Reality Check. CNBC’s The Job Interview
Name Recognition and Learning How to ‘Sell Me This Pen’
It’s week two of CNBC’s ‘The Job Interview’ and the candidates may have gotten more ‘reality TV’ strange, but there are still some lessons to be learned. Again, The Job Interview is a reality program airing on Wednesdays at 10 pm on CNBC where actual companies bring in 5 real candidates for final interviews for a position with their company. Tough questions and bad answers are pure reality TV fodder. But our goal as a recruiting firm is to help you through those difficult questions and unexpected situations.
Lesson #1 – Greet Them By Name
So, you are bad at remembering names. Many people are. It’s okay if you forget the name of the Millers from down the street, but forgetting the name of your interviewer? Inexcusable. In Episode Three, five candidates conducted interviews to become the newest real estate sales representative with Makai Properties, a real estate company on the island of Kauai, Hawaii. One candidate forgot the interviewer’s names and was toast. In real estate, just like any sales position, it is important to build a relationship, and it all starts with name recognition and greeting people by name.
Try to find out the name of the interviewer ahead of time and then when you walk into the room, hold out your hand and with a firm handshake, confidently say, “Mrs. Johnson, thank you so much for taking the time to meet with me”. There you go, the name is out of the way! In the situation where you do not know the person’s name until you enter the room, introduce yourself and… LISTEN CLOSELY for their name and repeat it back to them, “Mrs. Johnson, a pleasure to meet you”. Saying it out loud improves retention and proves that you listened to her. Plus you sound confident and assure yourself.
Lesson #2 – Ask Questions
Sell me this pen. You have probably seen this infamous scene from The Wolf of Wall Street, but questions like these have become more common. Quick Tip? It’s not about the pen. It’s about knowing how to sell. In Episode Four, Andy Sajnani, CEO of Think Latitude, a Chicago-based app, and software development firm asked each candidate to sell him a pen.
This interview question is often used to determine if the candidate knows one of the key tenets of sales – determining if there is a need or a desire for the item. The only way to understand this is to ask questions and get them talking. The worst approach is to fiddle the pen in your hands and talk about felt tips and ink color. Give them the pen to hold, speak to them about the item as they hold the pen in their hands. This keeps them engaged and frankly, if they have the item in their possession, it is easier for them to agree to purchase.
Whether you are selling a house, a car or a Bic pen, don’t immediately go into ‘sell’ mode.’ Instead, have a conversation, listen and sell when you truly understand the value of that item to your subject.
Contact Us to learn how we can help you fill that open position or find that perfect job opportunity. Or, let us know what you think! Respond with your feedback from the show!
