7 Tips for Landing the Job in a Phone Interview
Copyright (c) 2009 Jennifer Wong
You've done all the leg work already, submitting bids, networking, sending your resume, and you've gotten as far as a phone interview. Congratulations! That means you're in the running!
Here are some proven phone interview tips to land that new client:
- Be on time. Never be late! Promptness is CRITICAL and is an indicator to your interviewer on how promptly you would handle their business.
- Be confident. Ever hear the commercial for a popular deodorant (..."never let them see you sweat!) Take a minute prior to the interview to do 10 jumping jacks to your favorite REALLY LOUD, FAST song. (Don't' forget to turn the music off after you get pumped up!) Since your interviewer can't see your body language, they will be paying close attention to your energy and confidence level on the phone. Minimize your "ums" and "yeps" and other words your mother told you not to say too often—she was right!
- Listen. After a brief introduction of yourself, allow the interviewer to interview you. Don't let your enthusiasm for the work overshadow the importance of listening to what your client is looking for.
- Do your homework. Check out if they have a website and read up on them. Even if it takes only 15 minutes, a well-placed comment on their experience or something they wrote goes a long way. Clients appreciate that attention to detail. It's an indicator of your attention to the details of their work.
- Don't oversell yourself. Never lie or glaze over a lack of experience...it will bite you in the butt later, trust me! Be honest and say that you don't have much experience in something, but are very open to learn new things.
- Never under-price yourself. Consider fees (such as paypal and membership fees), overhead (do you have to print anything,etc) and the actual work before you price yourself. Be sure of your price PRIOR to the interview. You may offer a discount if they are willing to work outside a network, or if they may be interested in a retainer-like monthly agreement.
- Make sure what you are offering is what you really want to do. Make sure that the services you are offering is what you want to do, becaue if you don't love what you do, it will be grossly apparent. Make sure when you say your specialty is data entry, that you would happily do data entry all day long if needed. Don't say it just to get the job.
Follow these proven steps and you'll be sure to be their top choice! So go get 'em!
About the Author
A pioneer in the virtual world, as well as an author, speaker and business coach, Jennifer Wong has been helping entrepreneurs or "homepreneurs" succeed with their businesses for over 10 years. Sign up at http://www.thehomebizbuzz.com for her intense, information-packed ezine to be in on the buzz for your small business. Whether you're just starting out or just looking for resources for your existing business, you won't want to miss the BUZZ.
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