Salespeople quickly learn that what sells steak is the sizzle and what sells $15 tubes of lipstick is the dream of glamour and romance. Although as buyers we try to justify our purchases with rational explanations, the truth is, we usually don't buy a car because of its gas mileage or its engine size. The real reason we buy a Volkswagen or a Cadillac is how we perceive ourselves and how we think a particular car fits in with or enhances our lifestyle. We buy a car for what it will do for us, not what it's made out of-or even if it has front-seat air bags.
The hiring decision is an emotional buying decision, too; in fact, much more emotional than anyone admits. The employer will hire you if you appeal to his view of himself (open-minded, nonconventional, tough, whatever). How will you know how the employer views himself? Then pay close attention to the visual and verbal clues the employer drops in the interview and respond accordingly.
Appealing to an interviewer's buying motives means turning your particular traits and experiences into buying/hiring reasons for that employer. Salespeople are trained to conduct a Features-Advantages-Benefits analysis of their product before they ever try to sell it. In this situation, you are your product and it's time you analyzed your Features, Advantages and Benefits.
Features are the facts. In and of themselves they are neither good nor bad; they just are. A product's features include color, materials, warranty, cost, etc. Still, not all features are of interest to all buyers. Have you ever walked into an audio store and had an aggressive salesperson bombard you with 101 features about a stereo system - when all you wanted was to listen to its sound? The same holds true in interviewing: If you just present a lengthy list of experiences and skills without first finding out what the employer really needs or wants, you won't get his or her attention. No attention, no second interview, no job offer.
Turning features into benefits involves three important steps. First, you must choose which features to stress. Actually, you may have to refine your feature selection several times: (1) When you analyze the job description and respond with a cover letter, (2) when you prepare for the interview, and (3) during the interview itself, when some features draw a positive response and others don't. It has been my experience, though, that you can only be flexible and responsive in an interview if you are fully prepared. So, while Features-Advantages-Benefits preparation may seem like a lot of work, it is well worth it. Remember, there are no retakes in the interview business. Your one shot in front of the employer must be your best shot.
The second step in selling your benefits is to translate your Features into Advantages. An advantage is really an explanation of the feature: what the feature means and/or does. Although advantages are a little more intriguing than features, they still won't get you a job offer.
The third and most important step is translating your Advantages into Benefits the employer cares about. Here's an example: Let's say you are a reentry woman. You have been home for the past 25 years raising your children and have recently gone through a divorce. What can you offer an employer who wants a take - charge office manager? Start with the fact that you are divorced and your children are grown. With a little creativity, this could be a significant benefit to almost any employer: "I am divorced and my children are grown (Feature). I am at a place in my life where I can and want to put all my energy into a career (Advantage). If you hire me, you will get a totally dedicated and motivated employee who knows how to run things-I ran a household for 25 years and did it very well. I will apply those same skills to running your office, and I guarantee I'll not only make your business more profitable, but I'll also make your life a whole lot easier" (Benefit). Now you've succeeded in getting the employer's attention!
Had you only said you were divorced with grown children, you would have left the important translation up to the employer. Then it would be a coin flip as to whether that person would have been able to construe your single status as a strength or a weakness. Why leave it to chance?
True, some interviewers are on your side and will visualize you in the position with all your articulated and unarticulated strengths. But many employers can't - unless you literally draw a picture for them. Again, you have to supply the sizzle.
Let's try another situation: You are a retired engineer who wants to go back to work. The obvious selling point is: "I've been an engineer for 20 years (Feature). My judgments are based on experience as well as books (Advantage). Because I understand engineering backward and forward, you won't have to spend a lot of time or money training me. I can be up and running on a project immediately" (Benefit).
As you assemble your resume package and prepare for the interview, think, eat and sleep benefits. If you do, you'll stand a good chance of capturing the employer's interest. Take the time before every interview to do a complete Features-Advantages-Benefits analysis. Think about what the business does and what benefits in your application, resume or cover letter piqued the firm's initial interest. Play those up in the interview while monitoring the employer's interest and response level.
Also helpful: During the interview imagine a bright neon sign that flashes "SO WHAT?" is implanted in the inter-viewer's forehead. This obnoxious sign will continue to flash until you talk benefits to the employer. So when the employer asks you, "Why should I hire you?" think of the neon sign - and talk benefits!
Got the idea? Now it's your turn. On the following page is a Features-Advantages-Benefits worksheet. Make extra copies so you can make up a fresh analysis for every job you pursue. This will keep you focused on what you can do for the employer instead of what the employer can do for you. As corny as it sounds, the employer is tuned to only one radio station: W.I.I.F.M. ("What's In It For Me?"). Answer that question, and you'll get the job offer!
