Don’t ask your customer if she would like to buy a box of chocolates; ask her if she likes dark or light chocolate. Don’t ask if the customer wants to buy a car; ask them what color they like. Find out what the person likes and show them how to get what they like.
Consider this question: what is more important to you, a lower food cost at your restaurant or a unique menu item? The next step is to talk about what the client wants or likes when the answer is found.
If you want to be a good friend, you need to find out what your potential friend is interested in and then become interested in the same thing by asking questions to learn more.
Do these thoughts have anything to do with looking for a job or finding out about an industry or career path? Of course, they do. You have to ask questions and understand what will require of you if you take the next step and seek job opportunities.
This isn’t new news, but the label “Informational Interview” seems a little unique, even if it isn’t. The approach has always worked and is just the basics of job hunting and many sales approaches.
Those that try to sell someone something, even their skills, have always found success easier if they spend some research and fact-finding time.
An informational interview for a job seeker occurs when a meeting is set up to learn about a potential job of interest. It isn’t an interview, and the job seeker asks questions to learn rather than make an immediate sale. The goal is information.
The same thing happens when a salesperson spends time learning what a client wants and needs. Unfortunately, the process isn’t new. It is just something that many salespeople, as well as job seekers, miss.
