Telephone Tips for the Nervous Job Seeker
This message is not how to get an interview (or even a job) via the telephone – that is a totally different technique - but rather how to perform once the phone rings.
Let us assume that the objective is to get into the office of the decision maker who can employ you. Therefore, as in real life, first impressions are paramount. It is true that no one can see you – for all they know you might be in your swimming pool – but the fact is that people can perceive, after a lifetime using telephones, a number of factors which might escape an anxious job seeker looking to make a favorable impression.
Therefore, I hear you all ask, what are these factors? Many are obvious, some less so, and one or two will be new to you.
Let us first of all understand the process. To do so we need first identify the direction of the conversation … that is, who is making the call.
Obviously there can only be two answers: you are a job seeker initiating the call … or they, the potential employer, wish to contact you because your fabulous resume, letter, or referral prompts them to seek further information from you in your office (if you still have one) or at home (in the evening).
However, there is a third possibility, their or your answering machine. Let us deal briefly with answering machines.
ANSWERING MACHINES
Time is money and people get annoyed spending time to speak to a magnetic tape or digital recording. Recognize this. Therefore make your message short and sweet and to the point. Your answering machine message:
“I am sorry I cannot take your call, please leave a message at the tone.”
Remember about first Impressions; the caller was hoping to speak to you, couldn’t reach you at your home number, and felt thwarted. For men looking for a new position. I always suggest a wife (or a girl friend) record the message . . . and vice versa. (No! I am not a chauvinist). Why do I suggest this? Because your neutral position is still unaffected and assumptions as to who you may be or how your voice sounds (education, accent, etc) cannot, through this initial contact (that failed), awaken any prejudices and thus harm you.
The message you leave on their answering machine:
“Good afternoon, I am David Werner returning your phone call. It concerns my letter I wrote on March 3, which was prompted by our mutual friend Joe Caruthers. The time is four thirty Friday the ninth. My number is 212 123-4567. Thank You.”
(Notice the careful selection of just a few words. .There’s enough information: not too much, not too little.)
Never just say “It’s David Werner and I am returning your phone call” and then hang up. People resent that statement. You will sound like a third-rate insurance salesman or broker. Always give the context or reason why you are calling. Be helpful. Think about it. How would you feel if it were you listening to your answering machine . . .to a voice you have never heard before.
YOU, THE JOB SEEKER INITIATE THE CALL
There are two key factors to bear in mind: your voice and the words you use. Obviously the purpose of the phone call is to exchange information that will benefit the potential employer in such a way that an interview will be set up.
Again, the topic of this brief message is telephone tips ... NOT how to get through the door. (That technique is a much more complex process.)
YOUR VOICE
The secret here is ENERGY. Tired depressed people never get asked to interviews. Keep your opening statement short, say 30 seconds. Speak firmly without pause or hesitation. If you have a quiet, gentle voice (like I do), hold the phone 10 inches away from your mouth, raise your voice and shout a little. You’ll be surprised what a difference that makes. After all there is no reason to have the receiver on your ear for the first 20 seconds while you speak.
Make your voice smile and use humor. Laugh a little. Practice talking in front of the mirror in your bathroom with your tape recorder on. This aspect of VOICE is important. Before my clients go out on interview, we role-play one-on-one, not only in the interview situation but also on the phone.
Remember, we all like friendly people. We don’t like cold or aggressive people. Let your voice reflect a warm friendly personality . . .not a tired or aggressive one.
YOUR WORDS
The secret here is being prepared. Do your homework.
“Good morning, Mr. Smith, my name is Werner, David Werner, and a mutual friend of ours, Joe Caruthers, suggested I give you a call because he thought my experience in the medical devices field, marketing to physicians in Europe, could be of benefit to Consolidated Devices.”
Pause for 2 seconds to indicate to Mr. Smith that you are in total control at your end and then continue:
“Is this a good time to discuss this?”
(Notice the careful selection of words: not too much, not too little) Now you keep your mouth shut until the ball is returned into your court.
Remember to build value at each step, talk no more than 40 seconds at any one time, use silence or pauses to establish your points and, for goodness sake, answer the question, don’t hesitate, don’t waffle, don’t contradict and argue. At this time, be quick to agree. And if you don’t know the answer, say so.
Such a phone conversation in a busy executive’s life need last no longer than 5 minutes. Yes! That’s all you’ve got to make your point. Tough, Eh?
THEY, THE POTENTIAL EMPLOYER CALLS YOU
AT THE OFFICE
Obviously, if you are employed or still have the use of a secretary to answer incoming calls, all he or she need say is “Good morning, Mr. Smith’s office – how can I help you?” If unemployed, acquire a dedicated phone line at home just for you (and, please not for your children).
Better still, create a “Virtual Office.” Sign up for an answering service, a Virtual Secretary, such as Virtuosity (www.virtuosity.com – (800) 441-1188). Such a service will cost between $49 to $99. They will answer your telephone calls and route to you at a specified location. If you are not available or choose not to take the call, ‘she’ will take a message for you asking for the caller’s number. You can receive email or SMS notification of all new messages.
AT HOME
If you get a phone call at home, I advise all my clients to say the following:
“Thank you for calling Mr. Smith. We are entertaining right now. Is it possible I can call you back later tonight or tomorrow morning?”
The question that begs itself is clear. Never discuss an important career decision or career opportunity unless you are properly prepared. Second, once you can get into the control position, life becomes easier. Think how much better you will be able to operate when dialing the direct office number the next day.
Gaining control immediately when you are not the initiator can be easier than you think. Use psychology. Let us assume that one of your phone calls has at long last been returned at home in the evening and you wish to gain control by attending to it there and then. To collect your thoughts (which might be directed at subject matters not printable here) why not perhaps try something like this:
“Mr. Smith, thank you for returning my call. My guests are just leaving, let me get to my study, I’ll be one minute.”
One minute later you pick up (having used the hold button on the phone and not having moved from your chair) and say:
“Sorry about that, I am always reminded (with a smile in your voice) of the important phone call that never comes until you get into the bath”
The caller has to be flattered by your use of the word “important” and it will cause the caller to make sure the conversation will not be a waste of YOUR time.
Finally, if you feel you have wasted your time reading this article and have learned nothing, I hope you will at least retain this key piece of advice: chemistry. If you don’t like that word, try Comfort.
People look for a high comfort level when first “meeting” others on the phone. A laugh or smile, as you know, goes a long way to break down a barrier. Can your voice smile? Try it? It is a fact that people only like people like themselves. It’s a 2-way street. If you determine that the potential employer is short, sharp, to-the-point, humorless, gruff, busy . . . then please echo those same energetic traits in your own voice and attitude.
I don’t mean to suggest for one minute that you should compete to win, but rather echo and reflect the caller’s high energy level and style so that he/she feels there might be a good chemistry fit. Conversely, a quiet, gentle and conversational style that you perceive the potential employer to have should be countered with a similar gentle approach (although that might be alien to your personality). Don’t forget we are talking only about phone manners here; we are not talking about what constitutes a perfect job fit.
And finally-finally, no nasty animal is going to jump out of the phone at you and say “BOO.” In spite of what you may think, there is no logical reason to be nervous of a plastic receiver or mobile phone connected through wires into a telephone or cellular network.
You are in control, you hold the instrument in your hand next to your ear and you have the power to listen when you choose, answer when you choose and use words, pauses, silences, when you choose. Yes, you have the choice whom to call, when to call and what to say.
Has your goal been achieved? I hope so. I hope you will be able to say tomorrow:
“Fine, Mr. Smith. I look forward to meeting you next Friday at 12. It sounds most interesting.”
TELEPHONE TIPS was prepared and written by David Werner, President of David Werner International Corporation, a New York-based executive career marketing company, and Caroline Werner, his daughter, a graduate in Media Studies from London University, England.
Content © www.dwic.com - David Werner 1995-2010 - All Rights Reserved.
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