Pitchmanship: Applying Marketing Nichemanship to the Job Search

Niche marketing is a bona fide and well-tested approach to strategic selling. Some companies have had stellar success building their business around their search for specialized niches. They say your niche pays to know, as well as your name.

Pitchmanship is a term I use to describe how to apply niche marketing principles to present yourself for a job search. There are some dangerous myths surrounding niche marketing. Similarly, there are dangerous assumptions you walk away from when presenting yourself and your credentials for a job.

Myth One: A launch has to be elegant. Don’t assume that organizations are always on the lookout for cutting-edge talent. Some companies are so low-key that they expect their people to have state-of-the-art skills, but the culture demands that they introduce themselves with “Aw, geez!” Underestimation. Study the organization and the CEO’s style in speeches and articles. It may not be practical to tailor your resume for each and every company you pursue, but your cover letter should reflect some understanding of what the organization is all about.

I call this the turtle wax lesson because of how this old car care staple is marketed. Turtle Wax has had a trusted and sizeable share of the automotive wax market for decades. This task is identical to something that people have to do. They do it with a product that has a reputation for being more difficult to apply than others, by tapping into a niche of people who literally “love” their cars. What better way to show dedication to your set of wheels than by lavishing care and devotion on the object of your affections? Working hard for a shine that shines. Romantic stuff, huh?

Turtle Wax employers don’t like people with quick and easy solutions. They appreciate people who love to apply elbow grease in liberal amounts. And they tend to be skeptical of people who are finished products, people they can’t change or polish into their own style.

Myth Two: A pitch has to be flashy. There are many companies that are going back to basics. That mantra has become one of the most popular marketing mantras in the current recession. This doesn’t mean that accountants are now being recruited for their skills with an abacus or their ability to chisel Roman numerals into a blackboard. In a back-to-basics organization, inveterate skeptics are usually rewarded. They find a way to make do with what the organization has. Back to basics types often overlap with Turtle Wax spells, but not always. Some back-to-basics advocates have no interest in working harder. They just don’t want things to cost more.

Myth Three: A launch shouldn’t be too narrow in its demands. Don’t assume that because your niche is bigger, it’s better. In marketing, wouldn’t you rather fight for half of a 28 percent segment than one seventh of the 44 percent?

You may have lost your job as an IT director at a mature $200 million company. He gets an offer for a position with the same title at a $100 million company with high growth prospects at half the salary. Many companies, as I point out elsewhere, are skeptical of people willing to take big pay cuts. However, if you really want the job, you can make a compelling case that he’s committed to signing up for a shooting star. After all, doesn’t the fact that he’s on the sidewalk say everything about the risks of being attached to a slaughtered dairy cow?

Myth Four: A pitch has to be clean. Although most searches are much sharper these days, not all of them have the sharpness of a surgeon’s scalpel. On the retail front, there are liquor stores in the fancier sections of Manhattan, Chicago’s Gold Coast and Beverly Hills that generate just as much volume at Chateau Ripple, vintage Wednesday, as Chateau Lafite-Rothschild, vintage 1895.

Once again, research is king. Some companies are very inconsistent in how they are willing to spend money. Corporate offices can be fancy, but everyone can be expected to travel by coach, and dining at lunchtime could mean a trip to the fast food court. Know the profile and do your best to get into the company suit.

Mackay’s moral: You’ll never please everyone, but you only have to please a few people to get a deal.