Telephone Contacts

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by Amin Huffington

Dreamfedjob - Turning unemployed into employed.

Have you heard about the electronic device that can save job seeking time? You have one...your telephone.

Never under estimate the value of direct employer contacts. One of the best and easiest ways to make personal contact with potential employers is to cold call.

The objective of a cold call is to get an interview. You must be prepared, however, to receive many more rejections than appointments. It's much easier to say no over the phone than face-to-face, and you are calling "cold." Be persistent.

The secret of successful calling is to obtain the name of the hiring authority (not the personnel office) and ask to speak with him/her directly.

Your research and network may provide the name of the person who actually does the hiring. If it does not, your first encounter may be with a secretary or receptionist. Remember, many of them have the power to make or break your job search efforts. Their job is to screen calls. If you are polite and ask for advice, you may just get through to the person with whom you need to speak. Ask for the name of the supervisor for the department in which you are seeking work.

Another tool that is used to screen calls is voice mail. While some people find it frustrating, it provides an opportunity to sell yourself because most employers listen to their voice mail. Leave more than a generic message. Use the voice mail to market your skills and interest in the company.

• When you reach the hiring authority or voice mail use your resume or personal business card to briefly state... who you are (and the name of the person who referred you, if applicable)
• your job objective
• what you have to offer

Here are two different approaches to a cold call. Which do you think will result in an interview?

"Hello, my name is J.O.B. Hunter. May I speak to Mr. Smith, please?

Mr. Smith, my name is J.O.B. Hunter. I was wondering if you had any openings in the Sales and Marketing Division?"

OR

"Hello, my name is J.O.B. Hunter. May I speak to Mr. Smith, please?
Mr. Smith, my name is J.O.B. Hunter. Mary Jones at George Mason University suggested that I contact you. I understand that your company is planning a major expansion and may be looking for someone to head the sales and marketing program. For the past three years, I have served as Vice President of Sales for ABC Company. ABC recently closed the northeast operations. Prior to that, I was employed by XYZ Textbooks - five years as a sales representative and three years as Sales Manager. In both jobs, I significantly increased customer accounts and sales profits.

When may I come in to talk to you?"

It's important to practice your presentation so that you show no hesitation or uncertainty and come across in a confident, business-like manner. The more contacts you make, the better you become.

Always ask if you can come for an interview, even if they say there are no immediate openings. Remember, if appropriate, send a resume or personal business card to all employers, even if they didn't grant you an interview. It may change their minds. The telephone log will help you maintain a record of all phone contacts. Remember...if the results are not favorable, you can always call back at a later date.

SUGGESTED RESPONSES TO "NO OPENINGS" When may I call back? I'm very interested in working for your company.
Could my skills be useful for other positions?
Do you know of other companies similar to yours that may be interested in someone with my skills?

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