Free 101 Smart Questions to Ask on Your Interview by Ron Fry Page A

also like to stand, even walk around, during a telephone interview. It seems to simultaneously calm me down and give me more energy.
    You have a right to be prepared for any interview. Chances are, the interviewer will call you to set a time for the telephone interview. However, if she wants to plow right into it as soon as you answer thephone, there’s nothing wrong with asking if she could call back at a mutually agreeable time. You need to prepare your surroundings for a successful interview.
    Next to the phone, you’ll want to have a copy of your resume (which you’ve quickly reviewed), the cover letter you sent to that company, a list of questions you’ve prepared for them, a notepad, your research materials on that company, and a glass of water. You will also want to have already answered nature’s call (since you surely don’t want to excuse yourself in the middle of the interview) and placed a “Do Not Disturb” sign on your door, so family members or roommates don’t interrupt. Needless to say, you never want to put the interviewer on hold for any reason.
    Did the Interviewer Dial a Wrong Number?
    The main rule most telephone screeners follow (or are taught to follow) is not to extend an offer for a face-to-face interview to anyone they feel is not well suited to the position or the company. If the phone interview has led them to this conclusion, there are two ways they will try to wrap up. The first is to let you down easy:
“Mike, I really appreciate your taking the time to talk about your background with me today. You’ve given me a lot to think about. You should know, though, that this is a very competitive position and that we’ll be talking to a lot of people over the next week or so.
“I think the way I’d like to leave this is that if we feel there’s the possibility of a good match for this position or for any other opening, we can get back in touch with you at this number. Does that make sense?”
    There is another school of thought about the best way to conclude a screening conversation—the direct approach (which I personally favor). It could go something like this:
“Mike, I’ve listened carefully to what you’ve told me today, and I have to be honest with you—I don’t think we have a good match here. We’re going to have to take a pass this time around.”
    What can you do to fight off either of these brush-offs?
    In the first instance, the door has been left at least a little ajar. So a truly aggressive rejoinder is not called for. Nevertheless, you cannot allow the screener to hang up without finding some way to actually get in that door, to make him or her reconsider. Here’s one way to accomplish that:
“Mr. Billingsly, I appreciate how hectic your schedule is, but I think we would both benefit if you could spare me some time to meet in person. May I call your secretary to schedule a brief 15-minute meeting with you next week?”
    If the interviewer is a soft touch, the very fact that you resisted his attempt to brush you off might make him relent. Even a tougher interviewer, though, would be impressed with the confident tone you struck (“we would both benefit”), the understanding you demonstrated (“hectic schedule”), and the modest request you made (“15 minutes”).
    In the second instance, you have to be more aggressive because the interviewer is being more aggressive. Try something like the following:
“Mr. Herman, I’m surprised to hear you say that. I must have done a poor job communicating the credentials that make me perfect for this job and my enthusiasm for it. We obviously need to meet in person to discuss this more. Which would be better for you, Monday at 10 or Tuesday at 3?”
    Did it ever occur to you that Herman’s aggressive brush-off could be a conscious strategy, an attempt to gauge how you will respond to such outright rejection? If you’re applying for a sales position, I would not be at all surprised if it were. And if you just rolled over