By Mary Elizabeth Bradford aka The Career Artisan
Sometimes I hear my clients tell me that they hate the idea of marketing or selling themselves to prospective employers. I think the problem is our definition of selling - and that it evokes images of selling out and going against our authentic selves. After all, if someone doesn't like us for who we are, then the job probably isn't right for us anyway, right? Wrong!
Let me offer another perspective on what "selling" a potential employer really means: when you are able to communicate your strengths in a way that compels others, you are doing yourself and them a great favor. After all, you can't help a company that doesn't hire you. To boost your know-like-and-trust factor in your job interviews, it's vital you know how to encourage potential employers to hire you in a way that's ethical, full of integrity and authentically you.
What this means for you is that you will attract the interest of more employers, receive bigger and better job offers, and feel confident in the way you're communicating to the ways that you can help potential employers get the results they want...and that only you can deliver. So everyone gets what they want and desire.
So, here is something you can do in your very next job interview to get you started:
Tip #1: Ask what the potential employer is looking for in a star candidate at the beginning of the interview.
As you casually jot down what they share with you, pay attention to those key words and phrases that match what you love to do the most.
Lets say for example, you are a marketing manager who is an expert at product launches, and they mention they just had a problem with their latest product launch and are looking for help there. Circle that challenge because you have just been given a BIG GIFT by your interviewer!
Tip:2 Dig by asking more questions about their challenge
With the gift you have just been given, you want to ask more questions about their product launch challenge such as:
WHY do they think they were not successful with their product launch?
WHO has tried so far to fix the problem?
WHAT would it mean (and be worth) to them if the problem was fixed?
Tip #3: Seed the interview by frequently mentioning your value in terms of your product launch expertise.
If you are a marketing expert, you will frequently share the results of your marketing efforts throughout the interview. Plus you can mention plenty of before and after stories. The best ones clearly paint a before and after picture (and the worse the better - so don't hold back!).
Think of all the problems, challenges and dire situations with past product launches in past companies that you have taken on, and how great things are now that you have helped them.
BONUS TIP: Make THEM an offer they can't resist
The point is to create an "offer" that's so irresistible, your interviewers think, "we have to hire this person!" To do this, you need to offer something they believe they can't get anywhere else. Be creative!
Following product launch example I have used, you could offer to fix the problem within a certain time-frame. Or, as part of your interview, you could offer to come in for a couple hours and evaluate the product launch in more detail. Then you could offer some solutions (don’t give too much away when you do this though – they have to hire you for that!).
Here are a couple examples:
One of my clients quickly received a robust offer because HE offered to produce at least two potential solutions to a challenge the company was facing and he said he would do it in 60 days.
Another client of mine set up as part of her interview process a 1/2 day on-site observation of the potential employer's media company. She then presented an outline of 10 ideas to improve their work environment and boost their ratings. They offered her a whopping 100k over what she had been making previously. All this even after she was let go from that previous position. I love it.
When you stop thinking about selling as something that is disingenuous, or that in order to win someone else must loose, and learn how to communicate to your interviewers that you are willing to invest getting the right information into their hands that is going to help them, you are removing all the obstacles (including money, time and your competition) that might otherwise stand between you and the job offer(s) you want.
Would you like to learn how to quickly and easily get more interviews, shorten your job search and increase your salary? Check out my website: http://www.maryelizabethbradford.com, for free articles, free resources and to sign up for my free audio mini-seminar "5 Simple Steps To Find, Focus On and WIN Your Dream Job - Starting Today!"
Internationally Certified Advanced Resume Writer, Job-Search Coach and Internationally Certified Master Career Director Mary Elizabeth Bradford is "The Career Artisan."
