Page 110 - How To Answer Interview Questions (II)

satisfaction rate are also very powerful. I could have said that I did well and got great reviews, but
that doesn’t mean as much as “94% satisfaction.”

Even the number that I gave in the beginning, 400 people, is powerful. It provides a frame of
reference for the story, and is impressive on its own. Some people couldn’t give a speech in front of
that many people, or would even have the chance to give that speech. If this was your story, and the
number was 30 people or 50 people, it would still be powerful with the actual number included.

I’ve told them about the situation—whatit was and why it was too technical for the audience,
I’ve told them what I did to address it, and I’ve said what the result was. This is a great answer to
this question.

Key to a Great Interview -
Quantification

#$%

Describe your achievements in terms of numbers, dollars, and percentages. See how quantification
strengthens your answer:

"I brought in new clients" or
"Brought in 20 new clients in 3 months"
"I delivered product on time and under budget" or
"98% on-time delivery of product"
"Maintained accuracy in company database" or
"100% accuracy in 50,000-item database over 2 years"

Numbers, dollars, or percentages answer the hiring manager's (interviewer’s) primary question:
"How can this person benefit MY company?"