How to Sell Yourself in an Interview

I am not yet a master communicator but I know a few: John Maxwell, Pastor Joseph Prince, Joel Osteen, Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, Larry King, among others. The following tips are from Larry King who has interviewed so many people in his lifetime and who has also been involved in many business and career interviews. The tips are taken from his book How to Talk to Anyone, Anytime, Anywhere: The Secrets of Good Communication. I will suggest that you read the whole book because it is a goldmine of useful information on the art of communication. These suggestions are meant for anyone who wants to go for any kind of interview: job, business, promotion, etc.

I hereby present to you, the following pieces of timeless advice from Larry King on how to sell yourself in an interview:

Show What You Can DO

Show your prospective employer/client what you can do for them. Let them know the unique contributions you bring. Don’t tell them what they already know about you; that is, what’s on your resume. Tell them how you are going to do the job better than anyone else. Make them think about how good they would look if they hire you. Sell your advantages not features by talking about your abilities, expertise and contacts you have built over time.

Maintain an Open Attitude

Let your demeanour be welcoming. Don’t stifle your openness. Communicate your enthusiasm for the job/business. It is a refreshing characteristic employers/clients are looking for. It is a quality that can make a difference and it shows you are a good prospect.

Be Prepared

Prepare well. Rehearse your answers and comments. Go over the key points you want to make at the interview several times before the interview. Figure out how you will answer hard questions instead of planning to dodge them.

Ask questions

Asking questions helps you learn about the company. It gives you the opportunity to have a good feel of the prospective company/client. Employers/clients respect someone who displays the initiative to ask intelligent questions about their company. Asking questions also shows that you are prepared and you care.

Did you find the tips useful? I sure did and will put them to use the next time an opportunity presents itself. How about you?

Cheers!