Despite many rejection it is very important to keep applying on other company’s job offers. With every interview invitation you must prepare to make an impression. With that being said, let’s dive into this article to know about the importance of a good impression other than emphasizing your skills in a sales interview.
How do you stand out in a sales interview?
No doubt the company must have received many applicants for the job role. Many great candidates with the required skill must be anticipating themselves for this interview. There is a competition in which you are also considered as an opponent. Nevertheless, maintain the same positivity and always prepare your best before an interview so that you don’t quiver.
In a sales interview, start with a strong introduction. You may want the interview to have a keen sight of you throughout the interview process so that you get the chance to sell yourself to the company. Often most candidates do not appear to have done enough research and come prepared with their questions for the interviewer.
Here are few ways to stand out in a sales interview:
LinkedIn profile
Having a LinkedIn profile and sharing your involvement in many product selling services gives a boost up to your job profile. Among various social media platforms nowadays, this one has been effective. LinkedIn serves the purpose of showing the professional life of people, through which the interviewer gets proof of your background. Having social media also benefits you in selling your products as it helps in reaching more audience with a better approach.
Knowing the Company
After every interview, having prepared some questions for the interview shows your interest in being part of their organization. Asking them about the company and many milestones to reach makes the interviewer see you as a fit role to be in their team as you have done enough research to understand their goals.
Do some research on the types of products they sell and how you will fit in their work culture. Make a good relationship with the interviewer in the follow up questions session. It helps to show your bonding skill. Reading the company’s website is a good start. When you get a call for the interview, prepare yourself for a head start, sell yourself, and show them the salesmanship in the most natural way possible.
Certificate and other proofs
When you explain about your experiences and involvement in local shops as a volunteer sales partner, prepare your evidence that claims your support. With evidence the claims become more effective in the interview and you will have relevant events to add on.
Present well.
As a salesperson one thing is observed by many hiring managers, that is your engagement ability in a conversation. Since it is an interview you need to be enthusiastic and very attentive and respond reluctantly.
Make eye contact while answering to one of the interviewers. Interviewers won’t ask about your weaknesses and strengths for you to give them a fake answer, instead give them a detailed answer how your strengths and weaknesses had helped you in a certain situation at your previous workplace or in your college.
Be prepared well to measure your goals in the answer.
What Should I Say In A Sales Interview?
Study their progress and demonstrate that you have done research on their past achievements. The hiring managers won’t expect you to follow all their work history but having knowledge on their targeted customer and the products they have worked on will give them the idea of your potential and hence making you stand out.
- Having studied their culture and main field of work, you can tune your answer in an interesting way to show your eagerness to work on whatever field in their company has got your attention. Talk about the reason you think you are fit for the role of the company and how your work interest matches the job description. Have decent and tailored answers ready in advance.
- Talk about your achievements. While mentioning your past sales, grade up your numbers. With each achievement tell them how you did it, this impresses the interviewer in knowing that you have actually done it and have learnt from them. With this you can even
- There are always failures in every status of a work. Talk about your failures with honesty and give an example of how it made you accept it and work with it as well. Don’t talk about negative failures as it doesn’t have any impact on your skills.
Tips For Impressing Your Interviewer
They say the first impression really matters. It is indeed true especially when you have a lot of competitions on the spot. With a good impression in the beginning you mark yourself in the present well category. The interviewer takes you in as a well organized candidate which has a good effect on them. Here are some tips to impress your interviewer:
Dress up properly
Attending an interview with a neat and clean shaved and combed hair is a way of showing organized person. Also dressing up as a professional. Don’t overdo your clothes, be simple and organized with an aura of confidence and walk into the room when called.
You might want to appear wearing torn slippers just because it is raining and later apologize or give an excuse. Remember that you are going for a sales interview, it is the best way to show your professionalism by showing up in a suit dressed up in a well manner. It’s okay if other candidates in the waiting hall are wearing fancy clothes, it is about how you represent yourself. Check yourself before coming, whether you are well presented or not.
If you have any sign of tattoos showing it is respectable to hide them just for the interview. Tattoos are not usually disregarded in private companies but showing a decent appearance in the interview is a huge deal to make an impression. Wear appropriate attire. It would be extremely awkward and uncomfortable to show fro the interview underdressed or overdressed.
Avoid using Phone
When you are in a waiting hall, you would normally check your phone till your turn comes around. However, in an interview waiting hall keep it away and notice your surroundings. The more you get used to your surroundings it will give you less anxiety when you get up from your seats and go to the interview room.
Take your time in going through your resume. It is likely for you to feel little anxiety while sitting there among the candidates. In case you are on your phone, and you get called you will shuffled with it and you will lose your composure. Avoid that at all costs.
Get everything ready
You probably have some wrappers in your bag. Before coming to an interview try to get rid of all unnecessary objects in your bag. Clean the inside of your bag thoroughly. And make sure you organize all the required files before coming to the interview. In this way, you will not fuzzle with anything when the interviewer asks you to show certain documents.
For the best impression, you need to be well organized and neat with everything essential. You won’t take longer to take out your resume from your bag or a pen when commanded.
Introduce yourself to them
When you are called to the interviewer’s office, normally you get introduced to the members. However, in some cases they might be taking a break for drinking water or organizing their table, so don’t wait for them to start. Greet them in a decent and professional manner. Introduce yourself without having them ask for it.
This is the common mistake many people make. It could be due to nervousness, but keep in mind, the interviewers are also human. It is infact a very nice gesture to introduce yourself with a very strong opening.
Greet and Smile
As you walk into the room, greet them with a smile and go with your introduction. This makes you look confident and the interviewer feels less stressed than the previous interview with your cool composure.
Mistakes to avoid in Sales interview
It’s okay to make mistakes in interviews but there are certain mistakes you must avoid making at an interview and be careful with those. Here are some mistakes that you must avoid in sales interview:
- Inappropriate outfit
As discussed above, it’s important to make yourself presentable and well dressed. Choose your outfit based on what job you have applied for. Don’t make yourself underdressed or overdressed. Have your hair tied or combed properly. Coming to the interview venue dressed as a professional makes you look like a confident and an imperative candidate.
- No knowledge of the company
It is a very common mistake that many candidates make. In the midst of preparing to make themselves presentable and stand out, they keep on focusing on highlighting their skills that they forget to do the most crucial thing for the interview. Having no knowledge about the company is like an insult to the company. Do check their website and keep yourself updated with their posts and blogs. research on their past project and show your interest in knowing about their motto and future goals.
- Lying
It is always advised to stay honest in an interview. If you lie about an experience at xyz company they will catch you red handed. Many don’t know that recruiters always have background details about your work. If you have mentioned work experience at some companies, they do check at the said company to prove your evidence.
Never lie about your skills as well. If they ask you to solve a problem using that skill, it would be awkward to show that you are lying and the interviewer is most likely to get in a foul mood.
Not having any questions for them It is certain that every candidates wants to ask some questions related to their position or the company. Prepare some before coming to the interview. The questions should not be personal and relevant to the job. Having prepared a few questions for them about the company makes them happy and they would answer so reluctantly.
You can go about asking about the working hours and what does the company expects from the employee with the said role.
- Not accepting critics
There are cases when the interviewers point out some flaws in the candidate’s certain skill. While some candidates are eager to take notes and improve themselves, there are some who would defend themselves. The interviewer might want you to work for him/her and improve those skills, you never know.
Most of the hiring managers look for candidates who can be taught to be better performers. If you get some critics, accept them, thank them for pointing it out and that you will work on them.
Also Check : How do I prepare for a sales interview?
- Never talk about interviews in social media
You must never talk about your interviews in public such as telling your friends and posting about it in social media. It is considered as an act of ill behaviour. The interview is a valuable place to learn and also improve yourself. Talking about it with others makes you a greedy person and also it makes others nervous about their interviews.