When I started Contemporary Business Solutions in November 2009, I knew that I would be using the skills I had acquired while interviewing for jobs in the client-building process. It only recently dawned on me how vast the similarities really are. (Nod to Jeff Garrison and Sales Habitudes)
1. The preparation for both encounters
- Research the Company
- Learn everything I can about the person(s) conducting the interview on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and the Internet in general.
- Identify their need(s) and have solutions prepared if called upon to provide them
2. Follow-up
- Before leaving the meeting, have a clearly defined method for following-up
- Make sure both parties understand the next step
- In both job interviews and prospect meetings, it is STILL difficult to get a yes or no response (Did I get the job? Are they going to sign my proposal?)
- In both situations, the timeline for follow-up on their end is rarely adhered to, so I have to initiate contact
- There is a bit more flexibility with a prospective client relationship than there is with a potential employer in terms of communication
3. The dreaded $$$ question
- The first person who said an amount “loses”
- In the prospect meeting, I will ask if they have a budget range in mind; in the job interview, if the interviewer brings up salary, I will also ask them if they have a range in mind
Have any of you made the transition from job-hunting to being a Free Agent? What similarities do you see between the two?
