Speaker review written by Cory Edwards

Likening career professionals to the old-time frontier doctor, Ric and Carrie reminded session goers that our craft is not writing resumes, coaching clients for interviews, or helping them discover what they want to be when they grow up. Our craft is to address the pain point of our clients and is as diverse as the frontier doctor who treated gun shot wounds, animal bites, measles, consumption and alcoholism. Career research can help us be all to our clients. We can help them at the point of pain by using effective research and training our clients to do the same.

The word ‘research’ often brings up images of time consuming, laborious drudgery as we wade through mountains of information to find that pearl of great price. However, Ric and Carrie gave us a new image. They describe research as learning, growing, empowering, connecting, supporting and equipping. We were encouraged to use research to build our business and professionalism. Not only does career research help our clients, but it also builds trust and credibility. This concise and informative session also provided numerous venues for conducting research, such as associations, competitors, business journals, Internet, churches and more. To complete the session, participants discussed how to conduct quality research and sources to help.

Who knew we'd never get started on time after the engaging lunch time table topics led by our speakers? The buzz was in the air as connections were made, information was shared, and questions were answered. With different topics to choose from each, day fun was had by all.

Speaker review written by Barbara Safani

Jack Chapman’s presentation, How to Make $150,000 a Year in Private Practice Career Consulting and Still be a Decent Human Being, was filled with invaluable tips on how to sell, price, and package coaching services to help resume writers and coaches engage their clients for longer periods of time, sell more services, work smarter, and make more money. Participants were empowered and entertained by Jack’s strategies for selling long-term career management packages with a flat rate priced at $5,000+ and everyone had a chance to brainstorm and practice ways they can integrate Jack’s ideas into their current sales model.

In order to make $150,000+ a year, Jack suggests that we create a unique selling proposition and offer a soup-to-nuts career management package that includes assessments, salary negotiation, and everything in between. Jack recommends finding potential clients and increasing visibility through targeted online and offline communities where we can be considered “the person to go to” in that niche. The communities where people meet and talk frequently, such as a professional organization or community-based group tend to be the most valuable groups to market yourself to. In addition, Jack suggests staying connected to these communities by authoring and presenting a few interactive signature speeches designed to “wow” the audience. After each presentation, gather email addresses and send those interested a branded newsletter in an effort to continue to build the relationship. By doing this, you can collect a large number of names quickly and increase your chances of finding new business exponentially. When giving a presentation, Jack cautions us never to sell or talk about the scope of our services or program in the beginning. Prospects are not interested in our “features”. They want their problems solved and your presentations should be created with this in mind.

Next, coaches and writers should follow up with prospects by developing a counseling-based sales system to educate potential clients on their services, build trust and rapport, and ultimately close the sale. The goal of these initial phone meetings is to sell a two-hour, fee based session to assess the potential client’s needs and then sell the full package of services that can be paid out over a ten-month period. Jack calls the initial meeting the CAP Session (Career Action Plan Session). By taking the time to show the benefits of the comprehensive service, clients are more likely to understand the value of the full service and choose the long-term program over the quick fix resume alone. Again, Jack reminds us that we should not sell features or answer questions such as “What do you charge?” or “Do you write resumes?” Instead, we need to be active, compassionate listeners so we can gain the client’s trust and sell the CAP meeting to introduce the packaged services. For those of us who currently do not feel qualified to manage the coaching piece of the program, Jack suggested ways to acquire the necessary training (he has trained many coaches) or refer the coaching piece of the business to other industry coaches while still earning a referral fee.

Jack’s tips can be used by both resume writers and writers/coaches to build credibility and a bigger practice and grow revenue at the same time. CDI thanks Jack for the wealth of information he shared at the conference and his commitment to the success of our members.

Speaker review written by Cory Edwards of Partnering for Success CDI Convention-goers were delighted to have three highly credentialed career professionals presenting innovative ideas and suggestions for working with special needs clients. This population includes senior and elderly adults, ex-offenders, developmentally challenged, trans-gendered and recovering alcohol and drug abusers.

The session was presented in three parts: preparing clients for the job search; instructing clients how to present themselves to prospective employers; and coaching clients on appropriate attitudes, conduct, and job performance.

Barriers to employment were defined as anything that makes a client feel less employable. Given that definition, all of our clients have employment barriers!

Session-attendees were presented with a four-step process for working with clients:

1. Identify their situation/problem;
2. Find out how they have coped with it so far;
3. Discover how they have gone beyond their disability;
4. Talk with them about their hire-ability.

It’s important with this population group to discuss issues they routinely deal with such as, self-esteem, self-absorption, job uncertainty, and appropriate self- disclosure. Stress those skills that employers find the most critical such as, a positive attitude, punctuality, and the ability to learn.

In successfully managing these clients we need to address some common trends, including spotty resumes (due to illness, incarceration, etc.), incarceration dates, aged appearance, and trans-gender names.

These special needs groups are becoming more and more prevalent as the baby boomers enter retirement, as American business continues to expand, and as more ex-offenders begin their job search. Session attendees also discovered that many top Fortune 50 companies are hiring trans-genders before the ‘normal’ person, promoting diversity in their workplaces.

Twenty-eight adults and two Skipper children entered the bus headed for SeaWorld...What an experience we all had! Entering the park in the warm Florida weather was a treat but the show was outstanding. First we received flower leis and then held up the line to squeeze everyone into a group picture. The show was fabulous and the meal was delicious with the crowning jewel being Jack's and Henry's Polynesia drum lesson and Don Skipper's granddaughter learning the luau.