How Can a 30/60/90-Day Plan Help the Hiring Manager See You In the Job?
A 30/60/90-day plan is a very powerful interview tool for medical sales jobs. Why?
- It’s a demonstration of your go-getter attitude, and it shows that you are someone who will go above and beyond to get the job done. Most other health care sales candidates won’t have done this plan (if they even know about it) because it takes some effort to do it–before you even know if you’ve got the job. It’s a tangible demonstration of your energy and enthusiasm for THIS job.
- It helps you to have a targeted interview, focused not just on what you’ve done before, but on what you can offer for this job, at this company. And it allows you to have a conversation between professionals, rather than a ping-pong style Q&A session.
- It helps the hiring manager “see” you in the job, because the whole plan is focused on what you will do in it for the first 90 days, and that’s what you’ll be talking about.
Watch the video and I’ll show you what you should say and how you can use the 90-day plan to tip the interview in your favor by helping the hiring manager see you in the job. And then, get a proven 30/60/90-Day Sales Plan here.
A 30/60/90-Day Plan Can Help You Get the Promotion!
Usually, when you think of using a 30/60/90-Day plan, you associate it with landing a job at a new company–and it’s a fantastic tool for that because you’re demonstrating your skill, your understanding, and your strategic thought processes, among other great qualities. It’s even more impressive when you use it while transitioning to a new position, because it demonstrates that you understand the job and can do the job, even though you don’t necessarily have that much (if any) experience.
But, a 30/60/90-day plan is also a powerful tool when you’re going after a promotion within your own company. Watch to see me explain how you can use the plan at increasingly higher levels in the company, and what you have to keep in mind in that situation.
Get a proven 30/60/90-Day Sales Plan here.
If Employers Could Be Sure Every Hire Would Add to the Bottom Line, They’d Be Hiring Machines
Of course, wouldn’t we all be hiring machines if every added employee increased profitability? I know I sure would. So, if YOU are the prospective hire, the closer you can come to this magical being–”the profit machine”, the closer you are to being hired.
The problem is most employees don’t turn out to be profit machines. Even when they are, their contribution may not be quite as clear as the owner or manager would like to see. Herein lies opportunity for your job search and your interview.
What am I implying? What am I saying?
Very simply, the smart job hunter should be thinking about more than simply finding a job. Suppose you land a job where your contribution to the success of the company (and for medical and health care sales, this means profits) is not so very clear. Maybe its worse than that. Maybe the hiring manager or owner has concluded that your role is a loser for the business. Your job security just went out the window. You can expect soon, and perhaps very soon, that you will be searching for a new position yet again.
The cure for this condition is to get ahead of the curve on the process. Place yourself in the role of the “magic profit machine”. You have to come to the party with a plan that says:
- I am going to hit the ground running.
- I am not going to waste any effort.
- This is what your business does.
- This is what I can contribute.
- This is how my contribution is going to make money for you each and every day.
Coming with this plan is not such a simple task.
You have to really understand your own skills. You need to clearly dissect how those skills can be applied to increase revenue, decrease cost, increase the client base, improve client retention, incrementally increase client revenue, improve the company’s capacity to grow, and so on.
You have to then get inside the hiring manager’s specific company and change the application of your skills into a real deliverable action plan that is compelling, simple, clear and enticing. Cause the hiring manager to feel urgency about making you a part of his team. Place yourself in a position that leads to increasing value and satisfaction from the hiring manager, owner, or company. As a result, earn support for more compensation in the future and growing job security from before you even take a seat on the first day at your new role.
What’s the best way to do this? Create a 30/60/90-day plan for your interview that’s detailed, focused, and as comprehensive as you can make it. It will show the hiring manager that you’ve carefully considered the needs of his company and how you can use your skills within the first 3 months on the job to make money. This kind of written outline will make a fantastic impression in the interview. Once you land the job, work your plan to be a magic profit machine.
Use a 30/60/90-Day Action Plan for Non-Sales Job Interviews
If you’ve read this blog at all, you’ll know how important a 30/60/90-day plan is to your job interview success. In most cases, we’re talking about sales jobs in the medical sales arena. But I often get questions from people who aren’t in sales jobs and they want to know if that kind of plan can help them, too.
The answer is absolutely YES.
A 90-day plan is critical to bring to every job interview. It works for any marketing or technical support role in medical or health care companies–not just for the sales jobs.
Why?
Watch the video and I’ll tell you:
- How the 30/60/90-day plan demonstrates that you understand the job and can do it
- Why the 30/60/90-day plan makes you stand out from the pack and showcases your drive and initiative
- A hiring manager’s secret fear and why a 30/60/90-day plan makes him much more comfortable hiring you
I would never go into any job interview without a written plan outlining for the hiring manager how I would attack the job and be successful at it. It’s that important. I’ve worked with hiring managers for over 10 years now (and been one myself), and they never fail to be impressed with a candidate who can create a good, well-thought-out plan.
Want a shortcut to success? Check out the brand new 30/60/90-Day Action Plan for Non-Sales Jobs kit at Career Confidential.
If a 30/60/90-day plan is good, would a 1-year plan be better?
I was recently asked this question by a laboratory sales candidate: “If bringing a 30/60/90-day plan to the interview is so impressive, would a 1-year plan be even better?“
Now that’s a go-getter!
But, my answer is: Maybe, but probably not.
I can see where there’s a possibility that someone with tremendous amounts of experience who’s going for a very high-level executive position might want to extend the plan out for a year, in the same way that someone who’s starting their own business would do–it’s a big deal.
A well-written 30/60/90-day plan is very impressive to hiring managers for a lot of reasons, and one of them is that not many people take the time to create one. So you’re already ahead of the game if you do. When you add in the advantages of your careful and thoughtful analysis for exactly how you’re going to be successful at this job (and make your new boss look great!) and the way it helps you turn the interview into a professional conversation rather than a question-and-answer session, you become a job-winning candidate.
I think the answer is that for most people in medical or health care sales jobs, a 90-day plan is going to be as far out as you need to go. You’re showing the manager how you’re going to transition into being a contributing, productive member of the team, and by 3 months in, you should be sailing along pretty well. And you’ll have additional goals given to you from your boss and your boss’s boss that you can’t predict right now–so there’s no point.
What do you think?
Listen to this audio of how to incorporate a 30/60/90-day plan into your interview.
Get a proven 30/60/90-Day Sales Plan here.
Create a 30/60/90-Day Plan Now To Boost Your Job Search in the Future
A 30/60/90-day sales plan is a written outline for exactly what you’ll do in the first 3 months on a new job. It’s the goals you’ve set for yourself as a new employee for the first 30 days, the first 60 days, and the first 90 days. A 30/60/90-day sales plan is tremendously impressive to a hiring manager because it takes a lot of effort to write one, and requires that you research the company and the job very well in order to be specific in your goals. (It takes the idea of “doing your homework” to a whole new level.)
Very few people put this kind of effort into a job they haven’t even gotten yet. When a hiring manager sees a candidate with one of these plans, they think at least two things:
(1) “This person knows exactly what I need here, and he can hit the ground running…I can see him doing well in this job” and
(2) “Wow. If this candidate will work this hard before she gets the job, imagine what a go-getter she’ll be on my team.”
(Either one means great things for you.)
If you’ve got lots of experience, your 30/60/90-day plan will show the hiring manger your energy, enthusiasm, drive, determination, and knowledge, setting you apart from the pack.
If you have little experience, a 30/60/90-day plan will show the hiring manger that you do, in fact, know what it takes to be successful at this job, and it’s not going to be a risk to hire you. (Click here for more tools to help you get into medical sales.)
OK. I said all that to say this:
Don’t throw away your 30/60/90-day sales plan after you get the job.
First of all, you’ll need to use it on the job. If it’s a good 30/60/90-day plan, actually following it WILL make you more successful.
Second, unless you’re already flirting with retirement, the job you’ve got probably isn’t going to be your last stop….so job searching, interviewing, and 30/60/90-day plans will still be a part of your future.
With that in mind, here’s my big tip for the day: make notes on what worked for you in your 30/60/90-day plan and start a “Job Search” folder, where you keep notes on interesting companies, recruiter contacts, “attaboy” (or girl) emails, etc.–and put your 30/60/90-day sales plan in there for future job searches. Like a brag book folder, it’s going to be a personalized resource for you. You won’t need to start from scratch on your job search or your 30/60/90-day sales plan if you find yourself suddenly in the market for a new job. And, you can use what you’ve learned to improve your plan for each job you interview for….you’ll be more efficient, and you’ll become a better candidate.
Listen to this audio of how to incorporate a 30/60/90-day plan into your interview.
Get a proven 30/60/90-Day Sales Plan here.
Career Coach does CPR on Job Seeker’s Search! Listen to the job seeker here:
Jennifer M. tells all about how a career coach (that would be me) made her dream job come true (even in this economy)!
I worked with Jennifer mid July. We fixed her resume, worked on her social media skills, helped her target hiring managers (and gave her the secret of what to ask for when she contacted them), and smoothed out her rough interviewing edges (don’t say “I hope”, “I believe” or “Hopefully”, or other negative statements). And within 6 weeks, she called me to say that she had landed the job of her dreams.
Here is her version of the story:
If you want someone in your corner that really has the inside scoop, go check out my custom career coaching page.
Life is short and you will only get one run through it (as far as I know), so why would you wait to grab your dream job?
Get a proven 30/60/90-Day Sales Plan here.
6 Creative Ways to Stand Out in the Job Search!
SWOT Analysis: One creative way to stand out in your job search!
Can’t get an interview?
Can’t get past the first interview?
Are you demonstrating the levels of commitment, drive, tenacity, skills and organization employers want?
Here are 6 tried and true ways to separate you from other candidates and be the candidate everyone wants to hire:
1. Preparation = SWOT Analysis:
SWOT is a strategic planning tool. It stands for Strengths (attributes helpful to achieving the objective), Weaknesses (attributes harmful to achieving the objective), Opportunities (external conditions that will be helpful to achieving the objective), and Threats (external obstacles or conditions that will harm the process). Look at the picture–it helps. Doing a SWOT analysis on the company demonstrates your drive, commitment, and skills, along with helping you create a better 30/60/90-day plan. Click here for advice on how to do one and avoid mistakes.
2. 30/60/90-Day Plan :
A 30-60-90-day plan is a short, 1-3 page outline for what you will do when you start the job. Essentially, you spell out for your future employer, in as little or as much detail as necessary, how you will spend your time–in training, learning company systems, introducing yourself to customers, and your initial plan to build sales. It demonstrates exactly how you’ll be an asset. A 30/60/90-day plan is an almost-guaranteed way to impress any hiring manager or hiring team.
Check out this audio that will tell you exactly how to present your 30/60/90-day plan to the hiring manager. Get a proven 30/60/90-Day Sales Plan here.
If you absolutely can’t get an interview, you could try e-mailing your 30/60/90-day plan to the sales manager. It’s an attention-getter, and it could be the key to get you in the door.
3. Video or Audio Communication -:
Send the interviewer an audio or video clip of yourself. Keep it short and sweet, and make sure you’ve checked lighting, background, and sound quality. One idea: Structure it like an elevator pitch–what can you do for the company and why can you do it?
4. Brag Book :
A brag book is a folder/ binder that you can use during your interview process to clarify your skill sets. It can include letters of recommendation, “attaboy” notes (or any notes commenting on what a good job you’ve done), staff ranking, annual reviews (if you include some, include them all), rewards letters, your resume, types of equipment you’ve used or marketed, certifications or other educational courses, any financial or PowerPoint presentations, copies of articles you’ve written, brochures you’ve helped develop, and a college transcript (though ONLY if you’re just getting out). Here’s a link to a video that explains more about brag books.
5. References :
It’s critical that you have winning references. Some people believe that references never get called, but they do. You should know how to choose a good reference, and know with stake-your-job-on-it certainty what they will say about you. You can (and should) even coach them beforehand, to help them tailor their answers to the job.
6. Follow-up/Thank You Notes :
Don’t underestimate how important thank you letters are in the job interview process. Everybody “knows” they’re critical, but unbelievably, not everyone writes them. Thank you letters accomplish several things:
- They get your name in front of the hiring manager one more time.
- They are your last chance to package yourself as the best, most qualified person for the job.
- They are polite, and manners count.
- They can be an example of your ability to take in information (the interview) and process and provide feedback or new ideas about whatever the problem was. For example: “I thought about your concerns about how to handle xyz delivery issues, when I was a product manager at ABC corporation, we used………”
(See what I mean?)
Handwritten thank-yous are nice, but e-mail thank yous are fast. Sometimes, hiring decisions are made quickly, so a timely note can be critical.
I know these things will help you become an outstanding candidate!
If you need more personalized help, please see my custom consulting page. If you’re really having trouble, a fresh pair of expert eyes can point out issues or problems that are keeping you from getting the job you want.
Using Your 30/60/90-Day Plan After You Get the Job!
If you’ve created a good 30/60/90-day sales plan before you start your job in medical sales, healthcare sales, laboratory sales, medical device sales, or pharmaceutical sales, you have a road map to success already. Don’t assume that because you got the job, you can just toss it and go with the company flow. That’s a little like “bait-and-switch.” Most likely, your manager hired you in part because of your sales plan. So, the first thing you should do after you start your job is to follow your plan!
You’ve already researched the specific company training, product training, or sales training that you need, so start setting that up. Get to know your co-workers, support staff, and customers. Learn the company culture and corporate systems.
The most important thing you can do is to get feedback from your manager. No later than one month into the job, meet with your manager to assess how you’re doing. Having been on the job for that long, you will be able to rework the 60-day and the 90-day part of your plan if necessary, and you can take that re-written plan to your meeting for input on how to adjust it further. Get a proven 30/60/90-Day Sales Plan here.
Should you e-mail your 30/60/90-day sales plan to the hiring manager?
As a Medical Sales Recruiter, I recommend to all my candidates that they create a 30-60-90-day sales plan to present to hiring managers or hiring teams during job interviews for every position in sales, sales management, or marketing for medical sales, healthcare sales, laboratory sales, biotech sales, medical device sales, clinical diagnostics sales, imaging sales, or pharmaceutical sales.
Simply put, a 30-60-90-day sales plan is a document that spells out how you will spend your time in the first 30 days, the first 60 days, and the first 90 days on your new job. To do one correctly, you have to research the position and the company, and you have to analyze the job so that you can lay out the steps to success. It takes some effort, but the results are almost always worth it in terms of great job offers.
-
In an ideal situation, you bring your 30-60-90-day plan to the interview and “wow” the hiring manager when you bring it out and present it during your conversation. You ask the hiring manager for input during the interview, and in your follow-up thank you note, you should attach your sales plan with the changes that the hiring manager suggested.
-
Less than ideal, but better than nothing: you don’t get a chance to present your 30-60-90-day plan during the interview, but you realize that thank you notes can be second chances. Either you attach your sales plan to your thank you note (which points out how the information you gained during the interview is included), or you put a shortened version of a 30-60-90-day plan in the body of the note if you think he might not open the attachment.
What if you can’t even get the interview?
If you can’t even secure an interview, this might be a good time to e-mail your 30-60-90-day sales plan to the hiring manager with the subject heading of:
“This is how I can help your company”
Or
“Here’s my plan for increasing your sales”
You get the drift…
This is an attention-grabber. It’s a way to entice the hiring manager into meeting with you. You’ve probably already sent your resume, which hasn’t helped, so it’s another opportunity for contact with out seeming annoying. Showing what you can do for the manager and the company from the first few days of employment is powerful, and has a decent chance of securing a meeting.
Corporate Website
-
Mailing List
