Don't Make This Interview Mistake

Posted by in Career Advice


The biggest mistake that many job seekers make during interviews is not closing the sale. We all know that the goal in any interview is to sell yourself – but, just like any good salesperson, you have to close the sale. 

 

For example, if you've ever had a visit from an in-home salesperson, or been in a professional purchasing role, you've probably seen this process in action. A salesperson visits, greets you, and makes some small talk to build rapport. Then they give you a sales pitch based on what they think you need. Then comes the close, which nails down the offering and reiterates the reasons why it's valuable.

 

To place yourself in the mindset of a successful closer, think back to your high school composition class. Remember the basic overview of an essay? It's a three-step process:

  1. You summarize what you're going to say.
  2. You say it in detail.
  3. Then you reiterate what you just said.

For the first two steps of the process, it's best to keep your focus to somewhere around three points. For example, you might focus on saying that you're adaptive, you're a great communicator, and you're a great collaborator. Then you would explain each in detail. In explaining the above example, you might say, "I've been able to adapt to different roles in my career, because I have a variety of skills and I'm calm under stress. At one point in my last job, I successfully adapted to... I also believe a part of my success is due to communication with coworkers, which reminds me of a project when... I've also been successful because I've collaborated with great people who..." Keeping it around three points makes it memorable for you – in terms of keeping your pitch understandable and on point – as well as for the interviewer. If you can remember three points, then the odds are that they can too.

 

The last of the three steps in the process – the reiteration of what you just said – is often difficult for people to grasp. (After all, didn't you just say what you said?) But the last step is the close, and the point of this article. To get in the closing mindset, think back to the salesperson visiting in your home or office. Their final line probably sounded something like, “Now that I've shown you how great our product is, what questions or concerns do you have?” Notice the roundness of the statement: it shows confidence that the reasoning was clear, and it hands the conversation back to the listener. You need to do the same thing. Nail down your points, and hand the microphone back to the interviewer with a question.

 

For a salesperson, the closing process offers opportunity to assess the customer's willingness to buy. What does the company need? How can they benefit from a service I provide? When should I expect to hear from them? In an interview, your asking of such questions shows interest, shows understanding, and allows both parties to learn more.

 

For you, closing the sale allows you to ask for the job. It's a simple matter of saying, “Now that we've discussed my background and experience, what concerns do you have about my ability to do the job?” You'll probably be pleasantly surprised at the amount of feedback it will generate. Even if you don't get the job, the information you receive can help you fine tune your sales strategy for your next interview.

 

Also, chances are that you'll have a chance to ask questions after your close, and you should use that chance to your benefit. By asking the right questions, you can show your knowledge and insight, gauge how the interviewer feels about you, and increase your appeal as a candidate. During your next interview, try asking your interviewer one of these questions, or something similar:

  • "What is the company culture like?"
  • "Can you take me through the process of a typical project here?"
  • "What would you expect from the person you hire in a month, and how about six months?"
  • “What is the next step in the hiring process?”

If you can throw in details that you've learned about the company, all the better, as it will show that you have taken time to do research. But the key is to make the interview feel like a conversation. At this point, your formal pitch is over, and you can relate to the interviewer as a person. 

 

It might seem pushy at the beginning, and take a little bit of practice before it feels natural, but closing the sale is an extremely important part of the interview process. If you still aren't sure exactly how the closing process works, there's a great video about it at Career Confidential. After putting the time and energy into selling your skills and talents, if you don't close the sale, you'll miss out on a valuable chance to find out what the interviewer thinks about you. When you're looking for a job, you're selling yourself, so don't leave the sale hanging. Ask for the next step, and you might end up with a job offer.

 

Do you close the sale? Why or why not? Please share you thoughts in the comments.

 

Image Source: OpenClipArt

Comment

Become a member to take advantage of more features, like commenting and voting.

  • Virginia Benner
    Virginia Benner
    Liked this article a lot.  If you want something you have to ask for it.  This alone may set you apart enough to get the job.  The worst that can happen is they say no and then you can ask follow up questions to help you prepare for your next opportunity.
  • Cindy Brown
    Cindy Brown
    I have run into interviewers who openly could careless whether or not you "close the deal" or not.  I have run it to interviewers who take one look at me and say point blank "you don't really need a job do you" I have read all kinds of articles and I always say to myself after reading them is why no one ever writes an article on how an interviewer should act and what questions they should ask. I am really getting sick and tired of going to job interviews only to come face to with some one who takes pleasure in lying to you and openly acts like they would rather been having major surgery than talk to you.
  • Melissa Kennedy
    Melissa Kennedy
    Thanks, Desiree
  • Desiree H
    Desiree H
    Nice article, very helpful & informative. Thanks!
  • Melissa Kennedy
    Melissa Kennedy
    This is such a great discussion.@Louise S - That was a great question to ask and now you know that you didn't knock their socks off. Maybe you should have asked what it would take to "knock them off", since you were pretty sure you weren't going to get the job. When you have nothing to lose, it's easy to ask those kinds of questions and the interviewer has no reason to lie or sugar coat it.@Jaqueline, sometimes that just happens. I wish I knew what to tell you. One time, I got called for a phone interview 8 months after I applied. After the interview, nothing happened for almost 6 months, then out of the blue, I was called with a job offer. By that time, I had already been working at a job, but I ended up resigning and taking the new job.
  • Teneshia K
    Teneshia K
    This article was and is very helpful because I haven't been to an interview in years. I gain confidence in myself by knowing what an interviewer is looking for  and how to prepare for my next interview. Thanks a lot!
  • Renee L
    Renee L
    very important and valueable information
  • Omar A
    Omar A
    Thank you so much for these important pointS.  I am expecting to be interviewed soon and it is nice to have this information beforehand.  
  • Frannie V
    Frannie V
    Thank you Melissa for allthese Job Seeker articles.
  • Leetoane S
    Leetoane S
    This article is great and helpful thanks
  • Sheila J
    Sheila J
    As a new nurse with 1+ years experience, articles like these are very helpful in building interview skills. Presently, I am employed at a local nursing home working hard to get out of that environment to get hired with a hospital. I have discovered knowing how to represent oneself on interviews is an important step to move to the next level. Thank you
  • Jacqueline M
    Jacqueline M
    I once went to an organization that I was very interested in working for I submitted my resume,the employer called me in maybe around three to four months later for an interview and I accepted,I met with them   on date agreed and there were two interviewers there ,they look over my resume ask a few questions and i did all the right things to close the sale ,I was then told that I would have to do a second inteveiw ,Iwas still confident only to do follower up Is poke with one of the inteveiwers only to say they were still trying to make a decision.Maybe a week later I spoke with the same employer only to tell me no decision could be made.What do you do when this happens?
  • Lorna E
    Lorna E
    I love the close sale part.Very useful and correct.Your tips are really professional.
  • Lisa K
    Lisa K
    I am going on my second interview after 24 years tomorrow.  I thought the 1st interview went well, but I did not get the job.  Thank you for these tips.  I am going to use them tomorrow.
  • Donna V
    Donna V
    Good advice
  • Phyllis H
    Phyllis H
    Thank you. This was extremely helpful
  • Louise S
    Louise S
    On my last interview I closed with "So, what do you think?" and to my surprise the interviewer said I was "a very good interviewee BUT tomorrow she could interview someone who knocks her socks off." I had thought the interview had gone well but then I realized I hadn't knocked her socks off and realized she was hoping for someone better. I did not get the job.
  • thomas c
    thomas c
    this is really dumb . i mean really.
  • Scott w
    Scott w
    Great comments and suggestions on organized responses to interview questions.  These suggestions are basics of public speaking
  • Ruby W
    Ruby W
    The information is useful because I have an interview on February 18th at 6 PM.
  • Willie S
    Willie S
    Thank,you your article gave me a lot of information that i can use to land a job.
  • Melissa Kennedy
    Melissa Kennedy
    Thanks for the great comments. I'm so glad that these tips helped. @Susanne, trying to close the deal isn't the same thing as being pushy. However, as women we have to struggle against the message that "nice girls" don't ask for what they want and that appearing determined or aggressive is a bad thing.
  • Renee G
    Renee G
    UE 16 months now and I've read many "TIPS"on landing the job, etc. This by far for me has the most helpful information. It's like if you are already doing these things in your interview(s), it gives you confidence and some assurance that perhaps your on the right track, but just brush up a bit. Very helpful Thank you.
  • joseph b
    joseph b
    Thank you for the tips.
  • Keith J
    Keith J
    This is great information. I am glad I read this as I have never did this myself and it is time to start.
  • You Might Also Be Interested In

Jobs to Watch