10 Tactics to Turn Silver into Gold
- Andy Mowat
- Nov 3
- 5 min read
Updated: 6 days ago
“I get a lot of podium finishes but am getting frustrated that I’m not finishing first”
If this sentiment resonates, it is time to take a step back and think strategically about how you approach the interview stage. Before you dive into this playbook, make sure you are being intentional about which processes you engage with.
Each week Whispered brings together our active Pro members to share their wisdom on a topic. This playbook was created from an amazing huddle where we all learned from each other. These are the strategies to use through the interview stages to win the gold medal.
1) Be memorable
Companies aren’t looking to hire the average candidate… they want to hire someone exceptional and “high slope” on the dimensions that matter to them. Before you go deep into any process, understand if your superpowers fit with what the company is looking for.
Assuming you fit with what they are looking for, you want to come across confident and memorable. You will be more effective if you be yourself vs. trying to be someone else.
2) Read the room
While you want to be yourself, you need to calibrate your approach based on your position in the process and who you’re speaking with.
You have more leeway to ask questions if you are a top candidate
Some interviewers may be fine with wandering off topic to explore ideas and others may have a set agenda.
3) Do your research
“If you show up and have done no research, that is an immediate disqualifier…. If you come in with acknowledgement of imperfect knowledge but have observations and thoughts about the business…. You will be successful.” Mike Weir CRO
Once you’ve committed to the interview process with a company, go all in and study their product, market and competitors. Come prepared prepared with hypotheses and perspectives to show that you have intellectual curiosity and think critically
4) Engage the interviewer
“If I can get into a business conversation with you then we are cooking. If you are just waiting for me to ask the next question this is going horribly bad.” Mike Weir CRO
Often it feels like all the power is with the interviewer and most candidates defer to their style. But you can engage the interviewer with a few tactics:
Take control of the interview by signaling that you’ve come prepared with thoughtful questions
Work to engage the interviewer as an equal with questions
When they are peppering you with questions, consider flipping the script with an insightful question (for example “tell me more about what problems you are struggling with now”)
5) Turn the hiring manager into your advocate
There are a number of ways to subtly turn the hiring manager/team into your biggest fan. Some we love:
Have advocates reach out at the right times (link to funnel article)
Leverage recruiters as partners
Ask questions that turn interviewers into your partner. See a great one from Dan 👇
6) Speak confidently and succinctly
If you are too verbose, interviewers will dismiss you for executive level roles. A few ways you can tighten up how you speak include:
Nail your talk tracks and stories
Refine your speaking style by recording yourself going on podcasts to practice concise storytelling
When a recruiter or interviewer asks you to relate a time when you've executed or accomplished something specific, be specific in your answer. Succinctly tell them the company you were at, the challenge, how you solved it, and the results. Have your anecdotes or stories documented so you can refer back to the one that paints the picture they’re looking for. When someone asks you a ‘tell me about a time when you...’ question and your answer is about what you would hypothetically do in their environment, you sound like a consultant selling a service, not like a professional who has done this before.”—Marc Okeon, GM of Full-Time Recruitment, Right Side Up
7) Demonstrate passion and curiosity
Companies don’t want people who are just looking for a job. They are seeking people who genuinely excited about their mission and the role itself. These characteristics signal you are someone they can inspire — and who will be self-driven. Some tactics here:
Research and have a great talk track for why you are excited for this specific role and company
Be able to describe the role you are interviewing for succinctly
Use the company’s product and have thoughts on its strengths and opportunities
Have great questions and a genuine curiosity
Put your language in the lens of the company’s customer
8) Demonstrate expertise
Companies want people who know their craft and can hit the ground running. You can demonstrate this by:
Being fluent in AI - a critical skill most companies are looking for
Being able to speak to your knowledge about their industry (particularly if you haven’t operated in this exact space before). Bring relevant frameworks or examples that show pattern recognition in similar markets
9) Don’t come across as rigid
Many senior executives worry they will be judged negatively because of their age. While there may be some hiring managers who naively dismiss old candidates, what almost all are really evaluating isn’t age but adaptability.
“When I was 35 years old, I was highly attuned to if a candidate was rigid and just running a playbook. Now that I’m the older candidate, I completely understand what the young me was guarding against.” Whispered Executive
How you present in interviews should be customized once you understand whether the hiring manager has deep functional expertise (and wants a peer) or is seeking someone to fully own the function so they can focus elsewhere..
10) Go above and beyond
You can stand out by going the extra mile. This demonstrates your passion for the role and also highlights how you will do the same once hired. Some ways to do this:
Add an extra slide / insight to case studies (link to josh’s article)
Send a short follow-up note summarizing insights you’d bring in the first 90 days.
Provide a thoughtful idea or framework tied to a company challenge you observed
Bonus: Close well
Don’t assume the recruiter / hiring manager will follow-up. Always take the lead by sending a concise, polite follow-up email that confirms your interest and asks about next steps.
Feedback helps you get better
If you don’t get the gold medal, ask for feedback from the hiring manager. If you have built a relationship with them during the process and come across as mature, they are likely to feel comfortable sharing.
And… even if you don’t get the offer… we often see candidates form great relationships with hiring managers who didn’t hire them — relationships that later lead to unexpected introductions or future roles.
