Page 120 - Oscar Adler - Sell Yourself in Any Interview_ Use Proven Sales Techniques to Land Your Dream Job (2008)

SELL YOURSELF IN ANY INTERVIEW

trast, the candidate who paused and then asked for clarifica-
tion or for a specific reason why he or she was not right for
the job showed that he or she was willing to be persistent.
These were benefits that I needed to see before I was willing
to hire and train a new salesperson.
I hear those of you who are not in sales moaning again.
Trust me, I am not the only hiring manager familiar with these
kinds of tactics. They are used in all fields, and when the
question comes, it will seem to come out of left field. Watch
for that question. It is a good sign. It means the interviewer is
really considering you but wants to push a little to see how
you respond. There are several questions that fall into this cat-
egory, and although on the surface they may seem negative,
the good news is that they actually indicate a high level of
interest on the part of the interviewer.
Knowing what to do in these situations often will clinch
you an offer. Again, these questions probably will be asked if
the employer is interested in hiring you, so you can be a bit
more direct in your answers. Here are a few samples. As you
can see, these kinds of questions are not restricted to sales.

❏ “Why should we hire you?”

❏ “What part of the job would you have trouble with?”

❏ “I wonder if you really can do this job.”

Question: “Why should we hire you?”
Answer: “Hire me because I am the right person for the job.
I have worked hard and increased profits in each of
the last seven quarters for my company. While I
have enjoyed quite a bit of success, I am looking for
a more challenging environment. Your company’s
policy of rewarding employees based on perfor-

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