SEATTLE ARMY RECRUITING BATTALION, Wash. -- Sgt. 1st Class Cody Ohman, Bellevue Army Career Center commander, was standing with his arms crossed, leaning backwards, nodding his head and grinning -- reflecting the body language of his discussion participant. Ohman used the technique to emphasize his point about effective sales techniques that recruiters can use to help them connect with potential recruits. It also happens to work for car sales.
Ohman would know. He spent nine months as a car salesman in 1999-2000.
I like sales, said Ohman. "It was rewarding to see a customer drive away happy with a good buying experience," he said. "It was one of the main reasons I was successful early in recruiting."
Ohman shared some of his tactics, techniques and procedures with the Seattle Army Recruiting Battalion's company leadership teams and Army recruiting center commanders during a recent training event:
-You have a very short period of time to make a trusting first impression.
-Smile often.
-Don't try to fit a square peg into a round hole.
-Be reliable.
-When talking with someone that you want to agree with you on what you are saying, slightly nod your head like you are agreeing. My wife hates it when she catches me doing it.
-Be truthful with your message.
-If you notice that the prospect is in a closed sitting posture at the beginning of the interview, mimic them until you make a connection throughout the sales pitch.
Sgt. 1st Class Kevin Mitchell, Tukwila Army Career Center commander, attended the training and said he wanted to hear more about car sales techniques.
Mitchell said that he found recruiters don't always realize how quickly they make impressions. "You really only have that first thirty seconds to present yourself as someone they can trust," he said. That makes us pay more attention to how we approach and greet the people we meet, Mitchell said.
Recruiting for the U.S. Army can be similar to selling a product to an interested or reluctant consumer, but there are differences, as Ohman explained.
"In car sales, customers are committing to a payment on something they can touch," Ohman said. Recruiting is harder, I can take somebody on a test drive with a car, he said. "In recruiting, an applicant is taking a leap of faith in the recruiter that the journey they are about to embark on will forever change their life in a positive matter."
Ohman has been a recruiter for the last six years.
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