Landing a sales job with the right company can be the launch pad for a very successful and lucrative career. Having interviewed and hired many sales people myself, I've been amazed by what some candidates have said and done during the interview process. There are certain things that the best candidates consistently do, and common traits sales managers are always looking for. If you follow these simple tips, you will impress your interviewer, standout amongst your peers, and greatly increase your chances of getting hired.
These are some essential things you will need to do to get prepared for and conduct a highly effective job interview:
Learn about the company and even the person you will interview with. There are many sources to gather information from. Some important facts are the industry they are in, recent performance, major competitors, new announcements, growth areas, and corporate initiatives to name a few. You should also check the background
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Preparation is critical and really should start with knowing about the position your are interviewing for. Having that information, you can customize your resume beforehand, and you will also be prepared to discuss the way your unique skills and prior experience will map to and enable your ability to succeed in your new job. Showing a careful confidence without losing sight of humility is important.
Leverage your prior sales achievements. Every sales team manager really wants to hire someone with a solid track record. Always communicate how you have been successful with examples of your very best sales. I always ask my candidates to tell me about the most interesting and complex sales they closed, as well as the role they played and relationships they've built with their customers, to get a sense of their overall process and how they started and lead the sales cycle. One time I had a candidate tell me he couldn't remember one. That was the end of the interview for