By Susan Britton Whitcomb

As a candidate interviewing for a job, you may be tempted to ask employers to “show you the money” (or at least show their hand when it comes to salary negotiations!). More important is that you, the candidate, show the employer (the buyer) how you can “show them the money” by impacting the bottom line.

In parts 1 and 2 of this article series, we learned how the famous tagline from the film “Jerry Maguire” can be applied to resumes and cover letters. Now it’s time to look at the interview process.

Use the mantra “show them the money” throughout the interview. In responding to each and every interview question, frame your response in the form of a solution-with you as the solution. And, make the solution numbers-driven! Whenever possible, include numbers that directly impacted (or helped to impact) an increase in sales or a decrease in costs.

Note how this before-and-after response by a Call Center Manager reframes the answer to the typical interviewer’s question “So, tell me about yourself.”

Before:

* I have a degree in Business Administration with an option in Finance. I began my career in call center operations about 10 years ago and have worked my way up through increasingly responsible positions. My last position was Call Center Manager with ABC Communications.

After:

* As a Call Center Manager, I have a 10-year history of turning underperforming operations into profitable sites. I accomplish this through a combination of technology enhancements, financial monitoring systems, and, most importantly, training and team-building. In less than six months at ABC Company, cost-per-call was reduced from $4.60 to $1.80, revenue per outbound call was increased from $2.80 to $6.50, and our close ratio skyrocketed from 20% to 63%. Bottom line-the site’s profit picture went from red to black, with an after-tax net above 10%. I’d like to hear more about your operations here and how I can be of help … can you tell me what you consider to be your biggest challenge in the next six months?

Note the use of numbers. And, note the follow-up question that engages the interviewer in a two-sided conversation, rather than a one-sided interrogation.
The Payoff

By using this technique throughout the interview, you’ll have plenty of ammunition to leverage a nice raise for yourself when it comes time to negotiate salary. Here’s how:

    Response to salary offer:

    * “The position is very appealing to me, but the salary at $55,000 isn’t quite in synch with my ability to deliver solid results for your company. I’m confident that my track record of capturing revenue gains of at least 40% at every employer will warrant a salary in the $80,000 range. In fact, my last two employers enjoyed an ROI of 10:1 by hiring me….”

Remember, money talks. Show your ability to deliver the dollars (revenue increases, cost controls) at each and every turn in the job search, and you’ll be a hot commodity no matter what the status of the economy.