Interview with COO (consulting, average, degree, job)

[War Beagle]

I have an interview with a COO tomorrow and I was wondering what you all think about the situation. Its for a job at a multi-billion dollar company doing business development. I have experience in the sector they service, but I haven't done business development before. They actually recruited me and I have had a phone interview and and in-person interview with the VP I would report to. Both interviews were more conversational than inquisitorial and the in-person interview was really more of the VP telling me about the position and answering my questions.

I guess I am somewhat hesitant since it would be something of a career change and because they recruited me. I know that companies recruiting isn't uncommon, but I have never had that happen to me before.

Does all of this sound pretty standard?

[macroy]

Yup. I wouldn't sweat it. It's just another person on the other side of the table/phone/video. It does give you more opportunity to talk to someone that has more insight to the "big picture". So use that to your advantage.

[lovely40]

Something in your background has led them to believe you're a solid fit for Business Development. Meeting with the COO does seem standard as he/she needs to feel comfortable that you can deliver operational. Your experience has gotten you to this point. Use it to your advantage.

[HeadhunterPaul]

Originally Posted by War Beagle

I have an interview with a COO

Its for a job at a multi-billion dollar company doing business development.

I have experience in the sector they service, but I haven't done business development before.

War,

I am very curious to know how your interview went.

For a Fortune company to recruit someone for NBD -who has no such experience- seems very strange.

So are they expecting you to begin to learn the ropes, using your industry experience or are they expecting you to hit the ground running, even though you have, as you said, no such experience?


Thanks,



Paul......


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[War Beagle]

Originally Posted by HeadhunterPaul

War,

I am very curious to know how your interview went.

For a Fortune company to recruit someone for NBD -who has no such experience- seems very strange.

So are they expecting you to begin to learn the ropes, using your industry experience or are they expecting you to hit the ground running, even though you have, as you said, no such experience?


Thanks,



Paul......


....

Both the VP and the COO I interviewed with said they are looking for a person with a very specific background. I asked the VP directly why the position had been vacant for so long. The COO volunteered the information on his own. The COO also said they have a very particular company culture, which led me to suspect that they might be looking for someone that doesn't already have ingrained habits from a competing company.

I was told there would be several months of training. This would entail what would essentially be home study, followed by shadowing existing business developers with the company. It doesn't sound like I would be thrown into the fire untrained.

From the conversation, the COO seemed most interested in my network as well as my knowledge of the sector. He also seemed interested in my International Affairs degree, which I haven't really used in my career thus far.

[HeadhunterPaul]

Originally Posted by War Beagle

I was told there would be several months of training.

War,

Okay, coolness, thanks.

That they are providing training fills the gap to this story.


Good Luck and thanks again for 'splaining how they expect you to bridge the gap.


I'm sure you know all the outside research about their market you can do on your own will help and also give you what hopefully would be good questions to ask.


Finding out why others have failed or not been successful can be helpful so you avoid past mistakes or oversights. However, know also that everyone has their own style and I've seen what looked like losers bring in the hashla regularly each month and others who seemed like they were natural winners not close deals so although you might want to be looking around to see who else is doing well or not, it mostly depends on how you do, not necessarily how others do. Although, of course, known winners should be looked at closely to see what they bring to the table that might be something you could emulate.

So observe good practices but know that in sales/nbd, everyone has their own style and people react accordingly. What I was told once was that 'if they like you on the outside, they will like you in business'.

So observe but also work on perfecting your own way of doing things. If it doesn't work, you adjust accordingly until you have it dialed in.

Lastly, remember that each industry has its own culture and you want to play to that audience. So if you experience anxiety, just keep in mind that a large part of what you are doing is consulting within an industry you know already. The more it is obvious you are an expert in this field, the more people will look to you for solutions.



Thanks again.



Paul..........


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[War Beagle]

Thanks Paul. One concern I have is that I do not have a traditional "salesman" personality. I am more of a listener and problem-solver than a hard seller, though I have developed skills related to the ability to influence. I am confident I can be effective using that approach, but it is a concern. I told them that I don't have a hard sell personality (and it should have come across in the discussions), so I assume that they aren't looking for that.

[HeadhunterPaul]

Originally Posted by War Beagle

Thanks Paul. One concern I have is that I do not have a traditional "salesman" personality. I am more of a listener and problem-solver than a hard seller, though I have developed skills related to the ability to influence. I am confident I can be effective using that approach, but it is a concern. I told them that I don't have a hard sell personality (and it should have come across in the discussions), so I assume that they aren't looking for that.

This is a very thick topic, War. Whole books are devoted to this and I hope more of the regulars with sales experience chime in to add to whatever I say here.

Draw up a chair....

1. 'Traditional Salesman personality' takes on many forms, just like I had described. Creating credibility is everything along with the ability to Close.

Sales is a conversational process that begins with a pre-close and ends with the pen being offered to the client for signature on the dotted line.

There are many versions of what makes up this process; I was fortunate and was exposed to the basic form, using the Xerox Personal Selling Skills method- the so-called FAB approach: Features, Advantages and Benefits.

This is a basic skeleton method upon which it is expected a budding sales person will build, forming their own version of presentation and close.

Let's come back to this in a moment....

2. "Hard Sell" is a characterization formed by those who have what I'll loosely call a negative impression of the sales process. Or they have been exposed to or observed a sales person who is heavy-handed.

There are certain times, places and products/services where a strong approach is a method of choice but overall, when one hears 'hard sell', they are referring to someone who does not finesse the sales process. Surprisingly, people who use the 'hard sell' do make sales but again, this all depends on the individual person and all other circumstances. For those for whom this does not work, they move from sales job to sales job, repeating their slash and burn methodology long enough to get fired and have to move on.

So don't assume you need to emulate this style and in fact, I often believe that those who use this phrase are actually suffering with a distaste for the sales process either because it offends them (you) or as I said, they have observed this style and it made the larger impression on them over the professional who glides through the sales process and is not half so noisy.

So this characterization is probably (not necessarily) coming from your reaction to the concept of your being in the sales process. Clearly, you have not witnessed enough sales/NBD professionals to have seen there is more than one way to skin a cat.

So, simply, drop this characterization and accept, please, it is not necessary to be heavy-handed to accomplish Sales.

Since you cannot control your situation, hope they put you with someone who, to your surprise, will be a sensitive, listening kind of sales person so you can see up close it is possible to 'be yourself' and also sell.

3. "I am more of a listener and problem-solver than a hard seller, though I have developed skills related to the ability to influence."

If this is true, then I've just wasted everyone's time since you are saying you have the ability to sell but do not seem to recognize this. What you say is what it takes to sell. That and as I said, the ability to CLOSE.

A common mistake for many in sales is to explain, explain and explain but never 'ask for the order'. They leave this last critical part undone. Maybe they don't have the guts to go the distance or more likely, they were not properly trained.

A typical close, using your template, would be to say, for example "...so do you see how what I've said will completely resolve your concerns and will also provide the additional benefits you require in order for you to attain your construction/design/program/ goals?"

The person will say 'yes' and you then say, "....well, great, let's get started. I've included the details here for your review, take a minute to look the contract over, sign it and we'll get started this week."

If you have done your job of completely addressing all the issues/concerns the buyer has, then you will usually have a signed contract in your hand.

Now, where was the 'hard sell' to that? It does not exist. So there is no reason to bring this up since it does not exist for you. You are not the 'hard sell' type and in fact, you sound as though you use what is generally referred to as the consultative selling process.

You are an 'Advisor', a 'Consultant', the buyer's Consigliere. (That's the nice thing about Sales- we can dress up our conversation any which we want.)

So stop worrying- you are creating barriers for success in your head and this will stop or retard your learning curve.

Back to Para 1:

1a. The person you shadow or follow will have their own style. Take from what you see what is comfortable and create your own style to fill in the rest of the sales posture.

No two sales people are exactly alike because we are all different but, yes, there are only so many 'styles' which you will see over and over again as you pay more attention.

Choose your own version and don't assume you have to exactly mimic anyone. A good coach will watch and guide you and let you form your own sales personality.

Another way of saying all this is to say you will be allowed to explore in order to discover your personalized space. And as the months and years go by, we all keep adjusting and also keep alternate styles handy for any one situation.

You will find, eventually, that you will have created your own version of sales with a few alternate versions in the closet for those special occasions that require a change-up.

Trust me on this. Just keep watching and observing and you will see this for yourself.



Bonne Chance,


Paul........

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[HeadhunterPaul]

Originally Posted by War Beagle

Thanks Paul. One concern I have is that I do not have a traditional "salesman" personality. I am more of a listener and problem-solver than a hard seller, though I have developed skills related to the ability to influence. I am confident I can be effective using that approach, but it is a concern. I told them that I don't have a hard sell personality (and it should have come across in the discussions), so I assume that they aren't looking for that.

War,

What I said, above, only addresses your stated concern regarding the 'sales personality'.

I did not much talk about the sales process itself:

The ability to read people;

Asking the 'right' questions;

Knowing to seek out what the buyer's 'hidden agenda' is;

Coming to understand just what constitutes the Buyer's Conditions For Satisfaction and knowing how to match that up to your Offering.



So know that you are only scratching the surface to this Sales conversation when you talk about the 'sales personality'.

It takes months and years to hone one's sales skills. So don't get hung up on ghosts because you have a long ways to go and don't need to put speed bumps in front of yourself along the way.



Paul..........


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[War Beagle]

Originally Posted by HeadhunterPaul

War,

What I said, above, only addresses your stated concern regarding the 'sales personality'.

I did not much talk about the sales process itself:

The ability to read people;

Asking the 'right' questions;

Knowing to seek out what the buyer's 'hidden agenda' is;

Coming to understand just what constitutes the Buyer's Conditions For Satisfaction and knowing how to match that up to your Offering.

I would say that I am above average to excellent at the highlighted characteristics.

I appreciate your input, Paul. I am very observant and coachable, though I already came to the conclusion that you mentioned - namely, that I would need to develop my own "style".