Turned Down?

Why Turndowns?

This list was written after talking to a dejected candidate who had just been turned down again. He had applied for a position with a fledgling new company and a former manager. He could not understand even though he had significant success in sales with that manager why he had failed to get an offer. Indeed, a total stranger, and in my candidate's opinion, a "less" than qualified candidate got the job.

Below is a list of some of the reasons why candidates have been turned down for opportunities. Are you on this by no means exhaustive list? Do you see yourself here? You can learn by your mistakes, or feel badly and go further in a funk. After each turn-down, you need to ask the tough question, why. But many times it really is risk, political factors, or just a better fit.

Some these items you do have control over, most you do not. Work on the ones that you do. Study interviewing techniques, especially psycho-neurolinguistic techniques. (See: Reading the Walls)

1. chemistry
2. general information knowledge
3. idiosyncratic behaviors
4. prior market segment
5. education level
6. skill set
7. prior sales volume & sales average/cycle
8. prior income levels, base & AP
9. embarrassment to hiring manager, you know things from prior life, skeleton chaser

sales training

We have added significantly to the list in the book. But you get the idea.

There are two risks in interviewing:

Your ego vs the HA's job.

Both have value, but if you let your ego carry the day, you won’t get an offer. The real truth is WIFM is on for the HA. We have all been fed a long list of malarkey, but don’t get so jaded that all is bunk. It shows in an interview.

It should be obvious that there is not much you can do about many items on the list above, except for chemistry. But there is a great deal you can do about other items. In an interview situation: Stay focused, stay up, listen first, ask good well thought out questions, evaluate what you heard, demonstrate your “product” in light of the HA’s needs, summarize, ask for the order and follow-up. A simple S.A.L.E.S approach.