You are a salesperson! In fact, we all are!
Whether your selling for your career or trying to convince a friend or family member about a new restaurant or movie they should go to, you are selling! The reason I see so many people fall short in the interview is that they don’t know how to sell themselves, how to highlight their strengths and block objections.
In sales, there is a simple 3 stage life cycle: Connect, Present and Close, similarly applying for a job you follow an identical route Apply, Interview and Signing your Contract.
Thinking like a salesperson with your approach, pitch and negotiation style will offer you an enhanced set of skills in winning the deal and working for a role you want to work in. After years of me working in sales-oriented roles, the greatest lesson I learnt which allowed me to close deals time after time, was putting myself into the shoes of the buyer and really getting to know what makes them tick, what are their pain points and how is my product or service going to benefit them.
When Interviewing for a job, you are the product, the service that is going to solve their problems. So think about what it is that you are solving, how does your experience, knowledge, skills and connection going to bring value to the business? Most people are egocentric and that normal, but more often than not, I hear my clients answer questions highlighting how this role, business or product they will represent will benefit them. Instead, flip the role around and think like the interviewer, be prepared to ask questions to them too and find out exactly what they’re looking for then match that with the content of your answers.
I strongly believe in applying for the role you actually want to work in, a Gallup Poll found that 85% of people interviewed, dislike their jobs! That’s a scary number of wasted talent. Playing the numbers game and applying for 50 jobs openings at a time is a way of getting a job quickly, but be careful, are you falling into the same trap as the other 85% of the population?
Instead, I believe in focusing your sights on roles which really inspire you, jobs you would love to do and that every morning you wake up excited and eager to get to work
“Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” Confucius
Filter your jobs down to just 5 Top Jobs and spend the time you would have spent on sending the other 45 applications to doing research and planning in detail your application and CV. Focus on getting the highest return on investment for your efforts and be in that top 15%.
Think like a salesperson!
