Page 30 - Oscar Adler - Sell Yourself in Any Interview_ Use Proven Sales Techniques to Land Your Dream Job (2008)

SELL YOURSELF IN ANY INTERVIEW

old one takes 21 to 30 days. This means that you should prac-
tice the skill of articulating features and benefits several times
a day for three to four weeks before you can consider it a habit.

DOES THIS REALLY WORK?

So I hear you saying, “Okay, okay, I get it. Features and ben-
efits. But does it really work? What will it do for me?” I’ll give
you just one example.
I was contacted by a highly qualified woman who was
trying to change jobs. She had been on several interviews, but
she had not received any offers. After our time together, she
interviewed successfully for a job that she really wanted, and
she wrote to thank me:

Although I was confident that I had the knowl-
edge, skills, and experience required for a position as
senior attorney in the law department of a major cor-
poration, your suggestions were very helpful. Partic-
ularly helpful was your suggestion to visualize the
interviewer wearing a T-shirt beneath his suit jacket
with the question “What will you do for me?” It cer-
tainly ensured that I answered each question and
comment with a benefit.

Of course, an interviewer is interested in what you did in
your previous job. He is interested in your skills, experience,
and education. These are your features, and they are impor-
tant. However, all things being equal, the candidate who can
express the benefits of each feature is the one who will get
the job. When you complete every statement with a benefit,
the interviewer will see exactly how you can be an asset, and
you will increase your chances of success dramatically.

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