As a job seeker, knowing how to answer, “tell me about yourself,” gives you a great opportunity to spotlight the skills and experience that make you the ideal candidate for the job. Your interviewer doesn’t need to know every detail. In the sales interview you have to sell yourself better than the next candidate to get the job offer. Take the time to do your homework and become familiar with the company. Salespeople must be outgoing, communicative and professional, all while maintaining the ability to pitch themselves or a product and close the deal. As recruiters, we see many job candidates go through interview processes. Approach it … I did educate myself on the topic and I can help you with that. How can you help them? Instead of spitting out hundreds of answers that pop into your head as the interviewer asks a question, take a moment to collect your thoughts. Show that you’re genuinely interested in the product or solution you’d be selling. Some get the job, some don’t, but very few truly shine. There are many common questions and situations you will find yourself in – one being how to sell a product in an interview. This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Besides that we eat a lot of cookies. Whether you picked it up at a college career fair six months ago, or over the course of a twenty year sales career, interviewing is undeniably a skill. It may be helpful to come up with your own pitch for the product, before learning how the company pitches it. Research their mission statement and values, so you can gain a better understanding on some of the possible questions you may be asked during your interview. Unless you’re actually in sales, the very concept of selling yourself during a job interview can be daunting.You don’t want to sound arrogant or corny, or worse, desperate. 1. In addition, an email generated to each of these interviewers and sent within 2 hours of leaving your interview is a great way to close the loop, and display your interest one final time. I was always told that there are only two things that can hold you back in life: fear and self-doubt. The best approach is to hit on who you are (aka Brad, graduated in 2006 from UCLA, Enterprise Account Executive), what you want (“I am looking to work in an outside sales role as an individual contributor, with the potential to grow into a managerial or team lead role”), and keep the personal information to a minimum. Revenue Generator “I am confident in my abilities to produce and while I prepare for the worst, I do the work necessary to tilt the odds that the best will happen.” 2. We use cookies to improve user experience, and analyze website traffic. Also, show that you are self-motivated and love to sell. Find out as much as possible about the employer. Imagine yourself as a marketer or salesperson, and the product you need to convince a client to buy is you. Read up on where they came from, how they developed their product, and where their founders got their degrees. Our suggestions? Toronto, ON ... Make sure you sell yourself effectively in the sales interview and get the job you want! This is the same for an interview. Interviewers love to see that you’ve taken notes, and also that you’ve looked at their website. It's Patrick dating here now. It's Patrick doing here Now. Slideshare uses cookies to improve functionality and performance, and to provide you with relevant advertising. Everyone on the job hunt has read the standard “interview guidelines” at one point or another, and has some inherent knowledge of interview etiquette. Sell Your Skills. “Take your résumé and LinkedIn profile and go through it thoroughly,” said McDonald. Eight steps to crafting the perfect elevator pitch. In every interview you have to sell yourself, however, in a sales interview, you have to: A. You should be able to sell yourself to the next employer in a more persuasive manner which makes you the ultimate choice for an employer. Be engaging, conversational, and do your best to earn the interviewer’s trust to establish a relationship – the same thing you would do if you were trying to sell a prospect. Think about it from the company’s point of view – if you’re not able to sell yourself, how are you going to sell their product? Stand out from the crowd by learning how to sell yourself in an interview. Arrive at the interview with a sense of the company's sales strategy and some examples of how your previous sales experience has prepared you to contribute. Here’s how to sell yourself in an interview: There’s no question that it’s important to know about the company you’re interviewing with before you walk into said sales interview. Think of the interview like a sales meeting, only instead of selling a product or service, you are selling yourself for the role. To sell your skills in an interview, talk about circumstances in your professional life where you messed up and what you learnt from that experience. Make reference to the product and the research you’ve done about it. For these reasons, we may share your site usage data with our analytics partners. You’re demonstrating that you understand what it takes to make a sale, and can execute. In fact, I wasn't much, very much confident at all, to be honest. You need to know exactly what you want to achieve or no one can help you get there. A CEO will care about different things than a manager, who will care about different things than a recruiter or HR person. Ask more questions. The interviewers are likely well versed in sales tactics and strategies, making it more difficult for you, even as a sales rep, to sell yourself to them as an ideal fit for the open position, organizational culture, and company. Sell Yourself and Enjoy Yourself . Occasionally, answering questions in a sales interview can feel like you’re running a marathon: the questions keep coming, and they wear you out as time goes by. You should prepare for a sales interview in the same way you’d prepare for a sales call. By clicking "Accept Cookies", you consent to store on your device all the technologies described in our Cookie Policy. Research “Tell me about yourself,” or questions like it, are common at the beginning of interviews as they ease both you and the interviewer into the interview. Here are the steps to take to get the job you want. We recruit sales people in every sector of the economy including, software, manufacturing, financial services and medical devices. Wednesday 14 February 2018 12:41. It allows the interviewer to hear a short, summed up version of your background and skills, and it gives them insight into what experience and qualifications you think are most relevant to the position you’re interviewing for. Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings. Remember that the job interview is a sales situation. Old fashioned though it may seem, a handwritten thank you card can go a long way. By selling yourself and closing the “sale”, you’re not only showing you’re a successful sales person. Time spent researching the job, company and workplace ethos is invaluable. Know Your Worth. Occasionally, answering questions in a sales interview can feel like you’re running a marathon: the questions keep coming, and they wear you out as time goes by. When you can sense that the interview is coming to an end, take a moment, and close your interviewer on the sale – you! Take a look at all of your accomplishments and feel proud of them. (After all, sales is all about getting someone to buy something that they may not necessarily need.) In a sales interview, asking a candidate to sell something has been the favourite question for most of the recruiters. You are in a job interview and you get asked to sell a product to the interviewer. Back when I was in college looking for my first sales job, I wouldn't say I was the most confident person. Showcase Your Strengths Without Feeling Like a Used Car Salesman “I just don’t know how to sell myself!” It’s one of the most common complaints that I hear in my job interview coaching practice.. You will be asked this, or a similar question, during the interview, and how well you answer the question will help sell yourself as an ideal candidate. Simple Tips for Selling Yourself at a Job Interview. When walking into a job interview for a position you really want, intimidation can overwhelm your nerves and bring you doubt. There is also a lot to be said for the confidence you can muster (when being interviewed), if you are familiar with the questions, and the answers are at the tip of your tongue. M5J 2L7. I’m not saying that you need to go into the interview and do an “elevator pitch” or a sales pitch. If you continue browsing the site, you agree to the use of cookies on this website. In addition, you need to be prepared to answer questions that the interviewer is likely to ask you. © 2020 Betts Recruiting. You can change your cookie settings at any time by clicking "Cookie Preferences". Salespeople: How to Sell Yourself Better in a Sales Interview February 1, 2017 by Blue Signal When it comes to interviewing, salespeople have a natural advantage over employees in other departments: they talk to people every day, they are naturally … Selling is an art which you must know to reap the benefits of the career of your choice. Remember if you enjoy the interview you will shine at interview. SalesForce Search is a sales recruiting company which specializes in the recruitment and placement of sales professionals. But it's a skill everyone needs to master. As a sales professional, selling yourself in a sales interview can be a particular challenge. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again. Take time to research the company, industry, job type, and figure out what you can offer the company. All Rights Reserved. Do this by showing them how knowledgeable you are about relevant sales strategies, the industry and products you’ll be selling, and your approach to prospecting, nurturing leads, and closing deals. It's one of the hardest and most dreaded aspects of the hiring process—the job interview. (Visit: http://www.uctv.tv/) Knowing how to sell yourself is key to the hiring process. Instead, you should think of this phrase as a rough translation of “Why are you here, and what do you want?” Think like an interviewer in this scenario, and resist the urge to ramble through everything on your resume, or discuss the ins and outs of your life story. Also, by showing the interviewer the reasons why you’re a perfect fit for the job, you simultaneously make their job easier, and you prove yourself as a strong sales person. How to sell yourself in 25 words or less Ever had to prepare an “elevator pitch” where selling an idea needed to be engaging enough to hit the mark within 30 seconds? Ask ADAPT questions C. Make an emotional connection with the interviewer. Here’s how to nail the elevator pitch and sell yourself like a professional instead of panicking, mumbling for a few seconds and getting out before your stop. And because it’s a question that many hiring managers lead with, it's also your way to start off on the right foot. As a good sales person, you should know how to promote your most valuable product — yourself and the ability to sell yourself. You will demonstrate that you are a good fit for the company you are applying to. And the answers I suggest are the ones I’ve been most impressed by. Salespeople must be outgoing, communicative and professional, all while maintaining the ability to pitch themselves or a product and close the deal. It will also remind your interviewer of your interest in the opportunity. Remember that the job interview is a sales situation. An experienced sales person would make sure to have extensive knowledge of the client. When you meet an interviewer, make it a goal to present yourself as the best person for the job. Involve yourself, show that you’re enthusiastic about selling and also open up your special style in selling. If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. And as everyone knows, if you impress your interviewer, the job is one step closer to becoming yours! Find the right sales person for your organization, 5 Ways to Find Top Salespeople In Today’s Environment, Is It Worth Hiring Sales Recruiters? It's your one shot to make a great impression and convince the interviewer you're the best salesperson for the job. That's why you must sell yourself to a hiring manager during an interview and let him know you're the right person for the job. Just think of yourself as the product, and apply the same principles you would use in any sales meeting, demonstrating that you're a good fit and selling yourself to the interviewer. A sales job interview is one of the most challenging interviews there is, since interviewers will have high expectations for your persuasive powers. Our top 10 sales interview questions along with great sample answers you can model in your next interview. We recruit sales people in every sector of the economy including, software, manufacturing, financial services and medical devices. 9 Ways to Describe Yourself in a Sales Interview Published on April 3, 2015 April 3, 2015 • 35 Likes • 0 Comments. Copyright © 2020 SalesForce Search. When you hear the term "sell yourself" you might think you have to throw yourself at the interviewer or get out of your chair and do a tap-dance routine. Unless you're in business for yourself or looking for a job, the idea of marketing yourself may not sound like anything that concerns you. In order to sell yourself (that is, your skills and experience) to the interviewer, thoroughly research the company and job position. Here’s What You Need to Know, 5 Ways to Increase Sales During a Pandemic. To sell the interviewer on why you're the right person for the job, you need to tailor your approach to her needs. You are the product and the interview should be approached in the same way a sales professional prepares for a sales meeting. Review their website and make sure you can speak to what the company does. Preparation is key when you’re ready to sell yourself during a job interview. Then answer each question strategically. The interviewer looks for these aspects during the interview session. Talk about your understanding of the company’s product and sales strategies and how it relates to your past experience, using examples and anecdotes where possible,” Doyle suggests. If you don’t do a convincing job selling a yourself, how can you be expected to sell … I didn't understand why they were rejecting me. However, many times, candidates simply gloss over a website or breeze through an “about us” page, without really owning or understanding precisely what they will be selling, should they get the job. If you’ve ever interviewed for a position in sales, you know the peculiarities and dynamics that exist in applying for these types of positions. Try to find a link between the points on your resume that you’re most proud of, and the requirements of the job you’re interviewing for. 1. Now that you know how to sell yourself during the interview, you should know the 5 Questions Sales Candidates Should Ask Every Hiring Manager By selling yourself and closing the “sale,” you are giving them a glimpse of what you are capable of doing if hired. When you go into an interview, Augustine says you can tell a hiring manager, "I understand you are looking for this and here are the steps I have taken to gain those skills." Even though every employer requires you to provide them with a list of your work history or a resume, many will not have the time to dive into every detail of your work experience, and what you’ve accomplished. These five tips will help you leverage yourself with the hiring manager and stand out from the rest: 1. 2. Research the company. Here are a few more job interview tips to help you nail your response: How to Sell Yourself in a Sales Interview, 2. In order to sell yourself (that is, your skills and experience) to the interviewer, thoroughly research the company and job position. Here are 3 Ways to Sell Yourself in a Sales Interview and help you get the job. However there is no doubt that these personality traits and methods of presenting yourself are vital for anyone interviewing for a sales job. In 2017, just over 87 percent of NCLEX test takers passed the first time, so be proud to be on the good side of statistics. Before you sit down in front of an interviewer, make a list of your professional accomplishments that are relevant to the position you want. Remember that the job interview is a sales situation. Top 26 Sales Interview Questions Here are some more specific ways you can sell yourself during a sales job interview: Your goal is to show the interviewer that you are right for the job. How to sell yourself in 30 seconds and leave people wanting more. Work in sales? As a sales candidate seeking employment, the first thing you need to sell is yourself. In this instance, the product you’re selling is you, and the service is your skills at selling this new company’s products/services. A sales interview is not the time to narrate your own life story, New from Betts: Get Regular Reports to Keep Up with the Great Rehiring, How to Make Virtual Conferences Work for You. Make a point of avoiding this! Carry Yourself With Confidence If you feel unsure about yourself during the interview, it’ll show. The one thing which they mainly analyze is how you approach the given situation. Here are six steps to take to win the job offer in your sales interview. Preparation is key when you’re ready to sell yourself during a job interview. What's going on? All rights reserved. If you think about it, a lot of future sales reps are in your shoes, coming straight out … For most sales jobs you will be interviewed by a sales lead, and these sales leads are going to be individuals with years of sales experience. These qualities are the foundation of success and for selling yourself without real-world sales experience. In her first sales interview, “the interviewer [who] asked me this question already had a pen sitting in front of them and pointed to the pen sitting in front of me saying, ‘Sell me that pen.’ I realized that the interviewer didn't need a pen, so I explained why I would choose the pen that I had in front of me. One of the most difficult parts of the experience is coming up with intelligent answers to tricky sales interview questions on the spot. Figure out what the product does, what types of companies use the solution, and what types of clients you would approach, if you were selling the product. You can sell yourself—in a good way—by being mindful of your posture. A sales interview differs from any other type of interview, since the team will be evaluating not only your background, personality and communication skills, but your ability to sell yourself as well. Follow these tips to make the hiring gods choose you. I love hearing these words because I know I can help these clients make a dramatic improvement in their interview game pretty quickly. Typically, one card for each person you interviewed with is appropriate. Not coming prepared to a sales meeting with knowledge of the company and the person you’re talking to would immediately cause a prospect to shut down. There’s a lot to be said for knowing how to sell yourself. As a good salesperson, you must be able to sell yourself. The Betts team wants nothing more than to help every aspiring professional to find their dream job in sales, marketing or people operations. Sales Interview Tips - Sell Yourself In a Job Interview: everybody. Sell yourself in your interview by focusing on your core messages You don’t want to go into an interview and tell them everything about yourself. The good news is that it’s very possible to learn to “sell yourself” in a way that will still feel authentic. B. Job interviews for sales jobs represent the best example of the importance of selling yourself. Do everything you can to outwardly project confidence when you meet with interviewers. You don't have to do any of that. He is a Certified Recruitment Specialist (CRS) and has expert experience in prospecting new business, client retention/renewals and managing top performing sales and recruitment teams. Sales Interview Tips - Sell Yourself In a Job Interview Intro: everybody, What's going on? Based on that extensive experience, I know the sales interview questions in this article are the ones you will most likely face. Before sitting down for an interview, make sure you have gained some knowledge about the company you are applying for. Each of these strategies, in conjunction with the tried and true practices that most people are aware of (dress conservatively, shine your shoes, bring along a few copies of your resume), will elevate your status in the mind of your interviewer. That’s not what I mean by marketing yourself. When you interview for a job, you're essentially making a sales pitch. Tips from sales experts often come in handy and help you prepare for job interviews. When I was in college, when applying for my first sales jobs, you know I would apply to all these jobs and I would constantly get rejection after rejection. Here are six steps to take to win the job offer in your sales interview. The next step for how to sell yourself during an interview is to know your audience! The go-to steps before answering any interview question are: pause, breathe, think about what you’re going to say, say it succinctly, and then stop speaking once you’ve made your point. These pitches have a bad reputation because they’re what’s known as the “hard sell,” or being very aggressive with marketing. “Your job in a sales interview is to sell yourself as a salesman, and this is an ideal chance to showcase your skills with this important question you’ll likely be asked upfront: What are you interested in selling and how is that applicable to our company?” Here's how you can sell yourself -- at work, in life, to the world. The first thing to do is NOT panic! Here's how to "sell yourself" at a job interview -- by asking smart and thoughtful questions that show your hiring manager you're a strong contender for the job. Ways to Sell Yourself Every job interview requires you to sell yourself to the company, so these interview tips can benefit everyone during their job interview. Once the interviewer has exhausted their list of questions and the interview is coming to an end, it’s time for you to close the deal. D. Ask SPIN questions E. Show that you're good at selling yourself. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful. Explain how you are the solution (ideal candidate) they are looking for. For a sales interview, think of yourself as being the product and apply those principles to the interview and consider it a sales meeting. Because of this, many candidates will fall into the “Tell me about yourself…” trap. Suite 600 The online world has fast become the “elevator” of today, where we have just a few lines of text on a computer screen to make a striking impact on potential employers. When you're interviewing for a sales position, your goal is to sell yourself to the hiring manager. Rhys enjoys spending quality time with his wife, son, and daughters, BBQing on a hot summer day and tropical vacations. Interviewers are looking to see the same skills that you will use on the phones with prospects. It’s what they are looking for, right? You should approach the interview like you would a sales meeting. The Best Answer to “sell me a pen interview question”: 4 Different Ways to Sell. 144 Front Street West Career points that you’re proud of are easier to remember, which can be beneficial in the heat of the moment in an interview. We have produced a variety of common interview questions and answers to guide you in preparing your sales pitch, which needs to be geared to the role and highlight your strengths and experiences. Different employers have different needs and expectations to which you need to respond appropriately. Your role is to consider yourself the product and convince the sales lead that their life will be vastly improved if they make the purchase. Salespeople: How to Sell Yourself Better in a Sales Interview February 1, 2017 by Blue Signal When it comes to interviewing, salespeople have a natural advantage over employees in other departments: they talk to people every day, they are naturally persuasive, and they have a strong internal motivation. Tell them you’re ready and very interested in pursuing the job further, and be certain you ask about next steps. You can accomplish this by researching the company in advance, practicing with a spouse or friend before the interview, and using several key strategies during the interview that highlight your skills and experience. You are the product and the interview should be approached in the same way a sales professional prepares for a sales meeting. In order to effectively sell yourself during the interview, you need to position yourself as the solution the company is seeking. You don't have to do any of that. Do you have a sales job interview coming up? Be confident, show them that you’re the solution to their needs, and mentally assume the win. He has a successful track record of headhunting top performing sales candidates for some of the most exciting brands in North America. There are times when we aren’t able to crack an interview because we aren’t able to answer questions immediately, especially when selling products come into question. But learning how to self-promote in a convincing manner is what the job interview is all about. Not all interviews are similar. (Just don’t be arrogant!) You can also talk about another similar experience that popped up again and how well you handled that circumstance with your learning from the past. You have to practise and prepare yourself at home before starting. Vision for Succ To do this, you need to have an excellent grasp of what the company is looking for. TIP #1: It's not you, it's "you." In particular, sales interviews tend to be fairly rigorous, overly exclusive, and exceptionally demanding. Alison Doyle from the balance illustrates a sales professional’s goal when being interviewed for a sales position: “Your job in a sales interview is to sell yourself as a salesman, and this is an ideal chance to showcase your skills with this important question you’ll likely be asked upfront: What are you interested in selling and how is that applicable to our company?”. Selling yourself in an interview means taking steps to convince the hiring manager that you would be a valuable company asset. The following mentioned are few sales interview tips on how to sell a product in an interview. In a sales situation, it never pays to downplay the strengths of a product, and the same is true when you’re selling yourself for a job. If you’ve ever interviewed for a position in sales, you know the peculiarities and dynamics that exist in applying for these types of positions. Because it’s rare, the sincerity of this gesture will display your worth. 1. 0 comments. After a rigorous sales interview, it can be tempting to lapse into exhaustion or, even worse, casual passiveness. 12. Achieving a nursing degree is no small feat, nor is passing the NCLEX. Sales managers want to see that you can sell yourself before they entrust you to sell their company’s product or service. Don’t be afraid to discuss your goals, dreams, ambitions and aspirations at an interview it demonstrates that you are goal oriented, taking a career move seriously and that you have drive and purpose. It’s also an opportunity to show your sales skills and approach to selling a prospect.