How to ‘win’ at your sales interview…
Interviews can be a tricky business, especially when you
work in sales. The pressure is on for
you to deliver an outstanding sell on a product you know inside out – yourself.
But still, many
salespeople commit the same fatal errors when it comes to interviews, which
ultimately stops them from getting the job.
These are my top 10 tips on how to succeed in a business to
business sales interview.
1.Preparation is key
No good salesperson would ever turn up to a pitch without
doing serious research, and interviews should be treated in the same way. The
internet holds all the data you need and there is simply no excuse to turn up
to a sales interview only half prepared.
Ensure you research the company, the role, use LinkedIn to
check out your interviewer’s background.
Identify competitors and have a look at their sites.
For candidates really looking to impress, go past the home
page of a company’s site and read their recent press releases. A great way to really understand what is
current in the company and provide some more interesting content for your
questions at the end.
2.You only get one chance to make a first impression
Remember the basics, wear a plain, smart suit to the interview. Stand in reception, or at the very least
stand to greet your potential future employer. Ensure you have a decent
handshake. The way you greet the
individual interviewing you will be telling on the way you will greet the
companies’ clients. And you only get one
chance to get this right.
3.Know your numbers
After over a decade (possibly more) in sales, I am still
amazed how many salespeople don’t know their targets, achievements, and
KPIS. These are vital to success in an
interview. Strong salespeople know how
they performed against target, month on month, quarter by quarter and year on
year.
Even if you have missed target, knowing the numbers is
important. You can only be honest in
this situation, but you can explain what your plan moving forward is to ensure
you will get back on track and make up the deficit.
4.Don’t kid a kidder
On a similar vein, don’t make up the numbers. Typically you will get caught out during the
interview, or even worse, when a reference is taken post an offer of employment.
5.Have the basics ready
Sales interviews tend to split into two parts, the first
being very fact and figures orientated and the second focusing more on
competencies. Ensure you can answer
questions like the following with specific answers.
Who do you sell to?
What is your average
order value?
(Note – saying you sell to everyone and your average order
value is a range is not specific answer)
6.Bring a brag file
If you have a history in sales, then be prepared to show it
off. Collecting ‘evidence’ of your
ability throughout the years is a great way to present yourself at
interview. You can include league
tables, performance statistics and P60s.
If you really want to wow the interviewer, take some time
and work out your closing ratios and efficiencies. The more you know your numbers the more you
are likely to impress.
7.Understand how to frame a competency answer
Competency interviews are becoming increasingly common, and
can flummox even the best of sales people.
Competency questions will ask you about a certain skill and get you to
give an example of how you have used it.
Answering the questions can be tricky if you are not used to
them. It is easy to get distracted and
waffle on. Using the STAR technique is a
great way to keep control of your answer and give a strong answer.
Situation:
Describe the situation you found yourself in
Task: Explain the
task, what were you expected to do?
Action: What did
you actually do?
Result: How did
it end – what were your results?
The most important part of a competency answer is how you
describe your actions and results. Be
concise, talk about what you did not what the team did. Make sure the situation
you describe highlights your skills as a salesperson.
8.Know the process
Good salespeople often have a natural ability, the ‘gift of
the gab’ as they say. However truly
exceptional salespeople understand that there is a process that accompanies the
sale and a strong degree of planning.
Ensure you can speak the interviewer through the sales
process comfortably, and you can explain how you manage your day, week, and of
course, that all important account base.
9.Have some killer questions ready
The way to understand a client’s needs in sales is through
effective questioning. As the interview
draws to a close and you are given the opportunity to ask your questions; make
sure each one counts.
Think outside the box, question about the businesses growth,
use information that you found in your research to formulate intelligent
questions. Identify what the business
needs in a new salesperson now and for the future.
Don’t be afraid to ask what concerns the interviewer has
about you, the only way you can objection handle effectively is to know what
the objections are.
Then get ready to close….
10.Close
Like any good sales pitch, you need to close the
interview.
If you want the job, then tell the employer, explain why you
want to work for the business and why you think you would be a match.
Clarify the next stages and if all signs are positive ask to
move forward in the process, if not how else will you know if you have won the
business?
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