Suzanne had gone on five interviews and still had not gotten the job offer. Yet, the recruiter assured her that no one she had spoken with doubted her qualifications or  competency.

And then it happened again — for a national communications carrier — five more separate rounds of interviews, and again no offer.

Resolving to do better, Suzanne decided to work with a coach.  What was the main takeaway?

Are you closing your interview with the right question?

Do not leave the interview without asking this one single question:  “Now that we have this opportunity, are there any other concerns or objections you have that I can address right now while I am here?”

Ask it with a smile and genuine friendliness.

Was Suzanne applying for a sales position? Yes. Is this closing question only for sales type people? No. Anytime an interviewer asks, “Are there any more questions?” to a candidate, this should be the final one.

In fact, most objections that you might come across, already lurk in the interview. That’s why face-to-face is the time to handle them.

So, what happened?

The interviewer smiled broadly and said, “Good for you, Suzanne. 65 people have interviewed for this job, and only you brought in the closer.”

The time to address any objections, misunderstandings, or potential sources of rejection, is before you leave the room.

These problems are always resolved better in person.  Plus, if these aren’t cleared up in the interview, you may never get the chance to do it later on.

Finally, by consciously following up in the interview, the company knows it can count on you to follow up on your job.

So what happened to Suzanne?  Happy ending –she got the job. Not a fairy tale, a true story.

Photos courtesy VatorNews

In the comments below, share how your last interview’s final minutes went, and what you would do differently.