Time to Realign, Readjust and Review

I’ve now been in this state of transition for 18 weeks. This is much longer than I thought I’d be here. Really. I intended to visit, not relocate. (And, yes, I have been busy with project work, classes and the like.) Along the way I’ve gotten all kinds of advice, some good and other, well, not so good. But, one thing that I am constantly asked is “What are your target companies? And, have you networked your way into them?

Aah. That is the problem. See, I don’t have a list of target companies. I am looking for an opportunity. And, one that I will know is right when I see it (okay, really more likely stumble upon it.) Everyone keeps telling me it’s not about the posted ads. I know that. Yet, I still set weekly goals for responding to ads. They make me feel productive. And, truth be told, I have had more positive responses from posted ads than my networking. Maybe it’s because product management/marketing may talk a good a game in networking, but in the end, not many of us are opening up doors.

So, I am trying a new approach and creating a persona for the company where I want to be next. I figure if an opportunity arises in this environment, it is meant to be. And, since I am a hard-fast supporter of personas for our products and buyers, why not?

But, as I realign my efforts around the right company persona for me, I started to wonder, are you redefining your personas? If you haven’t looked at the personas you have for your products since the shift in our economy, do you really know the persona you serve? If you don’t know how the rules have changed for your buyers, how well can you align the tools to meet their needs?

Personas are not meant to be shelfware. In fact, they represent the living breathing soul that is behind your product. From the outside looking in, If you don’t make time to consistently review your persona team, you are losing touch with your market. And, we all know what happens then.