“Sell” them that you’re the one for the job
People want to hire individuals they are confident will do the job and bring value to the bottom line goals of the company. They want to hire someone who will solve their challenges and reach goals while fitting into the team and company culture. You need to convince them - sell them - on the fact that you are the one for the job.
You don’t need to be world-class at selling to do this effectively. You simply need a basic understanding of the selling process, and then finding a job will actually become less stressful. You’ll feel like you’re more in control. You’ll be able make a more objective, informed decision about your next career move.
There are 3 important things you need to know to have the right “sales” approach…
Getting A Job Is A Business Transaction – When you are hired, you will be providing a service in exchange for payment, perks, etc. Think about what you are offering the prospective employer and what they are offering you in the market place. You are the CEO of Me, Inc., and the interview is a business meeting to determine if their company and Me, Inc. are aligned and should move forward.
Needs-Based Selling – Effective sales professionals never launch into a sales pitch without first finding out what issues the prospect wants solved. Once the salesperson knows what to fix, selling really becomes problem solving. Once you know the employer’s needs, explain how you have demonstrated certain abilities to help them. Just keep in mind that you will not get as far making a pitch about your skills as you will in knowing what your target wants and then speaking to those needs.
Open-Ended Questions – When you ask open-ended questions, meaning that the hiring manager’s answers won’t be a simple yes or no, then you’ll be better able to find the needs. You’ll get the interviewer more engaged as well. This doesn’t mean you should be annoying by constantly answering questions with questions, but good sales people know to probe with questions in order to gather accurate and useful information.
Angela Loëb is an author, speaker and co-owner of Great Occupations. She and her partner, Jay Markunas, help people make successful career transitions through workshops, webclasses, personalized coaching sessions, as well as through The Job Search Boot Camp Show. Find out more at www.greatoccupations.com.
