subject: How To Stay Calm In Your Sales Recruitment Interview [print this page] Stress about your interview can occur at all stages of the recruitment process - from the resume preparation stage, through to selecting what to wear, to the interview itself. Probably interview stress is the worst of these stages, and potentially the most damaging.
It can make you panic, perspire profusely, go red in the face, freeze, chatter nervously, or lose your train of thought. Being able to control your nerves is especially important in a sales recruitment interview, because your level of nervousness will be judged as an indication of how you will present to the company's customers.
Unfortunately, relaxing for your interview is easier said than done. Nonetheless there are a few easy things you can do to calm your nerves:
Be punctual
One easy way to avoid unnecessary stress is to ensure that you arrive for your sales recruitment interview about 10 minutes before the interview is scheduled to begin. That way you will not stress out about getting there on time, and you will have some 'breathing space' to sit down and relax while you wait to be called in for the interview.
Do not arrive too early though - you'll end up just sitting there waiting and worrying - about 10 minutes early is just about the right amount of time.
One way of ensuring you arrive at just the right time is to look up the address the night before your sales recruitment interview and make sure you know exactly how to get there, which train to catch, or where to park your car. Remember that good salespeople are always on time when they meet with their customers, so it is a good habit to get into!
Visualization exercises
One effective way of managing your stress is to mentally prepare for your interview by imagining yourself undergoing it. Visualization involves your mentally rehearsing being successful in your sales recruitment interview. By doing so, you are mentally preparing handling the interview in real life. Visualization exercises can be undertaken days, hours or minutes before an interview.
Just close your eyes, breathe deeply, and picture yourself confidently answering the interview questions. Above all, imagine yourself doing well in the interview and succeeding in obtaining a job.
Relaxation
If you are relaxed in your sales recruitment interview you will come across as more confident. If you appear confident, the interviewer will naturally assume that you will also come across confidently when you meet with their customers. Here are a few ways to at least appear relaxed:
* Sit up straight in your chair do not slouch or cross your arms or legs
* Breathe deeply and slowly
* Don't clench your teeth - keep your jaw relaxed
* Don't speak too quickly or ramble - speak slowly and calmly
* Maintain comfortable eye contact with your interviewers - and smile!
Pausing
Too often job seekers become uncomfortable with the 'silences' during their sales recruitment interview. There is no need to be - it is OK to pause and think of your answer if one does not come immediately to mind. If you start to feel yourself panic, just pause, take a deep breathe and refocus.
You will find that a quick 10 second pause is sufficient time for you to regain your composure and think calmly of how to answer the question. Best of all, the interviewer probably will not even notice!
