Friends,
FYI
Sincerely,
Ahmad Syamil
http://www.geocities.com/asyamil/
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NATIONAL BUSINESS EMPLOYMENT WEEKLY
from the publishers of the Wall Street Journal: Dow Jones & Company, Inc
How to Ask for - and Get - the Job
If you want to be hired, you must 'close' the sale
By Niels H Nielsen
As a job seeker, you may view an interview as an interrogation or
exchange of information. It's neither. Interviews are sales calls. And,
as any sales pro knows, you only get the sale by asking for it.
You aren't begging for a handout when you ask for a job. You're
offering prospective employers your experience and ability to contribute to
their goals. If employers don't need your skills - or if you can create the
need - you'll get the job.
It may surprise you to learn employers like to hear candidates say
"I'd like to work here." Dick Stone, a recruiter for Gemplus, a SmartCard
manufacturer in Montgomeryville, Pa., says, "I like it when [candidates]
give me the feeling they like us. A little flattery goes a long way. Often
the missing part in the interview is the commitment from the candidate to
the firm."
Sounds easy, but for most job hunters, it isn't. Asking for the job
in lieu of silently waiting for an offer is the hardest part. This step is
what sales people call "closing" the sale.
Anyone can learn to apply the tricks of the sales trade to a job
interview and close a sale. Following these nine steps will help you ask
for the job - and get it.
1. Prepare for the interview.
Learn what your prospect needs. Research the employer,
formally and informally. If you're answering an advertisement, go beyond
its sparse facts to learn as much as you can about the organization.
Determine which of your skills, traits or experiences the employer
needs. Then you can tailor your credentials to your research findings.
Plan your interview and rehearse your message. This means
converting your skills and experience into terms employers will immediately
recognize as useful. If you're confused about your benefit to the
organization, the interviewer also will be confused and there won't be a job
for you. Make your presentation persuasive and believable.
2. Learn about the interviewer.
When you enter the interview, start by learning everything you can about the
interviewer. Forget labels and generalizations that categorize personality
types. Concentrate on that particular individual.
Put yourself in his or her shoes. Fear and greed are usually at
work. A recruiter is taking a risk in recommending a candidate. The hiring
manager is taking a bigger chance in choosing a candidate.
If they make the wrong choice, at minimum, time and money are
wasted. At worst, a bad choice could jeopardize the recruiter's or
manager's job or even the success of the organization. So it's up to you,
the candidate, to show the decision to hire you will be a good one.
If you turn out to be as terrific as you say, you bring success not
only to yourself but to the people who hired you. Be positive and present
good news. Help the interviewer relax and see you as someone who's going to
solve his problems.
3. Use "consultative selling."
The type of selling that works best is called "consultative
selling." This isn't high-pressure selling. There's an old saw in sales:
"Telling ain't selling, asking is." By asking the right questions, you help
the employer come to the inevitable conclusion you're the right choice. You
identify the problems and show you're the person to solve them. You learn
the organization's weaknesses and demonstrate how you can provide the
solution.
This technique can create demand. Many times, it leads to the
employer exclaiming, "That's just what we need here!"
4. Motivate yourself.
The desire to close - to ask for and get the offer - is essential. It can
be scary to be so bold. Most job hunters aren't used to it, but it can be
done with practice. You just have to psych yourself up.
Sell yourself first. Expect success and think lucky, and you'll
create desire from within. Get rid of negative thoughts and problems before
you enter the interview. Be confident and courageous. It takes audacity to
ask for the job.
When Judith Gexlb of Lambertville, N.J., was seeking a job in
international sales, she sold herself on the idea she was a hot candidate.
Next, she lined up interviews. "The fact that I was in demand made me more
appealing to employers and precipitated offers," she says. "They can smell
when you're being sought after."
When she had two offers pending, she was up front about it. "I made
it clear I had two other offers. The employers got worried about the risk
of losing a high-potential candidate," says Ms. Gelb. "They quickly made
offers. I controlled my destiny."
Many salespeople take comfort in knowing they can't win them all.
And you'll encounter many employers who don't need your talents at this
moment. (To put it in salesman's terms, for example: I don't need a car
right now. But I do need a computer, so it'll be hard to convince me to buy
a car now. Maybe later. Unless you have a really good deal for me now.)
There's a 98% chance of being told "no." However, you have a 2%
chance of being told "yes." By following these steps, you'll boost your
chance for success. The best thing to do is take a chance and try to close
the deal. The probability you'll hear "yes" will be higher than if you
don't ask.
5. Know when to close.
When should you try to close? All the time. Keep trying throughout the
interview in small ways. These are called "trial closings." For example,
when you learn the employer has a problem you've solved in your previous
job, explain how you solved it. Then ask, "Would this help you here?" The
answer will likely be "yes." Do this whenever the opportunity arises.
Hearing "yes" along the way makes it easier and less frightening to ask for
a "yes" when the time is right for the big one.
Close whenever the interviewer is ready. Listen for signs of
interest, look for body language and sense when there's an opportunity to
close. Then ask for the offer.
Some candidates talk so much during interviews that they talk
themselves out of a job they've already landed. Or worse, they keep selling
after they've made the sale. Then they're dead. Listen and give the
interviewer a chance to hire you.
Silence is an amazingly powerful tool in closing. If you don't say
anything, the interviewer may feel compelled to fill the void and tell you
something vital. Do this discretely. Too many silences can be awkward.
Pace yourself with the interviewer.
6. Try these closes.
There are many so-called "closes." Several of them work particularly well
in job interviews.
The choice close. This technique is useful when you are setting up
an appointment for an interview. Ask, "Is 9:30 a.m. or 2 p.m. better for
you?" This presupposes the interviewer will see you. Just asking, "May I
come in to see you?" may result in a "no" answer.
It also works when you're asking for the job: "When do I start,
Monday or Wednesday?" This may seem aggressive, but it shows you're ready
and eager to work for that employer.
Third-party endorsements. When explaining an accomplishment that
will help the prospective employer, mention the employer you did it for.
"At XYZ company, I." This gives you credibility and adds the strength of
that employer's name to the story. Then ask, "Will this help you solve your
problem here, too?"
Assumptive close. This is one of the best closes. You simply talk
and act as if you're already working for the interviewer's organization.
Use "we" and "us" in your conversation. Describe the situations in which
you can see yourself working and accomplishing goals. Become part of the
team even before you've been hired. Identify with the interviewer and the
organization.
When you follow this strategy, the employer feels more comfortable
with you than if he or she has to make a deliberate decision to extend an
offer. When you assume you'll get the job, the only question remaining is,
"When do I start, Monday or Wednesday?"
A word of caution: Don't appear too eager. You need to maintain
your professionalism.
7. Overcome objections.
One stumbling block for many candidates is the inevitable objection: You're
over-/under-qualified, too old/young, etc." There are hundreds of reasons
given why candidates aren't right for the job. Many are just excuses or
stalls to avoid the risk of hiring someone.
Turn these objections into opportunities to strengthen your
candidacy. Acknowledge the objection. "You feel I'm overqualified. That's
possible true." Then turn the weakness into a strength: "However, that
means I'll start being productive for you that much faster. As I've
mentioned, I solved this problem at XYZ company." Make a list of standard
objections that apply to you or that you encounter and work out the answers.
Overcoming objections is an art unto itself. The key is to remember
that patience and persistence pay off. Don't take no for an answer. Try
one more time. The secret to closing is to keep trying.
8. Sum up and ask for the job.
When appropriate, summarize. Say what you have to offer based on your
accomplishments. Sales people call these "features." Show how the features
will benefit the employer. Keep it simple and brief. Stick to basics.
Prepare one dramatic sentence on why you're the person for the job. Remind
the interviewer how you've contributed at your previous employer and
reiterate how you'll contribute to the success of the prospective one.
9. Confirm the close.
Repeat the terms of the offer as you've discussed it. Ask for clarification
of any terms not fully described or understood. Each time you close, ask
the interviewer, "Do you have any questions?" When you've been completely
clear about how you'll help the employer - then and only then - close.
Be sure to thank the interviewer at the end. Write the words "thank
you" in your follow-up letter, too, and repeat the statement of benefits you
used to close. Also add the other features and benefits you wished you'd
expressed during the interview. The thank-you packs a punch. As Mr. Stone
says, "You don't often get thank-you letters. They mean a lot."
Asking for the job intimidates most of us. Fortunately, these
techniques can make it easier to close the deal and get the job. Practice
these tips and you'll soon grow comfortable with these methods and use them
automatically.
