Do You Know Why They Are Not Hiring You Today? Find out to Interview Your Best

In the car showroom the salesperson is finished with their sales pitch and their final question to you is “Is there a reason you would not buy this car today?” This is an “objection question” and any good sales person in any sales situation asks a variation of this question (What would I need to do or provide to get you to sign the contract today?).  Once the salesman hears the objection(s), their challenge is to overcome the objection(s) and make the sale.

Is there a reason the hiring manager is not offering you the job today? Do you know what the reason is?

In the interview ask the objection question. However, you need to ask an objection question that works in a job interview and gets you the information you seek. Many interview books suggest a direct question such as, “Is there a reason you would not hire me” or even more direct “So do I get the job?” In my experience hiring managers simply duck a direct “objections”  question by saying “Well we have other candidates to interview so…”. My suggestion is to ask a less direct/confrontational question that will give you good actionable information.

Here is the question:
“Based on my background and skills what do you think would be the greatest challenges for me in this position?”

A “challenge(s)” is an objection to hiring you. The challenge may be major- you will not get the job, minor- you are in the running, or inconsequential- if no better candidate shows up you are in.   If there is a challenge voiced do the following:

1- Make the challenge specific
For example the hiring manager may say “You may not have the experience we need”. What experience do they need what experience are you lacking? Keep asking questions such as “please tell me specifically what you mean?” until you get the details and you understand the challenge.

2- Probe for the concern behind the challenge
“You are correct,  although I have worked for a financial services firm I do not have experience in commercial banking what is your concern about my lack of experience in commercial banking?

3- Play back the challenge to the hiring manager
So your concern is that I do not have enough client facing experience is that correct?

Once you know the details of the “challenges” you can formulate a way to overcome the challenge. It may be proposing a strategy you can use once hired to overcome the challenge or it may be emphasizing another area of skill or experience which is equally important and can overcome the hiring manager’s concerns.

This challenges question should be asked in every one of your interviews. It will give you very valuable information as well as provide a question you can ask whenever the interviewer asks you “Do you have any questions for me?”

Use an Interview Presentation to differentiate yourself, overcome objections, and interview your best

Avoid Bad Sales Habits to Interview Your Best

Once again lets say it together, “An interview is a sales call.” Because an interview is a sales call, bad sales habits can lose the job just the way they lose a sale. Here are some bad sales habits to be aware of:

Talking too much:
Sales is as much about listening as talking. You certainly want the hiring manager to know your strengths, skills, and experience but listen first so you know specifically what the hiring manager is looking for. Also, when you are being asked a question. Listen to the whole question first and be sure you understand it before answering. Many people start to formulate their answer in their head before the question is finished being asked.

Assume information leading to wrong answers or bad strategy:
If you have been in the same profession or the field as the job to which you are applying, there is a strong tendency to make lots of assumptions. Even if your assumptions are 95% correct the 5% can kill you. Use your assumptions to display knowledge, but test your assumptions carefully. You may assume that the company to which you are applying has the same challenges as the rest of the industry but what is their position toward the challenges. Example, “I am aware that many meat packagers such as Meatco are really being hurt by rising feed costs, are you experiencing the same raise in cost?”

Not analyzing performance:
Like sales calls, some interviews go well and others go poorly. Take the time following each interview to analyze your performance. What went well what can be improved? What was unique to this interview and what was your typical performance? What questions did you nail and which ones stumped you? What did you learn?

Not knowing what business problem you are trying to solve:
Every candidate is hired to solve a problem. Know the problem you are being hired to solve. This may be more challenging than you think. You may be interviewing for an accountant position so you would think that the problem is making sure company finances are in order. However, it may be that the more specific problem is the account receivables are delayed or the accounting system needs updating. Be sure to listen and understand the details of the problem.

Not knowing how to cope with a loss:
Not every sale goes through. Some go right down to the final decision and are lost at the end. This is particular difficult with an interview. Not only don’t you get the job but it feels very personal. Many people go into a slump when the lose a job they really wanted. The slump results in depression, lost momentum and loss of self confidence. The only answer is to have a full pipeline of opportunities so when you lose one you move on to the next. This means staying busy looking for new jobs even as you interview for a job you really want and for which you think you are well qualified.

Don’t know how to draw upon resources or get outside help
Typical candidates get called for an interview and just show up. Good candidates get called for an interview and the go into high preparation mode. They will not only research the company but try to find people they can speak with about the company and the job. They will practice their interviewing skills and will put together an interview presentation. They will show up confidant and prepared.

Setting up unrealistic expectations or making commitments you cannot fill:
Depending on your situation, you may be desperate to land the job. Landing a job you cannot do is worse than being unemployed. You will get the job, be miserable for a while and then be unemployed again and starting from scratch.

Packaging and selling yourself to a prospective employer is challenging and exciting. After all you are your most important product.

Ask the Most Important Interview Question to Interview Your Best

Selling is overcoming negatives, not just stating positives

There is a “one best interview question’ which should be asked by every candidate in every interview.

At the end of an interview, you need to find out how you did in the interview. “Hard sell” proponents suggest asking the question “is there any reason you would not offer me the job?” or “will I be asked back for the next round of interviews?” Both these questions are “sales close” questions and easily avoided by the interviewer by simply saying, “We have more candidates to interview before we can make that decision”. Even if they like you, avoiding the answer is a prudent response just in case subsequent candidates are better suited to the job.

Therefore, here is the challenge: ask a question that elicits an open, honest, non-defensive answer from the interviewer that tells you how you did in the interview. In addition, as a bonus, the question should enable you to answer any objections the interviewer may have.

The suggested question –

“Based on my background, experience, and skills what do you think would be the greatest challenges for me in this position?”

The honest responses to this question include the following:

No challenges or minor challenges
If the interviewer states there are no challenges or only minor manageable challenges, it is an indication that you did well in the interview and you are under consideration for the position.
A challenge in an important job area
When there is a challenge raised, ask how significant the challenge is. If the interviewer states a challenge which they consider to be important or even critical, which you cannot address, you are probably not a candidate for the job.
A challenge in an area about which you did not talk
The interviewer may mention challenges in areas where you have skills and experiences, however it did not come out in the interview. You now have an opportunity to share the information and correct the interviewer’s concerns.
A challenge to which you can provide a strategy for overcoming:
The interviewer may mention a challenge to which you can provide a strategy to overcome it. There may have been an opportunity for you to overcome a similar challenge on a previous job. Use that experience to tell the interviewer how you will overcome the challenge on this job. For example, “You are correct I am not good with Microsoft Access. However, when I started my last job I was not proficient with Microsoft Power Point. Immediately after being hired, I took a two day course, purchased training books, and practiced. Within four weeks I was producing good Power Point presentations and within eight weeks I was considered a highly skilled Power Point producer. I would learn Access the same way.”

Once you get a good solid answer to this question, it mitigates one of the most uncomfortable parts of the job search process – waiting for the hiring manager to call. If the hiring manager made it clear there are significant challenges to your performing on the job you can stop wondering if you will get the second interview or the job. If there were no challenges stated, you can maintain hope and be assertive in your follow-up.

Often, due to the stressful nature of the interview, good responses to challenges (objections) come to you after the interview is over. Use your Follow-Through Letter to address any objections you failed to address in the interview or reiterate your already stated interview responses.

Present to Interview Your Best