Swing for the Fences Mentorship Matters in Your Sales Career

Swing for the Fences Mentorship Matters in Your Sales Career Bottom of the ninth inning. Two outs. Full count. Score tied. Runner on third base.I stepped up to the plate, planting my cleats into the clay. Getting into my batting stance, I faced the pitcher glaring at his eyes as I loosely gripped the wooden bat and anticipated the pitch. Would it be a fasttanzveranstaltung, careening down the middle, or would it be a curveball, spinning toward home plate? Whatever type of pitch, I needed to be ready for anything.The game is on the line, I reminded myself in my head as beads of sweat trickled down my forehead. Lets bring one of the boys home and get the win.The pitcher wound up and threw a stinging, 90-mile-per-hour fastball. My favorite kind of pitch. Taking one step forward with my left leg, I forced my bodys entire strength into slugging the ball airborne toward the wall. The wooden bat cracked like a splitting timber, and, upon contact, my teammat e lunged off third base like a sprinter.Go, go, go, I yelled in my head to the ball as it beautifully spun against the dark summer sky. Go, go, go.The fans quickly rose from their seats and cheered as they saw the ball sail over the fences. Home run. Game won.Im a former professional baseball player for the Boston Red Sox, having played with the organization as an infielder from 1978-1980. There was nothing better than playing for my hometown team and learning from some of the Soxs greatest players, such as Ted Williams and Carl Yaz Yastrzemski legends I grew up watching as a kid.My love for baseball began when I was a little kid. I loved being outside and playing catch with anyone who would toss a ball with me. If I could field a few grounders from someone, even better. My Little League years in Westwood, Massachusetts, turned into collegiate years at the University of Maine in Orono, playing the infield.I was drafted by the Red Sox in June 1978. Ill never forget that moment, sitt ing around the kitchen table with the Red Sox scout and my entire family, including my grandfather a huge Sox fanatic as I signed my contract with the team. It was an unbelievable feeling of elation as I began turning a passion into a career.Playing professional baseball created mora memories than I couldve imagined. Ill never forget when Ted Williams helped me improve my swing (Keep your head still, use your hips, and swing with a slight uppercut, he said to me), or when I watched Yaz take batting practice in the cages at 8 a.m. at spring training after more than 20 years in the big leagues. These experiences helped me learn a lot about teamwork, dedication to your job, practice, and not taking anything for granted. At the end of the day, it took the whole team to secure the victory and thats true in my career today.When it came time for me to piste up my jersey, I naturally gravitated toward working in sales. Sales is just like baseball it takes an entire team to nurture prosp ects or strengthen client relationships, it mandates hard work to achieve the required results, and it creates a journey thats thrilling to pursue.Over the course of my 25+ years in sales, Ive found that success lies in drafting the best team. For me, its all about finding the right players who understand what their job entails and what it takes to achieve goals. When I recruit players for my team, I make sure theyre coachable. Will they put in a lot of preparation? Will they be organized in their work? Will they have the energy and the passion for their prospects, their customers, and their company? Are they open to feedback to help improve their performance?Most importantly, they need to be a team player. They must be willing to help other members of the team improve their skills and undertake any tasks asked of them, no matter if those initiatives seem too small or outside their job description. My team is only as good as the people on it. Theyll have opportunities to thrive an d take on more challenging initiatives, and theyll have opportunities to learn from their mistakes. Thats the thrill of the chase.In baseball, striking out is part of the game. In fact, Ive struck out more times than Ive gotten on base. Thats life. What makes the biggest difference is a positive attitude. After all, a batting average in the 300s is considered excellent in baseball and that equals hitting the ball roughly 30 percent of the time when at bat.To attain the highest possible batting average, sales teams always need to prepare as much as possible. Theyll need to study everything about prospects or customers to understand their business models, their company objectives, their competitive stances, and their market strategies. Ive found that the more you can anticipate in advance, the more youll connect when entering the batters box meaning, the more youll get on base and the more of a successful youll become. In todays highly competitive environment, its crucial to gather as much information as possible to perform at the best possible level and deliver to prospects and customers.I cant even begin to count how many times I relied on leaders to help me improve my game like that time Ted Williams taught me to improve my swing, or seeing Yazs dedication to his craft in the cages after all those years. Its players like Williams and Yaz who can help turn good players into great players by sharing what theyve learned about the game. While practice is an essential element of success, mentorship is an even more important component.When were faced with high-pressure situations like stepping up to the plate with the game on the line, pitching a marquee prospect, or leading an important client meeting I tell my team to practice every part of the game, including the areas that dont naturally come easily. One simple way to do this is by finding a mentor someone whose business and leadership skills you admire. Proactively seek them out and let them know that yo u want to become better at prospecting, account management, or client relations whichever skill you want to hone. Dont think that you have to do it all yourself. Mentors and leaders are here to help. Theyre here to coach you to victory.Whenever someone asks me for advice about how to succeed in sales, I tell them a story I heard when one Red Sox pitcher arrived in Boston for the first time. He stepped off the bus and asked someone on the street for the best way to get to Fenway Park. That persons reply? Practice, man, practice.If youre willing to practice and rely on the wisdom of the leaders you aim to follow youll be able to hit home runs and develop an all-star sales career. Step up to the plate, face the pitcher, and swing for the fences.Jimmy Fabiano is a managing director, enterprise solutions, for Bullhorn.

What it Takes to Become a Victims Advocate

What it Takes to Become a Victims AdvocateWhat it Takes to Become a Victims AdvocateMost people who choose careers in criminal justice or criminology do so because they want to make a difference and to help other people. Some of the most vulnerable people and those most in need of help are victims of crimes. For criminal justice job seekers who have a passion for assisting those most in need, a career as a victim advocate may be exactly what youre looking for. Short History of Victim Advocacy Until recently, nearly the entire history of criminology was focused on studying the criminal why he commits crime, where he does it, who he does it with, and how to catch him, punish him and stop him from doing it again. Though certainly law enforcement officers and prosecutors were sympathetic to crime victims, the focus of their energies most often went toward the prevention and prosecution of crime, with little concern or understanding of what the actual victims felt or needed. This bega n to change after World War II when victimology emerged as an area of interest and study for sociologists. A subset of criminology, which studies crime and its causes, victimology advanced the study of crimes effects on victims. Over time, researchers began to uncover relationships between successful - or unsuccessful - prosecutions, and the level of trust victims and witnesses had in their law enforcement and judicial systems. Crimes were going unreported, and witnesses were failing to cooperate when they felt as though their needs werent being met or even considered. At the saatkorn time, crime was beginning to be viewed partially a result of the failure of the state to properly address issues that lead to it. It helped advance the notion that victims were deserving of compensation for their physical and emotional losses. The 1970s and 80s saw the development of advocacy programs, helping to place the emphasis of criminal prosecution on the victims. These programs served to help v ictims get compensation and closureand lead to the rise of victim advocacy as a vital career field within the criminal justice system. Job Functions and Work Environment Victim advocates work within nearly every component of the criminal justice system. Law enforcement agencies employ them to serve as liaisons to investigators as they work cases. Prosecutors and district attorneys maintain victim advocacy offices to help victims and witnesses navigate their way through the legal process. The courts use victim advocates to help determine issues regarding restitution and sentencing. Perhaps the most important function victim advocates serve isthat of providing support and guidance to victims of crimes. The investigative and legal process can be very confusing and hard to understand for those outside of the industry. Moreover, for police officers, detectives, and attorneys, investigation, and prosecution of crime is an everyday occurrence, whereas for victims it is often their only interaction with the criminal justice process. This disconnect can sometimes foster poor communication and misunderstandings that victims advocates can bridge and mend. They provide sensitivity to the process that may otherwise not exist. This can be evidenced in their careful handling of delicate situations such as orchestrating court hearings to minimize a victims contact with a suspect or in their caring counsel. Victim advocates may offer counseling services, make arrangements and accommodations for court proceedings and give advice and support throughout the entire process. They assist victims and witnesses in receiving compensation and help them better understand what to expect during the investigation and prosecution of crimes. Victim advocates also provide training and advice to law enforcement agencies and officers on how to provide better services, communications and assistance to victims. The job of a victim advocate often includes Counseling victims and witnesses.Case m anagement assistance for victims and witnesses.Arranging accommodations for meetings and court hearings.Serving as the point of contact between victims and criminal justice entities.Fostering cooperation between law enforcement, prosecution, victims, and witnesses. Victim advocates work very closely with law enforcement officials, as well as attorneys, judges, and other criminal justice professionals. They may be called to give talks and to work closely with other groups and organizations, such as domestic violence shelters or child advocacy groups. Advocates may work with both children and adults. They are often called upon to respond to scenes of crimes to provide counseling services and advice immediately. Many states require that victims and witnesses are provided information about their local victim advocate offices in the event of a crime. Education And Skill Requirements Education requirements may vary from state to state or even district to district. Generally, however, aspiring victim advocates should hold a tiefpunkt of a bachelors degree in criminal justice or a four-year criminology degree, as well as some training in counseling and psychology. A masters degree is often preferred. They need to be knowledgeable of the criminal justice system and of the legal process, and especially of the processes within their district or circuit. Victim advocates need to have strong interrolleal communication skills and be able to communicate effectively with people of all levels of education and background. They must be sympathetic, understanding and patient. Many employers require prior experience in a counseling or advocacy role. It can be accomplished through volunteer work at a shelter or other service organization or through past employment in social work, education or even law enforcement. Job Growth and Salary Outlook While victim advocacy is still in its relative infancy as a profession, opportunities may become more available as offices expand an d evolve their roles. Aspiring advocates may need to be willing to move to find work, but nationwide, there remains solid potential for employment. According to data from Indeed.com, victim advocates can earn between $24,000 and $70,000 per year. On average, advocates earn around $53,000 annually. Is a Career Right for You? Patience and compassion are the name of the game in victim advocacy. Often, advocates must deal with people at the worst and hardest times of their lives. It takes sympathy and empathy and a very caring heart. It is not a job for everyone it takes a very special person to take on the role. However, if your goal is to help others and provide the compassion, the assistance, and advice they need to move forward, then a job as a victim advocate may just be the perfect criminology career for you.