Just for a moment, I began to consider this new possibility from every angle.  Upon doing so, I recognized the process is one to be shared in order for you to best select your next opportunity.  The steps are identical whether you are interviewing for a job or seeking to acquire a new client.

Allow the emotional state of being flattered and the initial excitement to wind down.  Begin walking yourself through personal priorities in terms of qualifying the opportunity. How will the change impact you and loved ones at this point in time? Are you currently operating a business and are you willing to give it up?  These are just a couple examples.

While you are ”in the zone” thinking about the potential of the job, hold the strong belief the open position will be yours should you choose to move forward.  As a job seeker, you have to believe wholeheartedly that the job is yours to turn down.  Doing so will allow others to see you as a leader and therefore the lead candidate for hearing HIRED!

In terms of acquiring a new client, the same process holds true. Qualify the match between you and the work that is expected of you.  Will you derive satisfaction from moving forward?  Assuming you want the work, enter the meeting as if you are the best provider to get the job done; not egotistically but from a standpoint of explaining how you work and why you believe your service will be the best match for all concerned. It is understood all of the required research has been done prior to meeting so that you may provide an answer to the potential client’s questions.

Qualifying, matching and maintaining a leadership position will put you on the path to a Smooth Sale!

About the author: Elinor Stutz is the author of two books, one for improving business sales techniques and the other for improving interviewing skills: Nice Girls DO Get the Sale: Relationship Building That Gets Results, and, HIRED! How to Use Sales Techniques to Sell Yourself On Interviews.

When entrepreneurs are close to a sale, or when job seekers believe they excelled in their interview expecting an offer, panic usually sets in if instead one hears excuses as to why the opportunity may not go through and objections prevail.

Those unfamiliar with the sales process usually view the objections as defeat.  They believe there is no way of saving what just happened and attribute the matter to some type of miscommunication.  Unfortunately, when you begin to believe defeat is on its way, it usually is.  Therefore, the better objective is to see the circumstance as potentially being saved.

Once you have a more positive outlook, it’s easy to place a critical eye on what just took place.  Ask specific questions such as, “What is being objected to, why, and what may I do to fix it?”  Those three questions usually nail the problem, enabling you to provide a targeted response.

Communicating with confidence and a smile on your face will usually produce the right result.  You may simply need to make a minor adjustment.  Always greet objections as a positive, because they are not a direct “no.”   They enable you to make things right to receive the much preferred “Yes!”

When objections are met with care and understanding, they normally turn into a very Smooth Sale!

About the author: Elinor Stutz, CEO of Smooth Sale, LLC authored the International Best-Selling book, “Nice Girls DO Get the Sale: Relationship Building That Gets Results” and “HIRED! How to Use Sales Techniques to Sell Yourself On Interviews”.  Elinor delivers inspirational keynotes at conferences, team training, private coaching and finds joy in helping her clientele turn their dreams into reality.  Elinor is available upon request for consultation.

The good news about experiencing an earthquake as opposed to hurricanes or tornadoes is they are over in less than a minute.  However, quite a different perspective was observed when visiting Washington D.C. This episode reminded me of a very important principle for successful sales, but first let me describe the chaos.

It was the very first earthquake experienced by most people in the area.  Buildings were evacuated and people flooded the sidewalks and streets.  Continual sirens coming from ambulances were heard and cars jammed intersections trying to flee the scene.  Except those fleeing were at a standstill.

I was trying to figure out why the modest quake would have everyone so shaken. Once in conversation to unravel the facts, I realized many of the same people had experienced the nightmare of the terrorist attacks on 9/11. In fact, it was less than a month from the anniversary date.  No wonder they were gripped with concern and fear.

Whether you are applying for a job or to acquire a client, you must get the other person’s perspective first to fully understand how you might best be of assistance.  Reserve judgment until you know all the facts.  You will have a far better opportunity to build the relationship by maintaining an open mind.  This will help you to interview better and on the wave of the Smooth Sale!

About the author: Elinor Stutz, CEO of Smooth Sale, LLC authored the International Best-Selling book, “Nice Girls DO Get the Sale: Relationship Building That Gets Results” and “HIRED! How to Use Sales Techniques to Sell Yourself On Interviews.” She provides team sales training, private coaching and business retreats to grow you business.  She is available upon request for consultation.

I won’t spend any time explaining why hiring is hard.  It is.  Lots of people have spilled gallons of (virtual and real) ink on that subject.  Setting aside the war for talent that rages on in Silicon Valley today, it is just plain difficult to ascertain ahead of time how good a fit a potential employee will be.

At Proven.com (formerly WorkersNow), my co-founders Joe Mellin, Sean Falconer, and I have come up with a couple of quick tests that give us a pretty good indication of someone’s frame of mind and enthusiasm.  Ultimately, we are trying to assess a fit with our culture.  In other words, I am sharing what has worked for us, not making it a prescriptive recipe for others.

The GSD Task

Before anybody joins Proven.com, they have to perform a Get S___ Done (GSD) task.  The task is different for everybody, but it generally centers on the person’s area of expertise.  The GSD task tells us two things.  First, is this person’s style a good fit for the way we work? And second, we want to see that they are fired up enough about our company such that this challenge elicits a “heck yeah, I’ll do that.”  We have seen several potentially good candidates fold when confronted with the GSD task.  The folding can come in the form of whining, making excuses, asking for absurd timelines, or simply going radio-silent (all true stories).  We don’t take this personally and realize there is a chance we missed out on a good person because our hurdles were too high.  We are OK with that, because this way we are guaranteed that the people we do count as our prized employees are certified GSDers.

The Gym Membership

Fitness runs in our company’s DNA deeper than in most Silicon Valley firms. Joe and I met our third co-founder Sean at Crossfit in Palo Alto, which set off the chain of events that culminated with Sean leaving his Post-doc at Stanford to join our company.  We have found that people who care about their health and fitness tend to be happier, more productive, and a better fit for our culture.  For this reason, we pay for every employee’s gym membership.  Many of our employees choose Crossfit, but we will pay for any form of gym as long as our employees are getting off their butt and moving.  We value people with a strong work ethic who are constantly trying to get better.  We find that people who are really excited about physical activity tend to have those characteristics in spades.  I want to reinforce that this is not mandatory, nor do we care about the absolute level of fitness somebody has.  We have just noticed that we really like working with folks who strive to improve physically, as this translates well into Proven.com’s everyday execution.  Excitement about physical self-improvement is not as cut-and-dry a criteria for us as the GSD task is, but we have found it to be a good proxy for cultural fit.

Hiring will continue to be hard, and maintaining a culture only gets more difficult as a company grows.  There are only 13 of us now, but as we recruit the next key hires, these criteria are top priority for us.  We are excited to continue the journey and to add self-improving GSDers to our team along the way.

About the author: Pablo Fuentes is CEO of Proven.com.  He likes Crossfit, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, kiteboarding and spending time with his friends and his dog.  His twitter is @rotarypayphone.

About the Author:

When you are ready to make a sale and questions arise about what’s included in the package, or you receive a job offer letter after a fabulous interview, there is a holding period of time that can be very nerve wracking.  Job seekers and entrepreneurs normally do not negotiate on a regular basis so some become very stressed out.

When you are stressed, it is almost impossible to maintain your level of professionalism, brand identity or build relationships. Your voice, face and writing must all reflect you are in control and will work professionally to the satisfactory conclusion of all concerned.

Companies typically offer the lowest possible compensation they can get away with to still hold your interest in their first offer.  It is up to you to not jump at the offer but use an analytical eye on the offer in order to successfully negotiate. Likewise companies will want to secure your services at the lowest available pricing.  They get away with this ONLY if you allow them to.

Emotions must be left at the door.  There may be 2-3 rounds of negotiation.  You have to hang tight.  Review the company needs, wants and deep down desires. Upon receipt of a low-ball offer, in a friendly manner, remind the hiring company of the benefits you bring.   Add that you are excited about the opportunity and finding a way to move forward together. Nothing more.

Negotiation becomes a waiting game. If the company were to turn you down, “NO” would be immediate.  Understand behind the scenes schedules need to be coordinated to revise the offer.  This can take a couple of weeks.  

Stress Reduction Tips:

1.  Plan a fun weekend with friends

2.  Adapt a positive mindset

3.  Ask someone you love for a hug!

The hug immediately reduces tension and allows you and your nerves to get back on track.  By the time it’s your turn to check in to say you are excited about the opportunity, you will sound relaxed and professional.  Most importantly you will be communicating that you expect a solid offer and that the company will step up to the plate and deliver.  You will soon hear “Yes”or HIRED!

Go ask for that hug now and make it a Smooth Sale!

About the Author:

The art of making a sale or getting the job you are after is in the way in which you build trust and confidence in you and the relationship with the person involved.  Think about your first encounter before shaking hands – what will they first notice about you?

• Punctuality
• Smile
• Clothing

Punctuality is listed as #1.  There are two groups of people – those who are punctual or early for an appointment and those who are habitually late.  I’m in the first group and I can tell you waiting for someone to finally show does not make a very good impression.

The bad impression is compounded if you are a job seeker and arrive late for the interview. The hiring manager interprets this as  you not being a team player; your work under deadline will never meet its goals; and the department will suffer.  Be punctual to turn all thoughts into positive ones.  The image you must project is one of the hiring company seeing you on the job and hastening the pace of you hearing HIRED!

Likewise, if you are vying for business, people want to see you arrive on time and eager to “earn” their business.  Earning is something many salespeople are not familiar with – they believe just by talking and demonstrating they know more than their competitors they will get the business.  This is not true. For more information on selling best, turn to Nice Girls DO Get the Sale.

The key to successful selling whether for business, getting a request granted or landing the job you desire, is building trust and confidence in yourseslf.  The process begins with showing up a few minutes early.  The underlying marketing-communication message is that you are interested in the other person or company, not just yourself.  This  contributes to the first overall good impression of you.  Next, you will have to demonstrate an active interest in the other person and the challenges they are facing plus offer insight on helping to find solutions.

Punctuality is the first stance to take that will attract more prospects, clients and the job you desire.  You will then experience increased good word of mouth and sales or become the most desired candidate for the job.

Demonstrate the leader you are and your expertise will shine through leading to a very Smooth Sale!

I am having a great bit of trouble with my boss.

I manage a team of 8 sales people in a high-tech industry.  My team consistently is one of the leading sales groups in our global company and it is a tight group that works well together.

What is the best approach for handling the situation and doing what is best for my own career and the company as a whole.

The answer from the crowd-sourced crew was from Natilady:

Looks like you can play this a few different ways.

Refuse to do as she says:
You could fight your boss on the issue tooth and nail…. and make an enemy in the process. You could refuse to do what she says and set yourself up for a charge of insubordination and a jobless future. If neither of these sounds reasonable, think about it in another way.

As long as the written trail of responsibility leads to her, you have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

The next time you find yourself in a moral tussle with your boss, these approaches may help.

About the Author:

You may find it difficult to believe but the following three questions were actually posed to hiring managers:

– Are there people I should avoid if I take this job?

– Is it alright if I take a power nap after lunch?

– May I postpone the drug test?

It is easy to laugh now but I advise you to think back about some of your previous interviews. Did you ever regret something you said or did?  Have you heard stories of others with similar experiences?

The best way to improve your results is to analyze your previous, less-than-stellar experiences. Likewise, learn from others around you.  Give them due attention so you can hear where they took a wrong turn or what they did fabulously well to earn their next job.  The lessons are free, you just need to be willing to analyze, listen and learn.

When you are about to go into an interview be prepared with intelligent questions you wish to know about the open position, the team and the company.    As the interviewing party questions you, make certain you understand the question itself and why it is being asked in the case you aren’t clear or an answer may take one of a few directions.  Avoidance of a question is a mark against you.  Your best technique is to clarify which direction to take and then answer succinctly.

Professional salespeople know that during a conversation with a prospect (or in this case a potential employer), they must receive 3-5 buy-ins or mini-agreements such as the nodding of a head up and down or a reply of Yes to what is being said.  So immediately after you answer the question, make it a habit on the more important topics to ask, “Do I sound like the type of candidate you are seeking?”

Assuming you answered properly, you will be well on your way to making the sale or hearing, HIRED!  Of course, I always call this a Smooth Sale!

About the Author:

I recently spent an extended period of time in a small Montana town with a surprising selection of gastronomic offerings; Mexican, Thai, Italian, Greek, wonderful bakeries and at least two creperies.

During a conversation with a local grad student she summarized her reluctance to visit one of the creperies by commenting “I prefer food without the anger, thank you very much.”   Her comment referenced an employee who worked for one of the creperies and practiced the consistent habit of taking an order without even the glint of a smile (more likely one of annoyance).  Pouring the batter on the griddle, this employee would proceed to slap the customer’s chosen ingredients on the crepe with an attitude of anger and unrest.  Extra cheese??? (heavy sigh), Ham…Ka-whack!  Detaching the delicate creation from the griddle this employee would slap it on the plate and shove it towards the intended recipient before proceeding to delight yet another customer…..yes, this was consistent, predictable behavior, not just one bad day.

Wow, what a story and what a poignant end result: a non-raving fan.  Looking for the learning in this story?   If you own a business where you and/or your employees interface with the public, be mindful of the attitude you portray to your customers.  Sure, all of us have challenging moments (a recent Jet Blue flight attendant comes to mind) and times when we are not at our best, but in this case the behavior was so predictable that the patron opted to no longer frequent the business.

I believe every business with a public/consumer interface will experience invaluable benefit (and ROI) from integrating personality profiling into their hiring practices. A simple profile can provide accurate information about an individual’s skills and temperament, enabling you to place them in a position where they and your business will thrive.  Well known profiles include DISC, The Keirsey Temperament Sorter, Meyers-Briggs and my personal favorite, the PREP Profile, which can be customized to job position and existing management personalities.  In Jim Collin’s phraseology: It’s about “getting the right people in the right seats on the bus.”

1.    Let an Intern Grow with the Company.  It’s so hard to find dedicated and loyal employees. Bringing an intern on board provides a “test-drive” of their abilities. This intern can learn the company inside out and help you brainstorm. At the end of the internship, there is a good chance that you will want to hire that person full-time. By this time, the goal is to build a trusting relationship with the individual. This is usually much better than hiring someone you are unfamiliar with.

2.    Bring Fresh Ideas to the Table.  It’s always nice to have a fresh set of eyes look things over and provide new and different opinions. The interns of today are the future buyers of tomorrow. Get their opinions. See what they are into. Test things with them. Have them ask their peers about products and services.

3.    Go Social Media Crazy. Employers are spending hundreds of thousands of dollars having social media consultants teach their employees the ropes. These students already have integrated several of these social media tools into their daily lives. Give an intern a stab at running your online marketing. You may be surprised by what she can do.

4.    Micro-Manage When Necessary.  Look, many interns have never worked in the “real world” before. They have a different perception of how things work and how tasks should be managed and prioritized. Don’t assume anything. Teach them the ropes. Encourage them to ask questions. When assigning tasks, specify how much time they should be spending on each task and set your expectations.

5.    Make “Commitment” Your Magic Word. Take it from someone who has had both bad and good experiences with interns, stress the word commitment. In the interview process, ask the intern what the word commitment means to him. Explain clearly what you expect of him, the time commitment you would like, and how you feel about people who don’t take their commitments seriously. You want to hire an intern that you can rely on.