One of the advantages of spending so much time on the 'net is that occasionally I'll come across a clever idea that can help candidates land a six figure job. In Selling by Doing, Charles Green of Trusted Advisor Associates relates how one law firm won a Fortune 50 account by sampling their work. (Please: Take two minutes to read this great story.) As Mr. Green tells it, this strategy creates trust and relevance – by far the greatest points of differentiation in relationship-intensive sales situations once your credentials have gotten you in the door.
Can job seekers apply this idea? Yes! Recently I closed a search in which my candidate first met with the hiring manager simply to learn more about the position. At the end of the interview, he said "I'd like to be considered for the job. Before our next meeting, could you send me a list of your projects for 2006?" Brilliant. I thought I'd seen everything.
None of the other candidates had a meaningful way to help the client picture them vividly in the role, and this gave my candidate an unfair advantage: Throughout the interview process, my candidate was able to couch his abilities in terms of the client's immediate needs, thereby making his "value proposition" to the client much less abstract than the other candidates'. My guy got the job -- at higher money than what the client had originally spec'd for the position.
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Q: Need the number of a recruiter who "gets it?"
A: Download Harry's contact info for future reference.
