Performing well in interviews requires an ability to recognize the important difference between rejections and objections. Virtually everyone must overcome several objections during the interviewing process before a job offer is made. People who perceive an objection as a rejection, however, may become defensive or simply give up and assume all is lost. Thus, the failure to understand objections and differentiate them from rejection can cause some interviewees to sabotage their own success in an interview.
An Objection Is Not a Rejection
An objection is not a rejection. It is simply a request for more information. Good interviewees, like good salespeople, must learn to anticipate objections. Since cost is a common objection salespeople face, an effective salesperson might open with, "This is not the least expensive lawnmower on the market. But a recent survey showed that the average lawnmower lasts eight years, while ours are averaging over twelve years of trouble-free service." This way the objection may be overcome before it is ever expressed. It is important to anticipate an objection because once an objection is stated, it is much more difficult to neutralize or overcome.
The first step in overcoming objections is predicting what they will be and developing appropriate, effective responses to them. The following circumstances are likely to give rise to some types of objections: you were fired from your last job; you appear to be a job hopper; there is a major gap in your work history; you're changing careers; you don't have a college degree and you're applying for a position that normally requires one; you have three or more years of college education but never received a degree; you're over 50 years of age; or you have too little or too much experience. The list could go on. Objections can also arise if you lack a certain type of knowledge or experience the employer is looking for in an ideal candidate.
Since you will probably lack some desired skill or knowledge, look for ways to sell the fact that you learn quickly. If you are convinced that you have successfully conveyed the idea that you learn quickly, it may not be necessary to point out directly that the experience demonstrates your ability to learn quickly.
Project Enthusiasm and Potential
Enthusiasm and potential will land you more job offers than any other qualities. The two are inseparable.
Enthusiasm
Employers seek enthusiastic people who really want to get involved in the job. You should demonstrate genuine enthusiasm-enthusiasm for yourself, enthusiasm for the job, enthusiasm for your future boss, and enthusiasm for the company.
Suppose the field has been narrowed to two equally qualified people. The employer will ask many questions to determine who the best choice is. A common question is "If we offered you the position, would you accept it?" Notice the difference in the following two responses.
Sandra: Yeah, I definitely would accept it. The job seems interesting.
Susan: I'm excited about this job. I like the philosophy of top management, I like the steady growth of XYZ in the last five years, and I really look forward to working for you. This job will utilize my strengths and interests. I'm ready to get started.
If the choice came down to these two people, there is little question as to who would be hired.
The best way to appear enthusiastic is to genuinely be enthusiastic about the job. If you've considered your long- and short-term goals, and this job would help you attain those goals, it will be easy to demonstrate enthusiasm.
Enthusiasm is not demonstrated in just one response to one question, however; it must be demonstrated throughout the interview. It starts with listening. Really listening to the interviewer shows respect as well as enthusiasm. You can also show enthusiasm by speaking positively about previous jobs or supervisors. Describe how you put all of your energy into a job and describe the results you've achieved.
You can also express your enthusiasm through your self-confidence. If you are confident you can do the job and you really want it, a degree of enthusiasm will express itself spontaneously.
Potential
Your potential is your future worth to an organization. Demonstrating enthusiasm without demonstrating potential will seldom lead to a job offer. The two must go together. Your enthusiasm will give the employer confidence that you want the job and that you will work hard at it. But if you don't also demonstrate your potential, you will not receive an offer.
Although companies occasionally use elaborate personality tests to determine potential, past success is still the best predictor of future success. If you are a top salesperson at your present company and you are interviewing for a new sales position, your past success will give the sales manager the confidence that you will continue to sell well. If you've been fired from four sales positions because of poor results, you'll have your work cut out for you as you try to convince a sales manager that you really do have potential,
Being able to demonstrate enthusiasm and potential is just as crucial to the experienced person as it is for the less-experienced per son. If you are experienced, let your enthusiasm come through as you explain how much you enjoy your field of work. Demonstrate your potential by discussing recent, solid, work-related accomplishments. This will indicate to the employer that there are many future accomplishments yet to come.
Master the Art of Story Telling
Aloof as they may seem, employers are actually begging you to get them excited. Show that you can make or save them money, solve their operational problems, or ease their workloads, and they'll be thrilled to hire you. Merely saying you can increase productivity or get staff members to work as a team isn't enough. You must support your claims with vivid examples. People remember best those things that are stored in their minds as pictures. In fact, the latest brain research reveals that memories are stored as holographs, or 3-D pictures. That means that if words pass from your mouth and do not create any images or emotions in the minds of employers, those words will literally pass through one ear and out the other-there will be no impact or long-term memory.
Consider what happens when a person is asked to describe himself. He may declare that he is hard working, energetic, a true leader, and a person who can successfully juggle multiple tasks. The problem here is that he is trying to sell too many things at once and doesn't do a good job with any of them. Because he doesn't back up any of the claims with examples, none of the points will be remembered after he leaves the interview.
Using anecdotes to describe job skills is a highly effective interview technique. In less than three minutes, you can tell a powerful story that will make interviewers remember you favorably for days, weeks, or even months after the interview. Since employers know that the best predictor of future success is past success, tell stories which vividly describe your successes.
To tell effective stories:
- Provide all of the key information.
- Describe the situation as you came into it-problems and challenges included.
- Describe your analysis and recommendations,
- Describe what you implemented and the results you obtained.
- Create vivid images,
- Provide interesting details, but keep the story concise.
- Make the story interesting.
