Don’t sell life
insurance. Sell what life insurance can do.
-Ben Feldman
Interviewing for a sales job can be tough, Sales Directors are switched on, know what they are looking for, and they expect to be impressed. If they don’t feel you are someone they would buy from, then they probably are not going to hire you.
So how can you really impress your potential boss?
As always, stick to the simple rules of interview etiquette, wear a plain suit, a simple tie for the chaps, polish your shoes and be ready to greet your interviewer standing up. Salespeople tend to be client facing, so when you meet your interviewer they will be assessing how you will look when you meet and greet their clients.
“Your first appearance,
he said to me, is the gauge by which you will be measured; try to manage that
you may go beyond yourself in after times, but beware of ever doing less. “
Jean-Jacques
Rousseau
Know your numbers
What is your target?
Monthly?
Annually?
What is your performance to date?
What is your average order value?
What is your lead conversion rate?
The answers to questions like these should roll off your tongue, every good salesperson knows their numbers, exceptional salespeople keep a record and have a sales file that they can reference in interview to really wow their future employer.
If you don’t know your targets, commission, deal value, etc, then now is the time to learn.
Listen and answer
All good salespeople know the skill to securing new business and expanding current accounts is to listen to the client’s needs and act appropriately. The same theory applies to an interview, except you are the product you are promoting.
Ensure you listen to the question and answer with the right skill. Have some positive stories to answer tough competency questions and use your time to ask questions to drill down into exactly the client is looking for – then match yourself to the job.
“Most people think “selling” is the same as “talking”. But the most
effective salespeople know that listening is the most important part of their
job.” ~Roy Bartell
For more support on interviewing please have a read of the following articles:
When is it the right time to ask about
salary?