In today's competitive job market, landing (and acing) a series of tough interviews isn't enough to get hired. If you want to outperform the competition and win an offer, you need to be able to close the deal.

Actually, the term “closing” is a bit of a misnomer because sealing the deal with a hiring manager starts long before the final interview. The process involves a series of simple steps and techniques that help you score the job offer you want.

“You can’t expect a hiring manager to recognize your talents; you have to position yourself to be competitive and selected,” advised Stacie Renna, director of talent acquisition and interview coach at The Career Expert.

Here are some strategies you can use to convert a high percentage of hard-won job interviews into job offers.

Find the Pain

To be clear, working toward an offer throughout the hiring process requires acting like a consultant not a high-pressure, used-car salesperson. In fact, highly effective closers are authentic and true, noted Dino Cotton, chief talent acquisition specialist at Rezeo.

You may view an interview as an interrogation, but it’s not, Renna said. A job interview is a two-way discussion between you and the hiring manager. Most importantly, it’s an opportunity to gain a clear vision of the hiring manager’s issues and problems so you can effectively present yourself as a solution to the challenges they’re facing. Your goal is to gently steer the hiring manager toward the inevitable conclusion that you’re the right person for the position.

The trick is to prepare as much as possible by researching the company and the hiring manager before an interview. However, when you ask the right questions during the hiring process, you have a chance to learn why the position is open and the nature of the problems that need solving.

Understanding the expectations and “what success looks like” helps you select and share accomplishments, skills or talents that will solve those problems and deliver added value she added. Any good consultant knows that unless they understand and meet the client’s needs, the deal will never close.

Forge a Connection

When you forge a connection with the hiring manager, you show that you are interested in the position and will fit in well with the team and culture. In fact, research shows that likeability (which helps build rapport, trust and influence) can be more important than competence when recruiters and managers make hiring decisions.

People are visual. Smile and talk about your hobbies, interests and side projects. With practice you can boost your likeability factor and close more deals.

Use an Assumptive Close

Assumptive closing presumes that you are the right person to fill a gap or relieve a pain point; it is highly effective when you are getting verbal or non-verbal “buying signals” from the hiring manager. Examples of verbal “buying signals” to listen for include:

• “That sounds like a good solution. How do you think it would work here?”
• “I like your approach. But how did you get the stakeholders on board? Some of our stakeholders are resistant to change.”

Once you transition from answering questions to working on problems together, you cross the chasm from job seeker to potential employee.

Other buying signals include questions about your availability, start date or salary expectations, especially when they come near the end of an interview.

When the hiring manager seems inclined to move forward and asks if you have any other questions, Renna suggests that you take the opportunity to discuss what you will need to be successful in the role.

This response assumes that you will be working together and sets the stage for mutual success. It also helps you shift the subject of the conversation from “if” to “when” they hire you. At this point, you may have the opportunity to start working out the details of the offer.

Uncover Hidden Concerns or Objections

Trial closes are questions you ask during the hiring process to gauge the hiring manager’s interest in hiring you and to uncover any concerns or issues that you need to address.

For instance, at the conclusion of an interview, you should always ask the hiring manager, “Have I answered all of your questions?” or, “Do you have any concerns that I need to clear up?”

It’s better to uncover and address hidden concerns about your potential job performance, experience or skills or even the hiring manager’s biases so they don’t fester and sink your chances.

Ask for the Job

The best practice to get an offer is to ask for it. Remember, at this point you have everything to gain and nothing to lose.

“Tell the hiring manager how you feel about the opportunity and reiterate why you'd be a great fit for the team,” Cotton explained. Believe it or not, most hiring managers seek validation from candidates just as candidates seek validation from hiring managers.