Closing The Deal
Having a productive and efficient action plan, your Personal Market Plan during career transition, will serve to focus your efforts, reaping the rewards of patience and persistence in your implementation.
By meeting and beating both professional and personal goals during your career transition, you will be propelling future successes and the resultant rewards. Successful implementation of your Plan confers rewards not unlike those in the workplace:- A sense of accomplishment;
- Pushing oneself beyond expectation, often acquiring new skills or knowledge;
- Identifying developmental goals to assure continued career success;
- Gaining the respect of those around you, colleagues and customers;
- Being requested for future challenging opportunities!
Your message, continuously delivered to contacts and hiring managers, will create focus in your efforts to assure an effective close. In this case, the FIT is between an organization's needs and what you bring to the table to solve their need. Your success in closing the deal has its foundation in your preparation for the intended transition...
1. Assessment and Research…
A Candidate researchs the marketplace, target appropriate opportunity, network effectively to both create personal "visibility" and create avenues to those opportunities that are right for them. Take the time necessary to determine your next right work. and how it best meets the needs of an organization.2. Setting Your Objectives… Knowledge of the process and self-awareness allow you to effectively set your career transition objectives. Of course the best "FIT" occurs when your objectives are aligned with the needs of the marketplace.
The old "round peg in a round role" theory of career planning is dysfunctional. In the typical professional environment today, job descriptions are changing faster than ever before to keep up with the challenges of an economy in transition.
Seize control of such challenges.
Take the time necessary to determine your career objectives, and how they best FIT what the market has to offer you.
How will you assess FIT when opportunities come to your attention? At the core of your personal communication strategy is the effective use of the actual words and phrases you use to define the FIT between your motivated competencies and the market's need for services and solutions.They are so much more than the "the right buzz words," or "keywords" as used in technology driven job banks (or the mirrored resume bank queries)... they are the building blocks of your message.
Yes, its worth your practice time to focus on words. They can create high impact and convey powerful "word pictures." Your messages will be delivered in three different ways:
- Verbal communication (by telephone or in person)
In marketing, these delivery vehicles are referred to as collaterals. And at their core is a simple collection of words that describe the FIT between your strengths and the market's need. That collection of the right words and phrases, your definition of a good FIT, is the communication strategy of your Personal Market Plan.
A famous Notre Dame football coach was once quoted as saying that, "Practice makes perfect."
Mr. Rockne was a bit misguided in his thinking...
You see, he drilled the IRISH to focus on the result of WINNING. An even MORE famous coach, of Green Bay Packer fame, spoke more frankly when he said, "Perfect practice makes perfect." Mr. Lombardi's intent was very different. He wanted his players to concentrate on PRACTICE, drilling on the "little things", the basics, so that they became instinct during the heat of real life.
Such is productive mindset during any career transition campaign, specifically related to your ability to...
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Ask effective questions in order to receive needed information, confirming FIT.
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Answer questions effectively in order to communicate skill sets, vision and expectations.
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Discuss money issues with confidence, interviewing effectively to align personal career FIT, job expectations and appropriate salary.
Let's apply that approach with the following guidelines to "close the deal" of your career transition campaign, your next right work....
NEGOTIATION AND INTERVIEWING GUIDELINES...
Lets separate two definitive forms of negotiation. First, and most frequent, that which occurs during networking and interviewing, PRIOR TO any offer of employment. Your mission is to treat the issue of money as just another bit of information... another issue of your OFFER CRITERIA to confirm However, in this case, remember,
"He who mentions money first, often loses in salary negotiation."
Second, negotiation properly occurs as a result of an offer of employment. Your mission, of course, is to maximize the actual offer. At the very least you will want to maintain and enhance current value of your employment. Base salary is simply a part of the "position WORTH" package.
These two forms of negotiation call for very different skills. Staying with our context of effective interviewing tactics, let's utilize the basic guidelines for answering questions effectively, this time incorporating your communication strategy with the discussion of money...
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ANSWER THE QUESTION... On the surface, this guideline seems almost TOO basic. The implication, however, is that you have heard and fully understand the nature of the question. If this is true, simply answer the question in a straight forward, brief manner... and then stop talking! Your mission is to verify FIT and maximize your acceptance criteria. Often the challenges come in knowing when to stop talking. For example, Q: What were you paid last year? A: I am quite surprised that you're ready to talk money so soon.. How can we possibly discuss the right money for the job before we discuss the job requirements? Could you tell me about... (a context issue)?
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LISTEN FOR OPPORTUNITIES TO INTEGRATE AND CONFIRM YOUR STRENGTHS... Your purpose is to drive home your communication strategy--that set of key words and strengths that define your "message." So, when a question is asked that relative to a job related strength, answer the question and confirm the strength by stating a behavioral example. For example, Q: We need to discuss salary... could you tell me what you were making last year? A: Yes, of course (the answer...now confirms a strength), you must like my proven ability to conduct needs analysis looking at least one year forward in the operational plans. As you recall, I was able to develop and implement recruitment strategies, unique for each of our operational centers... resulting in 80% cost-per-hire savings. for Johnson Controls... what sort of pay could I expect here at the ABC Company? Whenever possible, state actions and results as a value add to your purpose.
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AT LEAST ADDRESS THE ISSUE OF A QUESTION Before blocking, turning around, or in any other way changing the subject... Salary negotiation, illegal questions and other non-standard questions often call for extraordinary responses. Stay focused, get results... but never manipulate or deceive with your answer. Q: How much did you make in base salary last year? A: Last year? My former position was worth $ X, but the responsibilities we have discussed seem to be worth a base salary much closer to $ X+... don't you agree?
A TRIAL CLOSE
Your pre-interview research and networking will identify key areas of FIT. Your interviewing skills will allow you to confirm FIT and move the interviewer to realizing the mutual advantages to employing you. In a perfect world, you'd be done...
However, in the real world, hiring authorities often have to be assertively closed to extend an offer. They want to feel your motivation, your desire to be employed in a motivating role where you have much to contribute. Don't disappoint them.
While most interview Q&A swirls around your qualifications and the job opportunity's requirements and expectations, the savvy "closer" listens and watches for buying signals. Like the anxious used car buyer who keeps coming back to that "perfect little red convertible," a hiring authority will tend to let a desired candidate know of their interest. Your power is that they hope it is mutual.
Use that power, as fleeting as it may be.
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DEFINE FIT in mutually advantageous terms...
GAIN AGREEMENT and listen for their feedback on FIT... address any neutral to negative feedback. You may need to retreat to the interview Q&A. But, if they're with you, forge ahead...
STATE YOUR INTEREST AND MOTIVATION in the opportunity, the FIT, the people, etc.
ASK FOR THE OFFER... settling for knowing what the next steps might be. Be assertive.
Being assertive in your closing mode is not natural for many job seekers. It is, however, a learnable interview and negotiation skill.
"If you
practice the way you play, there shouldn't be any difference. That's why I practiced so hard. I wanted to be prepared for the game."Michael Jordan (1963- )
American basketball player & business person
regarded by many as the greatest basketball
player who ever played the game
To RECAP...
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Practice answering both common and tough questions... including pre-offer negotiation tactics.
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Practice your exit statement... Your networking contacts will want to know your current situation and why you are available. Recent salary history may be part of the information they seek... be discreet, even with your personal contacts.
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Practice your two minute drill every chance you get.... its the fundamental building material of your communication strategy--your verbal collaterals!
Now, GO PRACTICE !
The FIT HAPPENS Series...
The Nature of Career FIT | Researching FITness | CAREER FIT Planning
Your Communication Strategy | Closing the Deal
July 16, 2008