Using Your Selling Skills in an Interview

Interviews can be a very stressful and anxiety provoking scenario for any professional, but the salesperson is probably in a better position than most when it comes to leaving a lasting impression and winning that Job. In so many ways the elements which are fundamental to a great interview are also the same factors which make up an effective sales pitch. So relax, be yourself, you will perform well if you simply transfer your selling skills to the sales recruitment arena.

Research the Company

A good salesperson knows their client. It is not enough to have a great knowledge of your products and services and use the same pitch for every client you meet. You need to adapt your sales pitch to the needs of the buyer. For that to happen you need to know your clients background, who their target market is, what supplies they are likely to use, what industry arena they work within etc etc..

In the same way, in an interview you need to know and understand the company which is offering the prospective post. Having knowledge of the employers services and products and industry, will allow you to talk confidently about working within that arena. You will be able to “transfer your skills” in your mind to the type of work you would be moving into. Also, , as you have obviously been to the trouble of gathering information about how they work, it will suggest to the prospective employer that you are interested specifically in working in their company and a good degree of commitment.

Prepare for the Interview

A good sales pitch means plenty of preparation. This includes refreshing your mind about your services and products, gathering the correct documents to initiate the sale and for point of sale; and client research. You will feel more confident going into the sale if you have everything in place for every eventuality. An Interview works in the same way. Don’t leave it to luck and hope you get the right questions. Spend time going over your fundamental skills. Think of a scenario when you used your skills well. Gather together all your certificates and your CV. The latter will trigger ideas about experiences and talents you can talk about in the interview. Most of all you will be prepared for the inevitable “What would you like to ask us?” questions at the end.

The Right imager
Sales staff are past masters at creating the right image, so spend some time thinking about what will be the right image for the new job. A suit or, at the very least, a jacket and tie are traditional for an interview, but be aware of the persona you will be putting over as well. There are many different sectors within selling (telephone sales; B2B; C2B; hard sell; soft sell; etc), so ensure the interviewer gets a chance to view you within that niche.