How to Ace The Interview, Get the Listing & Score the Job!

Morning Setup And Coaching Demand

SPEAKER_00 0:00

I'm so excited about this episode of the Casa Vikenya podcast. I'm on the way to work. We're ready to roll. And this, you know, actually I have to ask you first, Pop. Uh, there's uh tons of interest in actually booking the sessions for your business coaching. What's gonna happen if you have so many people that are trying to get your entrepreneurial coaching that we don't even have any more time to make podcasts? What are we gonna do then?

SPEAKER_01 0:22

Well, well, time is a is a is a conversation for another day because time has a way of uh of of filling itself. And uh as Rocky said, time is undefeated. So it goes with or without you. You do the best you can.

Why Interviews Matter

People Support What They Help Create

SPEAKER_00 0:41

You know, God's gonna help us. All right, all right. Well, today I want to get into the nuts and bolts of an important topic topic. I want to talk about the interview and the importance of preparing for an interview, acing an interview. Uh I want to talk tips and tricks and hear from some of your experience uh to help people, whether it's a listing appointment to score the listing from the client, or whether it's a new young chap ready to uh take on his new role at a school and earn the Rebbe job. Um, I want to talk about the interview process. Pop, what's the trick? Let's ask you point blank, what's the trick to acing the interview and getting the listing or earning the opportunity to be the new superstar Rebbe?

Make It A Two-Way Street

Ask Better Questions Then Listen

SPEAKER_01 1:28

Well, there are there are a couple things. You know, I always start with the fundamentals of everything. And before I get to that, the fundamentals, uh, I did have uh a discussion with one of our listeners uh recently, and uh we we talked about uh empowerment of what he's trying to do in his business. And he had a lot of the same questions that you're bringing up right now, and a lot of it had to do with the cold call, which I always told you they don't have to be cold, they can be warm. But overnight I was thinking about it, and I really actually want to get back to him and let him know what that thought was, if he's not listening now, and that is people support what they help to create. Now, that's the basic thing of of group dynamics, of relationship dynamics in any dealings. People support what they help to create. If you try to do everything by yourself, you'll you'll you'll you may get it done. But if you have folks that you enroll in helping you in some small way, they're invested. So this young man uh has a ton of contacts from what he's been doing with uh with his life in Kyruv. A lot of contacts, people that I know. And I I started to think, you know, and really I was talking to myself as well because of the different things I'm involved in. But once you engage with the people you know and you ask them to uh support you in in your thinking, they're already invested. I think that's a lot to do with the interview process. A singing the interview. The interview is a two-way street. It is not I want your position. You don't even know what that's gonna look like. The person on the other side of the conversation may be somebody that has different goals than you, has different expectations of what they're gonna need in order for you to uh achieve uh what it is that the other side is. It becomes a partnership, I think, whenever it is that you're trying to make uh uh make uh a shit, uh, an arrangement of of of a goal. And so if I'm talking to you, Michael, and and and we want to try to form some sort of working uh position, uh it it it takes understanding what the other person expects, wants, thinks is possible. And they're probably wanting to know what you think as well. And that exchange is where the interview is going to go well, or you're gonna know that it's not the right thing. Because if I want to be the Rebbe in a yeshiva and I go to the Rosh Yeshiva and I meet with this person, and this person's not somebody I want to see every day, even though I want the Purnosa, I'm not gonna be all in. And life's too short, time is too short to invest oneself in things that we are not gonna be uh that that we're gonna cornhole our way into and not be able to get out. It's much easier to step into a situation than it is to step out of it. So it requires uh a thoughtful process. I will tell you that that goes back to two ears and one mouth, and I have a little mushel of a friend of mine who may have told you in an earlier podcast of this thing, but well, early in this this man who is a dear friend of mine for decades started out selling life insurance. That was what he did. Now he's a major investor of m uh many different uh avenues of financial management and uh has been very successful in business. And early on, he he went to meet with someone and he introduced himself, got the meeting, sat down, had a couple of questions that he was going to ask, which is an important thing in an interview. You have to have three good questions that you need an answer for, and then you need to listen, which we've been talking about two ears, one mouth, get the ratio. This is an important component of any conversation interview, if that's the word you want to use, any any engagement of how we're gonna get to a common goal. Um, so he goes and he meets the guy. He said, I met with this guy for an hour. I didn't say three words. I mean, I didn't talk the whole time. And then I left. And the next day a friend of mine called and said, So-and-so called me. He said he had a meeting with you, said you are a really great guy. And my friend said, How does he know? He can't know because I didn't say a single word, but he liked hearing what he had to say. So you know, one of the things, one of the things that you're very good at, Michael, is asking questions and and listening. And uh, and and that makes you a good interviewer, uh, you know, in terms of a podcast or or or that type of thing. But I I I do think the interview starts with it being a two-way street. I think that the success in interview has to do with finding uh what you're what what it you have in common for objectives. I think that um I think that going into any kind of conversation, there should be three prepared questions. That's how you uh how you get engaged is what is it that you're trying to accomplish? I think that's important.

SPEAKER_00 6:37

My my three questions for the person would be how much you gonna pay me? Where's the bathroom? And where are the drinks in the fridge? That'd be my three questions.

SPEAKER_01 6:46

You know, you might you might the authenticity of those questions are possibly a real good not only icebreaker, uh, but but but true, you know, it's authentic and and uh might not be a bad approach. It just depends on how you deliver that one, though. But I got it.

SPEAKER_00 7:05

My dad taught me uh in when I before I started Sha Duffim, which is also kind of like an interview, you gotta meet the father, which is always a just royal disaster.

SPEAKER_01 7:20

Thank God our disaster happened when you were a little boy.

SPEAKER_00 7:24

Right, that definitely makes it. And it was COVID and and you know, you already knew all the all my skeletons in the closet, so you knew that I was a nutcase and all that. Um but anyway, that's that's neither here nor there.

SPEAKER_01 7:37

My dad says that about you as far as you know.

SPEAKER_00 7:40

As far as I know. Not not to my face, at least. Um my dad said, when you go out with a nice young lady, let her talk and ask her questions that encourage her to talk. Because everybody loves to talk about themselves. It's like what we say, you know, you we ask people about their golf shot just so we can tell them about our our golf shots and our own uh, you know, um six irons out of a bunker. But uh if I'm prepared, uh a lot of times I found also is that the person on the other side of the table that I'm trying to not convince that I that that I can help them sell their house, a lot of times they just don't have clarity in what the what I'm offering in my services. I find recently that people they want services of a realtor, they're just scared of contracts, they're not sure where to sign, how to sign, are they giving up ownership by signing? They just a lot of times the the two-way street just needs to be clear on what's being offered and and and such and such. Um, how do you prepare for an interview? You just go to sleep well and and and and know more about the topic than anyone else, or or or slip a couple 20s to the boss beforehand?

Research The Person And The Goal

SPEAKER_01 8:46

I don't know if either one of those uh rocks me at all. Uh in preparing for an interview, you know, let's let's think about an example of uh that that's practical. And you keep bringing up the real estate listing, the real estate contract. Um, and and and that those two components, the the the contract itself is not step one, even though for you it is. I mean, for you, Michael, you're you're going, okay, sign here. It's cheap carbon. Let's you know, let's let's get going. Let's go. Let's go.

SPEAKER_00 9:20

Just sign the darn contract.

SPEAKER_01 9:23

Right, right, right. Um the the the the the the people that you talk to and we talk about, you always seem to have a good first talk. Uh a lot of the people that you talk to that you engage with, you you offer things, you find out about things. Uh I I find that you have a very good first talk. So in terms of preparing for that first uh component, a lot of it has to do with that you have information about what someone wants and you are happy enough to introduce yourself. Great. That that that that that for you that's pretty easy. For everybody else uh that isn't you, that might be a challenge. So to go to the fundamental part of that that you're you you have a a talent for, it's it's something that you just have. Uh not everybody does. So the the the I think the approach has to be one of I want to introduce myself and I'd like to know more about what you need. Now, how does that happen? Uh for for depending on the information you have, let's just use an example of uh a job interview, a Rebbe interview. You're gonna you're gonna prepare by finding out who you're going to talk to. And by the way, you probably can find that out in these days easier than you could many days before many years before because of being able to Google who they are, the LinkedIn thing, which I don't do. Uh you can you can find out what company they work for, then you find out about the company so you know the background, because usually there's a people thing and about them and that kind of thing. So you can glean what those people have done, what they're about, where they've given, uh are they givers, are they take those types of things. So now you find out a little bit more so you have a depth of understanding who you're dealing with. And then preparing has to do with what you want to know. Uh I I w I want to know do you have an interest in investing in real estate in Southern Virginia? Do you have an invest a desire to invest in real estate? Do you have an uh an interest in patient money where you see value that's going to be longer? Or do you need to have uh immediate return? Because there are different approaches to that. That has to do with what risks is and what are your risk tolerances. And that had that's that's a variable along many different different things. So when I do a little bit of research about who I'm going to speak with and what they're what my objective is in there, I want to find out if they match up. So the next preparation are the three questions, whatever they are. It could be, you know, where to go to school, what what do you like to do? You know, something more in terms of of connecting, uh, where if there's gonna be a relationship, what's important to the person you're talking to?

Commitment Wins And Drifting Loses

SPEAKER_00 12:14

I I am one time recall you saying that on an interview and and understanding it from the other person's perspective, they kind of want to hear that I'm gonna make you money or I'm gonna make your school better, right? They're really listening for how is this person across the table for me gonna make my school better, gonna make the kids happier, gonna make my business more profitable, you know, how will it expand my opportunities, right? That kind of thing. I think I've heard you say once or twice.

SPEAKER_01 12:42

I can tell you that I can tell you when I was in college at the University of Maryland, uh I was uh I was a big man on campus. I don't know, and I don't want to say that as a as a guy vedick, but uh I was involved in a lot of different campus activities. I was pretty well known for a lot of different things that I got myself involved in. I really loved doing it. There's a lot of good things. So one of my so so Procter and Gamble, they they make toothpaste and and other stuff like that. I knew that toothpaste is the one I remember, but all kinds of different household products. And what they would do when they would come to recruit entry-level people to work for them. You could sign up and get an interview, it's 15 minutes. And I dressed up real nice. I had my suit on, I had a nice briefcase. It definitely wasn't who I was. I mean, I wasn't ever gonna wear a suit, but I was trying to make an impression. And I go in and I tell them I tell him that I'm interested in going into politics and that you know this would be a good stepping stone and experience and stuff. And when I told my and I never got another call back, didn't get a second interview. So I called my my my my my friend, the vice chancellor, I said, What happened? He goes, they don't want to, they don't want to be a stepping stone for you. They want to hear that you want to be the president of Arctic and Gamble, and they want to hear that you say, and not only that, but when you hire me, you're gonna get a guy who's so committed to making you more money. That's what they want to hear. So when you go into an interview, you're all in for the long haul. You're not looking for, I would like to do this a couple of years and then I'd like to go on to be uh, you know, whatever, you know. I'm gonna, you know, I eventually want to be a first colal in uh in Norfolk, Virginia, which by the way, that job's not available for a long time. But the the point is uh um, you know, that the the focus of the conversation is commitment. And when you make a commitment, and a lot of people are are are are are afraid of commitment, you know, because that puts your butt on the line. And you know, people don't want to do that. They will, you know, we always want to get so only so close before we dive in. We want to put a toe in the water and see how it feels. And uh that is not commitment. And and when you're discussing a relationship, the the commitment is the big deal. And if you'll remember uh when you um when you came to see me about uh uh getting engaged to your wife, uh I asked you straight out, I said, Are you in this no matter what forever? And you said yes. And people go, well, what was he gonna say? I said, he needed to hear himself say it. And that's what I I demand for who's gonna marry one of my daughters. Hear you say it means you're committed to your word, and and that I count on. And then, you know, life has its has its challenges as as it were, and uh, you know, some things work and some things don't. So uh we we we go into it with the intention of succeeding. Totally.

Marketing Vs Real Follow-Through

SPEAKER_00 15:38

My dad used to say also that that when you get married, your commitment is needs to be so strong that even if the whole world, uh even if the whole world and Ramosha Feinstein is is you know against your wife, did something that you're what everyone's upset with your wife, you still you're so connected with your wife that you still represent her, stand by her in the face of anything because you're one person. It was always a powerful, you know, kind of thing for uh for me and for all that. Um okay, very cool. I feel more energized for the day a little bit. There's still a lot more about the interview topic in the in the precise ways, you know, going to sleep on time and and actually coming well prepared and actually being able to not just market your services. I want to ask you for a minute, maybe one last topic about, you know, there's there's a there's a difference between marketing and there's a difference between actually knowing what you're talking about and having the follow-through. You know, there's a lot of people that can also interview well, but but they could, if you get the job and you get you score the you score after the interview your place, but you don't actually have the tools to get the job done. You can't actually do what you're promoting. Well, then your interview process is really just the entire beginning of something. And we see a lot of people that have that that go for the quick money and then say, I'm telling you, sign with me, I'm gonna get it done. But then they, even if they do get it done, that same person's not gonna refer them to someone else, and that same person is not gonna use them again.

SPEAKER_01 17:10

No. Yeah, well the business world, really the world itself is what have you done for me lately? You know, you can have you can have uh you can have success after success and then use trip one time, and that's what people remember. You know, they remember when they they they love you when you're sending them checks, and they uh they ask you what the heck you're doing when you're not. So um and and everybody everybody has the ups and downs. Business is a cycle, and all these, and really life is a cycle, but but business itself, if we're gonna if we're going that way, um, you're right. You have you have a very good perspective. Some people interview well, I like that person, I want them with me. I want I'm I'm gonna try to get them, and then they come in and they spend a lot of time at the water cooler smoothing, and they they're not focused on the on their objectives. And and I think during uh preparation, you know, a lot of things have to do with how you prepare your Seder, not just for the interview, but how you have uh plans of execution. That that goes a long way in terms of not only what you have done or in turn, you know, uh people go people who talk to me say, I really like to help people. I'm going really, you know, everybody gets to help people. You know, that that that to me it's like going, people are you can't count on people. You know, uh Rabbi Wine goes, world uh I'll show me as you say that he has it written down, I haven't kept on on one of the blogs that I kept printed out. He goes, the world is make made up of all kinds of people, and I'm glad I'm not one of them. So, you know, uh so so I I really think that the the the the the process of interviewing has to do with having some uh uh organization as to your talents of execution and your your you're even in a broad way uh how to execute what you see going on and asking if that the the question then after that is does that match up with what you'd like to have happen? Because really, again, we're trying to find out who we're dealing with over there, what their expectations are, what the possibilities are, whether or not we can deal with them for the long haul, and is there a benefit for the long haul, or are we just diving in because it's available now? And and in an interview that somebody can make a good impression on you for the job you're gonna take can turn into a jerk in a second. Believe me, that happens. I've been there a lot uh in a number of different cases because it's about me in business. And so what ends up happening is that person who says, Come on in, have a cup of coffee. How you doing? How is your family? You know, with a big smile, and all of a sudden they're going, Did you call such? Why not? Well, I'm doing one, two, three, and four that you told me to do. They're finding the things, it's not a positive enforcement reinforcement of what it is that you are doing well. Uh, I'll go back to my golf coach that um he was he was great, he's a great guy. I miss him. Uh he died young, but uh he he's indelible in a lot of different ways. And whenever we would go to a golf lesson, he'd say, Okay, let's hit a few. And I would hit a few and he would go, Okay, I like your grip, I like your stance, your, you know, but I I would tell you that the reason the ball is going down into the ground is because you're lifting your club at takeaway. Let's take it away slowly and aback from the from from the ball, and let's see how that goes. And then you'd hit a couple of good ones, and then one would go in the ground, he goes, What do you think you did? And that would be the positive reinforcement going forward. So you're when you're talking to somebody, you're talking to somebody about what kind of person you're dealing with and what to expect going forward. So I I would I would tell you that uh those are are the uh the key components to start.

Golf Plans And A Quick Sign-Off

SPEAKER_00 20:54

Anyway, um, pop pop. You know what's got me absolutely psyched?

SPEAKER_01 20:58

Can't can't decide.

SPEAKER_00 20:59

Isaac Brook is coming down for the second days of Yumtiv. And after Yuntiv is over, after Yuntiv is over, there's like a little day there but before Shabbos. And it may just be nice enough for for if for for maybe some golf. I don't know if that could happen at Bayville or a municipal course or uh uh uh let's let's go to Ocean View. Um easy course is Ocean View. Much easier than Bayville.

SPEAKER_01 21:29

I was thinking it's either gonna go in the hole or it's not. It doesn't matter where you are. I was thinking two on two.

SPEAKER_00 21:34

The Brooks brothers, Mike and Ike Brooke versus Mr. Brooke and Mr. Lefko, Florida best ball, loser, uh 100 pushups and has to drink eight glasses of wine instead of four.

Subscribe Like Donate And Coaching CTA

SPEAKER_01 21:46

Well, that'll that ship will have sailed if it's after Yuntiv. So uh why don't we why don't we talk through that one later and see how things go and when he's coming and whether or not y'all be dismissed for an opportunity. And what the weather's like, and if if we all like each other and all that, we all still have to like each other after spending eight days together. Indeed, indeed, that's for sure. Get out. Anyway, Michael, I gotta tell uh to all our listeners smash the what and hit that what.

SPEAKER_00 22:17

Smash the subscribe button. Smash that like button. Double smash the donate button. Uh subscribe to all the podcasts, and reach out to Mr. Lefko if you want your business to start actually going in the right direction.

SPEAKER_01 22:29

Let's talk soon, Michael. Thanks for taking time to talk to me. Have a great day. Talk to you later. Have a great one. Bye bye.