ERI Personal Marketing

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Making Sure You Are at Your Very Best in Your Interviews Pt. 3

4 - Read the interviewer and adjust your behavior

Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to “read” everyone who interviews you... and based on their personality and behavior, know the kind of candidate they prefer?

To influence the person interviewing you, we have found that you will do best if you can match the style of that person. Most people’s personality can be gauged on four levels. Where you and your interviewer fit on personality measurements will affect how well you connect with each other. You want to judge where someone sitting on the other side of the table likely fits.

The “very strong” interviewer. The degree to which a person is a very strong person... reflects their need to be in control... their need to direct and dominate. Someone who is very strong is often demanding, forceful and competitive.

This person may maintain a cool or closed posture. Many top executives are high on the scale of being “very strong.” When they question you, they focus on “what you did”... the actions you took... rather than “why” you took them. They will be looking for someone who is bottom- line in their orientation. They prefer others who are brief, to the point, and decisive like they are. They often make hiring decisions quickly, and prefer those who seem efficient and goal oriented.

The “highly social” interviewer. The degree to which a person is highly social reflects their need to be involved with people and influence them. Someone who is highly social is often persuasive, enthusiastic and friendly. These people are often animated and express their feelings quite readily. They tend to adopt an open posture and are warm by their nature. They will be looking for how you managed people, who you worked with in getting consensus and making your decisions. They will be much less likely to concern themselves with “what” you did, or “why” you did something.

Chances are this person will prefer people like themselves... expressive and sociable. They will focus on how interesting you are, and will enjoy testimonials and war stories. They usually put a priority on people skills and are likely to make hiring decisions based upon emotions or gut feel.

Get more info from ERI Personal Marketing by visiting our official website, watching ERI Personal Marketing's videos on YouTube, follow ERI Personal Marketing on Twitter or checking out ERI Personal Marketing on Facebook.

Friday, October 14, 2011

Making Sure You Are at Your Very Best in Your Interviews Pt. 2

3 - Surface and deal with any objections that arise

Your next key to interviewing is to be able to overcome objections in a smooth and seamless way. With today’s competition, if you stumble, there are too many others the employer can turn to. So, why play this by ear? Here is a simple method for handling objections, the “ARTS method.” The letters stand for the following:

A = Acknowledge the objection. R = Redirect the person’s concern. T = Test to be sure you’ve removed the concern. S = Use a story to make your point.

Whenever someone raises an objection, the tension level rises. In step A reduce the tension level.

A = Acknowledge the objection

“I can understand your concern, and I would like to address it for you.” Or “You’ve raised an interesting point. It deserves some frank discussion.” The phrases are not so important—it’s the feeling you impart. You have acted in a reassuring way; it’s clear that you feel secure about your abilities.

R = Redirect their concern

Let’s say the interviewer raised the fact that your experience was in a different industry. “What qualities are you looking for in an ideal candidate that prompted this concern?” Now, you can’t change your past, but you can show that you are someone who contributes quickly (e.g., “When you raise that question, I understand that you want to be sure the person you put in this job is someone who will contribute quickly. Isn’t that it?”) The interviewer will reaffirm that you are indeed correct. With just a little thought, it is easy to refocus the conversation toward the positive qualities that are really on the interviewer’s mind.

T = Use a testing question

The idea is to see if you removed their concern. Here is an example of asking a testing question: “If I could show that I could contribute quickly, even when learning new information, would that help?”

After you get a positive response, you can go directly to your answer, or you can introduce one of your key strengths. You might say: “If I could show you that I work well under pressure, might that ease your concern somewhat?”

S = Use a supporting story to confirm

The final thing is to use a supporting story. Remember, what really counts is the fact that you did not get flustered. If you’ve done it right, interviewers won’t be that concerned about your exact answer. They’ll be thinking, “This person handled that situation very well.” Note: An objection is really a sign of interest. If employers were not interested, they would not bother asking you to overcome the objection.

People often decide if they like you in the first 5 minutes. Then, you have to maintain your momentum. A good way to overcome objections is to bring them up and minimize them during your presentation.

Thursday, October 6, 2011

Making Sure You Are at Your Very Best in Your Interviews Pt. 1

One of the most helpful parts of our service is that our staff will be working closely with you throughout all of your interviews. However, aside from those discussions, we have developed a system to follow during interviews that has proven to be unusually effective. It is important that you be thoroughly familiar with the approach as outlined.

1 – Find out what’s most important to the interviewer

Ask questions that will get interviewers to articulate what’s most important. Of course, you’ll need to find out what happened to the last person in the job. Ask about his experiences and those of his superiors. Find out to whom the position reports and how long that person was in the job. Ask... “What would be the biggest challenge I would face?” Find out how the interviewer sees the problem, what the expectations are and what progress has been made. Of course, once you find out what’s most important to the firm... you need to tell them that you have what they want. Too many people let their resume be the basis for the whole discussion.

2 – Tell stories that make people remember you

In these stories indicate positive things you did to help organizations. The idea is to show how you demonstrated a particular skill or a personal quality.

Develop SOAR stories that cover situations where you can demonstrate the value of fresh thinking as a means to improve productivity or solve problems. Employers need to feel that you are the answer to one of their problems. If you can show them how you met or exceeded the needs in other places, they may conclude that you can do the same for them.

The idea is to create stories that demonstrate the benefits you bring. Remember, your “tickets” alone (degrees, titles, etc.) will not necessarily motivate another employer to hire you. You must use action words and phrases that add interest beyond your credentials. In the final analysis, employers hire people for what those phrases imply.

Monday, September 26, 2011

Making Sure You Are at Your Very Best in Negotiations Pt. 5

6 - Introduce other things on which to base the offer

This can include the importance of the job to the firm, what you would make with a raise where you are, your total package, what you believe the market is for your background, or other offers you are considering. In the example that follows, notice how there are no demands, only questions. By inviting employers to explore the situation, you are giving them the freedom to reach their own conclusions about whether their offer is too low. Using this approach, you come across as enthusiastic, sincere, and slightly vulnerable—never as cold or calculating, or as someone who is putting them in a corner. Your comment might be:

“Charles, let me first say once again how pleased I am over the offer. I feel very positive about the prospect of joining you, and my enthusiasm has continued to increase. This is the job I want. It’s a situation where I could look forward to staying with you for the long term.

“There is one hurdle that I have to overcome. You see, I’ve been under- paid for some time, and it has created a situation where I need to start earning at a rate reflecting my ability to contribute. If I stayed where I am, I’d be due for a raise, which would come close to your offer.

“In looking at salary.com and talking with other firms, I’ve found that some realize this, and they have mentioned ranges that are 25% higher. Now, I don’t want to work for them—I want to work for you. But I do have some pressing needs. Perhaps the firm could approve a higher offer. Can we pursue this together?”

7 - Use your enthusiasm throughout

If you load maximum enthusiasm into your statements, it becomes nearly impossible for the employer to conclude that you should not be with them. Enthusiasm assumes even more importance when you have been underpaid. Ideally, an offer should be based on your value to the company, but in reality, most employers will base their offers on present earnings.

Thursday, September 15, 2011

Making Sure You Are at Your Very Best in Negotiations Pt. 4

5 - Negotiate the job responsibilities

Reshape the job into a larger one, and the range will be higher. Begin with a positive comment about the job and the firm and suggest they might benefit by expanding responsibilities. Then share your thoughts. For example, “Charles, there is no doubt this is a good job. However, based on what you have told me, I could be even more helpful if a few related elements were added. There are three areas where my experience could make a difference. I’d like to discuss them so we can see if they could be included in the job description.”

You could then go on to talk about the areas where the firm might capitalize on your experience, showing with stories how you made contributions before. If the interviewer agrees these are important, have them added to the job description. Believe it or not, reshaping the job can often be just that simple. Can you see how we have applied basic principles here? There was no confrontation.

Friday, September 9, 2011

Making Sure You Are at Your Very Best in Negotiations Pt. 3

3 - Never commit when you get an offer

When offered a job, praise the firm and say you need some time to consider it. “Charles, I am very pleased you made me an offer. This is an outstanding firm, and the position has great promise. I’m sure you can appreciate that I would like some time to give it further consideration. It would not present any problem, would it, if I get back to you on Monday?”

Our standard recommendation for almost all clients is to get the offer in writing and ask for several days to respond. In some cases we advise people to respond slower or quicker depending on the situation. When you call back, open with some positive statements, then raise the possibility of redefining the job. “Charles, with kids entering college, I had done some planning based on an income that was $10,000 higher. Would it be possible to take another look at the job specs? For my part, if you could make a modest additional investment, my performance will show you a handsome return. I sincerely hope that we can make some adjustment. Can we take a look at it?”

Of course, if you are happy with the job, but would like to raise the salary, use the same technique, but show vulnerability, then suggest that a dollar figure be added to the base.

Normally, if that figure is within 15% of what you have been offered, the employer will not take offense and will grant you part of it. Of course, asking for more money is a negative, and needs to be balanced by positives. Consider the following: “Charles, I cannot tell you how pleased I am. The challenge is there, and I think my experience is perfect. There is one problem, however. You see, one of the main reasons I wanted to make a change was for financial balance. Can you see your way clear to adding $10,000 to the base? It would ease my family situation considerably.”

4 - Learn how to use vulnerability

Expressing a slight amount of vulnerability can be a powerful weapon. Just let the employer know that accepting the job as offered would cause you some personal difficulties. When you use this strategy, it plays to their desire to make you happy. Be flattered by the offer, but say that you may have to disappoint your family in order to afford the job:

“I love the job and really want to join you, but we’d have some difficulty because of the options I will be losing. Is there a chance you could go a little higher?”

Questioning, rather than demanding, is the rule. The best negotiators persuade through questions. This gives them needed information to gain control. It also gives them time to think and not put their cards on the table. Good negotiators will not say, “I do not agree with you because...” Rather, they will say, “Charles, you do make a good point, but I wonder if there is room for another view.” They would never say, “That would not be any good for me.” They might say, “Charles, could you tell me how you think this would work for me?” Then they will follow up with questions, so the employer can discover that their proposal is not quite enough. If your questions lead them to discover they were wrong, they will be disposed to changing the terms.

Thursday, September 1, 2011

Making Sure You Are at Your Very Best in Negotiations Pt. 2

Our 7-step negotiation system

Our staff is involved with negotiations at every level on a daily basis. We work on deals in every part of the world. This system is based on that experience and is a soft sell method that involves negotiating with skill and dignity. The advice has meant tens of thousands of dollars to many people.

1 – Be sincere and reasonable... never cold or calculating

In the job-search situation, you’re setting the tone for a long-term relationship. In fact, most people don’t like negotiation because they associate it with confrontation and role playing, something that does not come naturally. The best negotiators are prepared and never cause irritation. Make sure to be sincere and reasonable, never cold or calculating.

As you approach your negotiations, you must have clear ideas about what you want. Realizing you will not achieve everything, keep your main objectives in mind, and never risk an entire negotiation by coming on too strong about less important points.

Of course, when you are ready to negotiate, the easiest way to “frame and strengthen” your position is to clarify that you have been exploring some other opportunities that also have a certain appeal.

2 – Avoid premature income discussions

You need to avoid the hard lessons we see others experiencing every day. Here’s an example. One client was a general manager with Exxon, earning a sizeable income, but wanting to win a new job at a 20% in- crease. After two meetings, the CEO said, “Bill, we’d like to have you join us, and I’d like to work out something attractive for you. What have you been used to earning at Exxon?”

At that point, having been encouraged, Bill explained his income. To make a long story short, he accepted a position. However, he later found out that the last person had been paid 40% more, and the company fully expected to match it. Now, the moral is that you should never negotiate based on where you’ve been. Negotiation is like poker. You never want to lay your earnings on the table.