Closing the Interviewer: Ask for the Job
“You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face…You must do the thing you think you cannot do.”
—Eleanor Roosevelt
The last step of the interview process is closing. Closing is a familiar concept in sales, so it’s appropriate to apply it in this situation, where you are essentially “selling” yourself to a potential employer.
Whether or not you’re going for a sales position, managers want to see that you have the courage to ask for the job! They want to see that you can take risks, and asking about the next steps in the interview process is one way to demonstrate that. If it is a sales opportunity, they want to see you ask for the job outright. They want to know you’re not afraid to ask a customer for an order.
The closing process can happen on five or six levels, so it’s important to think of it as a process, not a moment. If you don’t get a job offer with the first close, that doesn’t mean you should stop trying. When you’re closing someone, you just want that person to move you forward to the next step. For example, early in the process, a light, gentle close might be, “I really enjoyed our time today. Can you tell me about what happens next in our process?” Or, “Should I follow up tomorrow or the next day?” Or even, “Do you have someone else you want me to meet with?”
In each of those examples, you are simply trying to get the manager to take another step forward in the interview process. Give him something he can say “yes” to. You can always back out of the closing stage and return to interviewing the manager to see if you can get to an answer that will provide an opening to close.
Once you find that opening, the interview will feel as though it’s run its natural course. That’s the time for a stronger close. Here are some examples:
Or, “I really enjoyed my time today with you. Thank you for being so informative. I see a lot of benefits and value in your company. I’d really like to become part of your team. It’s really a frontrunner in terms of the opportunities I’m considering. What do you see as a next step? Do you need anything from me, my references for instance? I can forward them to you later today so you’ll have a chance to check them. I’m really trying to make a decision by Friday. Does that work for you?”
If the hiring manager seems noncommittal and doesn’t want to give you an answer, start asking some probing questions. For instance, “Is there anything else I can tell you or expand on to help make you feel more comfortable with my experience?” Or, “Are there any areas in my background that concern you and might be reasons why you wouldn’t hire me today?” Then pause and wait for an answer. Sometimes a manager wants to know about something but may not ask about it. That’s why it’s important to pause at the different stages. You want to answer the questions; you want to get the interviewer excited; you want to win the interview. However, you also want to give the manager time if he or she needs an answer to a specific question. Probe for concerns or objections, and if something comes up, address it before you walk out that door. You don’t want to be thinking on the drive home, “Geez, I didn’t feel like he was totally sold on me.” It could have been something you said; it could also have been an area that you didn’t cover.
Insider Secret #7:
Many companies won’t give you the job if you don’t close the deal by asking for it. Hiring managers feel that if you don’t have the courage to ask for the job, you won’t have the courage to ask customers for their business. They also may feel that you won’t be able to ask tough, direct questions when needed.
You may have great skills in a specific area, but because that subject didn’t come up in the interview, the hiring manager figures you don’t have the experience. That’s why you ask during close, “Are there any other areas that I can expand on in my experience?” Or, “Do you feel comfortable with how my experience fits with this job opportunity?” If the manager looks uncomfortable or doesn’t say anything, ask the same questions again.
Closing is uncomfortable for most people, in part because they empathize overmuch with the interviewer; no one likes to be put on the spot. But think of it this way: managers who conduct job interviews deal with people all the time who aren’t organized. That lack of focus can be very frustrating for a manager, who has a goal to achieve specific things within the time spent with you. So when you’re organized, awake, and focused, and you get a manager to a point in the process where he or she feels good about the interview, you’ve made his or her day easier. You’ve done that person a favor. And you’ve done yourself a favor as well.
Closing Worksheet: