The importance of capturing and leading imagination in an interview

An outstanding salesman once said: “People buy for emotional reasons and then justify with logic”. If we accept the premise that a job interview as a candidate is in fact selling, then there is a lot that we can learn from this idea. But how do you, as a job candidate, capture and lead the imagination of the interviewer?

Answering this great question is exactly what we aim to do in this short blog, so that you know what specific things you can ask and state in your next interview to maximise your chances of success.

The first thing to acknowledge is that, for our purposes, we want to keep moving the interviewer’s mind into the future. We want them to imagine what that future vision looks like and then, crucially, how you the candidate have the skills and experiences to make that future become a reality.

So how can you do that? Well, the answer depends on where you are in the conversation. There are two phases of the interview where this is best applied:

The Opening

Here you have the opportunity to pre-frame the conversation by gently setting the agenda to be one of exploration and evaluation.

First Match

During this phase, you really want to understand what the interviewer sitting in front of you right now is looking for. This might be the same as what you learnt from the previous interviewer, the job spec or the recruiter - or not. You may be able to have a back and forth conversation during which you are both asking and answering questions. Conversely, the interviewer may just want to ask you questions, which is fine because the requirements of the job will be implied and embedded in those questions.

At this point you are seeking to understand two things: the interviewer’s vision of what this area of business looks like in the future; and, second, what specific things will have to happen for this to become a reality.

Once you have an understanding of this, you can now give very relevant examples of the things that you have achieved in the past and then relate that to the future vision. Possible follow-up questions to ask are: “Can you see how I would be able to apply what I have learned in order to achieve that result that you have in mind?” or “In what way do you think that that capability (the example that you have just given) could be applied to this position?”

During normal interviews, the interviewer will have thoughts about the position, including what results are expected to be achieved by the right candidate. This may be very clearly articulated or be a ‘feeling’. They will then ask you questions about your past and do an evaluation in their mind as to how closely you match up.

By gaining an understanding of what that interviewer’s future vision is, you can help them return to their imagined future by relating how your abilities will help them achieve that picture. You want to lead them into that imagined future and you will have guided part of their thinking process. The interviewer will more readily see you as the solution to the business issue at hand.

The final thing to say is that using this technique is a good example of sophisticated communication and high level persuasion, and fundamentally does not stray into manipulation for two reasons. First, you genuinely want the best outcome for the interviewer and for yourself; you are looking for a win-win. You might be the right candidate for the role and, importantly, the role might be right for you. Second, you are being entirely truthful in all that you say. That’s why exploring and understanding the role is so important. Should you get to the point where you realise that it is not a win-win scenario, then there is no longer any need to sell yourself. It is a very empowering stance to say to the interviewer: “Look, I don’t believe that I have the skills and experiences that you are looking for” or “This role is not what I am looking for”. Should that be then both parties can move on amicably.

There is no value in continuing the conversation is the role is fundamentally not a good fit for both parties.