6 principles that can skyrocket your chance of landing a job in 2021
Kareem Abukhadra
Author, Founder Relentless
There are 6 principles I weave into almost every single sales and marketing pitch, whether I’m pitching myself for a job, or trying to close a deal.
Reciprocity: People feel obligated to give back to those who give to them.
Scarcity: People want what they can’t have.
Authority: People follow the lead of credible, knowledgeable experts.
Liking: People are more likely to say yes to those they like.
Consensus: People look to the actions and behaviors of others to determine their own.
Consistency: People like to be consistent with things they have previously agreed to.
These ideas are straight out of Cialdini’s book "Influence" which is a must-read.
You may have seen how I’ve used some of these ideas to pitch myself for jobs. Below is an example of how I’ve used them during a fundraise for an idea I have.
Person A just intro’d me to person B who I’m trying to sell. This signals to person B that person A thinks I have value which falls under 5. consensus.
I compliment person B and reference another mutual contact we have. This both generates 4. liking, adds another point to 5. consensus, and makes person B want to reciprocate the compliment by adding value back.
I mention the influencers have a few MN in reach which signals 3. authority.
I mention high profile people who may be involved. This signals 5. consensus, adds 3. authority, and creates some 2. scarcity (the other person may be worried they might not be able to get in if too many sponsors are involved).
There’s other learnings you can take away from the message structure.
It’s concise
It clearly communicates value for them (this is contingent on me understanding the incentives of the other party and laying out the benefit clearly)
It starts with a focus on them
It has a lot of white space and is easy to read
It ends with a clear CTA
The CTA is soft (I’m not asking for an answer but asking if they’re open to “exploring” the idea more, etc.)
