Add Value - Period.

I recently had a friend and client going in for an interview. I spent time on the phone prepping him for the interview, discussing potential questions to expect from them, their needs, their challenges, their opportunities and more. As our conversation evolved it became more of a role play – I was acting as if I was interviewing him and he was responding as if he was in the room – in the interview. Great practice – healthy process by the way. I recommend this at home.
Without exception his answers to my questions would regress back to “getting this job is so important to me” or “this job would make my year…my life.” After listening for some time I finally said to him, “this isn’t about you, it’s about them. Sadly, but candidly, they aren’t worried about you, they are worried about how you are going to make their product better, how you are going to add energy to their team, add value to their team, sell and enhance what they do and how they do what they do. Come ‘on” I said, “you know that.” He said, “yep, yep, yep – you are right. But it really would Molly.” I said, “I know it would, but just say it once – say it sincerely and move on to illustrate how you can add value to them.” The reality is, to many references to how much you want it– you look needy and they will offer you a dollar a day (no not really – but you know what I mean). So, hold back, control that overwhelming desire to just explode with “I WANT THIS SO BAD.” And take all that energy, all that passion and talk about how you can ADD VALUE – not about how they add value to you.

It’s a dog fight out there; it’s more competitive than ever. But when you drill right down to it, it’s about adding value. You can create positions for yourself by simply demonstrating and communicating that you can add value.
People hire people and people invest in people who can add value consistently, uniquely and quickly.

GO FOR IT! BE FEARLESS!