For sales candidates, follow up is one of the most important and yet also one of the trickiest aspects of the recruitment process. Often, the tricky part is in determining how, when and how frequently to follow up without being seen as bothersome.
Following up is an especially sensitive area when you need the job urgently. A number of factors could be responsible for this, including:
- You may be unemployed, probably due to downsizing.
- You may have the desire to relocate to a new city and would like to have a job waiting for you when you get there.
- You may be looking to get a position that pays more.
Regardless of the reason, be careful not to let your emotions cause you to be reactive or sound desperate. By contrast, take actions that will portray you in a positive and professional light.
When following up, here are the three main guidelines to follow:
1. Use Email
The sales recruiter is likely to be working on a number of different placement projects, interviews and administrative assignments. As such, email represents a non-intrusive and effective way to remain on the sales recruiter’s radar without badgering them. The additional benefits of email is that it creates a paper trail and gives the recruiter time to carefully analyze relevant information before getting back to you.
When writing the email, keep it simple and professional. Before you send it, re-read what you have written to be sure that it is not antagonistic but rather, positive.
2. Consider the Time Frame
Ideally, your follow up email to the sales recruiter should neither come too soon nor too late; neither should your correspondences be too frequent, especially if they are not responding. As a general rule of thumb, you may write a follow up email a week after the interview. If the recruiter does not send you a response, you may then send another one about four days later. If you receive a response to neither in another three to four days, it may be time to place a courteous phone call.
3. Communicate!
It is quite possible to send an email or speak on the phone without really communicating what you need to the sales recruiter. Keep in mind that the recruiter is likely to be considering a number of different candidates for the position. As you follow up therefore, you need to communicate your eagerness and excitement at the possibility of getting the position. A lot of this has to do with your tone and choice of words. Expressive words generally help to communicate certain nuances that you may not necessarily be saying. They also stick in the mind more than non-expressive words. Another great tip is to smile! Even though the recruiter is not able to see you while you are speaking on the phone, your smile carries. As a result, you sound not only pleased to be speaking with the sales recruiter, but also pleasant; a person with whom it would be a delight to work.