Guide to Overcoming Objections, Booking Meetings, and Raising TNs

Authored by:

Sam Turner & Mark Zanewick

Guide to Overcoming Objections, Booking Meetings, and Raising TNs

Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 1

Cold Calling ......................................................................................................................... 2-4

Avoid the gatekeeper entirely ...................................................................................................... 2

Engage the gatekeeper to obtain valuable information .............................................................. 2

Try a different Gatekeeper ........................................................................................................... 3

Responding to “Send me an information package” ..................................................................... 3

Responding to “I don’t think we would be interested in something like that” ........................... 4

Objections During the Meeting .......................................................................................... 5-11

Responding to “I will need to talk it over with my boss” ............................................................. 5

Responding to “I will have to think it over” ................................................................................. 6

Responding to “We do not have room in the budget” ................................................................ 7

Responding to “Call me back in 6 months” .................................................................................. 8

Responding to “I want to take on an intern, but not right now” ................................................. 8

Responding to “We only hire locally to support local students here” ......................................... 9

Responding to “I don’t think we would be able to work with the $1500.00 fee” ..................... 10

Responding to “What happens if the intern doesn’t work out and we want to fire them?” .... 11

Responding to “We only hire interns that we intend to become permanent staff” ................. 11

Closing a Sale - Strategy ....................................................................................................... 13

Use the prospect’s questions to close the sale .......................................................................... 13

You must get a sale or an objection ........................................................................................... 13

Closing a Sale- Do Not Promise something we can’t deliver on ......................................... 14-16

Responding to “I have a position I’d like to fill that starts next month” .................................... 14

Responding to “I’d like someone with 2-3 years of work experience in the field” .................... 15

Responding to a very specific skill, experience, or regional requirement ................................. 16

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Introduction

Will this guide benefit me? This guide is meant to help overcome some of the most common objections that you will face after communicating the value of the GIP to the prospect. If you are still learning about AIESEC or do not yet feel confident in your ability to effectively communicate the value of the GIP, then you might benefit more from practice with experienced AIESECers than you would from reading this guide. If you have been on a number of meetings and are looking to increase your closing rate, then I believe you will find value in this guide. Structure We have tried to keep this guide as simple as possible, and only give advice that is actionable. It is divided up into three sections: Cold Calling, Objections during Meetings, and Closing a sale. Each section is then divided into ‘sub-sections’ which are specific situations you might encounter. We will start off each sub-section by breaking the situation down and explaining it a bit further. Then we will give an example of how the situation might be resolved and how you can get closer to the sale. Of course, the conversation might not play out exactly as it is written, but it should still give you a general idea of how to overcome their objection. Finally, some sub-sections have “Notes” attached to the end of them which explain the importance of some specific lines. Each note is assigned a number which corresponds to the line in the sample dialogue that we are commenting on. Definitions The following are terms will be used throughout this guide: Gatekeeper – the person who controls access to a decision maker (usually the secretary or executive assistant) Prospect – potential client or customer Objection – a reason offered not to buy (eg. “Your price is too high!”) Stall – the act of delaying the purchase of a product (eg. “Let me think it over.”)

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Cold Calling

Avoid the gatekeeper entirely Mostly everyone will agree that one of the toughest aspects of cold calling is getting past the gatekeeper and through to the decision maker. If you already have the necessary information needed to get through to the decision maker (extension number, name, title, etc.), then the best thing to do is try to avoid the gatekeeper entirely. In my experience, I have found that a lot of decision makers are early risers, and often start work as early as 7:30am. More importantly, most receptionists do not start work until 9am. Try making some phone calls during the 7:30-9:00am window of opportunity to experiment with how successful this is in your market. Engage the gatekeeper to obtain valuable information If asked the right questions, the gatekeeper can be a source of valuable information which can later be used to book a meeting.

(1) AIESECer: My name is ______. I am calling because I have some important information about a unique internship opportunity, and I was wondering who I should send it to?

(2) Gatekeeper: Oh, that would be Mr. Johnson (3) AIESECer: Great! And what would Mr. Johnson’s title be? (4) Gatekeeper: He is our director of HR. (5) AIESECer: Is there anyone else who Mr. Johnson works with on that type of decision? (6) Gatekeeper: Why is that important? (7) AIESECer: I usually email two packages of information if there are 2 people involved in

the decision. (8) Gatekeeper: Oh, okay. Mr. Smith might be involved in the decision as well. (9) AIESECer: Could you get me their email addresses? (10) Gatekeeper: Yes, they are ___ and ___. (11) AIESECer: Thank-you so much for helping me. I really appreciate it. What was your

name again? (12) Gatekeeper: Susan (13) AIESECer: Thank-you Susan.

Consider this a huge win. You did not raise a TN or book a meeting, but you obtained a lot of valuable information. When you call back, you will be fully loaded with the information necessary to book a meeting with the right people. Notes:

1) Notice that I did not start out by saying that I am from AIESEC. Nine times out of ten the gatekeeper will not have heard of AIESEC before, so it is no use to say the name of the organization. Also, it usually ends badly when you explain what AIESEC does, as gatekeepers rarely see how AIESEC could benefit their company after listening to a 10 second pitch. So keep it brief and vague! Only say enough to generate interest when speaking with the gatekeeper!

11) People naturally like to hear their names associated with gratitude. By saying, “thank-you, Susan” as opposed to just “thank-you,” you will create a stronger connection with the gatekeeper. When you call Susan back, she will be much friendlier to you.

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Try a different gatekeeper Alternatively, you can bypass the gate keeper by calling a different department (the various departments are often listed in voicemail). I recommend calling the sales department for a couple of reasons. First, they most often pick up the phone (after all, every missed call by the sales department could mean a loss of business). Second, they are usually the most empathetic with your position. Being a salesperson is kind of like being in a union. We understand each other! -------------------- So you have managed to get through to the decision maker, and now it’s time to book a meeting! Responding to “Send me an information package.” This response is probably the most common stall to booking a meeting. In my experience, when someone asks me to send an information package, 60% of the time I do not get a meeting. I handle this stall in the following manner:

(1) AIESECer: I was hoping to meet with you for 15 minutes to explain how our program can benefit you. Is that something you would be possible?

(2) Mr. Johnson: Do you have any information you could send me? (3) AIESECer: (In an enthusiastic tone) I would be happy to send you some information!

What email address should I send it to? (4) Mr. Johnson: It is ______ (5) AIESECer: Okay, now why don’t we pick a time that is best to call you back.

My experience has shown me that 90% of the time people do not read the information package. So when I call back, I usually say the following:

(6) AIESECer: Hi, Mr. Johnson. This is ________ from AIESEC. I am calling regarding the information I sent you last week. I understand that it was not completely self-explanatory, and I would be happy to speak with you about it in person. 15, 20 minutes maximum.

Notes:

6) I have found that when I ask Mr. Johnson “Did you have an opportunity to read the information I sent you?” 90% of the time he will say “No”. Then he will stall again by telling me to call back at a later date. This cycle continues until Mr. Johnson finally says, “You know, this is not really a good time of the year for me. How about you call back in 6 months”. Rather than asking if he has read the information package, I give him the impression that I think he read it (as he implied that he would during our previous phone call). Usually, he will not want to admit that he did not take the time to read it. I have found that he usually starts asking further questions about the program. It is then up to you to effectively communicate its value, and book a meeting.

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Responding to “I don’t think we would be interested in something like that.” The key to overcoming this objection is to recognize that a lack of interest means that you have not effectively communicated the value of the program.

(1) AIESECer: I was hoping to meet with you for 15 minutes to explain how our program can benefit you. Is that something you would entertain?

(2) Mr. Johnson: No. I don’t think we would be interested in something like that. (3) AIESECer: Okay, I think I have failed to communicate the value of this program. We

actually just helped a firm very similar to yours by finding them an intern with a bachelor’s degree in computer science, master’s degree in computer engineering, and 2 years of work experience. He will be working for a mere $2,500 per month.

(4) Really?! (5) Yes. How about we schedule a time for us to meet, and I’ll see if we can help you in the

same way we helped them. And if we cannot help you, I’ll tell you that as well. Does that sound reasonable?

Notes:

3) Rather than getting defensive after being rejected by Mr. Johnson, it is important that you remain calm. The single most important part of overcoming this objection is start by saying “I have failed to…”. Most people would be surprised at how many objections can be overcome by starting with “I have failed to…”.The key is that you take the blame for not communicating the value of the program in the first place. When someone has already said no, his pride will make it difficult for him to change his mind. However, if you share new, meaningful information with him, it will justify him going from a “no” to a “yes”. (The italicized portion of your response will depend on the type of company with which you are trying to book a meeting.)

This is where it is helpful to have done some research beforehand on what types of internships your LC has provided in the last few years.

If your LC hasn’t had very many TNs recently, you can use an example of an internship from another LC in Canada.

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Objections during the Meeting

Responding to “I will need to talk it over with my boss.” In my opinion, this line is the single biggest reason why we do not get more TNs signed. The typical response is to accept it and say that you will follow up with them in some period of time after they have presented the GIP to their boss. This response results in losing the sale nine out of ten times. In order to respond appropriately, it is important to recognize that it is not an objection. It is a stall. There are two things you must do to overcome “I will need to talk it over with my boss”: 1) get the prospect on your team, 2) arrange a meeting with the decision maker and do your whole presentation over again. I go about this in the following manner:

(1) AIESECer: Mr Johnson, if it was just you and you did not need to confer with anybody else, would you take on an AIESEC intern.

(2) Mr Johnson: Yes I would. (3) AIESECer: Does this mean that you will recommend our program to the others. (4) Mr. Johnson: Yes, I suppose I would.

I then go through a series of questions to be certain that Mr. Johnson does not have any objections that he is not admitting:

(5) AIESECer: Is the product okay? Is the level of service okay? Is the price okay? Is the organization okay? What doubts do you have?

Now that you have confirmed that Mr. Johnson likes the GIP, it is time to get him on your “team” and set up a meeting with the true decision makers. Use words like “we” and “us”.

(6) What do we have to do? When can we get them together? Do everything you can to book a meeting before you leave the room! You are also going to have to do your whole presentation over again for the real decision makers. Notes:

2) I have found that prospects answer “yes” about 4 times out of 5. If they say “no”, you must get to their true objection and neutralize it before moving forward.

4) After confirming that he would take on an intern if the decision were his own, it will be tough for Mr. Johnson to say that he would not recommend it to others. It would make him sound indecisive. If he says that he would not recommend the GIP, then you have to get to his true objection and neutralize it before moving forward.

5) Be sure to ask all of these questions to confirm that Mr. Johnson does like the program and thinks it would benefit his company. Any concerns that he raises must be neutralized before moving forward.

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Responding to “I will have to think it over.” This line is another one that is commonly used by prospects. If not handled properly, it almost always results in the loss of a sale. Luckily, it is relatively easy to overcome. Notice that it is a stall rather than an objection. As with all stalls, you have to get to the prospect’s objection if you hope to close the sale.

(1) AIESECer: Great! Thinking it over means you are interested. Is that true? (2) Mr. Johnson: Yes I am. (3) AIESECer: (in a humorous tone ) You’re not just saying you want to think about it to get

rid of me are you? (laugh)(now in a more serious tone) Is there anyone else in your company who you will be thinking it over with?

(4) Mr. Johnson: No just me. (5) AIESECer: In my experience in AIESEC, I have found that most people who think things

over develop important questions for which they might not have answers for. And since this is such an important decision, why don’t we think it over together, so that as you develop questions about the program, I will be there to answer them. Now, what was the main thing you wanted to think about?

Now Mr. Johnson should give you his true objection, and you can neutralize it! Notes:

4) If Mr. Johnson said that he needed to talk it over with one of his colleagues, treat it as if you were responding to “I will need to talk it over with my boss.”

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Responding to “We do not have room in the budget.”

This is probably the least common objection, but it does come up every so often. It can be a tricky one to overcome because most often, it is not their true objection. First, you must qualify that the budget is their true concern.

(1) AIESECer: If the budget was not an issue, would you hire an AIESEC intern? The first additional objection that they give you will be there true objection. On the other hand, if they say yes, then you must deal with it in the following manner:

(2) AIESECer: Who would have the authority to exceed the budget and when can we set up a meeting with them? Or Is there anybody else who might be able to rearrange this year’s budget to find a little bit of money?

If they give you the name of the person who would have the authority to exceed the budget, you should handle it in the same manner as if you were responding to “I will need to talk it over with my boss.” Use the “get him on your team approach”. If you are told that no single person has the authority to exceed the budget, respond by asking the following questions:

(3) When is the next budget meeting? What kind of proposal do I need to submit? When is the due date? Can you get me a sample of a previously submitted proposal? Are there other people that I should submit it to? Will you give me a letter of endorsement? Can I present my proposal in a person-to-person meeting so that any questions can be answered?

Notes:

3) Any hesitation to answer these questions indicates that the budget is not the true objection.

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Responding to “Call me back in 6 months.” It is true that there are times when it simply may not be the right time for a company to take on an AIESEC intern. Nonetheless, it is still beneficial to uncover any potential objections right now. Ask the following series of questions:

(1) What is preventing you from taking action right now? (2) What will be different in 6 months? (3) Do you see yourself taking on an intern in 6 months? (4) How will this decision be made?

Notes:

1) The answer to this question should reveal any objections to the GIP. This information is important because quite often their objections will not going away in the next 6 months. So it is important to identify and neutralize them now. In fact, after neutralizing their objections, it might be possible to make the sale now.

4) The answer to this question should reveal the people involved in making the decision. This information is important if you are going to follow up with them 6 months from now.

Responding to “I want to take on an intern, but not right now.” Obviously, this is a strong buying signal. Usually, it is fairly easy to convert it into a sale. Try responding in the following manner:

(1) AIESECer: That’s great! When would you want the intern to start? (2) Mr. Johnson: Not for another 6 months. (3) AIESECer: Are you certain that you want an AIESEC intern here in 6 months? (4) Mr. Johnson: Yes (5) AIESECer: Do you have a pretty good idea of what type of intern you will want? (6) Mr. Johnson: Yes (7) AIESECer: Okay. I should let you know that it takes 2-4 months to get an intern here

from the day that the contract is signed. In fact, it would be to your benefit to start the process now. We have candidates in our database who are looking to go on exchange 6, 7, and 8 months from now. By having the job posted in our database for a longer period of time, it will ensure that you get the best of the best. It will not cost you anything extra to have your job posted for a longer period of time.

Notes:

2) Obviously, if Mr. Johnson would have said 1 or 2 years then it would be better for him to wait.

3) It is critical that you ask this question. Otherwise, Mr. Johnson will have an excuse not to sign the JQ now.

5) As with point 3, it is critical that you ask this question. Otherwise, Mr. Johnson will have an excuse not to sign the JQ now.

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Responding to “We only hire locally to support local students here.” This isn’t the most common objection, but it does pop up with relative frequency (especially if you are in a smaller more ‘community based’ market).

(1) AIESECer: We work with local companies to establish internship opportunities for our

candidates from abroad to compete for.

(2) Mr. Johnson: That is a great program, but at our company we hire locally because we

prefer to provide job opportunities for local students here in the city.

(3) AIESECer: Actually that is something great about our internship program. If a company

takes an intern, it opens up more opportunity for our students here in [YOUR CITY] to

find an internship abroad. This year we’ve sent *X #+ of students away already from our

local chapter.

Notes:

3) The AIESEC Global Internship Program used to run on a ‘credit system’, where each LC would receive 1.5 ‘exchange credits’ for each TN raised. This meant that if you raised 2 TNs, you would receive a total of 3 credits, meaning that you could send away 3 EPs on exchange. This was a more direct counter to this objection, however the nature of the program in Canada is still such that we have much higher OGX numbers than ICX numbers, so the spirit of this ratio is still the same.

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Responding to “I don’t think we would be able to work with the $1500.00 fee” Often this is not an actual objection, as the administration fee is not that high when compared against other hiring methods. The size of the company that you are meeting with should give you an idea of whether or not this fee would be a large part of their budget. This may not be their true objection, but after neutralizing it, you can more clearly identify any hidden concerns.

(1) AIESECer: The program administration fee for each intern position is $1500.

(2) Mr.Johnson: That fee may be a problem, as we don’t have it in the budget and I don’t

think we could put it in at this point.

(3) AIESECer: If you think the fee will be an issue, perhaps it can be offset by the details of

the salary that we ask companies to provide our interns. The minimum monthly salary

that we ask is $2000. This is the minimum regardless of the position type, education

level of the intern, or length of the internship. Quite often this amount is less than the

average paid for a similar job description, and your company would actually save money

on staff overall even with the fee.

(4) Mr.Johnson: Well that makes it a bit easier to work with. It still is a lot to commit

upfront however.

(5) AIESECer: I should explain the details of the fee a bit more. $1200 of the fee is

refundable, while $300 is non-refundable. If for example, your company had some

major budget cuts next week or there was a project cancellation and the position no

longer existed, then you would only be committed to the non-refundable portion of the

fee.

Notes:

3) It can be good to mention alongside these points that our interns are doing this for the experience itself, not necessarily the money.

4) Be careful not to set the expectation with the company that by signing a TN they aren’t fully committed to taking an intern. It should be only for unseen reasons that they are cancelling a TN, not signing on with a “we’ll see how it goes” mentality.

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Responding to “What happens if the intern doesn’t work out and we want to fire them?” If this question comes up, it is very important to set clear expectations with the company and gather their true intentions. We want our TN Takers to be committed to the concept of the program providing an experience to a student as well as getting value for their company.

(1) Mr. Johnson: So if we choose to have one of your interns work here, but then once they

get here they aren’t quite working out, can we let them go?

(2) AIESECer: Well, as an employer in Canada you still retain the right to terminate staff.

However, we ask that our corporate partners be committed to the personal

development aspect of the internship, and to work with our local chapter if you do have

any issues with the intern’s performance by trying to improve it, or explain any

differences in business culture that may be related to the issue.

(3) Mr.Johnson: Of course. Is this something that has happened often before?

(4) AIESECer: No, it is very uncommon for this to happen with our interns. The vast majority

of companies who take interns are very satisfied with the work, and many often extend

the length of the internship because they are very happy with the intern’s performance.

Notes:

There are specific international guidelines within AIESEC internationally called the

Exchange Program Policies (XPP). These will say what rights interns have and companies

have when taking an AIESEC intern. If you want more detailed information on issues

such as these, refer to the XPP on the Internal control Board wiki on myaiesec.net,

which can be found here:

http://www.myaiesec.net/content/viewwiki.do?contentid=10004546#Exchange

Program Policies (XPP)

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Responding to “We only hire interns that we intend to become permanent staff.” Many companies use internships and student workers as the bottom pillar in their organizational HR pipeline. It is especially common for this to be the case within larger corporations, with more advanced talent planning and development plans.

(1) AIESECer: The internships can last anywhere from a minimum of 6 weeks, up to a

maximum of 18 months.

(2) Mr. Johnson: And at the end of the internship, how do I hire them on full-time?

(3) AIESECer: AIESEC only facilitates temporary internships. We have a partnership with the

government that exempts our candidates from needing a Labour Market Opinion (LMO)

as part of their work permit application. This partnership is based on the premise that

our internships are temporary.

(4) Mr. Johnson: I don’t think then, that this is something we are very interested in. We hire

new graduates with the intention of hiring them on full time at the end of their

internship as full-time employees.

(5) AIESECer: Well, the intention of our program is to provide working experience in

another culture, which the intern can then bring back to their home country. With that

said, at the end of the internship you may choose to offer a full time placement to the

intern, which they are free to accept. At this point, AIESEC could not help facilitate this

process or guarantee any acceptance on behalf of the intern. There are several

companies who have chosen to do this with an intern that they hired through AIESEC,

but AIESEC cannot be officially involved in this process or help with their visa or work

permit.

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Closing a Sale - Strategy

Use the prospect’s questions to close the sale When a prospect starts asking you questions, it means that he/she is interested in taking on an intern. Some questions might be: Can we get the intern here within 4 months? Do you have interns with some work experience? Do you have interns from Brazil? The typical answers are “Yes”, “Yes”, and “Yes”. However, these answers are not only wrong, they are EVIL and will prolong the sale. Instead, use these questions to close the sale. The following is how I would recommend answering those questions: Can we get the intern here within 4 months? Is that when you would like the intern to start?....Do you have interns with some work experience? Is that the type of intern you would like to hire?....Do you have interns from Brazil? Is that where you would like the intern to come from? Now you have begun to paint a picture of what the intern will be like, creating a natural closing opportunity. You must get a sale or an objection When you ask if they will take on an intern, you must do it in a way that provokes either a “yes” or an objection. You cannot allow them to say “no”. I prefer to close in the following manner: First, understand the qualifications that the prospect requires of the intern. Then say the following:

(1) AIESECer: If we can find you an intern with these qualifications, is there any reason that we would not be a fit for your business?

Notice that the phrasing of this question will prompt either an objection or “Yes, you would be a candidate for our business.” If they give you an objection, you can then neutralize it and try to close again. After admitting that we would be a candidate for their business, it is pretty simple to close the sale right then and there.

(2) AIESECer: When would you want the intern to start? (3) Mr. Johnson: Probably not for another 4 months. (4) AIESECer: Great! It takes 2-4 months to get an intern here from the day that the

contract is signed. In fact, it would be to your benefit to start the process now. We have candidates in our database who are looking to go on exchange 4, 5, and 6 months from now. By having the job posted in our database for a longer period of time, it will ensure that you get the best of the best. It will not cost you anything extra to have your job posted for a longer period of time. So I would suggest that we start the process now.

Notes:

1) It is extremely important that you do not say anything after you ask this question. Let the prospect think it through even if it means sitting through an awkward silence for 10, 15, or even 20 seconds.

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Closing - How to not promise something that we can’t deliver on

Often, when a company starts showing interest in taking an intern in a meeting this can be very exciting for the AIESECer who is in the meeting. Since we sometime can be guilty of ‘being desparate for TN raises’, it can happen that sometimes a position will be signed that shouldn’t be signed, or with criteria that we can’t deliver on. Always remember the tag line: “Underpromise, Overdeliver.” Responding to “This looks great, I have a position open that I’d like to fill that starts at the beginning of next month.”

(1) AIESECer: So from what you’ve told me, it looks like this could be a good fit in your

marketing department?

(2) Mr.Johnson: Yes, I’ve actually been looking for someone for my junior marketing role

that starts next month.

(3) AIESECer: May I ask you how flexible that start date is?

(4) Mr. Johnson: It’s fairly set in stone. The project that they would be working on with the

rest of the team is all planned to being on the 1st.

(5) AIESECer: Unfortunately then I don’t think that we’ll be able to fill that specific position

– The date is too close to now for us to properly accommodate for the selection time

and the work permit application processing time. We like to leave at least a 3 month

lead time as a minimum to ensure that we are able to deliver on time. It can take 3-6

months from the date the contract is signed to the day the intern begins work,

depending on the country that the candidate is from and its respective work permit

processing time. I’m a big believer in “underpromise, overdeliver.” We have had some

interns receive their permits under this time, but I don’t want to guarantee that.

(6) Mr. Johnson: Oh, that is too bad then.

(7) AIESECer: Would there be an element to the project that could be started after the

beginning, perhaps a specific component that you would need someone for at its

midpoint?

(8) Mr. Johnson: Perhaps, but it likely wouldn’t be marketing related; it would be more of a

role related to client servicing.

(9) AIESECer: That would be something we could provide, we have a lot of candidates with

experience in that field not only from their educational backgrounds, but also their

involvement in AIESEC in their own local committee.

Notes: 5) This is essentially the AIESECer saying that that position is not a fit, only because of the

timeline. In any other circumstance, it would have been a good TN. It’s hard to say no to these things, but maintaining a rapport with the company of providing what is promised

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will lead to more TNs and will likely turn this account into an account that Resigns for many years in the future, resulting in more TNs overall.

7) You should explore other options for job positions here. It may be something within the same project, or you should ask about other projects that are currently ongoing or coming up within the next 6 months that you might also be a fit for. Don’t treat this position as a non-sign, because the company is showing interest in the program. It’s a matter of finding what makes sense for the company that we can provide at that time.

Responding to “I’d like someone with 2-3 years of working experience in this field” This is a common criterion that certain companies will request. Luckily it is fairly easy to work your way around usually.

(1) AIESECer: What type of background would you be looking for in a candidate from

AIESEC?

(2) Mr. Johnson: If we were to take someone through your program, we would be looking

to take someone with 2 or 3 years of work experience, preferably in the same industry.

(3) AIESECer: Well we definitely have students with a year of working experience.

However, to go through our program students must be fairly recently graduated (from 1

to 2 years maximum out of school). How necessary would you say that the length of

work experience is to the position?

(4) Mr. Johnson: Well some working experience would be required for sure, but if there was

a candidate with a good profile maybe a year of experience would be alright.

(5) AIESECers: Ok, well what I would suggest is that we set expectations that applicants

must have at least 8 months of working experience as a minimum requirement. As

Canadian positions are very sought after in our global network, we generally get a large

number of applicants to each position. When I am pre-screening candidates and

creating a short list for you to review, I will prioritize candidates with a higher amount of

working experience above the others. I like to under-promise and over-deliver when I’m

working with our partners.

(6) Mr. Johnson: Alright, that sounds fair although I do want to emphasize that the more

work experience they have the more likely it is that they will be qualified for the

position.

Notes:

5) Note how the requirement is something that can be met from our pool of candidates. However, by negotiating the requirement down, it opens up the pool of possible candidates and makes this easier to deliver on. This is the “under-promise” aspect of the tag line. Make sure that you don’t sign something that you can’t guarantee that you can provide. If you are able to exceed the agreed upon criteria, then it can only benefit you and make you look better to the TN taker.

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Responding to a very specific skill, experience, or regional requirement Sometimes our pool of candidates simply can’t fulfill a job requirement. This tends to happen more when there are multiple requirements that the potential TN taker is not flexible on, such as region, language, specific skill, and educational background.

(1) Mr.Johnson: Can you get me a 3rd year student in Chemical Engineering from Bogota,

Colombia?

(2) AIESECer: That is quite a specific requirement. I am not familiar with the pool of

candidates we have from Colombia specifically right now, but when I get back to the

office I can check on our system to see if that would be something we can provide. Are

any of the elements you require flexible? For example, would you be willing to look at

anyone from South America or would they need to be from Bogota specifically?

(3) Mr.Johnson: We have our foreign office in Bogota, so we would be looking at candidates

from there. Potentially anyone from Colombia would be ok if they are from a different

city as well.

(4) AIESECer: Ok, and may I ask why they would need to be in 3rdyear specifically? Would

you consider candidates in their final year, or who have recently graduated?

(5) Mr. Johnson: Generally, new hires in our company come onboard after their 3rd year to

do an internship with us, similar to co-op. We really don’t have any positions outside of

this regular hiring structure that we can bring new people into the company with, so we

would be looking at that type of position.

(6) AIESECer: Alright. I will look on our database to give you an idea of what quantity of

people we have currently who fit that profile, to give you an idea of the amount of

people you would have to choose from if you were to sign a position with us.

Notes:

This likely won’t end up being a signed TN. The requirements are too limiting on the pool of applicants that you can look at, and there may not even be one EP let alone enough to put together a shortlist. Never the less, a good response to the company is to do some extra research on the feasibility of such a position through us. If it is a specific skill that the company is looking for (eg. a certain programming language) you should use this approach of ‘check the database for a pool of applicants’ as well, to make sure that you familiarize yourself with the amount and types of people that we have available to offer, and set up a follow-up meeting to present your findings.