I found this somewhere. It hit me hard how true it is.

It was my phone interview with Walt Disney — one of the many companies I wanted to work for. I made all the best arrangements. Booked a private space in one of my friend’s research laboratory in college (I know this is weird but I wanted to be as alone as I could — no friends, no library, nothing).

With a blank page of a brand new book, I wrote the headline ‘WD Interview’. I made some categories — questions to ask, next steps, interviewer’s name, etc.

Interview went great.

Fast forward one week, I get a reject from the company with the same old script — “While it was a pleasure to interview you, we have decided to move forward with…blah blah blah”.

And do you know the irony here? I thought my interview was perfect, I answered all the questions I could, the interviewer was impressed.

It’s like one of those exams where when you come out of the class, you KNOW you’re going to ace it.

Compare this to my friend’s phone interview. He gave it walking on the road, with plenty of wind gushing and he had no notes or a pen whatsoever. I am not even sure how he was able to listen on the other end. Still, he cleared it.

What was going on? Phone interviews are harder than they look. You need to know not only the answers, but the way you present them since there is no face-to-face interaction.

As you see above, in any job pyramid, phone interviews are critical and often a step towards getting a job. What I learnt after interviewing with companies like Amazon, Revlon, Chipotle, etc. that there are certain elements to master any phone interview.

When I initially gave any interview, it was a mess. It’s embarrassing to admit this, but I almost felt I’ll never get a job. It was only after I started focusing on few activities which gave me massive results.

In fact, many a times we give a phone interview thinking it went great, only to realize we didn’t qualify for the next round. Even worse, we don’t know the reason since we THOUGHT everything was perfect. We feel we are perfect for the job, but it’s unfair when evaluated on phone.

So don’t worry. I’m going to make it super easy for you. In this post, I’ll explain what you should focus on by providing 4 steps. It won’t be the same old advises like “Just be confident”, “Follow your intuition”, etc.

Instead, I’ll also give you the exact scripts you can use to impress almost any interviewer on the phone. If you only do these 4 steps, you can almost guarantee yourself of clearing the interview.

Download this FREE checklist for mastering phone interviews

Step 1 : Set the Groundwork and a Solid Foundation

Our first step is to get the lay of the land. That means to get all relevant information about the interview. This includes –

Knowing who is going to interview you — position, job roles, etc.

Whether the person is from HR or the Hiring Manager in let’s say a specific department of the company

If there is one or multiple rounds for the job position

Review similar interviews on sites like glassdoor.com and gather information

This way you create a strong foundation on what is coming. So, this step is all about being creative — just collect any firsthand information you can. Save it wherever you’re comfortable in — excel, word, handwritten notes, wherever. The tool is not relevant but the information you’ll collect is.

Step 2 : Perform Deep Dive Analysis

This is the step where you front-load some of the work. Every minute you spend at this step is going to save you 10x the time down the road.

Remember, the example of my friend I gave you above? Why was his interview smooth and he sailed through? All ties back to this step so let’s spend some time here.

Our main aim at this step is to deep research. But, don’t worry, like I said, I’m going to make this easy for you so there are only a few things you need to focus on.

1. Company Profile:

What does the company do EXACTLY? Not just browsing through the company website, but actually understanding what they do, why they do and how they do. This can also be your answer to “Why do you want to work for this company”.

Let’s say the position you’re interviewing for is of Supply Chain Analyst.

Bad example: “This is my dream company and I always wanted to work for it,…”

Good example : “I know company X since the time I was in college. Obviously, like many students this is my dream companies to work for. I have been doing my homework so far and I like the projects carried out by the Supply Chain department within the company. I especially like A, B and C where I saw there was a tremendous improvement and savings”

Tip : Being more specific instantly makes you stand out and shows you have done homework.

2. Job information:

This is a no-brainer and my guess is you already know you need to understand the exact requirements of the job. Apart from the requirements, carefully studying the job roles and responsibilities is critical. Try answering questions like —

What will my typical day look like?

Whom will I meet on a daily basis?

What sort of projects will I be working on?

3. Job-Employee Fit:

Once you know the requirements, you need to come up with ideas as to how you believe you’re the best fit or the perfect candidate for this job. Remember, even though you think you are unqualified, there are several ways you can give yourself an advantage over others.

For example –

You may have worked on a similar project in the past

You may have studied exactly what they’re looking for

You might know the software skills required for the job

Step 3: Tactics to Impress the Interviewer

This step is all about your interview phone cycle — the time you are on the phone call. Since every interview will compose different questions, I cannot give you the exact questions.

But, I’ll give you some frameworks and tactics which will tremendously help in crushing any interview.

Framework 1: Remove Objections

While answering questions on your interview, keep in mind the different objections the interviewer can have. Once you start the conversation, you will have a general idea of what these objections can be.

For example –

Their Objection How can you remove it Want to hire someone local Explain if you are flexible with location Want to hire more experienced person Provide ways as to how you are equally qualified and knowledgeable about the job role (keep “this is my passion” aside) Want to hire someone who has leadership skills or certain X,Y,Z skills Demonstrate a part in your life where you lead something (remember, it doesn’t always have to be academics, your personal stories will sell too

Download this FREE checklist for mastering phone interviews

Framework 2 : Speak their Language

Understanding what the job entails is one thing, but if you can articulate it while you speak, it can skyrocket your chances to succeed.

Imagine this. You go to a mall and want a t-shirt. You have certain requirements.

want a sky-blue one

should be medium sized

washable in washer/dryer with no color spread

thick material so you can wear it in winter

Now you go to 2 different stores. You read the description tag on one of the blue t-shirts in H&M which says “Size M”. You go to Macy’s and find a sky-blue t-shirt of your taste and the tag reads “Size M, washable, suitable for winters.” Which do you think will be a clear winner here?

See the point? Similarly, there are certain keywords which if you tell the interviewer it means you speak their language. Include those in your conversations which will make the interviewer listen to what he wants to listen.

Some Advanced yet Simple Tactics

Below are some of tactics which aren’t necessarily required, but they work great. In a nutshell, these are body languages which can influence your interview. (not necessary, but complementary)

Walk when you talk : I don’t know about you, but when I walk while I’m on phone, I get more creative ideas to talk and comparatively feel more confident.

Do hand movements

Talk as if you’re talking to a friend . If you have a casual tone in conversation, you automatically build some sort of connection with the other person and the conversation goes light and friendly.

Do an Initial 1 minute Ice Breaker — This is common. We start getting nervous and anxious when we first say ‘Hello’ on the phone to the interviewer expecting the next thing will be an interview question. Instead, think of spending the first minute on a casual conversation. You can talk about where are you located, how the weather looks like, anything else you find interesting to spice up. Think of that one-liner when you meet someone for the first time.

Talk Slowly — Not only this will make you more audible, but will give you more time to think on your answers

Step 4 : Follow up — Closing the Conversation

Last but definitely not the least, is to follow up, preferably with an email. The conversation is not over unless you follow up.

Again, don’t send a generic piece of an email. This ties back to what we discussed above. Customize it and mention what specific you liked and the next steps in the hiring process.

Conclusion:

If you do these 4 steps discussed above, you’re way ahead than the average performers and drastically up your chances to win an interview.

One final note: This won’t be easy and will take extra efforts. But if by doing this we get massive results, why not do it?

Download this FREE checklist for mastering phone interviews