Power Statements That Get You Noticed

By Frank Traditi

"In the future everybody will be world famous for 15 minutes." -- Andy Warhol, 1928-1987.

You've most likely heard this famous quote before. Andy Warhol refers to a special time in our lives when something we've done or accomplished gives us the visibility and recognition we deserve.

If you were to look back in your or career and took an inventory of everything you did to help people solve problems or change things for the better, you'd be quite amazed. You'll discover just how many these are qualified to be your "15 minutes of fame".

Just how many of these have you expressed to your contact or a hiring manager in the interview room? If you have told people about these special accomplishments, did it move your relationship to a new level? Were you able to directly relate what you claimed as an accomplishment to getting an interview or even landing a job?

If you answered yes to each of these questions, hat's off to you. If not, then here's how you can put this to work or refine it even further.

We're talking about Power Statements.

Simple statements that are the centerpiece of your career portfolio, resume, and marketing messages. Nobody but you can lay claim to these special accomplishments in your career. These Power Statements distinguish you from others who may hold the same position or in your industry.

Just what are Power Statements? To give you a visual, think of headlines when you're reading a newspaper. They draw you into the article. You decide on what you're going to read based on the excitement and interest generated by the headline. If the headline is boring, you just keep looking for one that catches your attention.

Your Power Statements are the headlines of your career that draw people in. You're expressing, not bragging, exactly what you did to help people or companies solve critical problems and create new opportunities.

Power Statements can be used in many places. While networking and meeting new people. On your resume or career portfolio. In a cover letter or job proposal. In the interview room. In a follow up letter.

Which Power Statement headline would entice you to read further:

1. Proven track record completing projects under budget and within deadline

2. In one 18 month period, managed 5 complex technology projects, generating $6 million in revenue while saving nearly $1 million in capital expenses.

You can CLEARLY see the difference in these two statements. Have you seen (or maybe even written) headline #1 on a resume or cover letter?

The more you relate your accomplishments with an "economic value" (revenue generated, percent growth, saved money or otherwise), the more you will stand out from the crowd. People want to know what you did and what you can do with your unique skills.

Here are a few more examples that will help you get the idea:

"Developed an Internet marketing campaign for a technology services company that increased their customer base 125% in 3 months."

"Implemented a web site design process that saved a marketing company from losing 1000 customers and $500,000 in annual revenue."

"Reached 120% of annual sales quota in less than 6 months."

"Improved the performance of a sales organization from 50% to 100% of plan in 3 months."

"Designed a customer service training program that reduced the total problem resolution time from 10 minutes to 3 minutes per call."

"Wrote a new product marketing sales letter that generated a 35% response rate and $2.5 million in annualized revenue."

The process for designing your Power Statements is 3 simple steps:

1. Use an action word(s) to give a broad description - developed, implemented, created, etc...

2. Very short description of your accomplishment - marketing sales letter, training program, complex technical installation, etc...

3. Describe the economic or realized value in dollars, percentages, or time - 120% increase, 10 minutes down to 3 minutes, etc...

You'll discover just how valuable you are when you get your own Power Statements down on paper. These headlines set you apart from the competition. They also demonstrate that you have what it takes to get the job done -- no matter what the task.

Your challenge -- take out a piece of paper right now and write down 5 Power Statements. Don't be afraid to go back as far you need to. Take an inventory of your "15 minutes of fame". Then start telling people.

Read more free articles by C.J. Hayden and Frank Traditi or subscribe to the Get Hired NOW! E-Newsletter.