Blog Post: Don’t Psychoanalyze The Door

Take it from Tony 
 
My father, Tony, now 86, was an IBM salesman during the 1950’s-1980’s.  In the early days of his career, he’d cart an IBM Selectric typewriter all over Manhattan.  A tip he learned from cold calling and would later share with rookie salesmen was: “Don’t psychoanalyze the door.”  Even when approaching small or obscure companies, there might be more opportunity behind the door than expected. 
 
This advice is relevant today whether you are cold calling to a prospective customer, presenting a proposal to senior management, asking for help from your network, or following up on an application for a job.  When facing a door, you have two choices.  You can imagine all the reasons it might not work out and conclude, “Why bother?” or you can focus on what is possible and knock.
  
Do You Follow Through?  
Renee, an IT professional who is working with me to explore her next career move, hadn’t heard a word in the two weeks since applying for a job on-line.  She decided to track down the name of a real person she could call to check the status of her application.  The result of making this call was that Renee learned her application had not been processed due to an apparent technology glitch.  Good thing she made the call, you might be thinking.  But there’s more.  The person she called was an HR manager responsible for screening candidates.   After speaking with him and expressing her interest in the job, she landed a phone interview for that following Monday.  She is now one of two candidates being recommended for the next round of interviews.

I was so impressed with Renee’s willingness to follow up and follow through.  When presented with situations where you have to “put yourself out there” it can be tempting to settle into the mentality of: “Well, if they’re interested, they’ll call.”  Often, it is the act of following up that makes the difference because it demonstrates your interest, your confidence, and your willingness to do what it takes.
 
What keeps you from following up?  Not wanting to feel like a pest?  Fear of rejection?  Get over it and make the call anyway!
  
What’s Behind Door #1?  
A new car!  Pardon my Let’s Make A Deal flashback.  It’s true you don’t know whether it will be a clunker or a Cadillac behind the door, but you must follow up anyway.  When you follow up and follow through you are saying: 

I’m serious about going for it. 
I’m willing to do what it takes to get it. 
I’m confident about what I have to offer.
 If I meet rejection, I’ll just knock on the next door.

This Week:  Follow up with someone.  Make the call.  Extend the invitation.  Follow through on a bold move.

 “Don’t psychoanalyze the door.”
¯Tony Mangano

VIRGINIA KRAVITZ, Career and Life Coach, founded In the Current® to serve accomplished professionals who want to move boldy in new directions and start living with a greater sense of joy and abandon.  Her e-zine, published every other Tuesday, is entitled Current of Life.  Visit at: www.inthecurrent.com