by Deborah Walker
With competition for good jobs at an all-time high, candidates who
conduct their job search as a sales campaign consistently win out
over those who don't. When job-seekers practice the skills of sales
experts, they learn to apply the strategies of a sales presentation
to their job interviews.
To get to the top of the candidate list, you'll need these three
essential sales skills:
1. Pre-interview preparation
2. Finding and using the interviewer's "Hot Buttons"
3. Closing on the next step of the interview process
1. Pre-interview preparation
Every great sales presentation starts with pre-sales preparation,
which includes client research, and product analysis. Job-seekers
prepare for interviews similarly: research on the prospective
employer and a thorough catalog of their own accomplishments to
illustrate their potential contribution and worth to the employer.
Thanks to the Internet, company research is relatively easy,
especially on publicly held firms. A few good sources include
Yahoo,
Hoover's,
Wall Street
Journal, as well as company
Web sites. Information on privately held companies is often readily
available as well. One of the easiest ways to get such information is
simply enter the company name into your favorite search engine and
see what pops up.
Minimally, you'll want to find out company size, products or
services, major competitors, branch or headquarters and any recent
news items. Time allowing, it's also very helpful to know some of the
major players in their organization; a little history of the
organization and future products, markets, or growth objectives.
[Editor's note: For more in researching companies, see our article,
Step-by-Step
Guide to Researching Companies and
visit our Guide
to Researching Companies, Industries, and Countries.]
Once you've done the research, prepare to communicate your value
through your accomplishments. Examine your career for examples of how
you have solved problems, saved money, increased revenue, or created
revenue opportunities for your former employers. As much as possible,
"dollar-ize" or quantify your contributions. Do not depend on your
ability to "wing it" through your interviews. Ask any high-producing
sales profession, and he or she will tell you that it is impossible
to wing your way to success. It takes preparation and practice.
Once you've prepared for the interview, don't forget the next
essential sales skill:
2. Finding and using the interviewer's "Hot Buttons"
An interviewer's hot button is his/her unspoken concerns or wishes,
and it's your job as the interviewee to uncover the interviewer's hot
button. If you don't ask, he or she probably won't tell you. Two
magic questions that will reveal the interviewer's hot buttons:
- "What do you see as the greatest challenge for this position?"
- "What qualities do you see as most important for this position?"
Once you've asked the all important questions, shut up and listen!
After the interviewer has revealed his or her hot buttons, use the
information to frame your answers to his or her questions. You'll
connect with the interviewer much faster once you sell yourself based
on his or her motivations.
Now that you have the interviewer's attention, don't forget the most
important sales skill:
3. Closing on the next step of the interview process
"Closing" is a sales term that means influencing one to agree to take
certain action (such as signing a contract or writing a check.) A
complex sale involves a number of small closes before the ultimate
closing purchase. The interview process is a series of closes leading
up to the final job offer.
If you've purchased a car lately, you know that the sale starts with
the test drive and moves forward through a series of carefully
crafted questions such as: "Do you prefer silver or black?" "Which of
you will be the primary driver?" "Shall we park this in the
sale-pending area?" "Do you wish to trade in your car, or shall we
finance this 100 percent?" The effective salesperson knows what
closing steps must take place; attempt to skip the steps and he or
she may lose the sale altogether.
As a clever salesperson identifies the small closing steps needed to
move the sale forward, so must the job-seeker understand the closes
necessary to keep the interview process moving forward toward a job
offer. Those steps look something like this:
- The cover letter must entice the reader to read your resume.
- The resume must motivate the reader to call you in for an interview.
- The first interview should prompt the interviewer to invite you
to a second interview, so ask for it:
- "When would you like to schedule our next meeting?"
- "Is there any reason you wouldn't consider inviting me back
for second interview?"
- "Who will I meet in the second interview?"
- In the second interview, ask to speak with the decision-maker:
- "Who, besides yourself, will make the final hiring decision?"
- "When is convenient for Mr./Ms. Decision-Maker to meet with me?"
- "Is there any other presentation materials I should bring
when I visit with Mr./Ms. Decision-Maker?"
- When speaking with the decision-maker, ask for the job offer:
- "Are there any objections that prevent you from extending an offer?"
- "When would you like me to start?"
- "What challenges would you have me tackle first?"
Asking for the next interview or the job offer may seem bold, but try
it. You'll find yourself invited back more often and feel much more
in control of the interview process.
Once you've mastered and applied the three essential sales skills for
effective interviews, you'll see your job-search efforts accelerate
and your confidence soar.
Questions about some of the terminology used in this article? Get more information (definitions and links) on key college, career, and job-search
terms by going to our Job-Seeker's Glossary of Job-Hunting Terms.
Deborah Walker is a Certified Career Management Coach. Her expertise includes
resume writing and career coaching. She holds membership in the National Resume
Writer's Association. As a former headhunter, her advice comes from an insider's
prospective based on years working with HR professionals and corporate hiring
managers. Visit
Deb on the Web. Or email her for a free resume critique/price quote at
deb@alphaadvantage.com.
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