Business Development Employment Services & Innovations Training 2 Employment Services & Innovations Indiana Vocational Rehabilitation Services

Lesson Objectives  Understand key components of the business world related to job development  Learn critical marketing ideas  Review customer service principles Employment Services & Innovations Indiana Vocational Rehabilitation Services

 Individual Strategies Cold Call Beg, Place and Pray Food, Flour/Flower, Filth  Group Strategies Breakfasts Business to Business/Referral Networks Employment Services & Innovations Indiana Vocational Rehabilitation Services Job Development: How do you do it?

Experience Talks  How you address job development  Tools/Assessments you use  Strategies for contacting potential employers  Experiences you had that you weren’t prepared for Employment Services & Innovations Indiana Vocational Rehabilitation Services

Effective Partnerships 1)Trust 2)Win/Win Nature 3)Long-Term Relationship 4)Service Competence 5)Customer Service Orientation Employment Services & Innovations Indiana Vocational Rehabilitation Services

Know the Business World 1)Business knowledge 2)Employer as individual vs. organization 3)Know your services & benefits 4)Recognize multiple sources of business contacts 5)Let employers know why you are contacting them Employment Services & Innovations Indiana Vocational Rehabilitation Services

Know the Business World, cont. 6)Who makes hiring decisions? Process? 7) Stay in touch 8) Analyze aspects of targeted jobs Employment Services & Innovations Indiana Vocational Rehabilitation Services

Marketing  Know what employers want  Know your package of services  Study the local business community  Marketing materials Employment Services & Innovations Indiana Vocational Rehabilitation Services

Marketing, cont.  Business cards  Conduct seminars  Market services, not disability  Use past partners as reference Employment Services & Innovations Indiana Vocational Rehabilitation Services

Marketing, cont.  Coordinate with other VR people  Track contacts  Adapt your style as needed  ASK FOR SALE Employment Services & Innovations Indiana Vocational Rehabilitation Services

Customer Service Orientation  Respond quickly  Customize your services  “Coffee Stains”  “Silk ties”  Outstanding performance  Learn from other fields  Listen (80/20) Employment Services & Innovations Indiana Vocational Rehabilitation Services

The EmployAlliance Concept  Job Developer Network  Present one unified force to business  Share leads  Mentor each other  “Focus Business”  1 per person  Business you know well/screener  2 hours/month Employment Services & Innovations Indiana Vocational Rehabilitation Services

Focus Business Model  A business that you would like to know more about.  A business you feel may someday benefit from services you can offer. Employment Services & Innovations Indiana Vocational Rehabilitation Services

Focus Business Model, cont.  A partnership between your organization and the business  A business for which YOU provide a service. Employment Services & Innovations Indiana Vocational Rehabilitation Services

True or False? Employment Services & Innovations Indiana Vocational Rehabilitation Services There are nearly 153,000 people with disabilities in the United States

Employment Services & Innovations Indiana Vocational Rehabilitation Services False. There are over 49.7 million—21.3 million of working age!

What a Focus Business Is Not  A business you choose only because you have a candidate who needs a job, and “any job will do.”  A business you must “preach to” about why they should hire your candidate. Employment Services & Innovations Indiana Vocational Rehabilitation Services

What a Focus Business Is Not A business about which you know very little, or that you choose to assume you know about, just because you’re familiar with the “industry.” Employment Services & Innovations Indiana Vocational Rehabilitation Services

Don’t…  Get on your soap box and start preaching about hiring people with disabilities and how “businesses never understand.”  Tell them all the things they do wrong or should do/not do. FIRST you must learn before making any recommendations. Employment Services & Innovations Indiana Vocational Rehabilitation Services

Assumptions About Businesses  Businesses know their own hiring needs best  Many businesses are inexperienced in hiring people with disabilities  Stereotypes exist  Turnover in entry level positions is often high Employment Services & Innovations Indiana Vocational Rehabilitation Services

Strategies for Building the Relationship Employment Services & Innovations Indiana Vocational Rehabilitation Services

 Put yourself in the shoes of the employer and attempt to truly understand their position.  Learn as much as you can about the business and their goals & motivations  Act and dress professionally

Before the first meeting…  Do your research about the company before you meet in person.  Approach the situation with a long-term relationship/partnership as a goal. Do NOT focus on immediate placements, but rather build a trusting relationship Employment Services & Innovations Indiana Vocational Rehabilitation Services

Ways to Learn More  Do your research on the internet  Go shopping there if appropriate  Take a tour  “Interview” relevant staff: hiring professionals, managers, workers, etc… Employment Services & Innovations Indiana Vocational Rehabilitation Services

Ways to Learn More, cont.  Conduct job analyses of target positions  Provide literature/information about hiring people with disabilities  Conduct training(s) to staff Employment Services & Innovations Indiana Vocational Rehabilitation Services

Mitigating Resistance  Try to understand the employer’s reservations and why they may have them.  Educate the employer about the benefits of hiring people with disabilities. Employment Services & Innovations Indiana Vocational Rehabilitation Services

Some Examples  The business had a bad experience  They don’t have time to train a person with a disability  The candidate won’t fit in with the culture in that workplace/department. Employment Services & Innovations Indiana Vocational Rehabilitation Services

Never forget to…  Be patient  Act as a consultant to the business Employment Services & Innovations Indiana Vocational Rehabilitation Services

The Win-Win for Your Focus Businesses &Your Organization  Provides one point of contact for referring job candidates  One “expert” developer for each focus business Employment Services & Innovations Indiana Vocational Rehabilitation Services

Focus Business Activity  What does the business do?  Products/Services?  Company goals?  Positions they hire for?  Required skills for those positions?  What makes a good employee?  How can WE help? Employment Services & Innovations Indiana Vocational Rehabilitation Services