiring flexibility of mind, balanced by the
ability to juggle many balls simultaneously. During all of this he
inspires confidence in his team coupled with the ability to cut to the
main issue and assess what is important, why it is important and how
Your Personal be direct,
W R I T I N G YO U R E L E VATO R P I TC H
45
it should be tackled, sometimes in an unorthodox yet highly practical
and pragmatic manner.
The third question that needs answering is, ‘What do you do?’ This is
the only part of the Elevator Pitch that is criteria-based with a linear,
functional perspective. It provides the support for the two previous
questions. Both have tackled this by showing the length of time,
industry sector and geographical regions where they have worked: ‘14
years of practical, integrated marketing ideas generation for both
clients and advertising agencies across the world’ and ‘28 years
leadership of $ multimillion mechanical engineering projects in the
international oil industry’.
Your Personal Promise should be direct, simple, clear and directional.
It should be you. There should be a part of you in the Personal Promise
that your friends could spot. It is the umbrella statement that sets out
your stall, which your Transferable Assets then support. The Personal
Promise is the conductor and your Transferable Assets are the
orchestra. The Personal Promise is your sound bite.
We would expect to see further evidence that proves these statements
in their full Elevator Pitches.
Promise should simple, clear and directional
P I TC H YO U R S E L F
46
Seems easy enough doesn’t it, but let’s start in another industry.
We’ve all heard that movies are pitched to studios. Budding writers
toil over a story, craft a synopsis, and then ruthlessly simplify it down
to a core sound bite. The sound bite for Alien was allegedly ‘Jaws in
Space’.
This sound bite is known as a positioning statement. Positioning was
first defined by Ries and Trout in the early 1970s and has become the
underpinning of the marketing world over the last 30 years. Many
people talk positioning. But few really do it. The fundamental premise
is to concentrate on the relationships in your customers’ minds and
reconnect them in new and exciting ways. That’s why ‘Jaws in Space’
works so well.
Everybody, unconsciously or consciously, practises rudimentary
positioning. Positioning is a prerequisite for selective communication.
How many messages do you receive in any one day? Not just
commercial messages, such as advertising hoardings or television
commercials, but what about that selective political sound bite on
international or domestic affairs? Was it the whole truth? Of course
not. We don’t have the time or the space in our heads for the whole
truth. Selective communication reigns supreme in our 24/7 world.
Global companies such as Unilever or Shell practise positioning to find
angles for their products. Countries do it to encourage tourism. Cities
does your
W R I T I N G YO U R E L E VATO R P I TC H
47
do it. People do it. It is an angle. It is selective communication, not all-
encompassing communication.
When you become selective in your approach to communication you
must ask yourself what particular aspect you wish to showcase and
what would help your customers buy from you.
It’s excellent practice to play with pitching your favourite movie, book
or play in this way so that when it comes to you the whole process will
become much easier. You’ll then find it easier to be ruthlessly selective
and to focus only on your advantages and benefits.
What’s your sound bite? What’s your Personal Promise? You may have
30 seconds to convince someone to hire you. Or you may get 2 minutes
or 10. Don’t they say first impressions count? What do you say?
Why not write it down? Did you think like your CV – straitjacketed into
convention? What did you leave out? Why? What was your focus on?
Was it chronological? Autobiographical? Perhaps functional? Did you
refer to things you had done and achieved in the past? Or did you focus
on how you might be described by your partner? Was it a linear view?
Perhaps you outlined several objective–analysis–action–result-style
scenarios. Did you emphasize the blue-chip nature of your career to
date? Or did you focus on the bigger picture? Perhaps you highlighted
the boldness of your entrepreneurial stance in a task-driven culture. Or
Personal Promisesell you?
P I TC H YO U R S E L F
48
maybe your personal capital. You undoubtedly looked into your past
career and highlighted a couple of facets that you felt proud of.
If a sound bite can sell a movie, does your Personal Promise sell you?
Does your Personal Promise cover the three bases?
➡ Who you are?
➡ How you do it?
➡ What you do?
The first component, ‘Who you are?’, is best answered by thinking of
examples from other fields and then applying these to yourself. If you
were to describe your best friend, how would you describe them? You’d
probably focus on a string of adjectives that bring their personality to
life rather than their physical description. It’s simple to describe your
friends. What would they say about you? Go and grab your favourite
author. How have they described their characters and places? There is
probably some haunting description you read months ago that lurks in
your mind as a powerful evocation of someone’s intent. What is yours?
How does this translate into your work experience?
To answer the second question, ‘How you do it?’, you need to think
about why someone is better than someone else, and then apply this to
yourself. What makes for a great doctor rather than a mediocre doctor?
Is it the number of patients they can see in a day, or is it the reassurance
and self-confidence of their bedside manner, their compassion, or the
way they make bad news sound just that bit better? Think about some
of your previous bosses. What made one better than the other? What
distinguished their performance? Did they focus solely on the end
result and nothing about the means? Or did they create strong morale
and spirit in their team? Were the wins and successes shared? Did
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they create a feeling of belonging? Did they provide challenging and
stretching tasks? Were they dedicated to their customers? Did they
quickly zero in on the essential items and create focus? Did you
admire their inspirational leadership qualities? Were they a doer? Did
the impossible happen? Similarly, going back in time, you probably
respected and responded better to some teachers than others. Which
teachers do you still think about, and why? Did they involve you? Were
the lessons fun? Why were they fun? What did they do to make them
fun? Did they root a theoretical subject in the everyday here and now?
Did they pass on a burning passion for their subject and make you want
to find out more? Did you gaze at the night sky after a physics lesson
and dream about the enormity of the universe? What are the overall
patterns of behaviour that you have? Quite simply, how do you do
things? What’s your fire?
The third part of the Personal Promise is linear and criteria-based. This
is a summary of your experience, the industry sector or sectors, your
profession and perhaps geographical location.
Figure 3.1 summarizes the types of question that you may find useful
in creating your Personal Promise.
You do not need to have just one Personal Promise. There will be times
when you wish to portray slightly different aspects of your character.
Once you have created your first Personal Promise, try and look at
yourself from different angles and see other facets that might be useful.
However, to write your Personal Promise, and to produce the perfect
set-up for your Elevator Pitch, you need to create your Transferable
Assets and populate your Career DNA Bank.
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Defining your Transferable Assets
You now need to populate your Career DNA Bank with your Trans-
ferable Assets and the evidence that can be used as substantiation.
There are four basic steps in identifying and evidencing your Trans-
ferable Assets:
1. Look back on your career and deconstruct it project by project,
thinking about each objective, your analysis, the resulting action,
and the end result.
2. Understand what the objectives, analysis, actions and results tell
you about your behaviours and motives.
Who you are?
How you do it?
What you do?
How do your friends describe you?How would your favourite author describe you?What’s your strapline?What would a TV ad for you say?
What makes a teacher a good teacher?What makes a doctor a good doctor?What makes a boss a good boss?What makes you a good employee/employer/interim manager?
Number of years workedIndustry sectorProfession and geographical location
Figure 3.1 The Personal Promise
try and look at different
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3. Create your Transferable Assets by looking at the behaviours and
competencies you can support.
4. Create your Career DNA Bank.
Step 1 Deconstructing your career
To begin this process, you need to take a thorough look back through
your career, concentrating on those situations where you have been
highly successful. You should consider not only the macro-objectives,
such as a 10% growth in profit margin year on year, but also the micro-
objectives behind this that led you to achieving that growth.
You may have already done some of this work for your appraisals and in
constructing your original CV. One of the tools you may find useful is
the objectives–analysis–action–results (OAAR) approach. This is a
fairly standard approach to quantifying results within given parameters:
➡ What were the objectives?
➡ What analysis did you make?
➡ What action did you take?
➡ What were the results?
yourself from angles
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Here is an example of a top-line OAAR study from a veterinary nurse:
Objective: To lead and ensure the smooth running of a team of seven
nurses in a busy mixed country practice.
Analysis: Benchmark similar practices around the country. Looked at
previous two years’ vet practice management (who does what, where,
when, why). Found seasonal trend.
Action: Developed new staff rotas. Created optimal business mix, freed
up additional 20 hours a month of time for every four employees.
Results: An efficient practice where vets could be vets. Ensured nursing
staff were available for theatre, consulting, laboratory, hospitalized
patients, practice administration including small-animal claim forms,
nursing rotas, and on-call out-of-hour duties. Made time available for
practice nurses and resources for the dispensing of drugs and the
teaching of student nurses..
really important found behind the
However, the really important information can be found behind the
smaller steps you took in order to deliver the whole objective. Did you
need to manage your team in a different manner or reorganize it? What
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processes and procedures did you need? How did you manage the
learning requirements of your team? Was there a new business win
that drove margins higher but required greater relationship skills? You
should then reanalyze each of these micro-objectives and ask yourself
what you did, how you did it, and why you did it. Again, you may find
you need to be even more granular and repeat the process again and
again. It may help you to think of this whole exercise as a Russian doll:
opening one doll reveals the next, opening that doll reveals the next,
and so on. Each new doll exposed takes you deeper into your analysis
and actions, which constitute how you delivered the larger objective.
On the surface you may find that answering these questions is a simple
and straightforward affair. However, peeling back the layers to get
under your skin can be trickier than it looks. Here are some questions
that might help:
➡ How did you arrive at the objectives?
➡ What skills did you use to analyse the project?
➡ How did you go about implementing the objectives and analysis?
➡ How were the results derived?
➡ What did you actually do to solve the problem?
information can be smaller steps you took
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➡ How did others contribute?
➡ How were resources managed?
➡ How did you formulate the answer?
➡ What barriers did you encounter?
➡ How did they affect the project?
➡ What made the difference?
➡ What were the organizational factors?
➡ Which behaviours worked, and why?
Probably the easiest way to do this exercise is to write a narrative story.
Get everything down. Then rewrite it several times until you reach a
logical, neat story. Here is an example from Michael’s experiences at Dell:
Whilst working for the European head office of Dell Computers I was
tasked with delivering and running the new corporate brand advertising
campaign across Europe and so effect changes in Dell’s brand equity. This
involved planning and buying print and television media across several
European countries, as well as adapting our television commercials, which
had been shot in both the USA and Europe, for a European audience.
However, there was one small problem. Television advertising is
expensive. It is especially expensive when buying commercials in pro-
grammes that attract a business audience such as news and current
affairs. I had to ensure I invested the media budget wisely and effectively
to deliver our objectives. Germany, in particular, was in need of extra
help. It was a key strategic sales geography as well as being the largest
European IT market so we needed to provide a sustained and enhanced
campaign without compromising our other markets. There was not
enough money to do this.
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When budgets and objectives don’t square, you have two choices:
change the objective or change the budget. You also have a third choice:
change the budget without actually changing the budget.
The campaign was launched with a budget nearly 50% greater than
originally planned. This allowed Dell to dramatically increase the
campaign’s reach and effectiveness and allowed us to fully support each
business and especially support the German market over a period of
one year. However, this budget increase was achieved without needing
extra cash.
The ‘zero cost incremental budget’ was delivered through a series of
innovative, symbiotic, back-to-back deals with a range of partners
covering the worlds of media, sport and IT. It proved conclusively that
there is such a thing as a free lunch. The astonishing net result was the
delivery of one year’s free airtime on two German television stations on
top of the already planned media, as well as Dell becoming the primary
sponsor of the newly minted Williams BMW 1999 Le Mans Racing Team,
again for nothing.
For those racing fanatics, 1999 was the year that Williams BMW won
Le Mans. Suddenly, our primary sponsorship of a racing car reaped the
additional benefits of a free global sponsorship property. This covered
major worldwide television coverage during the race through to BMW’s
advertising across the world announcing their win. Naturally, the Dell
logo was always visible and shining bright. Model cars were sent to our
customers. Books were published with tailored dust jackets. The win
was also used in Dell’s own direct-response advertising to convey
leadership. Employees were excited and it became the highest visited
page within the European Dell internal newsletter hosted on our
intranet.
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A major success that began by looking at how to increase budgets
without extra cash and ended with a highly visible global sponsorship
project and a robust year-long media campaign in Germany.
You may find it helpful to transfer the key learnings to a simple OAAR
table. Naturally, you will find that for each area, you will be writing
several different OAAR scripts as the layers are pulled back and
exposed.
Step 2 Understanding what the analysis, action and resultstell you – who you are, how you did it, what you did, andwhere you did it
Once you have constructed your basic story outlines, you need to
analyze what each part actually means. The objective provides the
context to the problem or opportunity. The analysis and action sections
provide the clues to your behaviour patterns. These two key sections
answer the question, ‘How do you do things?’ The end result answers
what you did. In the future months and years, you would not be
seeking to replicate the result, but you would be seeking to use the
behaviours underlying your analysis and action, and applying these to
new opportunities and problems. This is shown in Figure 3.2.
Referring back to the case study of Michael at Dell, we can see how he
has analyzed what he did and what behaviours he demonstrated.
What were the motives, traits and behaviour patterns that made
How do
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him successful in delivering the outcome required and distinguished
excellent performance from average performance?
The overall objective was to deliver a change in Dell’s brand equity
through running a corporate television campaign across Europe. The
first analysis found that the objectives and budgets were incompatible.
This created a new micro-objective to leverage the existing funds and
make them go further. The analysis was to create a step change in the
budget by looking outside the normal funding arena and developing new
models of participation. The action was a series of lateral, creative,
symbiotic and interlinking partnerships with companies inside and
outside the IT arena. The result was a 50% increase in budget without
any cost to Dell, as well as the creation of a free global sponsorship
property.
Figure 3.2 Key performance indicators
Objective
Analysis
Action
Results
Provides
Context
How you do itWho you are
How you do itWho you are
What you do
Implication
Benchmark
You can do it again
You can do it again
History
you do things?
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There’s a bias for action and results. There is a thirst for tough and
unfamiliar challenges coupled with the desire and need to seize an
opportunity. It incorporates a commercial knowledge and cultural
understanding of the business. It shouts loudly about his creativity
and freshness of thinking, showing an intellectually agile mind
capable of juggling concepts and complexity. A tenacity to break the
mould, to experiment, and to not accept the status quo is clearly
defined. Good-quality decisions were made under extreme time
pressures, often without all the data. And there is a clear creative
edge to solving problems and seeing patterns where none existed
previously.
On top of these behaviours, Michael also relied on his 15 years of
advertising and marketing knowledge to help ground his actions and
break down the desired outcome into smaller chunks.
There are many facets to a work project of this nature. There are many
desired outcomes, and many OAARs can be built. For example, one
starting point for analysis could be the actual changes in brand equity.
Another could be how well the agencies were managed and the sub-
sequent media planning and buying performance. Each of these stories
would emphasize a set of behaviours that could be drawn upon in
different ways.
Here is another example, from Bill, illustrating the analysis of one part
of the role he played in winning new business for his company.
Whilst working in Australia for a top advertising agency, I was responsible
for generating new business opportunities. A newspaper group came to
us with a fascinating dilemma. How could we help them strengthen their
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customer service by improving the relationship between their salesforce
and their client counterparts whilst driving efficiencies by providing
accurate up-to-the-minute information regardless of the Australian time
zones? My task was to win the business.
We identified a number of new customers alongside those identified in
their original brief. We created interlinked intranet, internet and extranet
sites sharing common data that provided customized information to each
audience. This allowed their sales teams to be fully up to date whenever
and wherever they were providing enhanced client service. For their
clients, it delivered a greater speed of response.
I had to manage teams, marshal resources, gain direction and buy-in,
set priorities, understand the commercial imperatives of their business,
step back and see the wider context and the big picture.
Each story and each OAAR set helps you understand your behaviours,
base traits and motives. Following is a list of some of the themes and
behaviours that could underlie some of your Transferable Assets. It is
by no means exhaustive, but should be used merely to get you thinking
about how you might describe how you behave. Think back to the type
of interview questions you have been asked. There are some classic
questions, such as, ‘Have you led a team during a crisis? How did this
compare with calmer times?’ or ‘Tell me about a time you had to deal
with conflict.’ Think of all the questions that tried to get under your
skin and highlight the behaviours you have. Write down these
questions. Write down the questions you ask others. Look for the
groups of behaviours. Think about how you might respond. Go back to
your OAAR analysis. Look for commonly used threads:
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➡ Good negotiator
➡ Provides perspective
➡ Sees patterns and trends
➡ Customer-focused
➡ Flexibility and adaptability
➡ Copes with the unexpected
➡ Moves on and is not phased
➡ Intellectual agility
➡ Inclusive and collaborative
across the matrix
➡ Green-fielding
➡ It ain’t what you do, it’s the
way that you do it
➡ Passionate
➡ Deals with imprecision
➡ Helps others succeed
➡ Resourceful
➡ Rigorous strategic thinker
➡ Works through others to
deliver objectives
➡ Commercial awareness
➡ Creativity and innovation
➡ Lateral thinker
➡ Committed
➡ Solid business strategist
➡ Resource- and team-
management
➡ Plain speaker
➡ Motivational leader
➡ Provides practical business
solutions
➡ Results-driven
➡ Business builder
➡ Understands people
➡ Business development
➡ Consistent
➡ Information gathering
➡ Situational awareness
➡ Effective communicator
➡ Technical and practical
aptitude
➡ Building great teams
➡ Relationship and partnership
building
➡ Challenges convention
➡ Sales development
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➡ Ability to influence
➡ Problem solver
➡ Motivates others
➡ Cares for people
➡ Managing and measuring
➡ Decision making
➡ Managing through systems
➡ Planning
➡ Stands alone
➡ Thrives on challenges
➡ Facilitates organizational
success
➡ Forward thinking
➡ Identify viable business
Opportunities
➡ Intellectual power
➡ Rational yet analytical
enquiring mind
➡ Long-range thinker
➡ Cuts to the core of what is
required
➡ Identifies priority actions
➡ Gives others scope and
freedom to act
➡ Discovers concepts, trends
and patterns
➡ Draws inferences
➡ Abstract reasoning
➡ Verbal reasoning
➡ Tenacity to deliver
➡ Tenacity to break the mould
➡ Driven style
➡ Principled
➡ Integrity and trust
➡ Honesty
➡ Loyal
➡ Intellectual breadth and
depth
➡ Sets priorities
➡ Comfortably handles risk
and uncertainty
➡ Can shift gears
➡ Mentoring
➡ Understands and uses the
informal network to get
things done
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Step 3 Allocating a skill level to each of your identifiedcompetencies creates your Transferable Assets
A Transferable Asset is a competency or behaviour that you are skilled
in. How do you determine the skill level you attribute to a competence?
This depends on a number of things.
It could be the number of times it has been used; you can check this by
looking at the frequency at which the same type of behaviour or group
of behaviours crops up in your analyses of projects. It might help you
to construct a table like that shown in Figure 3.3.
Objective
Analysis
Action
Results
Your story Behaviours displayed Arranged into groups
Figure 3.3 Key performance indicators
Superficiality
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How effective have you been in using the competence and to what
extent has it influenced the outcome of projects? These can be used as
major indicators as to whether this competence is a real strength.
The acid test is how many concrete examples you can provide. If you
claim to be innovative, then you will need several examples to prove it.
The proof is not just the examples you write for your Elevator Pitch.
These are meant to be the best examples that you would prioritize over
others and talk about first. What would happen if you were asked for
another example of this style of behaviour? And another? And
another? You need to be able to drill down and provide the depth and
breadth of your skills and abilities in this area. Superficiality counts for
nothing. Not everyone is results-driven. Not everyone is innovative.
Not everyone is creative. What are you?
Look back at your OAAR tables. Do you see common patterns? What
behaviours do you display?
Step 4 Creating your Career DNA Bank
Your Career DNA is stored in a Career DNA Bank. Think of this as a
deposit account. Identifying all your Transferable Assets at the outset
ensures you have a full bank account with a rich currency reserve.
Many of us have numerous Transferable Assets, all of which are
counts for nothing
relevant. Just not all at the same time. Some have been built up, while
others are being nurtured and progressed. This is an ongoing process
throughout your whole career.
You have identified consistently used behaviour patterns. These need
to be written up ready for use in your Elevator Pitches.
John Baldwin has identified his Transferable Assets using the processes
described and built his own Career DNA Bank. He has used a three-
step process to write and explain his Transferable Assets that are going
to be used in his Elevator Pitch:
Step 1: Decide what key words best describe your Transferable Assets in
a positive and realistic way. You are looking to impress upon the reader
that you are the right person for the role, so choose your words carefully.
It is imperative that the style and tone of your Transferable Assets reflect
you and evidences your Personal Promise. It is worth reminding yourself
at this stage of phrases that would be considered as negative and would
create unfavourable impressions. It is a sure-fire way of making sure you
don’t use them by mistake. John initially created the table shown in
Figure 3.4.
Step 2: You have selected key descriptive words and/or phrases to help
build and evidence your Transferable Assets. Now you need to look at
those parts of your career that evidence your Transferable Assets and,
most importantly, you wish to highlight. Your Transferable Assets were
defined previously by using the detailed OAAR analysis technique. For
each of the Transferable Assets that you have chosen to use on your
Elevator Pitch there will be many parts of your career that you can use
to highlight them. List these as shown in Figure 3.5.
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People
Job
Functional
Behaviour
Categories Positive keywords for Elevator Pitch Negative words or impressions to be avoided
Supportive, encouraging, guiding, mentor, even-handed, fair and reasonable, sincere, approachable, flexible
Analytical, articulate, inventive, thinks outside the box, co-ordinated, disciplined, organized, vocal participant, prudent, leader, communicator, direction setter
Product knowledge, hands-on, international, cultural awareness, new business ventures, JVs, agents, key accounts, externally focused, fiscal awareness, contract awareness, terms and condtions, legal entity
Positive, flexible, intelligent risk taker, lateral mover, social, languages, flexible
Cautious, conservative, reserved
Observer, quiet, follower, indecisive
Inexperience, parochial, tunnel vision
Negative, dour, inflexible, outrageous, prejudiced
Figure 3.4 John Baldwin’s Career DNA Bank
People
Job
Functional
Behaviour
Categories Transferable assets Notes
Supportive, approachable, fair and reasonable
Analytical, communication
Hands-on, outside the box
Lateral mover, flexibility
For use in describing my HR-associated role in expat job
Reference my engineering background
My industry experience
My willingness to absorb situations and get on with it
All resulting in enhanced business results
Figure 3.5 Transferable Asset Analyser
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Step 3: You have now selected your Transferable Assets with notes
attached showing how they evidence your career. You need to combine
these to build them up using your actual experiences to create a fully
evidenced Transferable Asset. Remember not to use industry jargon or
abbreviations. You are setting out your stall and are aiming to make a real
and excellent first impression. You now have a rich currency reserve in your
Career DNA Bank. Let’s spend it. Your Transferable Assets are now in a
format that are ready to use when creating your Elevator Pitch. (Figure 3.6).
Fair and reasonable, supportive, approachable
Analytical, communication
Hands-on, outside the box
Lateral mover, flexibility
I managed 12 expatriate employees in three Middle Eastern countries, most of whom were family accompanied. I had responsibility for the equitable administration of company policy in areas such as housing, local benefits, schooling, vehicles, home leaves, etc., requiring a fair and reasonable approach with even-handed treatment for all. Living conditions in the late 1970s were trying and required a supportive and approachavble management style.
My engineering background gives me an analytical nature and as GM and VP, I chaired weekly production meetings and successfully analysed critical path processes to keep delivery schedules on track through the disruptive period of a plant-expansion programme.
Participation in major tender authorship together with personal presentations to key account clients using communication skills dramatically improved bid package content and contributed to four new account and territory successes in a two-year period while maintaining all existing accounts.
Eight years in field service management in international offshore and onshore operations have given me a sound hands-on industry competence.(GM Kvaerner Oilfield Prducts – Middle East)
Instigated and set up a unique JV manufacturing partnership in Iran resulting in a market entry over a four-year period generating sales revenue of $5m. This continues to develop and grow. This was very much an ‘outside the box’ strategy not initially considered workable by some.
Accepted a lateral move as a career-development opportunity and a chance to develop from scratch a complete sales and marketing presence where none had existed. This resulted in sales exceeding $5m/annum within two years and a threefold increase in head count plus an additional district office set-up.
I am a well-rounded individual having demonstrated a flexibilty that has progressed me through 10 senior positions, in 10 postings (six international) with three multinational companies that have required a solid mix of business and pleasure with colleagues and clients. Throughout I have been ably encouraged by a supportive wife and family.
Figure 3.6 Squaring the circle on your transferable assets
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Critiquing your Elevator Pitch
Your CV described what you did. Your Elevator Pitch describes who
you are, your behaviours, your characteristics, and how you do what
you do. Your Elevator Pitch should have a resonance about it. You
should be able to recognize you. The Elevator Pitch is a mirror. If your
reflection is cloudy, you’ll need to rethink your words and actions.
Easy to say, hard to do. Start by revisiting your Personal Promise and
ask the three questions of yourself again. Who are you? How do you do
it? What do you do? Ask a good friend or colleague to look through it.
Are they looking at a picture of you that they recognize to be true? Can
they see you?
If your Personal Promise changes, then you may need to revisit some
of the Transferable Assets and decide whether they evidence your
amended Personal Promise.
You will instinctively know when it is right, as you will see you, and
your colleagues or friends will be able to confirm this easily.
4The benefits of the
Elevator Pitch “Today’s business goals are being moved at ever-increasing
speeds. It therefore matters less what you have done andmore what you can do. The Elevator Pitch addresses thishead on.” Mark Baldry, Managing Director of Infoline Conferences Ltd
chapter
69
The recent dot.com bubble heralded a change in the recruitment
process. People were recruited on the basis of their behaviours and
competencies irrespective of function and industry. This created some
fabulous teams of like-minded people from diverse backgrounds united
by a hunger and passion to change the world. They worked hard. They
played hard. They were bright and articulate. Many of you joined the
gold rush. Many column inches have been written about the Internet
crash. Sure, many companies had no solid business models, but the
reality is that the Internet is only just beginning to change the world –
but this is obscured by the negative publicity. It would be nice if
another legacy was a more enduring contribution to the way we recruit
people. Perhaps those who joined dot.com companies will, in turn,
never forget the spark that came from having such a diverse group of
talented people.
The Elevator Pitch is all about the feelings and associations that create
the need for you so buyers will buy. This is in stark contrast to the old
CV model that can be characterized as the interrupt–repeat model of
communication, where the buyer is not really brought into the buying
process. The Elevator Pitch changes seller push into buyer pull.
Probably the best way to look at the Elevator Pitch is to think about
how the Elevator Pitch would present itself.
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The Elevator Pitch push into
The Personal Promise would be about directness in solving a particular
issue. It would probably say:
“I am direct, focused, forthright. I am mad about my customers. I focus on
competencies and behaviour patterns rather than criteria to make the
distinction between who you are and how you do it, not what you are
and where you have done it. I offer a compelling analytical process that
improves recruitment processes and meets the needs of today’s career
landscape.”
Flexibility and adaptability
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changes seller buyer pull
Objective: Bespoke sales tool easily refined and defined for each task.
Analysis: Understanding and breaking down the position and analyzing
your Career DNA to successfully construct your approach.
Action: The correct selection of your Personal Promise and Transferable
Assets combined with results that evidence them.
Result: A targeted and focused personal sales strategy.
Forward looking
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Objective: Concentrates on your future potential, not your historical past.
Analysis: You debunk your CV of its historical and linear façade.
Action: Creation of Career DNA Bank.
Result: Concise understanding of your capabilities and how these match
with future jobs.
Establishing rapport
Objective: Establish and use the universal language of behaviours
and competencies.
Analysis: You identify your Transferable Assets.
Action: Concise, tailored, relevant, pertinent information is provided for
position you apply for.
Result: Quickly establishes ‘what does this person do or offer me? What is
their value add?’ Maximizes opportunity to hire. Begin recruitment process
from correct viewpoint. Better selection and hiring process.
The Elevator Pitch where
Results-driven
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Objective: To create the need for you.
Analysis: Match your Transferable Assets to the role.
Action: Effective use of Transferable Assets.
Results: The buyer wants to buy you.
helps you go you want to go
The Elevator Pitch helps you go where you want to go. Lord Norman
Tebbit, a former UK cabinet minister, used the phrase ‘Get on your
bike’ in the early 1980s to encourage us to think about change,
relocate, further our education and professional skills, and to think
about how we could grow intellectually. The Elevator Pitch is a
physical demonstration of the tangible and intangible attributes of
Norman’s bike.
There are numerous career changes you can make, and they could take
many different forms (Figure 4.1).
You make the new opportunities. The Elevator Pitch merely frames
them. This makes it possible to move more easily across industry
boundaries, through cultural boundaries, across country divides, and
from one job function to another. This is in perfect harmony with the
changing career landscape.
These possibilities can be summarized by the acronym, CLLIF (culture,
language, location, industry, function):
Culture: company culture, industry culture, social culture.
Language: change of language, say English to Spanish or German.
Location: relocating geographically, within the same country or crossing
international borders.
Industry: change of industry, say chemicals industry to academia.
Function: change of job function.
Normally, you would only look to change one of these dimensions at
any one time. How many of us look seriously at more than one of these
options at a time? Probably only a few of us.
Many opportunities lie outside our usual line of sight in other indus-
tries, companies, countries, cultures and job functions. In an ideal
world we want to look at all of these opportunities and not just the
obvious ones that present themselves. It could simply be the oppor-
tunity to learn a new foreign language.
P I TC H YO U R S E L F
74
Job move, industry change
Job move, culture change
Job move, functional change
Job move, horizontal change
Job move, vertical change
Returning to work
Interim management
Graduate, new career
Self-employed project teams
Elevator Pitch
Two-
way
feed
back
on
mes
sage
all
the
time
Figure 4.1 Where are you going
Case study from Bill’s career
I was working in London as the Group Advertising Sales Manager for a
successful weekly teenage magazine. I received an offer from a French
publishing company Bayard Presse as a Rights Manager based in their
international head office in Paris. The role was substantially different from
anything I had previously encountered in my career. It was a horizontal
move. Part of my rationale for taking this position was my dream of
becoming a fluent French speaker. I changed all aspects of my business
and social life.
Culture: both business and social.
Location: London to Paris.
Language: English to French.
Industry: Advertising sales to book publishing.
Function: Sales to international publishing rights.
How did I manage the transition from being a salesman to becoming a
buyer of international publishing rights? Many of the behaviours that
made me a successful advertising salesman in the first place could be
transferred to my new role. I was an effective communicator as I was
continually trying to perfect my written and oral presentation style. I had
the ability to negotiate whilst fully understanding all the ramifications of
the process and how it might affect the overall outcome. I was commer-
cially astute. However, there were two differences: I was conducting
business in French and buying instead of selling.
Dangers of CV Thinking
One of the current dangers in changing function or industry is that many
employers, recruiters and executive search companies use ‘CV Thinking’.
For the ‘CV Thinker’ new opportunities are constrained and defined by
T H E B E N E F I T S O F T H E E L E VATO R P I TC H
75
the last position you held. Great opportunities are missed and companies
miss out on suitable candidates. Sometimes, the only candidates a
company sees are the closest matches to the category experience. This is
a shame, as there are many candidates who could provide additional value
and stretch by delivering a strong, broad range of skills and experience
that would be suitable not only for the role today but also for where
organizations want to go in the future. This ‘CV Thinking’ can lead to
missed opportunities for you and the potential employer. We could all
benefit from being more open with our requirements.
Case study from Bill’s career
I suffered from ‘CV Thinking’ on my return to the UK from Australia. I
thought like a CV. The recruitment agencies whom I had asked to help
me were also ‘CV Thinkers’. I prepared my new and gleaming CV con-
centrating on the role I had just completed. I wrote good solid facts
highlighting my achievements.
Through ‘CV Thinking’, I had branded and positioned myself as a new
media agency director, nothing else. I could not understand why the job
I had held in Australia suddenly seemed to be the only thing I had ever
done. All my work prior to this was deemed irrelevant. What had
happened to the previous ten years of my working life? Had they slipped
through a time warp? I was sure I had put everything in my CV and even
checked this numerous times. About halfway through the recruitment
process, I began thinking differently. What could I offer other com-
panies? What did they find interesting in me? I had begun my initial ‘EP
Thinking’. There was a resounding clash as my ‘EP Thinking’ met my
‘CV Thinking’.
I spent many hours on the phone and in meetings with recruitment
agencies explaining I was interested in not only the new-media agency
P I TC H YO U R S E L F
76
roles but also wider-ranging positions. It was my persistence on this
occasion that won the day. I had just not realized the recruitment
industry were doing exactly what I had asked of them. The problem did
not lie with them. It lay firmly at my feet. Or to be more accurate, it was
the fault of a good CV not being able to do the job I had asked of it.
I secured a senior marketing position in the world of financial services.
The financial services industry was a place that was unfamiliar and
where I had no direct experience. What I had was a set of Transferable
Assets that meant I could add real value to the company and look at the
issues faced with a fresh outlook. Importantly, I was not going to regur-
gitate something I had done in a previous financial services company. It
allowed me to produce unique innovative and creative work. It showed
me how cross-pollination of ideas from one industry sector to another
could add real value to the bottom line.
When I came to leaving the financial services company, I was faced by
the very same problem as before: ‘CV Thinking’ in an EP world.
But, again I transferred from one industry sector to another, as I had
understood that the employers were interested in who I am, how I do it,
and what I do.
“Good people are flexible, never stop learning and applying and generally
don’t just stay in one category industry; they also are not threatened by
change and evolution, they thrive on it.”Mark Bailey, Board Director of Leo Burnett Advertising: Australia
Coping with redundancy
No one plans for redundancy. Unfortunately, it just happens. Redun-
dancy is often associated with a downturn of not only a company but
T H E B E N E F I T S O F T H E E L E VATO R P I TC H
77
also an industry sector. If this is the case, trying to get straight back
into that particular market sector could be a long process. There will
be a large number of equally qualified individuals vying for an ever-
decreasing number of positions. It is therefore a good idea to study
your Transferable Assets and consider options in other functions and
other potentially more lucrative industries. This ultimately reflects the
changing work patterns. Many people put all their effort into their
current role and rely on the organization to deliver their career. Redun-
dancy may be your reward when the employer faces marked changes.
You need to be continually adapting and learning, gaining experiences
and broadening your base.
“Learning new skills is an ongoing process and needs to be positively
pursued at all times by everyone whatever position they are in. When you
are made redundant it is too late.”Iain Herbertson, CEO of Manpower UK
The demands of interim management
Interim management is becoming a lifestyle choice for many senior
executives. As a profession, it has also been responding to changes in
the work environment. Several years ago, interim management was
P I TC H YO U R S E L F
78
Learning new ongoing process
positively
concerned with covering maternity leave and not rocking the boat. In
today’s uncertain world, interim management is concerned more
with delivering and speeding up the way companies run. They come
to troubleshoot a project or manage a business function. They need to
have specific market knowledge but also a broad commercial base.
They hit the decks running, identifying the key issues, developing
action plans, bringing teams with them, running the implementation,
smashing through obstacles and bringing a sense of urgency. Interim
managers need to display a sense of the key competencies that can
match their specific market knowledge to the wider imperative to
deliver change. Interim managers have unwittingly been using EP
Thinking, but they have not had the vehicle to use it in. This has
changed with the arrival of the Elevator Pitch.
Experience is diverse
You may be returning to work after an absence of a couple of years for
whatever reason. It could have been to raise a family, to study Inca art
in South America, or to circumnavigate the globe in a yacht. You will
have gained valuable experience that is not always that easy to capture,
e.g. the teamwork and leadership skills that are necessary to sail
around the world. This experience helps build your Career DNA.
T H E B E N E F I T S O F T H E E L E VATO R P I TC H
79
skills is an and needs to be pursued
Work experience versus Transferable Assets
Think back to how you sold yourself at your first-ever job interview
after university or college. You related behaviours and shared experi-
ences about college life and made them connect to your new working
life. Essentially, you had identified your Transferable Assets. Some of
us may have started our new careers and then, a couple of years down
the line, decided we should take a new direction. You were then caught
in a catch-22 position. The roles required experience. Why is it that
two years earlier you could use your Transferable Assets to land a job,
whereas now your worth is measured by work experience? The
Elevator Pitch redefines your relationship to work experience and
allows you to start again.
Better and more successful interviews
The Elevator Pitch is your initial marketing tool. Like all marketing
initiatives, the message needs to be put to the right target market and
contain relevant content to fulfil the target markets needs.
The interview is a business meeting. Your aim is to put your point of
view across to sell an idea, concept or proposition, communicate a
message, or sell yourself in a style that is completely irresistible and
worth remembering. They can’t help but want to buy you.
P I TC H YO U R S E L F
80
The Elevator Pitch
Traditionally the CV has been the document used to control the pace
and direction of the interview. As mentioned previously the CV concen-
trates on your historical events and spreads its net very wide to include
information that is not relevant and needs to be deciphered. It does not
focus on the information pertinent and relevant to the vacancy.
Using your Elevator Pitch to set the agenda for an interview bolsters
the proceedings because it is clear, concise and focused. Its focus is on
those parts of your career that you know to be relevant for the role. The
inclusion of only relevant content saves precious time, increasing the
likelihood of the interview addressing only the salient points.
The interview is a two-way street. It requires direction and a fine
balance of control from the interviewee. Too many times it is the inter-
viewer doing all the driving.
The Elevator Pitch is the road map to guide you through a successful
meeting and help attain the desired results.
You can use the Elevator Pitch to control the flow of information.
Good negotiation rests on what you say, how you say it and when you
say it. The CV contains your whole life story. The Elevator Pitch
contains only pertinent information. You can emphasize different
aspects of your career through tailored Elevator Pitches. They are easy
to amend to create bespoke packages. This is especially important the
deeper one goes through the recruitment process. At each step, you
learn more about the competencies that define success for this position
T H E B E N E F I T S O F T H E E L E VATO R P I TC H
81
is your initial marketing tool
and organization. Your Elevator Pitch can become more refined. The
decision on what to highlight and when to highlight is down to you.
This is only possible with an Elevator Pitch.
Jack Gratton, CEO of Major Players, the UK’s leading recruitment
agency for the marketing services industry, produced an Elevator Pitch
for the book. In his own words, this would ‘… definitely get me in front
of people, but I would probably take another to the meeting to set the
inteview agenda.’ By careful use of the Elevator Pitch one can gain
control of meetings. The Elevator Pitch is about the quality and
relevance of information. This creates the first vital impressions.
Your Elevator Pitch is physical evidence of the synergy between your
competencies and the vacancy on offer. It is the best document to leave
behind.
One of the true benefits of the Elevator Pitch is its ability to make sure
you stand out from the crowd and you are put into the ‘Yes’ pile, as ‘No’
and ‘Maybe’ are not good enough. You have gained the competitive
advantage.
Help your referee
The job of your referee is to help secure your new job, by giving further
evidence of who you are, how you do it, and what you do. They add real
value. You need them to speak eloquently about you from their
position of authority and about your Transferable Assets. The Elevator
Pitch ensures your referee can see which direction you are taking and
which Transferable Assets you are using. Anticipate some of the
P I TC H YO U R S E L F
82
You will never
questions that could be asked of your referee and brief them accord-
ingly. Give them all the help and direction you can.
Highlighting and uniting your career
As the world changes and traditional career paths fracture your
Elevator Pitch unites and highlights your career choices (Figure 4.2).
Why will the Elevator Pitch take over from where the CV left off? Put
simply, it is better. If we compare them head to head by dissecting their
respective strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats, you will
easily see the differences (Figures 4.3 and 4.4).
You will never need a CV again.
The Elevator Pitch is a buyer-pull view of the world. It talks a univer-
sally recognized language and emphasizes fit. It unites variety and
highlights singularity of career. It provides the answer to how you do
things. It reduces extraneous information to the core. It places you in
control of your life and allows you to release information at key points
in the negotiating process.
The Elevator Pitch is the 21st Century successor to the CV.
T H E B E N E F I T S O F T H E E L E VATO R P I TC H
83
need a CV again
Career
Industry variety
Functional variety
Singular industry
Singular function
CV
Dissipates
Dissipates
Not differentiating
Not differentiating
EP
Unites
Unites
Highlights
Highlights
Figure 4.2 Highlighting and uniting your career
84
P I TC H YO U R S E L F
Historical, rationalConventional and traditional – safeUniversalShows why you were paid for previous yearsChronological – shows consistencyLinear
Cannot easily answer ‘What does this person do or offer me? What is their value add?‘Contains all information rather than pertinent, relevant and selective information in a ‘Take it or leave it menu‘Hides your value beneath chronological façadeFails to emphasize fit between you and the jobNeed for someone else to decipher and understand your real valueExacerbates flaws in the interview processUsed to create barriers to entry not opportunityPeople get them wrongSeller push world view: fails to emphasize fit between you and the job. Not distinguishing and distinctive – lacks soulStatic, linear, rational, historical & conventionalCommon language with uncommon tongue
Opportunity to answer ‘What does this person do or offer me? What is their value add?‘Improved way to provide relevant, pertinent and selective informationBetter sales documentIncrease flexibilityTo showcase your future value
The Elevator Pitch
Strengths Weaknesses
Opportunities Threats
Figure 4.3 The weakness of your CV
85
T H E B E N E F I T S O F T H E E L E VATO R P I TC H
Easily answers ‘What does this person do or offer me? What is their value add?‘Pertinent, relevant and selective information in a ‘bespoke menu‘. Reduces extraneous information to relevant dataShowcases your real valueEmphasizes fit between you and the job – buyer pull view of the worldNo need for someone else to decipher and understand your real value. Establishes common language – no code, no deciphering requiredMaximizes opportunity in hiringEasy to get right and not make basic mistakesDynamic, non-linear, modernUnites career variety and highlights career singularityProven ability to deliver, forward looking, establishes rapport, flexibility and adaptabilityResults drivenAids recruitment – saves recruiter time and effort by highlighting relevant information in a concise formatYou gain greater control of selection process from primary contact to interview
To become the new currency of recruitment
Strengths Weaknesses
Opportunities
Not yet accepted as the new currency
Closed minds
Threats
Figure 4.4 The benefits of your Elevator Pitch
5Top-floor Elevator
Pitches“Today’s business goals are being moved at ever-increasing
speeds. It therefore matters less what you have done andmore what you can do. The Elevator Pitch addresses thishead on.” Mark Baldry, Managing Director of Infoline Conferences Ltd
chapter
87
We would like to welcome all of you who thought this was the first
page of the book. We know this is an obvious mistake that anyone of
us could make!
We would recommend a look at the rest of the book as it is really quite
good. After all you have bought a copy. It seems a shame not to make
the most of it.
In this chapter we have pulled together a collection of Elevator Pitches
from real people from many walks of life. They range from pilots to office
managers, from entrepreneurs to advertising people, from mechanical
engineers to veterinary nurses, from publishers to politicians. They
demonstrate the flexibility and universal approach of the Elevator Pitch
and the people who use it.
Both Mara Goldstein, a senior member of the British Civil Service, and
John Baldwin, a senior mechanical engineer, have been good enough to
allow us to publish not only their Elevator Pitches but also their tradi-
tional CVs. We have included these so direct comparison between the
two can be made.
P I TC H YO U R S E L F
88
Elevator Pitches to be hard-hitting,
no-nonsense
TO P-F LO O R E L E VATO R P I TC H E S
89
John’s CV is relatively unorthodox as it is too long. It also fails because
it does not prioritize pertinent and relevant information. His traditional
CV has focused on what his roles were, not what he achieved or how he
achieved them. Quite simply, it does not tell the reader who John is and
what he does. Although John’s Elevator Pitch is shorter than his CV, it
manages to convey John’s capabilities and personality. John’s Elevator
Pitch is pertinent, relevant, and makes the right impression.
Mara is a high achiever. She has fast-tracked through the ranks of the Civil
Service in the UK and the European Commission. Mara’s CV contains
much information but it is a list of committees, functions and responsi-
bilities. It is hard to understand why Mara has been successful. Her CV
fails on the key criteria of readability, relevance and impression. On the
other hand, her Elevator Pitch, which is based on a set of required Civil
Service Competencies, is more resonant than her CV and is a succinct and
powerful document that captures the Mara her friends know. Mara has
crammed much into her life and her Elevator Pitch reflects this. She
clearly feels the Elevator Pitch gets to the heart of what she actually does
and who she really is.
are designed no-fuss, strategic personal sales documents
You will see many examples of Elevator Pitches. They are designed to
be hard-hitting, no-fuss, no-nonsense strategic personal sales docu-
ments.
You will also see a job description for a veterinary sales manager. We
then give the job candidate’s analysis broken down into its component
Transferable Assets and the Elevator Pitch she wrote to secure the
position.
Ken Livingstone, the first elected Mayor of London has been kind
enough to write his Elevator Pitch for the book.
We would like to thank our friends and colleagues, for all their help in
this chapter.
Most of the following Elevator Pitches can be printed on one side of A4
paper. Some of the Elevator Pitches reproduced in the book will by
necessity fall on 3 pages, due to the size of the book.
Here’s a list of the CVs and Elevator pitches that follow.
➡ John Baldwin’s EP
➡ John Baldwin’s CV
➡ Mara Goldstein’s EP
➡ Mara Goldstein’s CV
➡ Nancy Prendegast’s EP
➡ Bill Faust’s EP
➡ Michael Faust’s EP
➡ Marc Schavemaker’s EP
➡ Mark Bailey’s EP
➡ Louise Medley’s EP
➡ Ken Livingstone’s EP
P I TC H YO U R S E L F
90
➡ Darren Fell’s EP
➡ Justine Cobb’s EP
➡ Jack Gratton’s EP
➡ Richard Davies’ EP
➡ Charlie Dobres’ EP
➡ Job brief and answers by Laura Neilson’s EP
TO P-F LO O R E L E VATO R P I TC H E S
91
P I TC H YO U R S E L F
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TO P-F LO O R E L E VATO R P I TC H E S
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Cor
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Ltd
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–199
5Ar
ea S
ales
Man
ager
, Eur
ope
and
Nor
th A
fric
aK
ey A
ccou
nt M
anag
er –
bas
ed L
ondo
nR
egio
nal S
ales
Man
ager
, Eur
ope,
Afr
ica
and
Mid
dle
East
– b
ased
Fra
nce
Key
Acc
ount
Man
ager
, bas
ed L
ondo
nR
egio
nal S
ales
Man
ager
, Aus
tral
asia
– b
ased
Mel
bour
ne
McE
voy
Oilf
ield
Equ
ipm
ent L
td19
73–1
979
Seni
or S
ales
Eng
inee
r –
base
d Si
ngap
ore
Sale
s an
d Se
rvic
e M
anag
er –
bas
ed S
cotl
and
Peg
lar
Hat
ters
ley
and
New
man
Hen
der
Ltd
1966
–197
3
Lang
uage
s: F
luen
t bus
ines
s Fr
ench
P I TC H YO U R S E L F
94
CV JOHN BALDWIN
Full name: John Baldwin
Date of birth: 21 October 19xx
Nationality: British
Status: Married, daughter 31 years, son 27 years
UK address: 2 Doughton Road
Gloucestershire
GL21 6PW
UK tel: +44 (0)1666 xxx xxx
Office tel: +44 1666 xxx xxx
Mobile tel: +44 xxxxx xxx xxx
Email: [email protected]
Education record
Sir William Romney’s Grammar School, Tetbury
Mid-Gloucestershire College of Technology
Qualifications
Higher National Certificate in Mechanical Engineering
Memberships
Society of Petroleum Engineers
Proficiencies
Microsoft Office Suite™
Languages
Conversational French
Courses and training completed
Managing Interpersonal Relationships
The Crosby Quality Course
▲
TO P-F LO O R E L E VATO R P I TC H E S
95
Effective Financial Management
Proposal Planning
Managing Performance through Effective Leadership
Employment record
April 2001–present
Regional Sales Manager, Europe, Africa and Middle East (KOP Surface
Equipment) – based Head Office London, reporting to the Interna-
tional Sales Manager and VP in Houston
The company refocus on surface product technology in response to a
decline in major subsea project work worldwide has resulted in an
expansion in territory and customer base where surface and onshore
development is expanding. The establishment of sales structures for
continued growth in the Middle East and Iran, including the estab-
lishment of an Iranian JV manufacturing entity and a coverage of North
African potential, have been key areas of activity to date.
Recognition of further opportunities in the European, North Sea and
Eastern Europe areas, together with the concentration of major inter-
national operating companies in London, Paris, The Hague and Milan,
has made European sales coverage of prime importance, and increased
tender participation through a London presence is evident.
1998–April 2001
General Manager, Kvaerner Oilfield Products (KOP) Middle East –
based Dubai, reporting to the president in Singapore
Following a 2-year period as VP in Singapore, and despite a successful
trading year, the sudden and catastrophic Asian economic crises
coupled with a record low oil price, made sweeping economies in the
▲
P I TC H YO U R S E L F
96
Far East operation essential as a matter of good business practice. New
markets and new accounts were required to maintain the business and,
as VP marketing, I had already identified the Middle East as a growth
area for KOP.
I transferred to Dubai in September of 1998 to start up KOP’s first
Middle-Eastern venture, with the establishment of a representative
office in Dubai in support of existing business and in pursuit of new
business development in the area. To date, this has resulted in ex-
ploration equipment business with Total for Iranian projects, and the
company’s qualification with PDO, Oman, NIOC – Iran and Occidental in
Qatar. Other major accounts are in process, and the company is on
target to secure a first-year budgeted order intake for the Middle East
of over $2m. As of this date, the Middle East now accounts for 75% of all
new quotations activity for the region.
1996–1998
General Manager and Vice President, Kvaerner Oilfield Products,
Asia Pacific – based Singapore, reporting to the President
I initially joined KOP as Marketing Manager and was promoted to GM
and VP. The company closed its Singapore manufacturing operation to
expand a new facility in Batam Island, Indonesia. I was heavily involved
with the start-up operations at Batam, while maintaining normal
business activity through the start-up period.
KOP maintained a staff of 25 people in Singapore with 160 people
at the Batam plant. In addition to general management duties, I was
also responsible for sales and marketing, with the internal quotations
department reporting to me. Despite the considerable traumas of
the plant relocation, KOP experienced its best-ever order intake for the ▲
John Baldwin’s CV continued
TO P-F LO O R E L E VATO R P I TC H E S
97
region in 1998, exceeding $25m for the first time and establishing four
major new accounts and three new territory market entries.
Regional Managers in Thailand, India and Australia reported to me for
sales-related matters, and I chaired the weekly production meetings
at the Batam plant. Since the president was responsible for all KOP
product lines, he maintained an extremely busy travel schedule, thus
leaving me to run all routine administration in the region for both
manufacturing and marketing. Performance-related bonuses were
paid in both years.
1995–1996
Area Sales Manager, Europe and North Africa, and Key Account
Manager FMC Corporation UK Ltd, Petroleum Equipment and
Systems Division
Based in London and reporting to the international marketing director
at the manufacturing plant in Dunfermline, Scotland. Supervising a
sales team of 5 company sales engineers and 5 international sales and
stockists agencies.
The role included an additional responsibility for 2 key accounts (BP and
Philips Petroleum), which were managed personally. International and
domestic business travel accounted for 60% of time, putting me in
contact with the company’s manufacturing plants in both the UK and
France. Preparation of account plans, inbound budgets and operating
budgets was my responsibility for the area.
Sales for the area in 1994 were $15m, and 1995 exceeded $18m.
Products marketed included production and exploration wellhead
equipment, subsea drilling and production systems, drilling tools, and
high-pressure control valves. ▲
P I TC H YO U R S E L F
98
This role required a regular interface with engineering and commercial
contract managers, particularly in the preparation phase of high-value
quotations and subsequent clarification and negotiation meetings with
clients. The key account role developed close interpersonal relation-
ships with clients and created the basis for preferred supplier status
before tender release, so leading to the stronger position of incumbent
on future tenders.
Personnel administration included the setting of objectives and
performance criteria and subsequent performance reviews. Agents
and distributors were visited regularly and, when necessary, agree-
ments were modified or terminated. The appointment of reliable
agents was a crucial part of the job, and FMC enjoyed a reputation
for long-term agency relationships for which I am happy to take
some credit.
The position relocated from France in November 1994 when product
line sourcing was largely relocated to the UK plant, making the logistics
of territory management and interface with both plants more con-
venient from the London base.
1991–1995
Regional Sales Manager, Europe, Africa and Middle East, FMC Europe
SA-Equipment Petrolier
Reporting to the International Marketing Manager then located in
Brussels. Resident in Sens, France, working from the manufacturing
plant. This role was largely similar to that described above, but with the
additional responsibility of West Africa and part of the Middle East
(Oman and Qatar).
▲
John Baldwin’s CV continued
TO P-F LO O R E L E VATO R P I TC H E S
99
The number of subordinates was between 8 and 10 company Sales
Engineers and up to 8 agencies, with annual sales growing to $30m for
material sourced from the French plant in1994.
At this time, Oman and Qatar were a part of our sales territory for
historical sourcing reasons, and I was instrumental in completing a
market survey and instigating initial discussions with our agent in
Oman (who I had appointed in 1979) with a view to setting up a joint
venture manufacturing plant in Muscat. This plant is now operational
and has secured 75% of a $12m market for FMC in Oman with potential
for exports to other GCC states in the Gulf.
During this period, I was resident with my wife in Sens, France and by
necessity became familiar with the language and culture. The final year
of my posting in France also included responsibility for internal sales
management (quotations) and a small field service team of 5 engineers.
1988–1991
Key Account Manager, FMC Corporation UK Ltd – based London,
reporting to the Regional Marketing Manager in Dunfermline
Key accounts included BP, Shell and British Gas. Inbound in 1991 for
these accounts exceeded $8m and included production wellhead
equipment for the BP Bruce platform in the UK North Sea, Shell Tern,
and British Gas Morcambe Bay.
1983–1988
Regional Sales Manager, Australasia – based Melbourne, Victoria for
FMC Australia Ltd, reporting to the Marketing Manager in Singapore ▲
P I TC H YO U R S E L F
100
Small sales and service team of three people covering a relatively
small market, but very large geographically. The territory included New
Zealand and Papua New Guinea. Business was supported primarily by
local stocking and warehousing operations in Melbourne and Perth,
and focused on the low-tech end of a niche market, which enabled us to
compete with a locally based manufacturer of petroleum equipment.
The logistics involved in importing from the Singapore plant and distrib-
uting and servicing a vast territory were a considerable challenge and
enabled me to develop a good understanding of the distribution side of
the business.
1979–1983
Area Manager, Middle East – based Dubai, UAE and reporting to the
International Marketing Manager in Houston Texas
Territory included all Gulf states, Pakistan and Turkey. I was responsible
for a sales and service operation extending to a total of 12 expatriates
based in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Muscat. At this time, FMC business in
the Middle East was in its infancy, and the appointment of agents in
Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman were key objectives.
The Oman agency has since developed into a JV manufacturing
agreement, and all other representative agreements initiated by
me are still effective. Travel requirements were extensive and
sometimes arduous, while 24hr service commitments were demanding.
The early 1980s were boom days in the petroleum industry, and sales
figures can be misleading, but sales exceeded $20m in all years, even
though some personnel rationalization to reduce expatriate costs
became necessary by 1982. I consider this to have been an excellent
character- and experience-building post.
▲
John Baldwin’s CV continued
TO P-F LO O R E L E VATO R P I TC H E S
101
1976–1979
Senior Sales Engineer, McEvoy Oilfield Equipment Ltd (then owned by
Rockwell Corp.) – based Singapore, reporting to the Sales Manager in
Singapore
Sales and service of petroleum production equipment throughout the
Far East, India and Pakistan. This was my first expatriate assignment in
a pure sales role but also with some field service back-up responsibility
in support of other company bases in Malaysia and Brunei.
1973–1978
Sales and Service Manager, McEvoy Oilfield Equipment Ltd, based
Aberdeen, Scotland, reporting to the UK Sales Manager in London
Supervision of 3 sales and service engineers covering the company’s
business in the UK and Norwegian sectors of the North Sea.
Management of a service depot and basic repair and rework shop.
1966–1973
Peglar Hattersley and Newman Hender Ltd UK
Completed a college engineering course and moved to various
production and design positions in the valve-manufacturing depart-
ments of these companies. Finished in the design drawing office
and later the service departments engaged in international field
service work.
P I TC H YO U R S E L F
DR
MA
RA
GO
LD
ST
EIN
PR
IVA
TE
SE
CR
ETA
RY
TO
TH
EH
OM
ES
EC
RE
TAR
Y
55 O
rcha
rd R
oad,
Lon
don,
UK
Tel:
44
(0) 2
0 xx
xx x
xxx,
E-m
ail:
mar
ag@
som
ewhe
re.c
om
I lik
e to
thin
k th
at d
ynam
ic c
hang
e ha
ppen
s in
pla
ces
I wor
k. I
only
do
jobs
I en
joy
so I
tend
to b
e go
od a
t the
m.
I mak
e a
diffe
renc
e th
roug
h st
rate
gic
guid
ance
whi
ch e
mpo
wer
s ch
ange
, thr
ough
cre
ativ
ity a
nd b
y m
otiv
atin
g m
y te
am.
I hav
e sp
ent 1
0 ye
ars
in th
e C
ivil
Serv
ice
afte
r ga
inin
g m
y do
ctor
ate
in la
w.
Ach
ievi
ng r
esul
ts o
fAn
alyz
ing
info
rmat
ion,
pla
nnin
g st
rate
gy, m
anag
ing
chan
ge a
nd d
eliv
erin
g.hi
gh q
ualit
y an
dAs
Pri
vate
Sec
reta
ry to
the
Hom
e Se
cret
ary
fast
ana
lysi
s of
a w
ide
rang
e of
issu
es w
as r
equi
red.
I ha
d so
me
valu
edi
rect
inpu
t int
o st
rate
gic
wor
k, fo
r ex
ampl
e, d
urin
g th
e pr
oble
ms
in 1
999
at th
e U
K P
assp
ort O
ffic
e,w
hen
Iw
orke
d w
ith s
enio
r m
anag
emen
t, an
d I h
ad d
aily
invo
lvem
ent i
n th
e P
inoc
het e
xtra
ditio
n ca
se.
In th
e Eu
rope
an C
omm
issi
on, I
dev
elop
ed it
s st
rate
gy o
n in
tern
atio
nal p
olic
e co
-ope
ratio
n in
clud
ing
Euro
pol
and
desi
gned
and
del
iver
ed it
s st
rate
gy o
n Tr
affic
king
in W
omen
, oft
en w
orki
ng o
ppos
ite m
ore
seni
orco
lleag
ues
from
nat
iona
l adm
inis
trat
ions
.
In th
e H
ome
Off
ice
Inte
rnat
iona
l Uni
t I p
lann
ed th
e 19
98 U
K P
resi
denc
y of
the
EU.
I man
age
pers
onal
cha
nge
proa
ctiv
ely
thro
ugh
regu
lar
job
and
orga
niza
tion
chan
ges.
I ha
ve a
lway
sen
cour
aged
org
aniz
atio
nal c
hang
e in
my
wor
king
env
iron
men
t: b
y se
ttin
g up
a u
nit i
n th
e Eu
rope
anC
omm
issi
on; b
y cl
ose
invo
lvem
ent i
n th
e m
anag
emen
t of t
he H
ome
Off
ice
Inte
rnat
iona
l uni
t, in
clud
ing
havi
ng th
e m
ain
resp
onsi
bilit
y fo
r st
affin
g an
d or
gani
zatio
n.
I am
kee
n to
enc
oura
ge im
prov
ed b
usin
ess
proc
esse
s th
roug
h m
ore
effe
ctiv
e us
e of
new
tech
nolo
gies
.
As P
riva
te S
ecre
tary
, I w
as r
espo
nsib
le fo
r th
e da
ily d
eliv
ery
of th
e H
ome
Secr
etar
y’s
need
s ac
ross
a w
ide
rang
e of
sub
ject
s.
Lead
ersh
ip a
nd
Lead
ing
team
, mot
ivat
ing
and
show
ing
good
judg
emen
t.pe
rson
alR
ecru
ited
staf
f whi
lst a
ctin
g he
ad o
f the
pol
ice
co-o
pera
tion
unit
of th
e Eu
rope
an C
omm
issi
on.
resp
onsi
bilit
yI s
et u
p th
e P
resi
denc
y te
am d
urin
g th
e U
K P
resi
denc
y, a
nd k
ept 5
sta
ff m
otiv
ated
and
larg
ely
in g
ood
hum
our,
whi
lst w
orki
ng a
t hig
h pr
essu
re, f
or o
ver
a ye
ar, d
eliv
erin
g a
com
plex
org
anis
atio
nal r
equi
rem
ent
for
the
Dep
artm
ent.
TO P-F LO O R E L E VATO R P I TC H E S
I hel
d sh
ort s
emin
ars
for
othe
r un
it st
aff t
o in
volv
e th
em in
the
Pre
side
ncy
and
ran
Dep
artm
ent w
ide
sem
inar
s an
d la
ngua
ge tr
aini
ng to
enc
oura
ge w
ider
invo
lvem
ent.
As P
riva
te S
ecre
tary
, I d
evel
oped
a w
orki
ng r
elat
ions
hip
with
muc
h of
the
Dep
artm
ent,
tryi
ng to
mot
ivat
est
aff w
ho w
ere
ofte
n w
orki
ng u
nder
pre
ssur
e, to
get
del
iver
y of
the
Hom
e Se
cret
ary’
s re
quir
emen
ts.
I als
o ha
d di
rect
invo
lvem
ent i
n hi
gh p
rofil
e is
sues
, suc
h as
the
Afgh
an h
ijack
, by
help
ing
to d
evel
op a
ndim
plem
ent s
trat
egy.
Res
pons
ibili
ty fo
r th
e de
liver
y of
the
Hom
e Se
cret
ary’
s w
ork
requ
ired
con
stan
t rap
id a
djus
tmen
ts, a
s in
prev
ious
rol
es.
Bei
ng o
pen
and
Wri
ting
and
spea
king
effe
ctiv
ely
and
bein
g ab
le to
per
suad
e an
d in
fluen
ce o
ther
s.co
mm
unic
atin
g w
ell
I hav
e m
uch
expe
rien
ce o
f spe
akin
g in
pub
lic a
nd p
rese
ntin
g ar
gum
ents
as
Com
mis
sion
Rep
rese
ntat
ive
inC
ounc
il w
ork
grou
ps. I
mad
e sp
eech
es o
n JH
A m
atte
rs fo
r se
nior
offi
cial
s fr
om A
cces
sion
Sta
tes.
I wro
te th
e C
omm
issi
on’s
Com
mun
icat
ion
on T
raff
icki
ng in
Wom
en a
nd w
as r
espo
nsib
le fo
r br
iefin
g se
nior
offic
ials
, Com
mis
sion
ers
and
MEP
s on
a r
ange
of p
olic
e an
d ot
her
issu
es, b
oth
in w
ritin
g an
d or
ally
.
I did
reg
ular
sub
mis
sion
s fo
r U
K m
inis
ters
as
Pre
side
ncy
Co-
ordi
nato
r.
I had
ext
ensi
ve e
xper
ienc
e in
min
ute
wri
ting
as s
ecre
tary
to w
orki
ng g
roup
on
Euro
pol (
min
utes
for
all
mem
ber
stat
es),
min
ute
wri
ter
for
the
Com
mis
sion
for
five
wor
king
gro
ups,
and
then
min
utin
g H
ome
Secr
etar
y m
eetin
gs.
I com
mun
icat
ed th
e H
ome
Secr
etar
y’s
view
s an
d re
ques
ts to
the
depa
rtm
ent i
n w
ritin
g an
d or
ally
, and
atte
mpt
ed to
per
suad
e of
ficia
ls to
do/
not t
o do
thin
gs.
Valu
ing
the
peop
leEs
peci
ally
pro
mot
ing
equa
l opp
ortu
nity
, del
egat
ing
effe
ctiv
ely
and
deve
lopi
ng s
taff.
we
wor
k w
ith
and
I rec
ruite
d an
d tr
aine
d st
aff i
n th
e C
omm
issi
on a
nd th
e H
ome
Off
ice.
I ha
ve w
orke
d w
ith m
ainl
y fe
mal
e st
aff,
thei
r di
vers
ity
but h
ave
alw
ays
soug
ht th
e be
st p
erso
n fo
r th
e jo
b.
P I TC H YO U R S E L FI r
ecru
ited
and
trai
ned
40 P
resi
denc
y vo
lunt
eers
, giv
ing
deve
lopm
ent a
nd e
xper
ienc
e to
Hom
e O
ffic
e st
aff i
na
wid
e va
riet
y of
jobs
. Tha
t gro
up h
ad h
igh
ethn
ic m
inor
ity r
epre
sent
atio
n. A
fter
att
endi
ng R
ace
Equa
lity
Wor
ksho
ps, I
offe
red
to p
rovi
de s
hado
win
g ex
peri
ence
for
ethn
ic m
inor
ity s
taff
inte
rest
ed in
wor
king
in a
Min
iste
r’s
Off
ice
and
beca
me
an a
ssoc
iate
mem
ber
of th
e H
ome
Off
ice
Net
wor
k.
Whi
lst i
n th
e In
tern
atio
nal U
nit,
I sec
ured
a n
ew tr
aini
ng b
udge
t and
ens
ured
all
my
staf
f att
ende
dap
prop
riat
e de
velo
pmen
tal t
rain
ing
ever
y ye
ar, i
nclu
ding
at l
east
one
day
of e
xter
nal t
rain
ing,
in a
dditi
on to
orga
niza
tion
of la
ngua
ge tr
aini
ng b
oth
in th
e un
it an
d H
ome
Off
ice.
I tra
ined
and
mot
ivat
ed u
nit s
taff
thro
ugh
sem
inar
s an
d pr
ojec
ts a
nd h
ave
alw
ays
dele
gate
d ef
fect
ivel
y w
hen
staf
f ava
ilabl
e.
Man
agin
g re
sour
ces
Get
ting
the
best
from
ava
ilabl
e re
sour
ces
and
bala
ncin
g re
sour
ces
and
dem
ands
.
I kee
p al
l ava
ilabl
e re
sour
ces
of a
ll ty
pes
unde
r co
nsta
nt r
evie
w.
Fina
ncia
l Res
ourc
es: d
urin
g th
e P
resi
denc
y, I
had
day
to d
ay r
espo
nsib
ility
for
the
Hom
e O
ffic
e en
tire
budg
et (r
epor
ting
to H
ead
of U
nit)
. I n
egot
iate
d w
ith o
utsi
de s
uppl
iers
and
loca
l aut
hori
ties
and
save
d so
me
£150
,000
on
pred
icte
d ex
pend
iture
of £
500,
000.
I enc
oura
ge th
rift
in th
e of
fice
by u
se o
f sta
ndar
d cl
ass
trav
el w
here
app
ropr
iate
, and
set
up
inte
rnal
recy
clin
g sc
hem
es w
hich
sav
ed n
atur
al r
esou
rces
and
mon
ey. A
Hom
e O
ffic
e pa
per
savi
ng in
itiat
ive
cam
eou
t at a
mon
thly
sav
ing
of 1
2 re
ams.
Thi
s m
otiv
ated
oth
er s
taff
, who
org
aniz
ed in
tern
al g
lass
and
pla
stic
recy
clin
g.
I hav
e al
way
s ha
d to
mak
e de
cisi
ons
abou
t pri
oriti
es.
Wor
king
inEs
peci
ally
dev
elop
ing
good
wor
king
rel
atio
nshi
ps a
nd m
anag
ing
conf
lict.
part
ners
hip
wit
hI w
as k
now
n as
an
effe
ctiv
e op
erat
or in
the
Euro
pean
Com
mis
sion
, whe
re m
uch
depe
nds
on c
onta
ct a
ndot
hers
com
mun
icat
ion.
I enc
oura
ged
colle
ague
s to
sha
re in
form
atio
n an
d w
ork
to c
omm
on g
oals
, and
bui
lt a
wid
ene
twor
k of
col
leag
ues
arou
nd th
e EU
.
I thi
nk I
had
gene
rally
goo
d w
orki
ng r
elat
ions
hips
dur
ing
the
Pre
side
ncy.
I dev
elop
ed w
ays
of r
etai
ning
rel
axed
rel
atio
nshi
ps u
nder
pre
ssur
e in
Pri
vate
Off
ice.
TO P-F LO O R E L E VATO R P I TC H E S
Car
eer
hist
ory
Fore
ign
& C
omm
onw
ealt
h O
ffic
e:20
01–p
rese
ntD
eput
y H
ead
of E
urop
ean
Uni
on D
epar
tmen
t (in
tern
al)
Hom
e O
ffic
e19
98–2
001
Pri
vate
Sec
reta
ry to
the
Hom
e Se
cret
ary
Hom
e O
ffic
e19
97–1
998
Pre
side
ncy
Co-
ordi
nato
r 19
98 U
K P
resi
denc
y of
the
EU
Euro
pean
Com
mis
sion
1994
–199
7Se
cond
men
t to
the
Task
For
ce o
n Ju
stic
e an
d H
ome
Affa
irs,
Det
ache
d N
atio
nal E
xper
t
Cab
inet
Off
ice,
Sec
ondm
ent
to H
ome
Off
ice
1992
–199
4H
ighe
r Ex
ecut
ive
Off
icer
(Dev
elop
men
t – E
urop
e)
Uni
vers
ity
Of P
assa
u19
88–1
992
Assi
stan
t in
Law
Fac
ulty
Lang
uage
sN
ativ
e En
glis
h, b
iling
ual G
erm
an a
nd m
oder
ate
Fren
ch.
Mus
icI a
m a
mem
ber
of th
e Ac
adem
y of
St.
Mar
tin in
the
Fiel
ds C
horu
s, T
allis
Cha
mbe
r C
hoir
, New
Lon
don
Cha
mbe
r C
hoir
and
Joy
ful C
ompa
ny o
f Sin
gers
. I fo
unde
d an
d sa
ng in
a h
ighl
y su
cces
sful
mad
riga
l cho
irin
Pas
sau.
Oth
erI h
ave
rece
ived
4 a
war
ds a
nd s
chol
arsh
ips.
P I TC H YO U R S E L F
106
CV MARA GOLDSTEIN
DOB/POB 10 March 19xx, Sheffield England
Experience
Since 9/2001 Foreign and Commonwealth Office, London SW1P
Deputy Head of European Union Department (Internal)
Overseeing departmental dossiers, briefs and submissions. Giving
strategic direction to team and priorities in the department.
10/1998–7/2001 Home Office, London SW1
Private Secretary to the Home Secretary
Particular responsibility for European and International Affairs,
Immigration and Asylum, Judicial Co-operation including Extra-
dition, Family Policy.
7/1998–9/1998 Bundesministerium des Inneres, Austria
Secondment
Assisted with Presidency work on the 1998 Austria Presidency of the EU.
3/1997–6/1998 Home Office, London SW1
Presidency Co-ordinator for 1998 UK presidency of the EU
I was in charge of a section of 6 people with responsibility for the
logistical aspects of the Presidency, co-ordination of policy internally
and with other Government Departments, and liaison with the
Council Secretariat, UK Representation in Brussels, European
Commission and European Parliament. Responsibilities included
advice to Ministers on aspects of the Presidency, co-ordination of the ▲
TO P-F LO O R E L E VATO R P I TC H E S
107
calendar of Brussels meetings, organization of UK based
meetings and training for Home Office staff. I also oversaw
inward and outward international Ministerial visits.
2/1994–1 /1997 European Commission, Brussels
Secondment to the Task Force on Justice and Home Affairs,
Detached National Expert
I helped establish the unit on Police Co-operation and represented
the Commission in Council Working Groups on Europol, Police
Co-operation, and Drugs and Organized Crime. Responsibilities
included preparation of Council meetings, liaison with Interpol,
support to Commissioners at European Parliament hearings, and
lecturing on the Third Pillar.
9/1992–2/1994 Cabinet Office, London
Higher Executive Officer (Development – Europe)
Secondment to the Home Office. I was posted in the European
Police Secretariat, where I had an overview of TREVI Working
Groups II and III. I was secretary to the Ad Hoc Working Group
on EUROPOL, and was involved in the work on the draft
Convention to establish EUROPOL.
9/1988–9/1992 University of Passau
Assistant in the Law Faculty/ Part-time lectureship
Teaching British constitutional law and the English legal
system, with additional courses in British politics. In 1990, I was
offered a permanent full-time lectureship in English law (to
▲
P I TC H YO U R S E L F
108
administer and teach external LLB students), which I turned
down in order to complete my doctoral thesis.
8/1989: Hague Academy of International Law – Summer Session
on the Law of Asylum.
Summer 1998: Research assistant to Dr R. O. Plender QC, revising
new edition of Plender and Usher’s Cases and Materials on the
Law of the European Communities.
1989–1990 and 3/1992: Teaching beginners’ courses in English
language.
1–7/1987: Private tuition in English language for ‘Abitur’ (A-level)
candidates.
1981–1987: Various summer and part-time jobs, including prac-
tical training with Boodle Hatfield Solicitors and much legal
secretarial work.
Education
7/1992 University of Passau, Germany
Dr Juris – thesis on European Community Competence in the Law
of Asylum (‘Die Kompetenzen der Europaischen Gemeinschaften
zur Regelung des Asylrechts’).
1984–1988 King’s College, London
7/1988 LLB, Dip. Ger. Law, AKC.
1986–7 Passau University, FRG, Germany
Diploma in German Law, awarded with 12.8 points out of 18, the
average being around 5.5. ▲
Mara Goldstein’s CV continued
TO P-F LO O R E L E VATO R P I TC H E S
109
1981–83 King’s School, Worcester
GCE A-Levels in German (A), English (B), Music (C).
GCE S-Level in German (Merit).
1970–1981 Sheffield High School for Girls
1981–1982 4 GCE O-Levels (A), 6 GCE O-Levels (B).
Awards
2/1997
1-month study visit of the USA at the invitation of the USA
Overseas Visitor’s Programme. Participation in the Young
European Leaders project.
7/1993
1500-ECU publication grant for doctoral thesis from the
Commission of the European Communities.
1986–1987
Scholarship from the British Chamber of Commerce in Germany
to aid legal studies in Germany.
1986–1987
Scholarship from the Erasmus programme of the European
Communities to aid legal studies in Germany.
Languages Native English, bilingual German, moderate French.
▲
P I TC H YO U R S E L F
110
Additional qualifications/skills
5/1982 Full Driving Licence.
4/1984 Secretarial Diploma from Sight and Sound College
including Typing at 60 wpm, Shorthand at 80 wpm and Word
Processing.
Further achievements and interests
8/1994 Participant in ‘Young Konigswinter’ Anglo-German Forum.
7/1993 Participation in the Wilton Park Young Anglo-German
Forum, administered by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
1990–1991 Committee membership of the ‘Studenten fur Passau’,
a non-aligned political party in the local elections.
1989–1990 Secretary of the ‘Passauer Studentendorf e.V’.
1987–1988 Secretary of the King’s College/Passau Society.
1984–1985 Participation in the King’s College ‘Borstal Project’.
Music
I am a member of the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields Chorus,
Tallis Chamber Choir, New London Chamber Choir and Joyful
Company of Singers. Whilst in Passau I founded and sang in a
highly successful madrigal choir. As a student, I was on the
committee for the University of London Music Society and
librarian for the University of London Choir and at school I
organized the 6th form music society. I have been a member of
many choirs, including the National Youth Choir, and used to be
principal oboe player for the Midland Youth Orchestra and
Mara Goldstein’s CV continued
TO P-F LO O R E L E VATO R P I TC H E S
111
Worcester Cathedral Chamber Orchestra. I have qualifications in
Associated Board Grade VIII Distinction Oboe, Grade VI Singing
and Grade V Piano.
Sport
1981 Captain of the tennis team at Sheffield High School.
P I TC H YO U R S E L FN
AN
CY
M.
PR
EN
DE
RG
AS
TB
US
INE
SS
CO
MM
UN
ICA
TOR
The
Mew
s H
ouse
, Lon
don,
UK
Tel:
44
(0) 2
0 xx
xx x
xxx,
E-m
ail:
nm
pren
der@
yaho
o.co
.uk
I am
a s
trat
egic
bus
ines
s co
mm
unic
ator
with
a p
rove
n ab
ility
to e
xplo
it co
mm
erci
al o
ppor
tuni
ties.
A r
espe
cted
peo
ple
man
ager
and
team
pla
yer,
I ha
ve g
uide
d te
ams
of u
p to
20
cons
ulta
nts
to e
xcel
. With
a b
road
und
erst
andi
ng o
f the
mar
ketin
g m
ix a
nd o
fne
w m
edia
cha
nnel
s, I
appl
y cl
assi
c pr
inci
ples
to n
ew w
ays
of d
oing
bus
ines
s. I
am a
cre
ativ
e an
d in
nova
tive
prob
lem
sol
ver
who
gets
res
ults
.
My
expe
rien
ce r
ange
s fr
om p
ositi
onin
g an
d la
unch
ing
soft
war
e pr
oduc
ts fo
r bl
ue-c
hip
com
pani
es to
hel
ping
bui
ld th
e br
ands
and
med
ia p
rofil
es o
f man
y in
nova
tive
new
bus
ines
ses
to r
unni
ng o
ne o
f the
UK
’s m
ost t
alke
d ab
out P
R c
ompa
nies
. My
fasc
inat
ion
with
evo
lvin
g m
edia
cha
nnel
s, g
rasp
of t
echn
olog
y an
d its
impl
icat
ions
on
how
we
wor
k an
d liv
e, a
nd c
ross
-cul
tura
l int
eres
ts fu
elm
y ca
reer
am
bitio
ns.
Focu
ses
on th
eP
laye
d ke
y ro
le in
bui
ldin
g te
am, c
lient
por
tfol
io a
nd r
even
ues
of y
oung
PR
age
ncy,
hel
ping
to e
xplo
it hi
gh-
com
mer
cial
grow
th w
eb a
nd m
obile
com
mer
ce m
arke
t opp
ortu
nitie
s. D
irec
tly r
espo
nsib
le fo
r re
venu
es in
200
0 of
mor
e th
an £
850K
– n
earl
y ha
lf th
e ag
ency
tota
l. An
agg
ress
ive
grow
th s
trat
egy
culm
inat
ed in
Gna
sh C
omm
uni-
catio
ns b
eing
nam
ed th
e U
K’s
fast
est g
row
ing
PR
con
sulta
ncy,
Apr
il 20
01.
Thin
ks s
trat
egic
ally
Iden
tifie
d a
gap
in th
e m
arke
t for
PR
ser
vice
s to
sup
port
sta
rt-u
p co
mpa
nies
, dev
ised
a s
et o
f new
pro
duct
sto
ext
end
Gna
sh’s
offe
ring
. The
se in
clud
e pa
n-Eu
rope
an b
est-
prac
tice
agen
cy n
etw
ork;
pos
ition
wor
ksho
p;co
mm
unic
atio
ns p
lan
boot
cam
p; a
genc
y se
arch
and
sel
ectio
n; a
nd v
iral
PR
pro
gram
me.
The
se s
ervi
ces
adde
d m
ore
than
£3/
4m to
age
ncy
reve
nues
ove
r 18
mon
ths.
Solv
es p
robl
ems
Ref
lect
ing
a VC
clie
nt’s
con
serv
ativ
e ap
proa
ch to
med
ia, c
reat
ed w
ork-
arou
nd p
rogr
amm
es to
mee
t PR
obje
ctiv
es. A
por
tfol
io o
utre
ach
prog
ram
me
sign
ifica
ntly
rai
sed
the
prof
ile o
f the
clie
nt’s
inve
stm
ents
and
ther
eby
the
clie
nt’s
ow
n pr
ofile
. Pro
gram
me
was
sub
sequ
ently
use
d as
a m
odel
by
clie
nt’s
age
ncie
s in
oth
erm
arke
ts.
Entr
epre
neur
ial
Pio
neer
ed th
e co
ncep
t of v
iral
PR
in th
e U
K. D
evel
oped
the
prog
ram
me
and
team
to c
reat
e co
st-e
ffect
ive
cam
paig
ns fo
r cl
ient
s, in
clud
ing
Fina
ncia
l Tim
es, V
irgi
n M
obile
, Las
tmin
ute.
com
and
Hoo
ver’
s O
nlin
e.D
evel
oped
an
anti-
jarg
on c
ampa
ign
for
Hoo
ver’
s th
at r
esul
ted
in a
sus
tain
ed 3
0% r
ise
in s
ite u
sage
and
abu
sy p
ipel
ine
of s
ubsc
ript
ion
sale
s le
ads.
TO P-F LO O R E L E VATO R P I TC H E SK
now
s m
edia
Bro
ad u
nder
stan
ding
of o
nlin
e an
d of
fline
med
ia c
hann
els,
incl
udin
g w
eb, w
irel
ess,
terr
estr
ial a
nd d
igita
lTV
, rad
io a
nd p
rint
. Has
run
cam
paig
ns d
esig
ned
to m
axim
ize
clie
nt e
xpos
ure
on o
ne o
r m
any.
For
FT.
com
,he
lped
to c
reat
e pr
int,
web
and
tele
visi
on a
dver
tisin
g ca
mpa
igns
to r
epos
ition
the
site
and
dri
ve u
p le
vels
of
traf
fic fr
om 7
mill
ion
to 2
0 m
illio
n pa
ge v
iew
s pe
r m
onth
.
Lead
s cr
eati
vely
Spea
rhea
ded
the
crea
tion
of a
mot
ivat
iona
l par
tner
pro
gram
me
to s
peed
con
sulta
nts’
gro
wth
with
in a
flat
orga
niza
tiona
l str
uctu
re. P
rogr
amm
e in
clud
es a
n ex
tens
ive
six-
part
ann
ual r
evie
w, t
arge
ted
PR
and
man
agem
ent t
rain
ing,
pee
r re
view
and
par
tner
com
pens
atio
n pa
ckag
e in
clud
ing
shar
e op
tions
.
Car
eer
chro
nolo
gyG
nash
Com
mun
icat
ions
Co-
man
agin
g di
rect
or fr
om A
pril
2001
Boa
rd d
irec
tor,
Oct
ober
199
9 –
Apri
l 200
1
Fina
ncia
l Tim
esC
onsu
ltant
mar
com
ms
man
ager
, FT.
com
, Mar
ch 1
998
– O
ctob
er 1
999
Inde
pend
ent C
onsu
ltan
tC
lient
s in
clud
ed L
otus
Dev
elop
men
t Cor
p (U
SA);
Wel
sh S
late
; and
Ket
chum
PR
, Apr
il 19
96 –
Mar
ch 1
998
Ogi
lvy
Ada
ms
& R
ineh
art
Acco
unt d
irec
tor,
pan
-Eur
opea
n ac
coun
ts, S
epte
mbe
r 19
95 –
May
199
6
Lois
Pau
l & P
artn
ers
Seni
or a
ccou
nt m
anag
er, T
echn
olog
y M
arch
199
2 –
June
199
5
Lotu
s D
evel
opm
ent C
orp
Con
sulta
nt, C
orpo
rate
Com
mun
icat
ions
, Oct
ober
198
9 –
Janu
ary
1992
Bro
nner
Sch
losb
erg
Hum
phre
yAc
coun
t exe
cutiv
e, d
irec
t mar
ketin
g, 1
984-
1987
Educ
atio
nEm
erso
n C
olle
ge, M
aste
r of
Art
s, M
ass
Com
mun
icat
ion,
199
0
Uni
vers
ity o
f Mas
sach
uset
ts, B
osto
n, B
ache
lor
of A
rts
in E
nglis
h Li
tera
ture
and
Spa
nish
, Mag
na C
umLa
ude,
198
4
Sain
t Lou
is U
nive
rsit
y, M
adri
d Sp
ain,
Spa
nish
Lan
guag
e an
d C
ultu
re, 1
982
P I TC H YO U R S E L F
BIL
L F
AU
ST
EF
FE
CT
IVE
CA
TALY
ST
215
Wes
t Hill
, Bri
ghto
n B
N1,
UK
Mob
ile: 4
4 (0
) xxx
xxx
xxx
, Hom
e: 4
4 (0
) 127
3 22
2222
, E-m
ail:
bill
f@ta
lk21
.com
I bri
ng z
est f
or li
fe to
my
wor
k an
d m
ake
idea
s ha
ppen
. 14
year
s of
pra
ctic
al, i
nteg
rate
d m
arke
ting
idea
s ge
nera
tion
for
both
clie
nts
and
adve
rtis
ing
agen
cies
acr
oss
the
wor
ld.
Cre
ativ
e an
dO
ptim
ized
sm
all b
udge
t thr
ough
pio
neer
ing
‘vir
al m
arke
ting’
cam
paig
n fo
r Au
stra
lia’s
lead
ing
choc
olat
ein
nova
tive
sol
utio
nsco
nfec
tione
ryTi
m T
ams.
Ach
ieve
d cu
lt s
tatu
s an
d no
tori
ety
and
endo
rsed
by
Tim
Tam
s af
icio
nado
sge
nera
ting
self
perp
etua
ting
PR
.
Cre
ated
an
inte
grat
ed w
eb p
rese
nce
for
Fair
fax,
one
of A
ustr
alia
’s le
adin
g m
edia
gro
ups,
that
rev
olut
ioni
zed
the
med
ia p
lann
er b
uyer
and
pub
lishi
ng h
ouse
rel
atio
nshi
p. T
he In
tern
et b
ecam
e th
e In
tran
et b
ecam
e th
eEx
tran
et in
a s
moo
th fl
ow o
f eff
icie
ncie
s.
Entr
epre
neur
ial
Initi
ated
and
impl
emen
ted
the
onlin
e e-
com
mer
ce s
trat
egy
that
bro
aden
ed th
e po
tent
ial p
et in
sura
nce
and
com
mer
cial
port
folio
by
£694
mill
ion
pa a
n in
crea
se o
f 488
%.
Gen
erat
ed in
nova
tive
one-
stop
mot
orin
g po
rtal
str
ateg
ic in
tera
ctiv
e of
feri
ng fo
r N
ews
Ltd.
Pro
duce
d a
com
preh
ensi
ve b
usin
ess
plan
enc
ompa
ssin
g al
l asp
ects
from
cos
ts, h
ead
coun
t, po
tent
ial r
even
ue g
row
th,
to th
e fu
lly s
peci
fied
func
tiona
lity
for
the
port
al.
Pro
ject
man
agem
entM
anag
ed d
irec
t, in
dire
ct r
epor
ts a
nd 3
rd p
arty
sup
plie
rs a
t GEI
H, C
IA &
IMP
res
ultin
g in
pro
ject
s ru
nnin
g to
an
d re
lati
onsh
iptim
e an
d on
bud
get.
build
ing
Bui
lt lo
ng s
tand
ing
clie
nt r
elat
ions
hips
, with
Pac
kard
Bel
l and
BT
thro
ugh
seve
ral d
iffer
ent r
oles
.
TO P-F LO O R E L E VATO R P I TC H E S
Stra
tegi
c th
inke
rW
rote
the
stra
tegy
doc
umen
t for
Ora
nge’
s M
obile
Por
tal.
Und
erst
andi
ng th
e is
sues
faci
ng th
e m
obile
tele
com
mun
icat
ions
mar
ket,
from
the
key
driv
ers
whi
ch in
fluen
ce th
e us
e of
the
mob
ile p
latf
orm
to n
ewre
venu
e m
odel
s.
Stud
ied
curr
ent a
nd fu
ture
con
tent
and
ser
vice
s fr
om a
cus
tom
er a
nd c
omm
erci
al p
oint
of v
iew
to th
ead
optio
n an
d ad
vanc
emen
t of n
ew te
chno
logy
. Pro
duce
d a
stra
tegy
doc
umen
t hig
hlig
htin
g co
mm
erci
ally
viab
le r
even
ue g
ener
atio
n in
a m
arke
tpla
ce th
at n
ears
full
pene
trat
ion
of m
obile
dev
ices
.
Idea
gen
erat
ion
Co-
auth
ored
the
title
Pitc
h Yo
urse
lf a
radi
cal w
ay to
sel
l you
rsel
f to
pote
ntia
l new
em
ploy
ers.
and
impl
emen
tatio
nP
itche
d an
d de
liver
ed c
once
pt to
the
publ
ishe
r, P
ears
on E
duca
tion
deliv
ered
the
book
in m
id-2
002.
Car
eer
hist
ory
Inte
rim
Pro
ject
s an
d au
thor
of P
itch
Your
self
2001
to d
ate
UK
E-M
arke
ting
Dir
ecto
r G
EIH
(par
t of G
E C
apita
l)19
99–2
000
UK
New
Med
ia D
irec
tor
Bat
es A
ustr
alia
1998
–199
9 A
ustr
alia
Hea
d of
Inte
ract
ive
CIA
(lar
gest
med
ia in
depe
nden
t age
ncy)
1997
–199
8 U
K
Hea
d of
Sal
es a
nd M
arke
ting
IMP
(to
p 5
SP a
genc
y)19
96–1
997
UK
Dir
ecto
r, In
t Mar
ketin
g YI
TM (Y
orks
hire
TV)
1995
–199
6 U
K
Acc
ount
Dir
ecto
r U
/C/M
Ltd
1991
–199
5 U
K
Rig
hts
Man
ager
Bay
ard
Pre
sse
Par
is19
90–1
991
Fran
ce
Adv
erti
sem
ent M
anag
er H
aym
arke
t Pub
lishi
ng19
87–1
990
UK
Educ
atio
nB
usin
ess
Stud
ies:
Bou
rnem
outh
Uni
vers
ity.
Lang
uage
sB
usin
ess
Fren
ch: A
cqui
red
for
the
role
at B
ayar
d P
ress
e in
Par
is
P I TC H YO U R S E L FM
ICH
AE
L F
AU
ST
LE
AD
ER
WH
O B
EL
IEV
ES
1 +
1 S
HO
UL
D N
OT
ALW
AY
S E
QU
AL
2
Pen
ny M
eado
w, C
head
le H
ulm
e, C
hesh
ire
Tel:
44
(0) 1
61 x
xx x
xxx,
E-m
ail:
mic
hael
_fau
st@
ftne
twor
k.co
mLa
tera
l thi
nkin
g le
ader
with
col
labo
rativ
e ye
t cha
lleng
ing
styl
e. P
laci
ng a
hig
h va
lue
on in
tegr
ity a
nd tr
ust I
que
stio
n, I
pers
ever
e an
din
fluen
ce o
ther
s to
ste
p ch
ange
the
stat
us q
uo o
ften
goin
g th
e ex
tra
mile
.
16 y
ears
in in
tern
atio
nal,
cust
omer
faci
ng ro
les,
inte
grat
ed m
arke
ting
and
lead
ersh
ip o
f thi
rd p
arty
rela
tions
hips
acr
oss
bord
ers
and
cultu
res,
gai
ned
in b
oth
star
t ups
as
wel
l as
US
and
Asia
n bl
ue c
hip
orga
niza
tions
.
Cre
ativ
ity,
Initi
ated
and
del
iver
ed a
ser
ies
of s
ymbi
otic
par
tner
ship
dea
ls w
hich
cre
ated
Del
l’s fi
rst g
loba
l spo
nsor
ship
tena
city
and
prop
erty
with
BM
W a
t Le
Man
s 19
99, g
ener
atin
g m
ulti
mill
ion
$ gl
obal
exp
osur
e fo
r ze
ro c
ost a
ndre
ourc
eful
ness
deliv
erin
grob
ust t
elev
isio
n ca
mpa
ign
over
one
yea
r in
Ger
man
y, a
gain
, at n
o co
st.
Des
igne
d an
d im
plem
ente
d ne
w c
olla
tera
l str
ateg
y th
at re
duce
d co
st y
/y 4
5%, s
cale
d in
to A
sia
and
USA
deliv
erin
g fu
rthe
r re
gion
al e
cono
mie
s.
By
build
ing
the
wor
ld’s
larg
est l
ive
mob
ile p
ager
I he
lped
NEC
Pag
ers
beco
me
ubiq
uito
us in
Rus
sia.
Com
mer
cial
At L
etsb
uyit.
com
I im
prov
ed o
vera
ll e-
com
mer
ce K
PIs
thro
ugh
new
cus
tom
er a
cqui
sitio
n st
rate
gyac
umen
& r
esul
ts-
driv
ing
prop
ensi
ty to
pur
chas
e, d
ecre
asin
g ac
quis
ition
cos
ts fi
vefo
ld, i
ncre
asin
g re
peat
pur
chas
e dr
iven
near
ly 2
00%
and
impr
ovin
g ov
eral
l qua
lity
of tr
affic
to s
ite a
nd th
eref
ore
dram
atic
ally
dri
ving
reve
nue
stre
am.
Led
new
bus
ines
s te
ams
to w
in a
ccou
nts
e.g.
Miz
uno
and
Muj
i, at
Hak
uhod
o.
Del
iver
ed re
sults
sca
led
the
busi
ness
and
dro
ve k
ey o
bjec
tives
from
glo
bal s
pons
orsh
ip, m
axim
izin
g pa
rtne
rs to
leve
ragi
ng b
udge
ts a
t Del
l. In
itiat
ed n
ew w
orki
ng p
ract
ice
for
an a
llian
ce p
artn
ersh
ip g
ener
atin
g ex
posu
re 2
3xgr
eate
r th
an in
itial
Del
l inv
estm
ent.
Coa
chin
g an
dEx
celle
nt a
t cre
atin
g cl
imat
e in
whi
ch p
eopl
e ca
n le
arn,
by
mak
ing
each
indi
vidu
al fe
el th
eir
team
bui
ldin
gim
port
ance
in b
uild
ing
cons
ensu
s.
Bei
ng d
epen
dabl
e, h
ard
wor
king
and
ene
rget
ic I
mak
e ev
eryo
ne a
roun
d m
e be
com
e be
tter
and
wor
k ha
rder
.
‘Exc
elle
nt le
ader
and
man
ager
of a
genc
y pa
rtne
rs …
exc
eptio
nal i
n gr
owin
g ot
hers
’– th
eir
wor
ds n
ot m
ine.
TO P-F LO O R E L E VATO R P I TC H E SO
rgan
izat
iona
l16
yea
rs o
f cus
tom
er fa
cing
role
s al
l aim
ed a
t cre
atin
g in
timac
y an
d de
liver
ing
RO
I bot
h ag
ility
and
inte
rnal
ly a
nd e
xter
nally
.cu
stom
er fo
cus
Succ
ess
gain
ed in
ran
ge o
f wor
king
env
ironm
ents
, cul
ture
s an
d st
yle
from
dec
entr
aliz
ed D
ell
mat
rix
to d
ynam
ic d
otco
m ‘c
an d
o’ s
tart
-up
via
blue
chi
p As
ian
orga
niza
tions
.
The
inta
ngib
le b
enef
its o
f the
BM
W/D
ell d
eal i
nclu
de b
eing
one
of t
he h
ighe
st v
isite
d si
tes
on th
e EM
EA in
tran
etde
mon
stra
ting
enha
nced
sta
ff m
oral
e an
d m
otiv
atio
n es
peci
ally
in G
erm
any
and
Fran
ce. M
erch
andi
se g
ive-
away
s (s
ever
al th
ousa
nd b
ooks
and
car
s) d
eliv
ered
enh
ance
d cu
stom
er a
ffini
ty.
Seve
ral q
uote
s:‘I
do n
ot th
ink
you
can
get a
bet
ter
deal
from
any
oth
er, w
e sh
all g
o ah
ead…
’, ‘…
the
cam
paig
nha
s be
en a
hug
e su
cces
s.’ ‘
GR
EAT!
!!’ a
nd ‘…
Del
l was
rea
lly v
ery
dom
inan
t …co
ngra
tula
tions
to a
ver
y sm
art
and
succ
essf
ul d
eal…
’
Car
eer
hist
ory
Man
agin
g D
irec
tor,
Tra
velc
are
2002
–onw
ards
Full
P&
L re
spon
sibi
lity
for
UK
’s la
rges
t ind
epen
dent
trav
el a
genc
y, £
400m
+, m
ulti
dist
ribu
tion
reta
iler
with
370
bran
ches
, 180
0 st
aff a
nd 5
% U
K m
arke
t sha
re
Inte
rim
Man
ager
and
Aut
hor
2001
–200
2St
rate
gic
Euro
pean
mar
ketin
g co
nsul
tanc
y fo
r es
tabl
ishi
ng in
tern
et c
ompa
nies
Co-
auth
or o
f Pitc
h Yo
urse
lf, p
ublis
hed
by P
ears
on E
duca
tion
Euro
pean
Mar
ketin
g D
irec
tor,
Let
sbuy
it.co
m20
00–2
0001
Euro
pe’s
lead
ing
B2C
gro
up b
uyin
g in
tern
et re
taile
r. Le
d 33
str
ong
mar
ketin
g te
am a
nd a
genc
y pa
rtne
rs a
cros
s14
mar
kets
in c
reat
ion
of in
tern
al a
nd e
xter
nal m
arke
ting
stra
tegy
and
reve
nue
gene
ratio
n.
Hea
d of
Cor
pora
te B
rand
Str
ateg
y EM
EA, D
ell
1998
–200
0W
orld
’s le
adin
g di
rect
com
pute
r co
mpa
ny a
nd w
orld
’s m
ost s
ucce
ssfu
l e-b
usin
ess.
Led
cre
ativ
e, re
sear
ch a
ndm
edia
age
ncie
s ac
ross
Eur
ope,
bud
get $
40m
, hel
ping
to d
efin
e D
ell’s
new
e-co
mm
erce
glo
bal p
ositi
onin
g
Adv
ertis
ing
Age
ncie
s19
86–1
998
From
Hak
uhod
o (J
apan
’s n
umbe
r 2
agen
cy a
nd to
p 10
glo
bal c
omm
unic
atio
ns a
genc
y, 1
993–
1998
),M
arke
tSha
re (1
991
to 1
993)
, Yel
low
Ham
mer
(198
9 to
199
1) to
Saa
tchi
& S
aatc
hi (1
986
to 1
989)
Educ
atio
nB
ath
Uni
vers
ity, U
pper
2nd
Cla
ss H
onou
rs, E
cono
mic
s
P I TC H YO U R S E L F
MA
RC
SC
HA
VE
MA
KE
RC
OM
ME
RC
IAL
AIR
LIN
E P
ILO
T (
BO
EIN
G 7
37)
Jupi
ter
Laan
64,
164
4XS
Haa
rlem
, NL
Tel:
23
(0) 4
29 x
xxx,
E-m
ail:
mar
c@sk
ypor
t.nl
I con
tinua
lly in
crea
se m
y ab
ility
to d
eal w
ith fa
st m
ovin
g co
mpl
ex s
ituat
ions
, whi
lst i
nspi
ring
con
fiden
ce in
oth
ers
arou
nd m
e.I h
ave
deve
lope
d a
solid
foun
datio
n in
saf
ety
proc
edur
es a
nd p
eopl
e m
anag
emen
t.
I wor
ked
in in
dust
ry fo
r si
x ye
ars
as a
cha
rter
ed c
ivil
engi
neer
pri
or to
bec
omin
g an
air
line
pilo
t 4 y
ears
ago
.
Abi
lity
to le
adAn
air
line
pilo
t, es
peci
ally
an
aspi
ring
cap
tain
, mus
t sho
w le
ader
ship
and
com
mer
cial
aw
aren
ess
in th
em
anag
emen
t of t
he d
ay-t
o-da
y op
erat
ion,
pro
vidi
ng a
saf
e, e
ffic
ient
ser
vice
. The
abi
lity
to m
ake
deci
sion
s is
base
d on
ava
ilabl
e in
form
atio
n, e
xper
ienc
e an
d in
tuiti
on. I
take
a le
adin
g ro
le a
nd s
eek
to d
iscu
ss s
teps
Iw
ould
take
in r
esol
ving
situ
atio
ns th
at a
rise
. Thi
s re
sult
s in
the
build
ing
of e
xper
ienc
e an
d co
nfid
ence
,pr
ovid
ing
a gr
eate
r nu
mbe
r of
app
ropr
iate
sug
gest
ions
on
oper
atio
nal i
ssue
s.
Situ
atio
nal
It is
ess
entia
l to
build
a m
enta
l mod
el o
f you
r su
rrou
ndin
gs. C
ontin
ual m
onito
ring
of t
he a
ircr
aft s
yste
ms,
awar
enes
s an
dm
aint
aini
ng s
patia
law
aren
ess,
and
con
stan
t lia
ison
with
all
crew
incl
udin
g pa
ssen
gers
incr
ease
s m
y la
tera
l thi
nkin
gca
paci
ty to
dea
l with
any
eve
nt.
Org
aniz
atio
nal
It is
ess
entia
l to
orga
nize
my
task
s ef
fect
ivel
y to
red
uce
my
wor
kloa
d an
d in
crea
se m
y ca
paci
ty. I
hav
e th
eab
ility
and
agi
lity
pres
ence
of m
ind
and
fore
thou
ght t
o pr
iori
tize
and
carr
y ou
t mul
tiple
task
s si
mul
tane
ousl
y w
hils
tm
aint
aini
ng a
ccur
acy.
Thi
s is
ach
ieve
d by
pla
nnin
g ac
tions
, wor
king
logi
cally
and
thin
king
ahe
ad. I
am
then
of g
reat
er a
ssis
tanc
e to
my
capt
ain
and
can
mai
ntai
n sm
ooth
ope
ratio
n of
the
serv
ice.
TO P-F LO O R E L E VATO R P I TC H E S
Effe
ctiv
eIn
the
avia
tion
indu
stry
it is
ess
entia
l to
conv
ey a
nd r
ecei
ve in
form
atio
n su
ccin
ctly
. I u
se e
ffect
ive
brie
fing
com
mun
icat
ions
tech
niqu
es th
at a
re im
pera
tive
for
a su
cces
sful
flig
ht fr
om th
e gr
ound
up
(and
dow
n ag
ain)
. I h
ave
anap
proa
chab
le s
tyle
and
car
ry o
ut m
y ta
sks
in a
ccor
danc
e to
the
Stan
dard
Ope
ratin
g P
roce
dure
s, w
hils
tlia
isin
g w
ith a
ll m
y fe
llow
cre
w in
an
open
and
co-
oper
ativ
e m
anne
r, r
esul
ting
in a
red
uctio
n of
inhe
rent
ris
kan
d sh
ared
kno
wle
dge.
Tech
nica
l and
I mus
t be
fund
amen
tally
fam
iliar
with
the
airc
raft
. I h
ave
an a
war
enes
s an
d w
illin
gnes
s to
kee
p up
-to-
date
prac
tica
l apt
itud
ew
ith th
e ai
rcra
ft s
yste
ms
and
hand
ling
char
acte
rist
ics.
Whe
n si
tuat
ions
allo
w, I
mak
e th
e m
ost o
f han
dlin
gth
e ai
rcra
ft. I
stu
dy r
egul
arly
to k
eep
abre
ast o
f all
rele
vant
mat
eria
l, en
suri
ng I
am u
p to
dat
e w
ith a
llas
pect
s of
the
airc
raft
’s te
chni
cal d
ata.
Thi
s in
crea
ses
my
conf
iden
ce o
f the
air
craf
t’s c
apab
ilitie
s, a
llow
ing
me
to b
e be
tter
pre
pare
d fo
r al
l sce
nari
os.
Abi
lity
to p
rom
ote
To m
aint
ain
a go
od o
vera
ll si
tuat
iona
l aw
aren
ess
and
crea
te a
n ef
fect
ive
harm
onio
us te
am, i
t is
impo
rtan
t to
good
team
wor
k cr
eate
an
open
and
eff
icie
nt w
orki
ng e
nvir
onm
ent u
tiliz
ing
Cre
w R
esou
rce
Man
agem
ent.
This
max
imiz
esth
eef
fect
iven
ess
of th
e w
hole
cre
w. I
mus
t rec
ogni
ze th
e sk
ills
of o
ther
s an
d co
mpl
emen
t the
m to
my
own
thro
ugh
cons
ulta
tion
and
dele
gatio
n, fu
rthe
ring
our
ski
ll ba
se. T
he r
esul
t is
to r
educ
e th
e w
orkl
oad
of a
llcr
ew m
embe
rs, p
rovi
ding
an
incr
ease
d ca
paci
ty to
focu
s on
saf
ety
and
effic
ienc
y.
Car
eer
hist
ory
Bri
tish
Air
way
s19
98–p
rese
nt
NR
A &
Env
iron
men
t Age
ncy
1991
–98
Educ
atio
nC
ivil
Engi
neer
ing
degr
ee
P I TC H YO U R S E L FM
AR
K B
AIL
EY
SE
AS
ON
ED
IN
TE
RN
AT
ION
AL
MA
RK
ET
ING
PR
OF
ES
SIO
NA
L
50 C
arab
ella
St,
Bal
gow
lah
Hei
ghts
, Syd
ney,
206
2, A
ustr
alia
Tel:
61 (0
) 2 9
9 xx
x xx
x, E
-mai
l: m
arkb
@sy
dney
.com
.au
I thr
ive
on c
halle
nges
. I a
m a
n in
nova
tive
busi
ness
bui
lder
, re-
engi
neer
ing
thro
ugh
peop
le n
ot p
roce
sses
, and
taki
ng m
y cl
ient
s w
ithm
e. B
y br
ingi
ng to
geth
er a
bro
ad b
ase
of e
clec
tic ta
lent
s an
d sk
ills
to c
reat
e dr
iven
team
s, I
prov
ide
crea
tive
and
insp
irin
g pr
agm
atic
solu
tions
.
For
20 y
ears
, I h
ave
wor
ked
exte
nsiv
ely
on a
nat
iona
l, re
gion
al a
nd in
tern
atio
nal b
asis
with
a b
road
ran
ge o
f org
aniz
atio
ns in
bot
h cl
ient
and
agen
cy e
nviro
nmen
ts, i
nclu
ding
suc
cess
fully
dev
elop
ing
and
som
e ye
ars
late
r m
ergi
ng m
y ow
n bu
sine
ss w
ith a
mul
tinat
iona
lop
erat
ion.
Inno
vativ
e so
lutio
nsC
reat
ed o
ne o
f the
firs
t ‘bo
utiq
ue’ c
ompl
ete
inte
grat
ed in
depe
nden
t mar
ketin
g co
mm
unic
atio
ns a
genc
ies,
Com
mun
icat
e@, i
ncor
pora
ting
full
prod
uctio
n an
d an
ext
ensi
ve r
ange
of m
arke
ting,
adv
ertis
ing,
pla
nnin
g an
dex
ecut
ion
serv
ices
.
Dev
elop
ed m
ulti-
face
ted
inte
grat
ed c
ampa
igns
to a
ver
y di
vers
e ra
nge
of c
lient
s ac
ross
a b
road
spe
ctru
m o
fin
dust
ries
, inc
ludi
ng R
ecki
tt &
Col
man
Gro
up, D
igita
l, C
astle
mai
ne P
erki
ns, S
mith
Klin
e B
eech
am, P
fizer
Hea
lthca
re, R
oche
, Pha
rmac
ia &
Upj
ohn,
Met
way
Ban
k, P
arke
Dav
is, C
SIR
O, E
li Li
lly, W
oods
Bag
ot, T
elst
ra,
Col
es M
yer,
Fos
seys
and
Med
itech
.
Gre
w a
gro
up o
f ind
ivid
ual s
peci
alis
t bus
ines
ses
in m
arke
ting
com
mun
icat
ions
, pre
-pro
duct
ion,
pro
duct
ion
proc
essi
ng a
nd d
igita
l cro
ss-p
latfo
rm c
reat
ion
med
ium
s th
at o
pera
ted
as a
tota
l res
ourc
es u
nit.
Mer
ged
Com
mun
icat
e@ w
ith a
trad
ition
al m
ultin
atio
nal t
o cr
eate
thei
r in
tegr
ated
str
uctu
re a
fter
8 ye
ars
of in
depe
nden
top
erat
ion.
Lead
ing,
coa
chin
g,C
reat
ed a
nd s
ucce
ssfu
lly im
plem
ente
d th
e fir
st b
usin
ess
mod
el o
f its
type
, ass
istin
g w
ith d
evel
opin
g sk
ills
deve
lopi
ng a
ndan
d pe
rson
nel t
o be
pla
ced
in ro
les
thro
ugho
ut th
e re
gion
in o
rder
to fu
rthe
r ex
pand
thes
e sk
ills
and
ex
port
ing
skill
sle
arni
ng in
to th
ose
mar
kets
. Leo
Inte
grat
ed b
ecam
e a
cata
lyst
for
thei
r ev
olut
ion.
and
lear
ning
Impl
emen
ted
a gr
eate
r ex
chan
ge a
nd d
ialo
gue
in th
ese
evol
ving
spe
cial
ist b
usin
ess
area
s in
tern
atio
nally
,w
orki
ng in
sym
path
y w
ith th
e de
velo
ping
glo
bal v
isio
n an
d a
glob
al IP
O e
nviro
nmen
t.
Inno
vativ
e bu
sine
ssH
elpe
d tr
ansf
orm
a tr
aditi
onal
org
aniz
atio
n in
to a
n in
dust
ry le
ader
and
an
envi
able
gro
wth
ach
ieve
r,in
itiat
ives
whe
n th
e tr
aditi
onal
reve
nue
stre
ams
wer
e fa
cing
a c
onsi
dera
ble
dow
ntur
n.
Cre
ated
a c
ompl
etel
y ne
w, n
atio
nally
, reg
iona
lly a
nd in
tern
atio
nally
aw
arde
d bu
sine
ss m
odel
for
evol
ving
and
gene
ratin
g ne
w le
vels
of s
ucce
ss a
nd p
rofit
abili
ty, b
ring
ing
toge
ther
and
impl
emen
ting
a un
ique
wor
king
cul
ture
and
appr
oach
that
del
iver
ed g
row
th, d
iver
sific
atio
n an
d a
foun
datio
n fo
r fu
ture
suc
cess
.
Bus
ines
s st
rate
gist
D
evis
ed th
e bu
sine
ss s
trat
egy.
Pla
nned
and
man
aged
the
impl
emen
tatio
n to
cre
ate
a st
ruct
ure
and
re-e
ngin
eer
TO P-F LO O R E L E VATO R P I TC H E S
the
trad
ition
al b
usin
ess.
Intr
oduc
ed a
n al
l-en
com
pass
ing
inte
grat
ed g
roup
of 8
new
spe
cial
ist m
arke
ting
busi
ness
uni
ts to
pro
vide
add
ition
al s
ervi
ces
in th
e ar
eas
of s
ales
pro
mot
ions
, dire
ct/C
RM
, dig
ital a
nd in
tera
ctiv
e,ev
ents
/PR
, hea
lthca
re m
arke
ting,
des
ign,
B2B
/tec
hnol
ogy
and
Com
mun
icat
ions
arc
hite
ctur
e st
rate
gy.
Cre
ated
a p
rofit
able
bus
ines
s m
odel
ded
icat
ed to
qua
lity,
bes
t-pr
actic
e de
liver
y, p
rodu
ctiv
e re
sour
cem
anag
emen
t, an
d cr
oss-
chan
nel i
mpl
emen
tatio
n, re
sulti
ng in
a to
tal b
usin
ess
reve
nue
cont
ribu
tion
that
gre
wfr
om 0
to 4
0%+
with
in 4
yea
rs.
Inte
grat
ion,
Man
agem
ent o
f maj
or a
ccou
nt g
roup
s an
d co
-ord
inat
ion
of c
reat
ive
and
othe
r sp
ecia
list r
esou
rces
to
reso
urce
and
deve
lop
and
impl
emen
t str
ateg
ies
for
clie
nt p
roje
cts
and
cam
paig
ns. A
ctiv
ely
invo
lved
in le
adin
g ne
w
team
man
agem
ent
busi
ness
pitc
h te
ams.
Par
t of t
he F
ortu
ne G
roup
, inc
ludi
ng S
SB, D
FS &
Wes
ton
Adve
rtis
ing
Agen
cies
, wor
king
with
thes
e ag
enci
es, k
ey m
ains
trea
m c
lient
s, s
uch
as T
oyot
a, a
nd w
ith d
irect
clie
nts
to p
rovi
de in
tegr
ated
serv
ices
. Thr
ough
a le
adin
g be
low
the
line/
inte
grat
ed a
genc
y sp
ecia
lizin
g in
full
serv
ice
prov
isio
n of
com
plet
ecl
ient
nee
ds, i
nclu
ding
sal
es p
rom
otio
n, d
irect
/rel
atio
nshi
p m
arke
ting,
spo
rts
and
spon
sors
hip
mar
ketin
g,m
erch
andi
zing
and
PO
S, a
nd s
ales
ince
ntiv
e pr
ogra
mm
es. S
olel
y re
spon
sibl
e fo
r se
curi
ng R
evlo
n, F
erre
ro,
Cha
se A
MP
Ban
k.
Re-
engi
neer
ing
Enab
led
an o
rgan
izat
ion
to tr
ansf
orm
to a
str
onge
r cu
stom
er-c
entr
ic fo
cus,
cre
ated
a s
igni
fican
t cul
tura
l and
and
chan
geop
erat
iona
l cha
nge,
mai
ntai
ning
cor
e tr
aditi
onal
val
ues
and
enha
ncin
g th
ese
with
revo
lutio
nary
new
val
ues
for
man
agem
ent
asi
gnifi
cant
ly e
volv
ed e
nviro
nmen
t, w
orki
ng c
lose
ly w
ith g
loba
l ope
ratio
ns, e
xper
ienc
e an
d vi
sion
to re
inve
ntbe
st p
ract
ice.
Car
eer
hist
ory
Leo
Bur
nett
/bco
m3
– A
ustr
alia
1997
–pre
sent
Nat
iona
l dire
ctor
inte
grat
ed s
olut
ions
Com
mun
icat
e @
Mar
ketin
g C
omm
unic
atio
ns A
genc
y19
89–1
997
Man
agin
g Pa
rtne
r
The
Pro
mot
iona
l Mar
ketp
lace
1987
–198
9As
soci
ate
Dire
ctor
Piz
za H
ut A
ustr
alas
ia19
86–1
987
Seni
or B
rand
Mar
ketin
g M
anag
er
Fabe
rge
Mar
ketin
g M
anag
er19
83–1
986
Wes
tpac
Ban
k19
81–1
983
Nat
iona
l Adv
ertis
ing
Co-
ordi
nato
r
Nes
tlé
1979
–198
1N
ew P
rodu
cts
Offi
cer
Sout
h B
ritis
h U
nite
d In
sura
nce
Gro
up19
77–1
979
Mar
ketin
g co
-ord
inat
or
P I TC H YO U R S E L FLO
UIS
E M
ED
LE
YS
AL
ES
PR
OF
ES
SIO
NA
L
The
Stab
les
Lock
, Yay
ning
s, U
KTe
l: 4
4 (0
)159
2 xx
x xx
xx, E
-mai
l: lo
u@fr
eest
yle.
com
I car
e pa
ssio
nate
ly a
nd u
nder
stan
d m
y cl
ient
’s b
usin
ess.
10 y
ears
of r
esul
ts-d
rive
n sa
les
expe
rien
ce c
oupl
ed w
ith th
e ab
ility
to d
eliv
er c
omm
erci
ally
via
ble
sale
s st
rate
gies
.
Sale
s ne
goti
atio
nTh
e ac
hiev
emen
t of s
ucce
ssfu
l sal
es w
hils
t mai
ntai
ning
max
imum
gro
ss p
rofit
for
the
com
pany
. I h
ave
aso
und
know
ledg
e of
the
com
petit
ion,
the
para
met
ers
they
hav
e to
wor
k w
ithin
, and
thei
r qu
otin
gpr
oced
ures
. I n
eed
to e
nsur
e th
e cu
stom
er p
urch
ases
from
BSS
(UK
) Ltd
with
out l
oss
of p
rofit
mar
gin
byus
ing
othe
r pa
ram
eter
s ap
art f
rom
pri
ce to
neg
otia
te a
suc
cess
ful s
ale.
This
has
res
ulte
d in
hea
lthy
gro
ss p
rofit
mar
gins
and
a s
atis
fied
loya
l cus
tom
er b
ase.
Abi
lity
to s
pot
I cou
ld s
ee a
n op
port
unity
to d
evel
op a
nd b
uild
up
my
own
danc
e co
mpa
ny w
ith th
e vi
ew to
sel
l it a
s a
viab
letr
ends
, fre
esty
lean
d co
mm
erci
al b
usin
ess
conc
ern.
fren
zie
To e
nsur
e su
cces
s an
d th
e fu
lfilm
ent o
f my
goal
, the
re w
ere
man
y as
pect
s to
be
cons
ider
ed: s
pott
ing
tren
ds,
achi
evin
g gu
ests
figu
re o
n th
e do
or, t
he b
uild
ing
of a
n ef
fect
ive
and
effic
ient
dat
abas
e, e
nsur
ing
the
ambi
ence
was
mea
sure
d an
d m
atch
ed a
gain
st th
e ex
pect
atio
ns o
f our
gue
sts,
the
sour
cing
of n
ew m
usic
and
venu
es. I
nee
ded
to b
e su
re o
f the
bes
t way
to a
ppro
ach
new
gue
sts
and
exis
ting
gues
ts v
ia s
ales
and
prom
otio
nal c
ampa
igns
, wat
chin
g ca
refu
lly th
e pr
ofit
and
loss
rat
io.
The
com
pany
was
suc
cess
fully
sol
d as
a g
oing
con
cern
in th
e fir
st q
uart
er o
f 200
1.
Rel
atio
nshi
p/I g
ener
ated
and
dev
elop
ed lo
ng-t
erm
rel
atio
nshi
ps b
ased
on
trus
t tha
t inc
reas
ed b
oth
loya
lty
and
part
ners
hip
sale
s of
BSS
(UK
) Ltd
.bu
ildin
gI d
id th
is b
y m
aint
aini
ng a
n ex
celle
nt lo
cal k
now
ledg
e of
ong
oing
and
futu
re p
ropo
sed
proj
ects
.Th
is h
as p
rodu
ced
a so
lid c
usto
mer
bas
e th
at k
eeps
on
retu
rnin
g to
us
time
afte
r tim
e, a
s ev
iden
ced
by th
e£2
m s
ales
turn
over
.
TO P-F LO O R E L E VATO R P I TC H E S
Cus
tom
er s
ales
To p
rovi
de a
com
plet
e be
spok
e sa
les
solu
tion
for
indi
vidu
al c
usto
mer
nee
ds, I
mus
t und
erst
and
thei
r ne
eds
cons
ulta
ncy
and
requ
irem
ents
on
spec
ific
proj
ects
and
on
an o
ngoi
ng b
asis
to p
rovi
de th
e be
st s
uppo
rt a
nd s
ales
ser
vice
poss
ible
.Th
e pr
oduc
tion
of a
n in
divi
dual
ly ta
ilore
d sa
les
plan
in c
onju
nctio
n w
ith c
lient
inpu
t to
succ
essf
ully
com
bine
our
prod
ucts
and
ser
vice
s to
fit n
eatly
to th
eir
proj
ects
. Thi
s in
turn
has
led
to a
n in
crea
se in
cus
tom
erco
nfid
ence
and
ult
imat
ely
a gr
eate
r sa
les
volu
me
exce
edin
g m
y ta
rget
s by
20%
.
Inte
rnal
sal
esTo
be
succ
essf
ul in
the
field
, I n
eed
to im
plem
ent e
ffect
ive
and
cons
truc
tive
inte
rnal
pro
cedu
res
that
pl
anni
ng a
ndm
aint
ain
the
smoo
th r
unni
ng o
f the
sal
es te
rrito
ry.
proc
edur
esC
aref
ul a
naly
sis
of s
ales
tren
ds a
llow
s m
e to
pro
vide
targ
eted
pro
duct
sup
port
opt
imiz
ing
my
time
inth
e fie
ld.
I pay
par
ticul
ar a
tten
tion
to a
ll m
y qu
otes
ens
urin
g th
e de
tails
are
cor
rect
.
Car
eer
hist
ory
BSS
(UK
) Ltd
1991
–200
1Sa
les
repr
esen
tativ
e
Free
styl
e Fr
enzi
e19
98–2
001
Set u
p an
d so
ld
P I TC H YO U R S E L F
KE
N L
IVIN
GS
TO
NE
MA
YO
R O
F L
ON
DO
N
Run
ning
the
City
of L
ondo
n is
my
drea
m jo
b. I
am 1
00%
com
mitt
ed to
impr
ovin
g th
e lif
e of
eac
h an
d ev
ery
Lond
oner
. I le
ad fr
omth
e fr
ont g
ettin
g to
the
root
of e
ach
issu
e. I
am p
repa
red
to s
tand
up
to b
ig g
over
nmen
t for
the
peop
le o
f Lon
don.
Pro
ven
by a
14-
year
car
eer
as a
Mem
ber
of th
e U
K P
arlia
men
t for
the
Labo
ur P
arty
and
now
as
the
Inde
pend
ent M
ayor
for
Lond
on.
Gai
ning
loya
lty
and
I giv
e m
y co
mm
itmen
t. I n
ever
with
draw
it e
ven
if I m
ight
like
to c
hang
e m
y m
ind.
I st
rive
to g
ain
abu
ildin
g w
orki
ngco
nsen
sus
of o
pini
on a
nd a
ct a
ccor
ding
ly.
rela
tion
ship
sTh
e £7
bill
ion
Cro
ss R
ail ‘
Hea
thro
w to
Doc
klan
ds’ p
roje
ct d
emon
stra
tes
my
tota
l com
mitm
ent t
o bu
ildin
gsu
cces
sful
wor
king
rel
atio
nshi
ps a
cros
s th
e pr
ivat
e an
d pu
blic
sec
tors
(cen
tral
gov
ernm
ent,
city
and
loca
lco
unci
ls).
Long
-ran
ge th
inki
ngM
y ex
peri
ence
run
ning
the
GLC
taug
ht m
e ab
out t
he n
eed
to th
ink
man
y ye
ars
ahea
d in
turn
ing
conc
epts
into
str
uctu
red
polic
ies.
Tra
nspo
rt p
olic
ies
for
the
Cap
ital a
re n
ot o
vern
ight
fixe
s. T
o su
cces
sful
ly s
olve
the
Cap
ital’s
tran
spor
t iss
ues
I nee
d to
exe
rcis
e in
terl
ocki
ng p
olic
ies
that
var
y in
siz
e, m
anne
r an
d ap
proa
chfr
om 5
to 1
5 ye
ars.
Empl
oyin
g gi
ants
I am
not
afr
aid
to e
mpl
oy g
iant
s. T
he o
nly
impo
rtan
t iss
ue is
to g
et th
e ve
ry b
est p
erso
n to
take
on
the
chal
leng
e an
d fu
lfil t
he r
ole
to it
s fu
ll po
tent
ial.
The
Lond
on U
nder
grou
nd is
a c
lass
ic e
xam
ple.
One
of m
ypr
oude
st a
chie
vem
ents
was
get
ting
Bob
Kile
y, a
gia
nt in
urb
an tr
ansp
ort w
ho r
efor
med
the
New
Yor
ksu
bway
, to
join
my
team
.
Qui
ck d
ecis
ion
I was
ele
cted
to m
ake
a di
ffere
nce.
I m
ade
a pr
omis
e to
eas
e th
e co
nges
tion
in th
e C
apita
l and
con
gest
ion
mak
ing
char
ges
for
traf
fic e
nter
ing
the
Cap
ital a
re th
e an
swer
. I b
elie
ve in
it a
nd b
elie
ve it
is b
est f
or L
ondo
n.G
over
nmen
t min
iste
rs u
rged
me
to d
elay
this
dec
isio
n un
til a
fter
the
next
may
oral
ele
ctio
n. I
wen
t ahe
adan
d ke
pt m
y pr
omis
e be
caus
e I b
elie
ve L
ondo
ners
hav
e a
righ
t to
see
if it
wor
ks b
efor
e th
ey v
ote
agai
n.
TO P-F LO O R E L E VATO R P I TC H E S
Tact
icia
nN
apol
eon
said
‘he
sack
ed g
ener
als
if th
ey w
ere
not l
ucky
’. Yo
u ne
ed lu
ck a
nd y
ou n
eed
tact
ics.
I st
ood
as a
nin
depe
nden
t in
the
Lond
on M
ayor
al E
lect
ion.
Ten
wee
ks o
ut, f
our
of m
y fiv
e ke
y ad
viso
rs s
aid
I wou
ld lo
se a
sth
e pr
ess
wou
ld d
estr
oy m
e. H
owev
er th
e pr
ess
conc
entr
ated
on
my
Labo
ur o
ppos
ition
Fra
nk D
obso
n fo
rth
e fir
st n
ine
of th
e te
n w
eeks
. Onl
y in
the
last
wee
k di
d th
e pr
ess
turn
thei
r at
tent
ion
on m
e. L
uck
orTa
ctic
s? T
he r
ight
tact
ics
gene
rate
luck
.
Dea
ling
with
con
flic
tFi
nd o
ut th
e re
al is
sue
or g
riev
ance
and
sol
ve it
. Do
not d
rag
it ou
t. Fi
nd th
e co
mm
on g
roun
d. S
tate
wha
t is
impo
ssib
le. Y
ou a
re le
ft w
ith w
hat i
s po
ssib
le a
nd y
ou g
et s
trai
ght t
o th
e po
int.
Car
eer
hist
ory
Elec
ted
May
or o
f Lon
don
as a
n In
depe
nden
t20
00–p
rese
nt
Labo
ur M
P fo
r B
rent
Eas
t19
87–2
000
Elec
ted
Lead
er o
f the
GLC
1981
–198
6
Elec
ted
Labo
ur m
embe
r of
the
GLC
1973
–198
1
Mem
ber
of C
amde
n C
ounc
il19
78–1
982
Labo
ur M
embe
r of
Lam
beth
Cou
ncil
1971
–197
8
Tech
nici
an, C
hest
er B
eatt
y C
ance
r R
esea
rch
Inst
itut
e19
63–1
971
Aut
hor
ofIf
Vot
ing
Cha
nged
Any
thin
g Th
ey’d
Abo
lish
It
Livi
ngst
one’
s La
bour
P I TC H YO U R S E L F
DA
RR
EN
FE
LL
FO
UN
DE
R O
F P
AR
TY
TAS
TIC
.CO
M
Flat
10,
The
Lof
thou
se, D
ockl
ands
, Lon
don,
UK
Tel:
44
(0) 2
07 x
xx x
xx, E
-mai
l: d
arre
n.fe
ll@
part
ytas
tic.
com
I am
an
entr
epre
neur
eve
r ea
ger
and
able
to g
rasp
idea
s w
ith b
oth
hand
s w
hils
t onl
y ca
tchi
ng th
ose
idea
s th
at g
ener
ate
new
and
exci
ting
com
mer
cial
opp
ortu
nitie
s.
12 y
ears
in h
igh-
prof
ile te
chni
cal a
nd in
tern
atio
nal s
ales
rol
es a
nd m
ore
rece
ntly
foun
ded
an in
nova
tive
Inte
rnet
-bas
ed c
ompa
ny,
Par
tyta
stic
, one
of L
ondo
n’s
prem
ier
part
y ev
ents
com
pany
.
Tech
nica
l apt
itud
eD
raw
ing
on a
n in
here
nt te
chni
cal a
bilit
y, w
hils
t at C
OLT
Tel
ecom
mun
icat
ions
, I e
xcel
led
at c
lear
lyun
ders
tand
ing
busi
ness
obj
ectiv
es a
nd p
rovi
ding
hig
h-le
vel,
resi
lient
Inte
rnet
sol
utio
ns fo
r cu
stom
ers.
Thi
sse
cure
d sa
les
in e
xces
s of
£25
0K.
This
is fu
rthe
r de
mon
stra
ted
duri
ng th
e st
art-
up p
hase
of P
arty
tast
ic.c
om, p
rovi
ng m
y ap
titud
e to
spe
cify
and
desi
gn th
e P
arty
tast
ic.c
om w
ebsi
te. A
sca
labl
e m
embe
rshi
p-m
anag
emen
t sys
tem
to s
uppo
rt a
n ex
pone
ntia
llygr
owin
g m
embe
rshi
p ba
se. T
his
very
sys
tem
has
pro
vide
d th
e ba
ckbo
ne in
mar
ketin
g, s
how
ing
clea
rly
the
tren
ds o
f peo
ple
goin
g to
Par
tyta
stic
par
ties,
and
has
led
to th
e co
ntin
ued
spon
sors
hip
of o
ne o
f the
larg
est
drin
ks m
anuf
actu
rers
in th
e w
orld
, Dia
geo
(UD
V/G
uinn
ess)
.
Com
pany
bui
lder
Esta
blis
hed
a su
cces
sful
eve
nts
com
pany
, Par
tyta
stic
.com
. It h
as a
rap
idly
gro
win
g m
embe
rshi
p ba
se o
f an
d co
mm
erci
al12
00, r
egul
ar e
vent
s, a
nd a
n In
tern
et s
ite r
ecei
ving
ove
r 60
0 un
ique
vis
itors
a d
ay. T
o ac
hiev
e th
e cu
rren
t aw
aren
ess,
succ
ess,
rig
orou
s bu
dget
ary
cont
rol a
nd a
tten
tion
to d
etai
l wer
e an
d ar
e ne
eded
.Pa
rtyt
astic
.com
(UK
)
Inte
grat
ion
and
The
proj
ect w
as to
pro
vide
an
inte
rnat
iona
l cha
nnel
man
agem
ent l
ayer
for
Col
t’s o
pera
tions
thro
ugho
ut
cons
olid
atio
nEu
rope
. I e
stab
lishe
d th
e in
tern
atio
nal p
roce
sses
and
pra
ctic
es to
ena
ble
succ
essf
ul p
an-E
urop
ean
Inte
rnet
host
ing
deal
s. M
y te
am e
xcee
ded
the
£5m
targ
et b
y 20
%, s
ettin
g a
new
sta
ndar
d in
the
indu
stry
for
sing
le-
poin
t pan
-Eur
opea
n In
tern
et s
ales
.
TO P-F LO O R E L E VATO R P I TC H E S
Stra
tegi
c sa
les
Cre
ated
a s
ales
str
ateg
y to
ena
ble
high
-val
ue e
-com
mer
ce a
ctiv
ity fo
r ou
r cu
stom
er b
ase.
Bui
lt a
de
velo
per
part
ners
hip
with
a s
yste
ms
inte
grat
or. I
est
ablis
hed
best
wor
king
pra
ctic
es b
etw
een
the
faci
lity’
s co
mpa
nyan
d sy
stem
s in
tegr
ator
to b
id a
nd s
ucce
ssfu
lly w
in b
usin
ess
with
bud
gets
of a
min
imum
of $
500K
Aus
tral
ian
dolla
rs.
Res
ults
-dri
ven
To e
mpl
oy, t
rain
and
dev
elop
a h
ighl
y ef
ficie
nt a
nd e
ffect
ive
sale
s te
am. T
he p
rim
ary
goal
was
to g
ener
ate
the
entir
e re
venu
e fo
r th
e st
art-
up In
tern
et s
ervi
ces
prov
ider
by
the
dire
ct s
ales
forc
e an
d th
e cr
eatio
n of
are
selle
r ch
anne
l. Th
is r
esul
ted
in s
ales
rev
enue
s in
crea
sing
by
over
500
% m
onth
on
mon
th fo
r th
e fir
st y
ear.
Car
eer
hist
ory
Par
tyta
stic
.com
2000
–pre
sent
Ow
ner/
Man
agin
g D
irec
tor
Col
t Int
erne
tEu
rope
an A
ccou
nt M
anag
er20
00–2
001
GX
Net
wor
ks19
99–2
000
Acco
unt M
anag
er
Bat
es A
ustr
alia
1998
–199
9E-
Com
mer
ce D
irec
tor,
Mor
se C
ompu
ters
1996
–199
8Ac
coun
t Man
ager
Cab
le &
Wir
eles
s19
89–1
995
P I TC H YO U R S E L F
JUS
TIN
E C
OB
BO
PE
RA
TIO
NS
MA
NA
GE
R
66 T
he L
ook
Out
, Bir
ling
Gap
, Sus
sex,
UK
Tel:
44
(0) 3
21 x
xx x
xx, E
-mai
l: ju
stin
ecob
b@ju
stin
ecob
b.co
.uk
I get
the
job
done
. I d
on’t
drop
the
ball.
I cu
t a c
lear
pat
hway
thro
ugh
dem
andi
ng c
omm
erci
al p
roje
cts.
14 y
ears
of p
ragm
atic
ope
ratin
g m
anag
emen
t app
licat
ions
in th
e cr
eativ
e w
orld
of f
ashi
on a
nd b
usin
ess..
The
abili
ty to
see
Set u
p a
clot
hing
-man
ufac
turi
ng u
nit i
n Tu
nisi
a fo
r th
e U
K-b
ased
sup
plie
r to
Mar
ks &
Spe
ncer
. Saw
thro
ugh
clea
rly
thro
ugh
mis
tal
l the
bur
eauc
ratic
red
tape
res
ultin
g in
suc
cess
ful l
aunc
h of
the
unit
on ti
me.
Man
aged
the
com
plet
e of
fice
refu
rbis
hmen
t for
Info
line
Con
fere
nces
. Man
aged
and
co-
ordi
nate
d th
e de
sign
,bu
ildin
g co
ntra
ctor
s an
d th
e ar
chite
cts.
Thi
s w
as c
ompl
eted
on
time
and
on b
udge
t.
Abi
lity
to m
anag
eR
emot
e m
anag
emen
t of t
he a
gent
s in
Tun
isia
, ens
urin
g de
liver
y da
tes
wou
ld b
e m
et a
nd a
ppro
val w
assu
cces
sful
lyac
hiev
ed fr
om th
e cl
ient
Mar
ks a
nd S
penc
er.
I man
age
the
oper
atio
nal l
ogis
tics
for
prod
ucin
g bu
sine
ss-t
o-bu
sine
ss c
onfe
renc
es fr
om th
eir
ince
ptio
nth
roug
h to
com
plet
ion.
Com
mun
icat
ing
Pro
vide
wee
kly
deta
iled
oper
atio
ns r
epor
ts to
the
MD
of I
nfol
ine
Con
fere
nces
ens
urin
g th
e ef
fect
ive
effe
ctiv
ely
day-
to-d
ay r
unni
ng o
f the
bus
ines
s.(w
ritt
en a
nd o
ral)
TO P-F LO O R E L E VATO R P I TC H E S
Man
agin
g pe
ople
Co-
ordi
nate
d a
team
of d
esig
ners
, gra
ders
, fab
ric
tech
nici
ans
and
prod
uctio
n sc
hedu
lers
ens
urin
g w
e m
et
effe
ctiv
ely
the
high
qua
lity
stan
dard
s of
Mar
ks &
Spe
ncer
. Wee
kly
prod
uctio
n m
eetin
gs a
nd o
ne-t
o-on
e da
ily m
eetin
gsm
ould
ed a
team
that
wor
ked
effe
ctiv
ely
and
know
ledg
eabl
y.
Man
aged
thei
r ca
reer
pro
gres
s by
enc
oura
ging
them
to d
evel
op n
ew s
kills
with
the
com
pany
with
the
assu
ranc
eof
my
aid
at a
ll tim
es a
nd e
ncou
rage
d th
em to
thin
k fo
r th
emse
lves
and
take
on
the
resp
onsi
bilit
y fo
r th
eir
actio
ns.
Car
eer
hist
ory
Info
line
Con
fere
nces
Ltd
1999
–pre
sent
Ope
ratio
ns M
anag
er
Cla
rem
ont G
arm
ents
(M&
S su
pplie
r)19
90–1
999
Tech
nica
l/Q
ualit
y M
anag
er
Jaeg
er T
ailo
ring
Ltd
1987
–199
0D
esig
ner/
Pat
tern
Cut
ter
Lond
on C
olle
ge o
f Fas
hion
1983
–198
7
CHA
RLI
E D
OB
RES
CEO
OF
‘I-LE
VEL’
i-le
vel,
26–3
0 St
rutt
on G
roun
d, L
ondo
n SW
1P 2
HR
Tel:
44 (
0) 2
07 3
402
700
I lov
e m
y fa
mily
mor
e th
an I
love
my
wor
k. I
have
a li
fe a
nd, i
n ge
ttin
g th
e ba
lanc
e ri
ght,
my
wor
k is
all
the
bett
er fo
r it.
Thi
s is
the
only
way
I kn
ow h
ow to
wor
k. I
unde
rsta
nd m
arke
ting,
I un
ders
tand
bus
ines
s pl
anni
ng, a
nd I
unde
rsta
nd p
eopl
e. I
seem
to b
e ab
le to
get
the
best
out
of p
eopl
e. I
mot
ivat
e th
em. T
hey
mak
e th
e co
mpa
ny w
ork.
The
res
ults
follo
w n
atur
ally
whe
n yo
u ge
t it r
ight
. I d
on’t
min
dfa
iling
, but
I do
hat
e it
whe
n pe
ople
hav
en’t
trie
d. M
y sk
ill is
as
a co
mpa
ny C
hief
Exe
cutiv
e O
ffice
r an
d en
trep
rene
ur.
Bus
ines
s bu
ilder
Cof
ound
ed i-
leve
l plc
in la
te 1
998
on a
sho
estr
ing
budg
et. W
ith m
y bu
sine
ss p
artn
er, b
uilt
the
agen
cy u
p to
be
the
UK
No.
1 on
line
med
ia a
genc
y w
ithin
one
yea
r, w
here
it re
mai
ns. M
ade
a pr
ofit
in e
very
yea
r of
ope
ratio
n,in
clud
ing
the
hard
tim
es. Z
ero
staf
f tur
nove
r to
oth
er a
genc
ies
in th
e w
hole
thre
e-ye
ar p
erio
d.
Opp
ortu
nist
Des
pite
gai
ning
one
of t
he U
K’s
firs
t BSc
deg
rees
in m
arke
ting
in 1
983,
I w
ent o
ff to
form
a b
and
and
cam
e qu
itecl
ose
to ‘m
akin
g it’
. You
’ll h
ave
to a
sk L
ondo
n R
ecor
ds w
hat w
ent w
rong
. Eve
ntua
lly c
ame
upon
adv
ertis
ing
as a
suita
ble
indu
stry
for
my
skill
s at
the
tend
er a
ge o
f 26
(I’m
40
now
).
Peop
le
Wor
k/lif
e ba
lanc
e –
i-le
vel i
s ru
n ac
cord
ing
to th
ese
prin
cipl
es. E
xcep
t in
dire
em
erge
ncie
s, I
don’
t app
rove
of
unde
r-st
ande
rw
eeke
nd o
r la
te-n
ight
wor
king
. If t
his
pers
ists
, it m
eans
that
eith
er th
e co
mpa
ny is
taki
ng th
e pi
ss w
ith th
ew
orkl
oad,
or
that
the
empl
oyee
is n
ot o
rgan
ized
wel
l eno
ugh
– bo
th n
eed
fixin
g.
Insp
irat
ion
‘Our
dee
pest
fear
is n
ot th
at w
e ar
e in
adeq
uate
. Our
dee
pest
fear
is th
at w
e ar
e po
wer
ful b
eyon
d m
easu
re. I
t is
our
light
, not
our
dar
knes
s th
at m
ost f
righ
tens
us.
We
ask
ours
elve
s: ‘W
ho a
m I
to b
e br
illia
nt, g
orge
ous,
tale
nted
, fab
ulou
s?’ A
ctua
lly, w
ho a
re w
e no
t to
be?
Your
pla
ying
sm
all d
oesn
’t se
rve
the
wor
ld. T
here
’s n
othi
ngen
light
enin
g ab
out s
hrin
king
so
that
oth
er p
eopl
e w
on’t
feel
inse
cure
aro
und
you.
We
are
all m
eant
to s
hine
, as
child
ren
do. W
e w
ere
born
to m
ake
man
ifest
the
glor
y th
at is
with
in u
s. It
’s n
ot ju
st in
som
e of
us;
it’s
inev
eryo
ne. A
nd a
s w
e le
t our
ow
n lig
ht s
hine
, we
unco
nsci
ousl
y gi
ve o
ther
peo
ple
perm
issi
on to
do
the
sam
e. A
sw
e’re
libe
rate
d fr
om o
ur o
wn
fear
, our
pre
senc
e au
tom
atic
ally
libe
rate
s ot
hers
.’
Nel
son
Man
dela
Car
eer
hist
ory
CEO
foun
der,
i-le
vel p
lc19
98–p
rese
nt
Gen
eral
Sec
reta
ry, I
nter
net A
dver
tisin
g B
urea
u19
97–1
998
MD
Low
Inte
ract
ive
1995
–199
7
Acc
ount
Man
ager
Low
e H
owar
d Sp
ink
1990
–199
5
RIC
HA
RD
DA
VIE
SO
WN
ER
AN
D M
AN
AG
ING
DIR
EC
TOR
OF
GO
OD
TE
CH
NO
LOG
Y
332b
Lad
brok
e G
rove
, Lon
don
W10
5A
HTe
l: 4
4 (0
) 207
565
002
2, E
-mai
l: R
icha
rd.d
avie
s@go
odte
ch.c
o.uk
Min
ding
the
gap
I hav
e sp
ent m
uch
of m
y w
orki
ng li
fe p
rovi
ng to
oth
ers
that
not
onl
y w
as th
ere
a ga
p in
the
mar
ket b
ut,
impo
rtan
tly, a
lso
a m
arke
t in
the
gap.
Fro
m m
y ea
rly
year
s as
a g
radu
ate
trai
nee
with
in th
e m
usic
indu
stry
,to
the
foun
ding
and
run
ning
of m
y ow
n bu
sine
ss, i
t has
bee
n a
recu
rrin
g th
eme
in m
y lif
e.
Ensu
ring
a c
omm
erci
al o
ppor
tuni
ty g
ets
real
ized
is o
ften
ove
rloo
ked
as a
ski
ll, b
ut in
my
view
it’s
as
impo
rtan
t (if
not m
ore
so) a
s th
e or
igin
al id
ea. I
f I h
ad a
mot
to (w
hich
I ha
sten
to a
dd I
wou
ldn’
t), i
t mig
ht b
eso
met
hing
alo
ng th
e lin
es o
f, ‘D
on’t
sit t
here
talk
ing
abou
t it,
do it
!’
The
sing
le m
ost i
mpo
rtan
t thi
ng to
me
is to
try
to u
nder
stan
d, a
ntic
ipat
e an
d m
otiv
ate
peop
le. I
may
be
para
noid
, but
it h
elps
– e
nsur
e ev
eryo
ne th
at c
ount
s is
on
your
sid
e an
d is
wor
king
with
you
and
not
for
you.
I sur
roun
d m
ysel
f with
thos
e th
at c
an d
o th
e jo
b be
tter
than
me.
An o
bses
sive
fear
of f
ailu
re c
onst
antly
dri
ves
me.
Man
agin
g cr
eati
vity
This
ena
bled
me
to d
evel
op m
y sk
ills
as a
team
pla
yer,
co-
ordi
natin
g th
ose
resp
onsi
ble
for
the
crea
tion
and
deliv
ery
of th
e pr
oduc
t to
the
cons
umer
. Thi
s pr
ovid
ed m
e w
ith m
y fir
st ta
ste
of th
e co
mm
erci
al w
orld
and
how
to d
eal w
ith th
at m
ost u
npre
dict
able
com
mod
ity, c
reat
ive
tale
nt!
P I TC H YO U R S E L F
TO P-F LO O R E L E VATO R P I TC H E S
Bei
ng m
y ow
n bo
ssTh
is h
as g
iven
me
the
expe
rien
ce in
eve
ry a
spec
t of r
unni
ng a
com
pany
, mos
t not
ably
bui
ldin
g a
team
and
deal
ing
with
the
ever
yday
peo
ple-
man
agem
ent r
equi
rem
ents
.
It ha
s ta
ught
me
to q
uest
ion
cons
tant
ly w
hat I
am
doi
ng a
nd to
lear
n fr
om m
y m
ista
kes.
Fina
lly, i
t has
inst
illed
sel
f-be
lief a
nd a
det
erm
inat
ion
to s
ucce
ed.
How
?A
stri
ct s
et o
f val
ues
that
I ad
here
to a
t all
times
:
➡P
eopl
e fo
cuse
d➡
Cha
lleng
ing
conv
entio
n➡
Info
rmal
➡
Dis
cipl
ine
Car
eer
hist
ory
MD
and
ow
ner
Goo
d Te
chno
logy
19
94–p
rese
nt
Mar
keti
ng M
anag
erM
CA
Rec
ords
1990
–199
4
Bio
chem
istr
y de
gree
,UM
IST
1987
–199
0
P I TC H YO U R S E L F
JAC
K G
RA
TT
ON
CE
O O
F M
AJO
R P
LA
YE
RS
LT
D
73–7
5 En
dell
St,
Lon
don
WC
2H 9
AJ
Tel:
44
(0) 2
07 8
36 4
041,
E-m
ail:
jack
@m
ajor
play
ers.
co.u
k
Cau
tion:
rai
nmak
er a
t wor
k!
My
styl
e is
bui
lt u
pon
clas
sic
nort
hern
Pro
test
ant e
thic
s of
har
d w
ork,
har
d pl
ay. M
y pi
llars
and
val
ues
show
fun,
pro
fess
iona
lism
,tr
ust,
high
mor
als
and
shar
ing.
Thes
e st
atem
ents
sum
up
my
care
er a
nd a
lso
my
aspi
ratio
ns.
My
back
grou
nd is
bot
h co
rpor
ate
(Mob
il O
il gr
adua
te tr
aine
e) a
nd la
tter
ly e
ntre
pren
euri
al.
My
thre
e ye
ars
in th
e co
rpor
ate
life
didn
’t su
it m
e, a
ltho
ugh
I rap
ed a
nd p
illag
ed a
s m
uch
know
ledg
e as
I po
ssib
ly c
ould
and
left
with
gre
at m
ento
rs o
n ho
w a
nd h
ow n
ot to
bui
ld b
rand
s an
d ge
t the
mos
t fro
m p
eopl
e.
My
next
thre
e sp
onge
yea
rs w
ere
spen
t in
a fa
st-g
row
ing
mar
ketin
g se
rvic
es a
genc
y, w
here
I ac
ted
as a
cat
alys
t to
one
of th
ebr
ight
est,
yet f
atal
ly fl
awed
, men
aliv
e. I
lear
nt h
ow to
bui
ld a
str
ong
team
, pul
l tog
ethe
r al
l the
ir s
kill
sets
, and
gen
uine
ly m
ake
the
sum
of t
he p
arts
bet
ter
than
the
indi
vidu
als.
That
was
my
appr
entic
eshi
p; th
e ne
xt 9
yea
rs to
dat
e ha
ve b
een
mak
ing
rain
in th
e fie
lds
of r
ecru
itmen
t, tr
aini
ng a
nd H
R.
I set
up,
run
and
ow
n M
ajor
Pla
yers
Ltd
, the
UK
’s le
adin
g m
arke
ting
and
serv
ices
rec
ruitm
ent c
onsu
ltanc
y.
I tak
e m
y ri
sks
outs
ide
wor
k on
mot
orcy
cles
, not
with
peo
ple’
s ca
reer
s in
side
!
TO P-F LO O R E L E VATO R P I TC H E S
135
How the EP answers a job brief
The following job description and tailored Elevator Pitch was for a
regional sales manager.
A full job description was analyzed to ascertain what qualifications and
transferable assets the company required.
There is a prerequisite qualification for this position the applicant must
be a current registered and qualified veterinary nurse with a minimum
of seven years’ experience in practice. You will see how this has been
covered in her Personal Promise.
A detailed knowledge of selling into the veterinary practices is a further
requirement. This too is highlighted in her Personal Promise via the
introduction of the most significant Transferable Assets. This will be
further elaborated and evidenced in the Elevator Pitch used to answer
this job brief.
JOB DESCRIPTION
Job title: Sales Manager
Location: Field and Office based
Reports to: Sales Director
Purpose of role:
➡ Provide a direct influence in practices to endorse the products
and brands.
P I TC H YO U R S E L F
136
➡ To communicate the benefits of the brand and product range
resulting in increased recommendations, sales and distribution
throughout practices in the region.
Responsibilities:
➡ Develop and maintain high levels of comprehension of the products
and their uses coupled to the business initiatives through training and
current market activity.
➡ Represent the company to veterinary practices as a partner of choice.
➡ Development of strategic product and sales plans for both the
practice and the consumer.
➡ Implementation of the company’s sales and marketing activities:
➡ Set practice objectives for the coming year.
➡ Deliver professional sales support to meet set objectives.
➡ Continual monitoring.
➡ Represent the company at the industry conferences and events.
➡ Accurate and current records for all practice in the region.
➡ Work and perform to the key performance indicators.
➡ Work within the agreed budgetary parameters.
Qualifications:
➡ Veterinary nurse with a minimum of 7 years’ experience.
➡ Excellent knowledge of small-animal and equine veterinary practices.
➡ Previous sales environment, preferably selling directly to veterinary
practices.
TO P-F LO O R E L E VATO R P I TC H E S
137
In essence, the role is a field-based consultative sales position. Laura,
who applied for this role needed to use Transferable Assets that portray
relationship-building and consultative-selling techniques.
The role requires a measured and intellectual approach. It stresses the
importance of partnerships, relationships, strategies, customers and
the ability to influence.
After careful analysis of the job description, Laura successfully
highlighted the following Transferable Assets on her Elevator Pitch.
➡ Commercial awareness
➡ Building and influencing relationships
➡ Effective and efficient communicator
➡ Ability to negotiate
➡ Organizational agility
P I TC H YO U R S E L F
LA
UR
A N
EIL
SO
NP
ET
IN
SU
RA
NC
E S
AL
ES
RE
PR
ES
EN
TAT
IVE
Hel
icop
ter
Hou
se, M
erry
field
, Nr
Taun
ton,
Som
erse
tE-
mai
l: L
aura
@ae
lsew
here
.co.
uk
I hav
e a
calm
and
con
side
red
appr
oach
to m
y lif
e. P
rove
n re
latio
nshi
p bu
ilder
and
qua
lifie
d ve
teri
nary
nur
se o
f 11
year
s. If
I co
uld,
I wou
ld r
ide
my
hors
e to
wor
k.
Bui
ldin
g an
dI a
ctiv
ely
built
str
ateg
ic p
artn
ersh
ips
whe
re w
e be
com
e th
e in
sura
nce
com
pany
of c
hoic
e. I
had
to a
scer
tain
infl
uenc
ing
whi
ch p
ract
ices
wer
e fo
rwar
d-th
inki
ng a
nd in
sura
nce-
min
ded.
rela
tion
ship
sTh
is le
d to
sup
port
via
pro
duct
and
in-h
ouse
sta
ff tr
aini
ng, h
elpi
ng th
e pr
actic
e st
aff b
ecom
e m
ore
know
ledg
eabl
e ab
out h
ow p
et in
sura
nce
can
be b
enef
icia
l to
both
the
pet o
wne
rs a
nd th
e pr
actic
es. T
hest
aff b
ecam
e m
ore
conf
iden
t in
the
reco
mm
enda
tion
of p
et in
sura
nce
to th
eir
clie
nts.
444
out
of 7
00
prac
tices
in th
e re
gion
bec
ame
stra
tegi
c pa
rtne
rs.
Effe
ctiv
e an
dC
ertif
icat
e in
City
and
Gui
lds
Coa
chin
g &
Ass
essi
ng In
divi
dual
s. T
his
is a
war
ded
to th
ose
teac
hing
and
ef
ficie
ntw
orki
ng w
ith c
andi
date
s fo
r th
eir
voca
tiona
l NVQ
(Nat
iona
l Voc
atio
nal Q
ualif
icat
ion)
.co
mm
unic
ator
:pr
ofes
sion
alte
achi
ng q
ualif
icat
ion
Com
mer
cial
I set
the
prom
otio
n an
d ad
vert
isin
g bu
dget
s by
ana
lyzi
ng p
ract
ice
tren
ds a
nd d
ecid
ing
whe
re th
e m
arke
ting
awar
enes
sbu
dget
cou
ld b
e be
st u
sed.
The
mon
ies
wer
e us
ed to
pro
duce
pra
ctic
e br
ochu
res,
spo
nsor
ope
n da
ys a
nd p
rodu
ce a
dver
tisin
gca
mpa
igns
. Thi
s re
sulte
d in
an
incr
emen
tal i
ncre
ase
in th
e nu
mbe
r of
pet
insu
ranc
e po
licie
s so
ld v
ia th
epa
rtic
ipat
ing
prac
tices
TO P-F LO O R E L E VATO R P I TC H E S
Abi
lity
to in
flue
nce
I had
to g
ain
the
requ
ired
she
lf sp
ace
to p
rom
ote
the
insu
ranc
e pr
oduc
ts in
pra
ctic
es th
roug
hout
my
regi
on.
Mat
chin
g th
e pr
actic
e ne
eds
to th
e fe
atur
es a
nd b
enef
its a
nd b
ack-
up s
yste
ms
of th
e pr
oduc
t ens
urin
g a
smoo
th fl
ow o
f eff
icie
ncie
s. P
rovi
sion
s w
ere
mad
e fo
r bo
th a
n aw
ard/
ince
ntiv
e sc
hem
e fo
r th
e st
aff a
nd th
epr
actic
e, a
s w
ell a
s en
suri
ng e
ffic
ient
run
ning
of b
ack-
end
proc
esse
s, fo
r ex
ampl
e on
rec
eipt
of a
cla
impa
ymen
ts b
eing
mad
e to
the
prac
tice
with
in 4
8hrs
etc
.
Effic
ient
mar
shal
ling
To le
ad a
nd e
nsur
e th
e sm
ooth
run
ning
of a
team
of 7
nur
ses
in a
bus
y m
ixed
cou
ntry
pra
ctic
e.of
res
ourc
esB
ench
mar
k si
mila
r pr
actic
es a
roun
d th
e co
untr
y. L
ooke
d at
pre
viou
s tw
o ye
ars’
vet
pra
ctic
e m
anag
emen
t(w
ho d
oes
wha
t, w
here
, whe
n, w
hy).
Foun
d se
ason
al tr
end.
Dev
elop
ed n
ew s
taff
rot
as. C
reat
ed o
ptim
al b
usin
ess
mix
. Fre
ed u
p ad
ditio
nal 2
0 ho
urs
a m
onth
of t
ime
for
ever
y fo
ur e
mpl
oyee
s.
An e
ffic
ient
pra
ctic
e w
here
vet
s co
uld
be v
ets.
Ens
ured
nur
sing
sta
ff a
vaila
ble
for
thea
tre,
con
sult
ing,
labo
rato
ry, h
ospi
taliz
ed p
atie
nts,
pra
ctic
e ad
min
istr
atio
n in
clud
ing
smal
l-an
imal
cla
ims
form
s, n
ursi
ngro
tas,
and
on-
call
out-
of-h
ours
dut
ies.
Mad
e tim
e av
aila
ble
for
prac
tice
nurs
es a
nd r
esou
rces
for
the
disp
ensi
ng o
f dru
gs a
nd th
e te
achi
ng o
f stu
dent
nur
ses..
Car
eer
hist
ory
GEF
I (pa
rt o
f GE
Cap
ital)
1998
–200
1R
egio
nal V
eter
inar
y M
anag
er
The
Vete
rina
ry G
roup
1989
–199
8H
ead
Vete
rina
ry N
urse
Pro
fess
iona
lVe
teri
nary
Nur
sing
Dip
lom
aqu
alifi
cati
ons
Cer
tific
ate
in C
ity &
Gui
lds
Coa
chin
g &
Ass
essi
ng In
divi
dual
s
6Summary and
conclusion“Today’s business goals are being moved at ever-increasing
speeds. It therefore matters less what you have done andmore what you can do. The Elevator Pitch addresses thishead on.” Mark Baldry, Managing Director of Infoline Conferences Ltd
chapter
141
P I TC H YO U R S E L F
142
The job market has changed hugely over the last couple of decades
and promises to continue doing so. The 21st century is offering more
challenges than we ever could have anticipated. There is one simple
thing that has not changed over the centuries, our own curiosity and
exploration of our surroundings, from physical features to academic
understanding and the thirst for knowledge. Our ambition to under-
stand how and why things work and how to get there even more quickly
than we had before.
Use of technology in the business environment has leapt forward
touching all our lives whatever industry or job function we are
pursuing. These technological advances have changed the way our
careers will progress in the present and future. The careers we follow
have taken on new and different meanings. Mankind has explored
avenues in the fields of science and business that once would have been
deemed impossible. These advances will, of course, continue.
Demands from the employers have changed. The idea of the career
for life is no longer on offer for a majority of the workforce in today’s
environment. There are of course, a minority of exceptions. Permanent
positions are offered but according to industry sources the average time
spent in a general marketing position, for example, is just a little over
two years.
Employees’ demands have also changed. You are not in general looking
for a job for life in one company. You are looking for a career and the
development of that career. You will move and gain experi-ence in many
roles.
This encourages employers to look for different skill sets than in the
past. The changing business climate has led them to analyze their activ-
S U M M A R Y A N D C O N C LU S I O N
143
ities. They then decide which core competencies and the ratios of these
it had and would need to perform at an optimum business level.
With all these changes taking place, the CV has been a constant feature
of the employment scene. There have been numerous changes in its
layout and the emphasis placed on different aspects of careers. But
fundamentally, the structure is the same now as it was 100 years ago at
its conception.
The time has come for major re-engineering from the ground up of
the CV. Quite simply, it does not answer the needs of today’s employers
or employees.
Why has this one aspect of our careers stubbornly not changed with the
times and not died a death becoming of such an antiquated tool?
It has now, with the birth of the Elevator Pitch. This is the personal
sales strategy document designed to meet the requirements of today’s
working environment and meet all of our needs, wants and desires.
How will this potentially change our lives?
The candidate
You move from selling yourself to stirring the employer to crave and
want to buy your capabilities.
A person using an Elevator Pitch shows they embrace change and turn
it to their advantage. You analyze and understand fully what is required
for the roles you are applying for.
You become better placed to position yourself in the direction you want
to go.
P I TC H YO U R S E L F
144
The recruitment services industry
The Elevator Pitch has the potential to change the way the recruit-
ment services industry looks to service their clients.
The Elevator Pitch encourages the recruitment services industry to look
at a candidate’s Transferable Assets as opposed to the current industry
sector and profession within it. It encourages them to look at
someone’s whole career as opposed to just a small portion. The result
is a better service to both their clients and the candidates creating a
more efficient, cost effective employment process for all concerned.
However, changes are taking place. Some recruitment agencies are
already embracing the ideas enshrined in the Elevator Pitch. They are
trailblazing the way.
As Carl Poplett, consultant of Technology Marketing Recruitment, says:
“We all need to be a little more open minded and more flexible in our
approaches.”
The employer
The employer gains by receiving more information than ever before in
a shorter and more concise document.
The hard work of reading then deciphering personal career information
is avoided. Gone are the days when the employer has to break the code
of your CV. The Elevator Pitch is clear and defines your edge, showing
instantly how you benefit the organization.
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At a mere glance, they know who you are and how you do it.
The emphasis is placed on future performance, not the past. Greater
awareness can now be placed on Transferable Assets during the entire
selection process.
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The final rallying cry
It is always nice to think we may have made our own small contribution
to helping you find and secure that great job in a more enjoyable and
exacting fashion. We hope you enjoy zagging when the world zigs.
Our own decision to share the Elevator Pitch with you began in the
summer of 2001. We had developed a number of prototypes in response
to our frustration with the standard CV. I met with Roger Wilcher, a
colleague who I first knew at the Lloyd Group Recruitment Ltd. I shared
with Roger one of my early Elevator Pitches.
He said, ‘Bill I’m surprised no other candidate has sent me an Elevator
Pitch. Which book does it come from?’
Several other people, both in the headhunting and HR fields, also asked
the same question.
Now you andthey know!