Dear Stanley, A new job just opened up in my department and I've been given the task of interviewing candidates for the position. The issue is this: there's a woman who used to work here. She left maybe five years ago to open her own operation, and it didn't do very well. Now she's looking for a job, any job, and she won't leave me alone. She has e-mailed me about the post maybe six or seven times already. I answered each time, telling her that it's a long process and I would keep her in mind when I recommend people to my bosses. That's not enough for her. She insists on coming in and having an interview. So I...

Given our economic situation - record unemployment, national debt, deficit spending - no wonder you hear so much whining. Not that that's a bad thing; it gives us something to do besides worry about how out of control everything is. Still, here are 3 things you can do to actually help the economy.

Edibles and animals kept Tractor Supply Co. earnings strong in the third quarter but comparable store sales flagged due circumstances that, for once, didn't revolve around the recession. Net sales for the third quarter gained about two percent to $748 million, but comparable store sales decreased by five percent. In contrast, net income in the third quarter increased by almost 39 percent to $22 million, or 60 cents per diluted share, compared to $16 million, or 43 cents per diluted share, in the year earlier period. Wedbush Morgan analyst Joan Storms pointed out that profits were at the high end of an Oct. 8 company pre-announcement for third quarter earnings per share of 58 to 60 cents, and well above...

Atheros Communications, a leading designer of chipsets used in Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) devices, put up a 13 percent gain in sales for the quarter ended September 30, resulting in a nearly three-fold rise in quarterly profits to $38.6 million. Notwithstanding the challenging economic environment worldwide, Craig Barratt, president and chief executive officer, boasted in the third-quarter earnings release that the strength and diversity of the company's products enabled Atheros to achieve record top and bottom-line results. Unfortunately, in my opinion, Barratt's comments spoke more to his magniloquence and hubris, and less to actual results. At a glance, Atheros' financial performance suggests the company is weathering the downturn well, due to increasing acceptance for both newer 802.11 products...

In a marketing move worthy of Don Draper, Hilton Hotels has teamed up with AMC's "Mad Men" to offer its guests a chance at winning a co-branded sweepstakes package. Why? For one thing, the show is popular and stylish, everything a hotel should be. But the more practical reason has to do with co-branding: According to a Hilton representative, AMC approached Hilton when it wanted to include company founder Conrad Hilton in the show, and that conversation led to another conversation about promotional partnerships, and voila, the "Live Like a Mad Man" sweepstakes. Hilton also participated in AMC's "New York's Gone MAD" week, which offered a variety of show-inspired activities, by serving popular 1960s cocktails at the New York Hilton...

Healthcare news roundup.

While many companies adopt specific sales processes, they are often using criteria that are either too complicated or sometimes too simplistic, and often promote the wrong selling behavior. Managers are hired and promoted for showing expertise in leading their teams and driving revenue for the company. However, managers often like to adopt their own spin on the sales process and often your company may end up with too many variations to the playbook. Imagine if on the sidelines of a football game you had each coach carrying out their own version of the game plan. It would be chaos. The same can occur in a company's sales environment if your team is not on the same page. In today’s economic environment, it is paramount to set the right criteria to drive behaviors that will impact the company's bottom line and long term goals. This criteria has to be succinct and measurable, and workflow must be instilled to assure each manger is sticking to the process you deployed. Working smarter also requires driving this repeatable process on all levels of sales. Providing sales management and sales reps with the visibility and insights they need to see how they are performing, and allowing them to measure where they stand across “metrics that matter,” forces managers to follow the plan. A recent survey done by CSO Insights with 1,000 respondents found that "just over half noted that spreadsheets are still a primary vehicle for managing.” The report states, “using spreadsheets can often be error prone (at a rate of three to five percent) and limit the integration with key technologies like sales analytics, CRM software, and Sales 2.0 systems. But, by combining rich sales and post-sales data, managers can set plans that better motivate reps and identify areas where rep coaching is needed.” In adopting a system-wide approach with built-in workflow and consistent utilization of sales coaching tools, your chances to succeed in sales will increase substantially.

The news that Nokia was suing Apple for patent infringement of its wireless technology was, frankly, surprising. And then when it became clear that Nokia probably only wanted about $200 million total, or 1 to 2 percent royalties, it seemed completely insane, as that is almost petty cash to Apple. But then it's easy to understand if you remember that, for all its collective brilliance, Apple can be one of the most stupid companies in the tech industry, at least if you measure by having to dig its way out of unnecessary pain. In the cellular industry, the patent swaps and licensing are pretty well understood. Either you've done basic research and have some groundwork covered so you can force...

Omnicom chief John Wren appeared to be using his Q3 2009 conference call to pitch rival auto accounts to Chrysler, or at least to alert clients that his agencies -- including BBDO -- may be available for work soon. Wren told investors Chrysler was "at risk" and that Omnicom's agencies were "engaged in a number of other pitches for other auto makers."

[podcast] Kurt Newman reckons that most sales people don’t know their natural selling style. That makes it impossible for them to adjust to the buying style of the prospective customer. He says you need to learn your selling style and adapt your approach.