What do you do now that you have the contact information? Do you:
A. Continue the conversation with the receptionist and ask if you could please speak to Mr. Andersen?
Or...
B. Quickly hang up. Then, mail your resume to this contact?
It doesn't take a genius to know the right answer to this question. But it does take courage to actually ask to talk to the individual. Before you waver like most other job hunters when they find themselves in this dilemma, let there be no mistake... if you expect to maximize your job seeking efforts, if you want to conduct the strongest, most effective search possible... you must talk directly to the person in charge of your area.
The purpose of the call is to get the interview. The purpose of the interview is to get the job. And so, to succeed in landing a job as quickly as possible, you cannot quit now! You must ask to speak to the person in charge, the boss. And, when you do speak with this individual, you must press on for the interview.
Let's break the ensuing conversation with the boss into three separate blocks of dialogue or phases: The Introduction, The Sell, and The Close. Although these phases are separate in nature, you'll proceed from one to the next without stopping.
If the following looks like a lot to do, it's because the various options you can sometimes use are presented one after the other.
Remember, you don't want to let the listener interrupt you because he might then assume control of the conversation, leading you away from your single-minded goal of obtaining an interview. It's easier to get "on a roll" if you don't let the listener cut you off at the pass.
Phase One-The Introduction
A. Introduce yourself.
You: Mr. Andersen, this is your name_. That's spelled (spell it) from (company)
Why bother to spell your name? First of all, you want the listener to remember it and use it. Secondly, if the listener is deeply involved in something when you call it helps to gain his or her attention. Then if at all possible...
B. Drop a name.
Drop the name of: a personal friend, a business or social acquaintance, an organization, a company, your employer, or anyone you can come up with whom the listener might know.
You: My best friend, Ed Matthews, retired from Coxson Company (the employer you are calling) recently, and he suggested I give you a call.
You: I had a meeting the other day with Jean Brown at Big Time, Inc. and she suggested that I give you a call.
Or...
You: I've been with Martin Accounting for the past five years, but I'm really interested in career opportunities with Coxson Manufacturing.
C. Say something nice.
If you can, say something nice about the company, the person you are talking to, or the company's product or service. Be certain that what you say is genuine. Whatever you choose to say, it doesn't have to be earth-shattering. It might be as simple as:
You: I've driven past your facility on the way to work every week for the last four years. I've always been impressed by how great your plant and grounds look. It's obvious that Coxson takes great pride in its image. Yours looks like the kind of company I would like to contribute to.
Or...
You: I've been using and recommending your products for years. I'm very interested in becoming an integral part of a quality company like Coxson.
Or...
You: I just read an article about your company in [a recent manufacturing magazine. Coxson appears to be the kind of employer I would like to devote my career to.
Try to say something nice. But, if you can't say something nice, don't make something up just to satisfy this objective. Don't try to appear as something that you are not.
Spring Training
Practice your "pitch" until you are comfortable with it. Try it on companies you have no aspirations about joining. As I mentioned earlier, I call this "spring training," and even all-stars attend spring training. After you've practiced and you're getting good at it, start dialing your target companies.
Please do not skip over this phase of this exercise. Study it closely. Get a friend or relative and do some role-playing. Practice and be prepared.
Phase Two-The Sell
Present your sales pitch.
Get ready to give it your best shot. Keep it brief (around 15 to 30 seconds). Tell the listener a reason why he or she should want to get together with you-right away. Use a SOAR statement, or an accomplishment statement that stresses, if at all possible, a profit-oriented result.
You: Having worked for one of your competitors, I'm very familiar with your product. I'm confident I could make a valuable contribution to your team. Perhaps my greatest contribution could be in developing new accounts. As an account executive with Mercury Motors, I developed 20 new accounts within an eight-month period generating an additional L2 million dollars in sales.
Or...
You: I have a doctoral degree in environmental studies from Harvard University. My particular expertise lies in the area of development and implementation of environmental control equipment and machinery. I have had several research articles published in The Environmental Journal. One of these articles, "Waste Removal Management Systems for the Twenty-First Century," won the 7 994 Journal's prize for Environmental Achievement.
