Page 100 - Oscar Adler - Sell Yourself in Any Interview_ Use Proven Sales Techniques to Land Your Dream Job (2008)

SELL YOURSELF IN ANY INTERVIEW

Standard question: “What are the expectations of the person
you hire for this job?”
Soft question: “What special qualities do you feel are
needed for someone to be successful in
this job?”

SIMPLE PROMPTS TO KEEP YOUR
INTERVIEWER TALKING

To keep your conversation moving and to encourage your
interviewer to provide additional information, you also can
use a variety of prompts—subtle words, phrases, or even
body language that gently nudge the interviewer. The fol-
lowing prompts, posed in the manner of soft questions, are
intended to keep the interviewer talking. Listen carefully for
information that you can use later in the interview or in your
follow-up thank-you letter.

1. “Oh?” Yes, this really is a soft question that can prompt
the interviewer to continue. It’s simple but very effective.

2. “You must have lots of questions.” This puts the ball back
in the interviewer’s court. The tenor and tone of the ques-
tions that follow and the order in which they are asked
will give you clues as to their importance.

3. “That’s a good question.” When you use this prompt, it is
especially important to pause. The goal is to encourage
the interviewer to elaborate further before you respond.
It can buy you some time and may give you an indication
about which benefits you need to express.

4. “I get the feeling that . . . ” This prompt is part of a skill
set known as active listening. It shows that you have been

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