Asking about the kind of experience you should have is a good technique. You can use it to lead into a number of other questions about the job:
- What is the job title?
- Whom does the position report to?
- What specific experience or accomplishments are you looking for?
- What are the most important functional tasks of the job?
Do not ask questions about promotion, fringe benefits, or salary. But do probe tactfully for as much information as possible, and take notes while the PE is talking so you can evaluate each requirement against your own background and accomplishments. Then, even if you must send in a resume, you can slant your experience to the PE's needs.
How to Schedule an Interview by Phone
After following the outline of your sales letter completely and telling your PE about yourself, you must make the call to action. If the PE appears interested during your presentation, you can conclude with something like this: "I can tell you are interested in getting together. When would be the best time for me to come in for an interview-on Monday or Wednesday?"
If the PE appears hesitant, see if you can find out why. Sometimes, the best way is the most direct-ask. Use the techniques mentioned earlier to avoid sending a general resume, if that is what is holding the PE back. As soon as you have solved the problem, get back to the call to action. Remember, the purpose of the TTP is to obtain an interview. It is your responsibility to guide the PE along this path and show him exactly what you want him to do: invite you in for an interview.
The Limitations of Getting Interviews by Telephone
Although the telephone is a good way of getting interviews, it is not the best way. There are two big limitations to this method. First, as with sales letters, only a very small percentage of the PEs you contact will be looking for someone with your background. It can be very discouraging to make call after call and receive rejection after rejection while you search for that tiny percentage of PEs. Second, telephone calls are expensive. Unless you have access to a WATS line, you will not be able to reach out-of-town PEs by telephone. So the TTP is limited geographically.
Despite these limitations, the TTP is essential to your campaign. If you have integrated the different methods of generating interviews into your campaign plan as recommended, you should always be working on some part of your campaign. The TTP is a means of generating interviews when you are not doing anything else. Also, as with sales letters, you will ferret out jobs that are not advertised.
During the first two weeks of your TTP, when you are spending concentrated time on it, you will generate one to three interviews per day. Equally important, you will learn how to speak with executives on the phone and how to gain and maintain control of your conversations. This is vital for getting interviews that you have initiated through sales letters and responses to advertisements, since most replies will come by telephone. Every day you spend on the TTP will help you sharpen your skills on the telephone. You will be less nervous and more confident about speaking with strangers and persuading them to invite you in for an interview.
Additional Hints for Improving Your Telephone Technique
Whenever you speak with a PE on the telephone, make sure that you listen. If you ask a question, listen for an answer. If you ask a question and the PE struggles for an answer, or there is dead silence, wait. Let the PE answer. Don't jump in to fill the silence and try to help the PE answer the question. The PE is thinking. Give him time. By listening you will learn a great deal. By answering the question for the PE you will learn nothing.
Regardless of your source for companies to call, do not be concerned if you call some of the same executives to whom you have already sent a sales letter. If they have seen your letter and have decided to invite you in, they will say so. If they have decided not to invite you in, you have nothing to lose by calling. What if your sales letter has not arrived by the time you call? If you make a successful presentation by phone, the arrival of your letter will not hurt you. If you did not get an interview by telephone, your sales letter can only increase your chances of getting one.
Always avoid discussions of salary, even if this subject is raised by the PE. The basic reason for delaying salary negotiations is that the compensation figure you cite may be too high or too low. If it is too high, the PE may eliminate you because he does not intend to pay that much. Yet a PE may offer far more than he intended after he becomes sold on someone during the interview. If the figure cited is too low, the PE may feel that you don't have enough stature for the job. Also, you may find that you wish to raise your salary objectives when you understand more about the job.
Never indicate that you are desperate or anxious for a job, even if you are. If the PE is hesitant about inviting you in for an interview or insists on seeing a resume first, tell him that you would like to save time by bringing the resume in with you. Then explain that you already have an offer and must make a decision within five working days. You would like to meet the PE and see his company, but you don't want to lose a good offer in order to do this. PEs, like executives are in demand and in the running. Make certain that the PE knows other PEs want you.
During your job hunt you will not be able to avoid numerous conversations with PEs by telephone. The TTP will not only get you interviews; it will help you master the art of handling job-hunting situations on the telephone. If you have lost interviews because of your telephone technique in the past, the TTP will insure that you do not have this problem again.
