Many companies are attempting to avoid costs and wasted time by doing employment screening with a telephone interview.  This is your first chance to shine!  Simple objective: Get a face-to-face interview!  Here is how to be successful!

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You have been selected to have a preliminary or phone interview as part of the screening process for a job that you want badly.  This job has all of the trappings including the business automobile, protected territory, great compensation plan, and more.

The phone interview, if you are successful, will lead to an in-person interview in another state with the hiring manager.  The phone interview is with the human resources recruiter and you want a home run!

This scenario is not uncommon.  In the sales profession, with candidates often located good distances from the main offices, companies wisely make decisions to screening interviews on the phone before considering bringing a candidate in for an in-person interview.

There are many reasons to use the phone for this purpose; the main reason is that it is cost effective.  Travel which is very expensive now days, and companies are wise to try to avoid some of this expense.  Additionally, if candidates are closely matched in their qualifications, a decision as to who to interview might be determined by some well-directed questions.

There are some tactics that you can undertake that will prepare you and put you in the best light.

You Are the Expert on You

You have heard me say this before, and you will undoubtedly hear it again, “You are the expert on you!” Don’t fall into the trap of waiting for questions that will show your worth, be prepared to give the interviewer the requisite information that makes you shine.

Gather the following information:

• Your Resume – the exact copy that the interviewee has been given.  Know your accomplishments, that is what sets you apart.
• A clear concise salary history (You probably won’t need it, but be prepared).
• A brief ‘elevator pitch’ on yourself describing why you deserve the job.  Brief means 45 seconds or less.
• Your reasons for leaving any job that you have had in the past 10 years. Reduce it to writing and be strong at explaining it.
• Your sales statistics (this is a big one). That should include percentages of improvement or growth (or the opposite).  Again, it is all about accomplishments
• A clear concise picture of the organization you would like to join. What are the markets, products, accomplishments, etc.

Your objective is to have this valuable information at your fingertips, as when there is a pause on the phone, the interviewer cannot tell what you are doing.  You need to be prepared mentally, and prepared from the standpoint of reference material on your background.  The most important part is that you should be able to recite it chapter and verse without much prompting.

Any question on your background and talents should be in your realm of information.  Additionally, you should be able to put into words your strengths, weaknesses and professional objectives as these are common questions.

Phone Interview Etiquette

Just a couple of rules for the interview itself:

• Establish what you will call the interviewer. This can be done during the introductions.  If you don’t know, then stick to “Mr. Johnson” until he tells you differently.
• No background noise at all if possible. You don’t need Barry White begging in the background, even if it does not distract you.
• No interruptions. Set it for a time when you will have no interruptions such as young students returning home from school.
• Don’t interrupt the interviewer. Do not step on someone’s sentences, as that will annoy them.
• Use a landline phone if at all possible. There is nothing more distracting than a dropped call when someone is trying to give you a chance at a career.
• Block call-waiting notifications. If your service allows it, block call-waiting notifications.  Those annoying clicks when your friends are calling are extremely distracting to an interviewer, even if they do not bother you.  (Dialing *70 prior to the call usually blocks the call waiting feature)
• Conference correctly. If you use the conference feature on your phone, be careful with rustling paper and background noise.  No gum or candy, and no pets in the vicinity.
• No Eating. This may sound like a no-brainer, yet people do it.  Have water nearby, and recognize swilling water does produce noise.

It is important to realize that if they are annoyed by your background noise, or the difficulty they have in understanding you, they will ‘check out’ and lean toward another candidate.  Make this a pleasant experience.

Your Objective is Simple – a Face-to-Face Interview!

Go in knowing what the prize is, but also know that your chance to make the impression is increased if you can get face-to-face.  So…your phone interview might be done in racial anonymity, especially if your resume and other correspondence was done in a race neutral format. I am compelled to explain these briefly here:

Racial anonymity – Meaning there has been no disclosure as to race on your part, and none was asked.  The interviewer has no positive verification of your race, and presumably makes the decisions on the basis of the quality of the telephone interview.

Race Neutral Format – The resume, and any supporting information gives no indication of race, fraternal or sorority involvement. The reviewer is left to make the decision on the basis of your qualifications and the telephone interview itself.

You are not concealing anything, you are answering their questions and attempting to get the position.   The more level the playing field, the less of an effect that preference can have in the initial screening process (Refer to Black Sales Journal 12/30/2010 – Preference, Perceptions, and Prejudice and Your Employer).  I know that there may be issues that don’t allow racial anonymity including which college or university you attended, and some voice intonations, yet it is worth the effort if you can sound as race neutral as possible.

Above all, recognize that you will not have a chance without getting past this initial screen.  Approach it with vigor and a plan.  Be prepared!

“What Kind of Money Do You Want?”

There is an important question that you should be prepared for that many sales professionals get surprised by: “Now that you know the opportunity, what would you need in terms of salary for this position?”

I think the best answer to this is a simple one:  ”I am open and flexible with my salary demands.  Much depends on the benefit structure and the compensation (commission or remuneration) plan.”  You want a face-to-face interview so you can show your worth.  This response is legit and fair.  Keep all of your options open.

Your comments are welcome.

A manager might be  prejudiced, but if this individual does not discriminate, legally it does not make any difference.   We don’t care what people think, we care what they do!   Know the difference between these two unfortunate situations and know what might be actionable if it affects you.  When it comes to prejudice, thicken your skin and when it comes to discrimination know the rules.  Always be the professional!

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If you have read Black Sales Journal before, you recognize that I frequently comment on racial prejudice, racial preference, and the effects of negative racial perceptions.  It is natural to provide comment on these topics as they represent the 8,000-pound elephant in the room and as a result are not discussed openly in most forums.

We spend time discussing how the Black sales professional can successfully use tactics to neutralize racial preference and how we all (all Black professionals) can nullify and improve negative racial perceptions.  We also face the fact that racial prejudice is a different and difficult beast and that we may never change it.   Psychiatrists often characterize prejudice as a deep-seated attitude.  We all are aware that something negative has been cast into someone’s personal life, it can have a permanent effect.

Importantly, we should recognize the relationship between racial prejudice and racial discrimination and how they manifest themselves in sales.

The Attitude versus the Action!

For the purpose of this explanation let’s define both of these:

Prejudice – Unreasonable feelings, opinions, or attitudes, especially of a hostile nature, regarding a racial, religious, or national group.

Discrimination – Treatment or consideration of, or making a distinction in favor of or against, a person or thing based on the group, class, or category to which that person or thing belongs rather than on individual merit:  racial and religious intolerance and discrimination.

(Courtesy of Dictionary.com definitions 3/5/2012)

So there you have it, racial prejudice is an attitude.  It can reach deep into ones fiber, but an individual will never be tried in a court based on this attitude, as it is not a crime.  If a customer has this attitude, they still remain a viable customer for someone, but possibly not for a Black sales professional.  If your employer has this attitude it is unfortunate yet as long as they make objective and meritorious decisions, they are not guilty.   In other words they can be prejudice but not discriminate strange as it may sound.

Racial discrimination is a different animal as it is action oriented.  A distinction made on the basis of race can potentially be afoul of the laws and regulations, and is almost always ethnically wrong.  It goes without saying that racial discrimination is unfair and although a customer is free to do anything they want, in the case of an employer it could be legally actionable.

The Vicious Circle

The relationship between prejudice and racial discrimination is suggested to be ‘circular’; meaning one leads to the other.  You document racial discrimination but you talk about prejudice as someones disposition or attitude.  Racial discrimination might mean that you get no ‘call-in’ prospects, bad territories, or no house (orphaned by another rep leaving) accounts.  Discrimination may be hard to prove, yet there is evidence, especially when you are able to compare the situation on a relative basis between all sales professionals at a location.  Know what extras you get and how well you performed when you get the chances and if you feel aggrieved read Black Sales Journal 3/9/2011 When You Feel Screwed  – Three Steps to Getting Help.

I make the suggestion that from the standpoint of professional sales that we realize that the most important activities that we can undertake are as follows:

• Look for and expect fairness from the managers that we work for and be prepared to professionally point out inequities as they happen.
• Document important milestones and activities correctly recognizing that it is “not what you know, it’s what you can prove!”
• Master your company’s performance system (Black Sales Journal 1/10/2011 – Preparing for the Performance Review Discussion).  Always be pro-active and prepared.
• Document every thing you get and what you don’t get.  Know the prospects, house accounts, and special benefits you get, and document them well.  Especially document the situation if you are not getting any.  You will need to know what others are getting to have a chance of success.  The facts count.
• Be the expert on you! Know your sales totals, close ratios, and what percentage of your success came from the company giving you prospects or accounts.

When Bad Gets Worse – Racial Harassment

The unfairness of racial discrimination creates frustration and ill will.  Things are even worse when there is racial harassment.  Racial harassment normally comes from the employer and can emanate from management or coworkers.  A strong example of this is the Montrelle Reese vs. ThyssenKrupp (see Black Sales Journal February 13, 2012).

Racial harassment has a primary purpose of demeaning and driving an individual out of the particular work environment.  It is akin to racial bullying and has no place anywhere, especially in the work environment.  Making someone miserable is awful, and anyone who witnesses it and does nothing is full of fault as well.  It makes no difference as to the colors involved.

Know the facts and know your options.  Most importantly, recognize that acts of discrimination, harassment, and bullying may be actionable, but prejudice is not.  It is an attitude.

Additionally, always be the professional.

Your comments are welcome.