subject: Selling Yourself In A Sales Recruitment Interview [print this page] The right approach to your interview can make the world of difference to how you present and how well you can manage to sell yourself.
Here are six tips:
* Prepare for your interview. - Read up on the company you have applied to and commit to memory some of their key products and services. Particularly for sales jobs, your interviewers will want to know whether you've made the effort to understand their industry and the products / services you will be selling on their behalf. If you are new to sales, study what it means to sell and what a sales cycle is.
* Don't get worked up on the word "interview". - Yes, it may be a sales recruitment interview that you are participating in, but view it instead as a conversation between two people (or with a panel) who want to find out more about each other. It is an opportunity for you to chat to your interviewers about how well suited you are to the job. Above all, view your interview as a friendly chat and not an interrogation.
* Look the part. - Bad first impressions, based on your appearance, grooming and what you are wearing, can cost you the job. There are many books, articles and web sites devoted to providing advice on how to dress and it is advisable that you consult them when deciding what to wear and how to present yourself in your sales recruitment interview.
* Consider your body language - Practice your handshake - it should be firm - and make sure you look your interviewer in the eye when handshaking. Make sure you smile and make regular eye contact with all members of the interview panel. Sit forward in your chair during the interview, and try not to cross your arms or legs.
* Answer your interview questions by providing examples - Keep in mind this 'mantra' when answering the interview questions in your sales recruitment interview: Situation or task, action and result. This describes the stages you should go through in answering your questions:
(a) Situation or task - Think of a particular situation where you can best demonstrate the skills the interviewer is fishing for.
(b) Action - This is probably the most important part of your answer. Describe the actions you personally undertook to address the particular situation and task. Be specific and detailed in describing these.
(b) Result - Describe the result or outcome of your actions. Focus on the positive outcomes of the situation, rather than the negative outcomes.
* Prepare and practice your answers - Using the above mantra "situation, action, result" you can prepare your answers to some common interview questions you are likely to be asked during your sales recruitment interview.
Look at the various sales competencies detailed in the job ad and the position description to help you to anticipate the type of questions that might be asked. Then prepare answers which detail the situation, action and result. Rehearse these answers.
If after you have done all of these things, you still miss out on your sales job, don't lose hope. Persistence is the key when it comes to the sales recruitment job market. You will get better at the interviews with several attempts. Particularly for those job seekers who are new to sales, use your persistence as a selling point when discussing your motivation during the interview.
You will impress the interviewer with your repeated efforts to break into the market!
