Kevin Price, Host of the Price of Business on Business Talk 1110 AM KTEK (on Bloomberg’s home in Houston) recently interviewed Doug Mitchell.
About the interviewee
Doug Mitchell is the majority owner and CEO of Argenta Field Solutions, one of the nation’s leading direct sales companies. Argenta provides fortune 500 clients with quality customer acquisition using their successful door to door sales model. Doug acquired Argenta in 2011, and has since grown the company from a few locations and modest earnings to the multimillion dollar direct sales powerhouse it is today.
Tell me about your firm (number of employees, location, type of companies you work with, etc.).
Argenta Field Solutions is predominantly located throughout Texas with 2 offices in Houston, and 8 others in Corpus Christi, San Antonio, Austin, Dallas and Rio Grande Valley. We are currently expanding to Little Rock, Miami and up the Midwest.
What type and size of companies do you have as clients?
Currently we have 3 Fortune 500 clients whose industries include TV, Internet and phone, satellite and security.
What comes to mind when you see this topic?
How many interviews I have personally done, and all the experiences I’ve had conducting them.
What are the best practices when it comes to this issue?
There is the standard stuff everyone should know, but I find that our graduates fresh out of high school or college don’t know them yet. Here are the things that I think are pretty standard:
1. Dress for the position above the job you are applying for. A lot of people walk in my office in casual clothes, what that says to me is they don’t respect my company or the position they are applying for. I won’t not hire them because of it, but I sure won’t be labeling them future management.
2. Dialect is very important, the way you talk to your friends is not a good way to talk in an interview. Keep it professional.
3. Résumé! Make sure to have at least two printed copies. Even if you have to go to a print shop before and spend a dollar on copies. “My printer wasn’t working” is not an acceptable excuse.
Now, the more unknown best practices:
1. Become genuinely interested in the company and your interviewer, research the company before, and make sure you are versed on it. Don’t be afraid of small talk, if you connect with your interviewer they will more than likely higher you over a more qualified person who does not.
2. Talk about the future, the future of the company, and the advancement opportunities for you if you do well. Talk in the future tense as if you’re in the position, if they can visualize you then your chances increase.
3. Never ever for any reason talk negative about your previous work history, insightful employers may find you problematic.
Contact information:
www.teamargenta.com
