The Secret to Getting the Job, the Raise, the Promotion, the Deal
Heads up, introverts! What does it take to get the job, the raise, the promotion, or the deal you’re after? Do you have to be a loudmouth or a blowhard? Hardly. If often boils down to how well you
Remind yourself that you don’t need to
After all, if we turn the tables, you have extensive experience as a
Not you. You’ll use your quiet strengths to your advantage. You’ll research to find out what really matters to Jo(e) Stakeholder. Is she more concerned with cutting costs? Is he hellbent on bringing in more clients? Raising the organization’s profile? Gunning for her own career advancement? Or just getting through a current crisis? You’ll take the time to find out.
Next, you’ll address precisely what matters—in tight, well crafted written and spoken language with an express lane to Jo(e) Stakeholder’s brain. After all, you’re in your sweet spot when you’ve done your homework, you’ve listened carefully to what your stakeholders care about, and you focus on speaking their language.
I have a mantra you can use whenever you address your stakeholders. Before you write a sentence or utter a word think “you, you, you” (about them, them, them). It’s not the most popular word in the world of advertising for nothing! So start your e-mails and phone conversations with a line or two about the other person—inquire about her latest news, congratulate him on his promotion, or describe a solution to a problem you can solve for her.
Here’s another shortcut. Answer the following questions and you’ll be on your way. Assuming you’re an introvert, go into a quiet space where you won’t be interrupted, focus on your stakeholders, and answer these questions. An extrovert would probably prefer to do this out loud and in collaboration with others. Whatever works! Ready for this mental exercise?
What stakeholder(s) do you need to
- What matters most to your stakeholder(s)?
- What are their challenges?
- Which challenges can you help them address?
- How can you hit a home run for each stakeholder?
Now articulate what you’ve got that Jo(e) Stakeholder really needs. Buff it up until it twinkles. Then hit “send”!
My hope in sharing this exercise is to get you moving toward clinching that deal. Of course, you can do a lot more thinking about this. To dive deeper, check out Chapter 4, “Your
©Copyright 2010 Nancy Ancowitz