A job interview is not that much different from a standard business meeting or sales pitch. The only difference is that now the product you have to sell is you. An interview for a sales position is different from interviews to other positions. Giving automatic, robotic responses to classic interview questions (“Where do you see yourself in five years?”) can be more damaging, because prepared answers, lack of inventiveness and lack of improvisational skills is a bigger problem in a sales position than anywhere else. Here are three tips on how to prepare for an interview for a sales position.
Tip no. 1: Know your CV in great detail
Know all the dates and numbers that concern you personally and that you mention in your CV, by heart. As The Muse states, a good businessperson always knows their numbers, is organized and remembers dates. If you are asked about certain statistics or revenue in connection to your sales experience, you are expected to say exact numbers. Learn your CV by heart, no discrepancy between what you are saying and what is written in your resume will be tolerated.
Tip no. 2: Research
Learn as much as possible about the company from freely accessible sources. Do you have a relative or a friend who knows someone who works there? Interview that person. Know what the firm takes pride in, what its credo is, what makes it different from its competition. If the interviewer asks you if you have any questions, ask a specific question so you show that you took the time to learn about the company.
Tip no. 3: Proceed like at a sales meeting
At the end of the interview, proceed in the same way you would if you were at a standard business meeting. Would you let the client go without hearing what will happen after the meeting? Let's hope not. Similarly, don't leave an interview without knowing who the decision maker is, when the decision will be made and what are the next steps in the whole process.
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