L1, L2 Visa

My L1A - Individual approved yesterday.

Standard questions as mention in this forum.

To me:
what does your company do?
how many reportee in India/US?
Indian Salary in Lakh?
Your role in US?

To mywife:
Marriage date

Few observations:
There were many rejections in various other categories. Though I did not see any rejection which can be contributed to luck, but as posted in this forum, I believe luck must be a factor in few cases. However, rest 50% of the rejections were due to purely poor preparation for the interview in general.
 Dressing: Whatever you wear, make sure you have tucked shirt, combed hairs. Face clean from sweat (Chennai is very humid and there are no ACs inside, instead big fans making you look waking from bed. Things are simple but I saw many individuals dressing as if they have come for Train reservation.
 If you don’t answer the questions exactly in first two lines of your answers, you are unknowingly wasting VOs time which they don’t like. Hence you MUST answer the question in first two lines and then continue with the background that justifies your answers. E.g. a candidate was asked why particular school. She started with her past application… and VO stopped her twice!! First answer the question e.g. School has expertise in ABC and I am looking for ABC. Then go deeper what ABC is and why is that your choice. I saw few cases where VO got so much irritated that she repeated her question once and then strait away went for rejection stamp.
 Specialized skill is a grey area. Hence I don’t know what makes or breaks the interview (Confidence, Indian MNC vs Global MNC, Domain vs Proprietary module, Language, client, past experience or current salary…)
 L1A is a check list… Mostly you can bolster your chance with working on individual points (You Indian Role vs US role – must include hiring, firing, appraisal etc.). You can’t manage other imp variables (Designation, salary, number of reportees). No rocket science! But prepare your answers to keep in line with your petition. Because most things are facts then narration (role), Luck plays relatively lesser role then in case of L1B. Good thing is one always knows what is the next step, unlike L1B where at times one is rejected without much further guidance.
 Body language: Mind the way you stand at Visa window. Mike is at chest level (for a 5 feet 6 inch guy) and they are working fine from the distance… so no need to band down to speak closer to the mike. It makes a crushing sound when you go near to mike and you won’t be audible. Hence maintain a distance. Best idea is forget that there is any mike. Also, you look very abnormal when you stand on one lag and body leaning forward and constantly moving your body while answering. Just observe the VO who stands still, speaks with clarity in voice. No need to move constantly (sign of nervousness). Head on your shoulder rather than leaning here and there. Eye contact is must! You don’t have to speak aloud. Speak with the speech audible to a person at two arms length distance and not audible to someone at 7 to 10 arm distance.

Go with clarity of your thoughts, why this decision, why you believe you possess specific skills or why you believe you are at senior executive position. Forget about VO, fist you have to believe that you are at senior executive position. Be someone who has vision for his/her team, clarity of goals (short term and long term). Also, apart from convincing yourself mention your answer to your friends who do not know much about your job and ask them to judge whether you sounds like supervisor or executive. Trust me any decent human can make out a difference. It does not require any big diagnostic skills.
Again, I am no expert so my observations may be flawed. Please consider as observation of a novice who has visited consulate only twice so far! All the best to all!