In brief interviews plumb your best contacts for any thoughts they may have about job possibilities and advice on your campaign, and then ask for referrals to other key executives. These referrals enable you to see a great many executives who may be in a position to hire you. If, when you see them, no specific prospect for a job in their own organization occurs, encourage them to provide you with referrals to still other key people. Obviously, the more impressed these individuals are with your presentation and background, the greater the chance is there that they will find a position for you in their organization or refer you to other top individuals.
You might approach executives to whom you have been referred by phone; otherwise approach them by letter with a follow-up phone call. In either case, once you have an appointment, mail them a resume so they can quickly familiarize themselves with your background before you see them. A typical referral campaign might be:
Note the following five features of this letter.
- Personalize the opening as much as possible.
- Ask for help - not a job.
- Ask for a personal interview-and stipulate that it will be for only a few minutes.
- Clearly state that you recognize there is little chance of a suitable job for you in the organization at this time.
- Control the follow-up by stating that you will phone for an appointment.
Alternative openings:
- Ms. Sylvia Fowler of Ultimate Investments, Inc., has suggested I write to you.
- Since you are a fellow alumnus of Hamilton who has achieved success in business, I am writing you on a matter of personal importance.
- It's been six months since I ran into you at the Electronics Convention in Chicago.
Monarch stationery (7 inches x 10 inches) appears more personal and therefore may be more eye catching. Stipulate that you will follow-up with a phone call, because invariably only a small percent age of these people will contact you.
Since this technique is being used more and more, the demands on key executives for such interviews have increased greatly. Often, even with referral by a key person to a close friend, you may meet resistance. In these cases consider the following approaches.
The follow-up
The way you handle your call for an appointment is all important. A call to someone you don't know can easily get a negative response - unless you are well prepared. Prepare an outline of what you plan to say, and rehearse it. With skillful handling you should be able to get interviews perhaps 75 percent of the time.
Your first hurdle will probably be the key executive's secretary. Use a firm, positive approach and call the secretary if possible by name. Be prepared for her "closing the door" on you. Emphasize you're not approaching the executive for a job - just for a few minutes for his help. Try calling before or after regular hours, at lunch time or on Saturday, when the secretary won't be there.
When you are connected with the executive, try to get an interview. "Mr. Wilson, I wrote to you recently to ask for a 10-minute meeting to get your advice on a matter of great importance to me. My resume indicated my 15 years of sales management experience, the most recent 3 years as sales manager of XYZ Company. I am not asking for a job, but your experience in the electronics business could be very helpful in the decision I have to make now. When would it be convenient for you to see me?"
Be prepared for negative responses such as "too busy," "leaving town for a week," "no current openings," and so on. Be ready with a reply to overcome these objections and then emphasize again your need to get information. Repeat that you're not looking for a job - only advice.
"Would Tuesday at 9:45 be convenient?" (Note this time implies a meeting of only 15 minutes, whereas 9:30 indicates at least a half-hour meeting, and 10:00 perhaps an hour.) If you are turned down for an interview, try to get as much help as you can in the phone conversation. "Could you suggest any companies that I should see?" If a company is named, ask whom he suggests you see there. If he is unresponsive, you should use several joggers, like "Can you think of any company that might need a financial executive with strong experience in cost reduction and developing reporting systems?" Or "Would you think there might be a need at Acme Machine Tools? or Davis Steel? or Banner Electronics?" Your goal should be to get three referrals from each interview.
You may then approach any names that person gives you by saying, "Mr. Simpson of Ace Products thought it would be useful to see you.
This procedure of phoning for an appointment emphasizes the need to improve your effectiveness on the telephone (i.e., in getting through to the person you want to talk to, in developing his or her interest, in getting interviews, and in getting information). Take five minutes after each call to record what transpired and ask yourself: "If I knew beforehand what I know now, what would I have done differently?"
