Last weekend I had dinner with my friend Marj Henningson. I hadn't seen Marj since she moved to Beirut, Lebanon seven years ago. She's been teaching math at American University of Beirut and we keep up with each other via email. Needless to say, I think her life has been a bit more adventurous than mine lately!

And, it's going to get even more adventurous as Marj transitions out of her professorship to open a new K through 3 school in downtown Beirut focused on the arts. Marj was in Boston at an academic recruiting fair looking for a few new teachers for her school.

Don't Assume Anything

I made the assumption, wrongly Marj assured me, that Beirut is very dangerous (isn't everywhere in the Middle East?) and would be a very difficult place to tempt someone to move to. "Nothing could be further from the truth," claimed Marj.

She went on to tell me some of the common misperceptions about Lebanon that the US media portrayal would have us believe: That Beirut is dangerous and is a bombed-out shell of a city (it's not), and that citizens have had to greatly curtail their activities (they haven't). She further went on to tell me about the beauty of the city and the country itself. While most Americans think it's the desert, it is agriculture-rich and mountainous. And while most Americans think that Middle Easterners hate us, 70% of the Lebanese population have relatives who are US citizens.

Marj has a beautiful country place in the mountains, enjoys the wines of the growing wineries there, and insists the skiing and beaches are excellent. When she finished telling me all this, I was astonished (and felt a little stupid too)!

Common Misperceptions

It can happen to anyone. We get an idea in our head of a country, a city, an industry or a business. And, it's hard to change that image unless we have the facts. And sometimes the facts are hard to find.

While most of us don't have to deal much with the geopolitical scene, here are some situations that are closer to home that you may find yourself in:

• Bad Reputation — undeserved or not. If you or your industry have gotten some bad press lately (think tobacco companies, call centers or running a presidential campaign), you may have a challenging time filling key roles.
• Location-Based Negative. If the job you have to fill is in the United Arab Emirates and your #1 candidate is a lover of fine wine, you may have a problem. A more realistic scenario though is that you may have a job in a city that's tough to move someone to, like New Orleans. Many companies are also located in towns or industrial parks that have a reputation for not being desirable.
• Your Industry Isn't Desirable. Are you trying to recruit for the Britney Spears School of Hair Design? Or, how about a call center doing consumer telemarketing? You get it. Some industries are just tougher than others to recruit for. If you are in an industry that is perceived as less than desirable, you have special challenges too.

So, what can you do about these uncontrollable circumstances? Here are three sure-fire strategies that can help.

1. Talk about it first. That's right. Your challenge, whether it's reputation, location or bad press, is the elephant in the room. So, acknowledge it. Be the first to bring it up. Don't wait for the candidate to raise the issue. Meet it head on and address it. Like Marj did with me, set the candidate straight on the facts.
2. Don't sugarcoat the reality. You'll lose credibility if you try to understate the reality of your situation. Acknowledge what is real and prompt your candidate to ask as many questions as he needs to feel comfortable. Then make sure you spend lots of time talking about the tremendous opportunity that's there as well.
3. Pay more if you have to. That's the sad reality of being in less-than-ideal circumstances. Sometimes you just have to pay more to get the job done. Marj may end up paying more for her school than a similar school in Paris. If you're in this type of situation, make sure your salaries are adjusted (read, increased) to attract top talent.

Recruiting with special circumstances can be done very successfully. Just be realistic and honest, leave yourself plenty of time and be patient. There's someone out there just chomping at the bit to have an adventure in his or her career — and your job may just be it!

p.s. If you know anyone who has a degree in International Curriculum, let me know and I'll put them in touch with Marj. They don't even have to speak Arabic!

Wow! I got lots of responses to my last newsletter on keeping sales compensations tied to the top line. While there was lots of agreement, the Irish in me just loves when readers disagree as well. And, here are three fine suggestions:

"…I strongly believe that a sales VP ultimately must be 'business' oriented with bonuses tied to profits, especially when we consider the impact of pricing and discounting decisions on margins. How else to ensure that there are sufficient funds to pay sales salaries, benefits, T&E and bonuses?

"There is an adage — 'no risk–no reward.' The irony is that in my world, a successful sales team that focuses on sales, gross margin and the bottom line and thereby willingly shares in the business risk would be more highly valued and compensated. The best business executive is naturally in it for long term growth and opportunity for the entire company. Yet, at times, she/he is forced to treat sales teams as separate, short term visitors because, as you described, 'They are independent in nature.'"

— Paul McLaughlin, President
McCue Corporation, Salem, MA

"The problem isn't comp on gross margin per se… it is doing that where the costs are not under sales' control. In many product sales the costs are 'fixed' and the sales team does have control over gross margin via the negotiated discounting that is done.

"The real issue is you want to compensate sales folks on things they have control over: new accounts, pushing particular products, negotiated discounts, etc."

— Jim Geisman, CEO
MarketShare, Inc., Wayland, MA

"That's a great article and hit the nail on the head. The only addition I would make is that the deal must go out the door with the adequate margin built in — so the sales guy/gal has a responsibility to sell a good deal in the first place and then get paid based on that top line number. If the PM or the organization blows the project afterward, that (usually) cannot be tied back to the sales person."

— Jim Lalone
The Lalone Group, Boston, MA

Below is a partial listing of searches that we have completed in the past month. If you would like more information about our search services, please contact us.

Sales Manager
Rose Displays, Ltd., Salem, MA

Strategic Account Mgr., Wireless & Internet Group
TeleAtlas, Menlo Park, CA

Senior Product Manager, Anesthesia Group
Picis, Wakefield, MA