When interviewing for a sales job it is a good idea to treat the interview as a normal sale only in this case you are selling yourself instead of a product. Following interview tips will help you prepare for a sales job interview.
- Research
A good salesman never goes on a sale without at least some research. Ideally you should research both the company and the market. You should have some basic knowledge of company such as its recent history, mention of the company in news, mission statement of the company key personals within the company etc. You should also find out about major products and services of the company, its major competitors and clients, its role in the market, advantages and disadvantages of the company over its competitors, its current operations and future plans etc. Such research will help you prepare the right question to ask, answer the interviewers' questions properly and boost your confidence as well.
- Revise Your Resume
Your resume is like the brochure of a sales person. Just like a well designed brochure it should highlight your quality and entice the interviewer to choose you over your competitors. You should update and revise your resume keeping the company and job in your mind and emphasize the skills, achievements and qualities that are most suitable for the job. In general specified and quantified real world achievements make a better impact than certifications and academic achievements.
- Prepare for Questions
You should make a list of and prepare for, expected questions. These could be about skills, why should they choose you over other candidates, why do you wish to word for this company, where do you see yourself 2 or 5 years from now among other things. The questions would vary greatly based on your qualification and experience as well. For example for a fresher it would focus mainly on your academic knowledge and skills to test your knowledge and understanding of various marketing concepts, your communication and team working skills etc. On the other hand if you are an experienced candidate the focus of interview would be on you past achievement and performance. Prepare accordingly.
- Prepare Questions
Any good interviewer would also ask if you have any questions or concern about the job or the company. Have a list of possible questions that you would be asking, prepared in advance. These questions should reflect your knowledge of company and its operations, your interest in the position and should also help you find out whether it is the right job you or not.
- Sell Yourself
Remember that you are interviewing for a sales job and if you can't sell yourself it would be hard for interviewer to believe that you can sell their product. Remember the basics and don't harp on about your qualities and achievements. Find out first what the customer, who is in this case the interviewer, is looking for. Only after this you can present yourself in a way, that shows that you have what they are looking for. Otherwise it's just wild guessing. You should be honest and never lie during an interview. That said; never volunteer information that is detrimental to your cause unasked either. If you are confronted about some weak point, for an example some question you don't know the answer of or some event in your past, face it head on and present it in a positive way, instead of denying or talking around it. For example you should focus on how you would go about finding the answer or what you learned from your mistake.
- Rehearse
Perform mock interviews with a friend or friends acting the art of interviewer. It will help you identify critical weaknesses in your preparation as well as boost your confidence. You can change role and act as interviewer as well as this will give you some understanding of interviewer's point of view.
- Planning
Plan your attire, time you will leave for interview, documents you'll take with you etc in advance. This will help make sure that you arrive for interview on time and in unhurried.
The tips above are about how to prepare for an interview for a sales job and without doubt preparation is important. But equally important and perhaps even more so is the presentation. Make sure that you appear calm and confident in the interview. Be polite and defer to the interviewer but show your do not undersell your self. Show your confidence in you ability and worth without appearing arrogant.
