Page 79 - Oscar Adler - Sell Yourself in Any Interview_ Use Proven Sales Techniques to Land Your Dream Job (2008)

LISTEN BETTER TO LEARN WHAT’S IMPORTANT

Make arrangements for pets and small children so that
they will not become a distraction.
❏ Smile. A smile can be heard over the phone.

❏ Dress for success. Although it’s important to be comfort-
able during a phone interview, a certain amount of phys-
ical preparation will help you feel your best.

❏ Have a glass of water and take discrete sips to keep your
mouth from getting dry.
❏ Take notes. Jot down your questions so that you can con-
tinue to listen without interrupting. Be careful, though,
that taking notes does not distract you from listening.

❏ Pause before you answer. Five seconds of dead air is a
long time over the phone, but you don’t have to jump on
the interviewer’s last words either. Take a breath, form
your response in your mind, and then proceed.

❏ Stay seated. Choose a hard-backed chair that will allow
you to sit up straight, not lounge. Although you don’t
want to be stiff, you do want to be “on.”

❏ Don’t multitask. With the advent of cell phones and cord-
less phones, we are all in the habit of multitasking while
we talk on the phone. Don’t do it during the interview.
Give the interviewer your full attention. Take notes, but
don’t doodle. Listen.

RECORD YOURSELF

Most people have no idea how they sound or act during day-
to-day interactions. An excellent exercise is to record some
conversations between you and one or two other people,

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