Projecting Image
In many sales training courses you will hear the expression ‘people like people like themselves’. There is more than a degree of truth in this. Very few people set out to recruit carbon copies of themselves, but they will be making a decision on the basis of ‘team fit’ and ‘organisation fit’. Finding common ground can help this process along. There are two simple techniques to facilitate this called ‘mirroring’ and ‘matching’.
Mirroring is something we all do naturally. Have you ever noticed that if you are having an ‘in depth’ conversation with a friend in a bar you will often start to sip you drinks at exactly the same moment? This is called mirroring, and it usually occurs when two individuals are ‘in tune’. For example the interviewer might lean forward to make a point; and a few moments later, you lean forward slightly in order to hear better. If later he leans back, you should also lean back a little. It is a natural way of showing interest in what the other person has to say – and will lead to a positive impression.
Matching is about demonstrating that you are quite like the interviewer. In this case you can try to match tone and style. If the interviewer is quiet and considered, then it may pay to drop your volume level a little, and pause longer than you usually would before answering his or her questions. If the interviewer leans forward in their posture and offers quick fire remarks or questions, you should lean forward just a little and offer quick fire answers.
The use of Mirroring and Matching must be subtle. If you overplay your hand in these areas it appears contrived. Don’t mirror every movement, and only match by changing your usual tone and approach slightly.