Building your brand, researching jobs, and seeking new clients are natural stress builders. When we allow stress to overtake our more relaxed style, it adversely affects our marketing communication messaging that we put out into the world.
Following a very bad economy many people are truly stressed out about acquiring a new job. “Carol” shared her dilemma with me. She interviewed well by having a great two-way conversation. To her benefit, she had friends inside the company who highly recommended her. They admired Carol’s work and her fun loving nature.
When stress sets in
Carol was proud to report she was the one chosen to receive the offer letter. However, the downside was a huge red flag. The salary mentioned was far less than discussed and turned into a major disconnect.
Stress began to set in. Carol was advised to write a friendly letter recapping the high points of the previous conversation. She was to remind them of the value she brings to the company and her desire to negotiate a revised offer letter in alignment with what was previously discussed.
Negotiate with calmness
Negotiation in any situation requires you remain calm and unemotional. This applies to selling to a client or a hiring manager. A well-known sales motto is stated as, “He who speaks first loses.”
I could feel the tension building in her voice as this was explained. Should you be facing similar circumstances about the unknown, here are 3 tips to help turn your stress into relief and maintain your professional brand:
1. Focus on a fun weekend
Play golf, see a movie, read a great book; do what it takes to get your mind into a relaxed state.
2. Understand “no news is good news.”
The hiring company has to jump through bureaucratic red tape to make things right. Perhaps a Vice President needs to approve the salary adjustment, the Hiring Manager must attend all meetings and the interviewing manager has to coordinate everyone’s schedule. Bad news comes immediately while good news takes time.
While waiting for a sale to be confirmed, similar circumstances occur. The larger the company, the longer the final adjustments take to be made.
3. Ask someone you like or love to give you a BIG hug!
We beat ourselves up by second guessing all we do. In the moment of a loving embrace, all the ills of the world drift away. The effect is long-lasting as you realize the anxiety is greater than the reality. The hug allows you to come back to who you truly are with the mindset that you are on track.
When you are in the more relaxed state of mind, your smile returns and everyone can pick up on it. After your enjoyable weekend, by Tuesday you are then able to do a friendly “check-in” to simply state in a friendly, relationship-building style,
“I’m excited about the opportunity you presented and look forward to finding how we may move forward together.”
Your brand and enthusiasm remain in tact and you are still the desirable candidate for the sale or the job! Go get that hug now and make it a Smooth Sale!
