You may be thinking why in the world would anyone want to interview like a con artist.

They cheat, lie and steal and overall have more then a bad rap – they’re just plain bad people.

That’s what I thought too until I stumbled upon a list of strategies and techniques used very successfully by con men/women.

Con people are exceptional at the art of persuasion.

And who better to use these techniques in a positive, legitimate manner than candidates applying and interviewing for golf jobs.

Now if this sounds like a bunch of b…s… to you, stop reading right now.

However, if you’re a bit unconventional and open to learning new persuasion techniques that may very well improve your chances of scoring the perfect golf gig, read on.

In this post, Part 1, we’ll cover 4 important secrets that can help you ace an interview and land a great golf job.

Con Artist Select #1 – Find out what a company wants and figure out a way to give it to them

If you can uncover what your potential employer needs or a problem they’re facing (a “pain”) and you can help solve that problem if they hire you, you’re golden. The fact that you’re even discussing their problems puts you way above the competition.

Con Artist Secret #2- Choose the right mark

The right mark for our purposes is the hiring manager. As most of us know by now the hiring manager’s name, tile, work history and interests can be found on Linkedin, company websites, job postings etc… Once your mark is uncovered, research something about them i.e. where they went to school, hobbies, interests, charities anything that can align you with the decision maker before and during an interview. This is why our White Glove service works so well. We blast a concentrated copy of your resume directly to decision makers in the golf industry.

Con Artist Secret #3 – Listen don’t talk (yet)

This the probably the most valuable secret to use in any sales scenario especially if you’re selling yourself. Listen to what the employer is saying. What went wrong with the last person they hired? What are they looking for now in a candidate? What do they want to achieve, acquire or accomplish in their department, company or club? The best way to uncover this information in an interview is to ask good questions and let them talk.

Con Artist Secret # 4 – The foot-in-the-door trick

“Sticking one’s foot in the door” means to ask someone for something small. Ever walk by kiosks in the mall and the young girls and guys hocking soaps, creams of perfumes or whatever typically ask you a question? They’re trying to lure you slowly into buying their product one small step at a time. For our purposes, I think a similar technique is applicable at the end of an interview. Qualifying questions like “How do I look compared to other candidates you’re interviewing” or “Do you think I’m qualified for this position?” or “Do you think I’m a good fit for this opportunity?”.  Most interviewers will respond positively and the beauty is once they commit to you verbally, they become more committed to you psychologically. The mere fact that you’re qualifying them puts you above the competition. I cant tell you how many strong candidates with tons of experience and accomplishments are either afraid or neglect asking for the job.

There are actually 43 con artists secrets. I’m only taking the ones I think are applicable to job hunting and will review more in my next post.

You can view them all here.

P.S. Ready to apply some of these interviewing tips? Check-out our White Glove service. We’ll package your resume starting with the headline explaining Why You Should be Hired…in a quick, easy-read format then send it directly to the “right” marks..golf job decision makers.

Dawn Schlesinger
Chiefgolfjobologist
Dawn@GolfSurfin.com