Demonstrate Previous Sales Success
There will always be plenty of vacancies for sales positions, and there will always be a multitude of people looking for employment as salespeople. This is because salespeople simply have to be good at their jobs in order for companies to remain in business; successful salespeople move on for higher rewards, while unsuccessful salespeople get moved on to make way for successful ones.
Faced with a high number of candidates, recruiting sales managers will often sort wheat from chaff by rigorously examining an interviewee's previous sales performance. This means that candidates should come to interview fully prepared to talk about their recent sales performance in terms of volume, revenue margin and commission, together with how these figures look against their targets and how their performance compares with other sellers employed by the same company. Honesty is the best policy here. A sales person achieving average results may still get hired if he can demonstrate a concrete plan to improve and a willingness to learn. The idea of turning an average performer into a top gun appeals to many sales managers, just so long as they believe that they'll be working with the right person.
Candidates applying for their first sales position clearly cannot demonstrate any kind of track record in sales. However, with some thought and effort, they can nevertheless frame their past achievements in the context of their employer's sales and financial performance. First time sales candidates will also do themselves a favour by showing a strong grasp of sales theory and selling techniques.
Greater Company Knowledge Leads to Better Interview Answers
It's no longer enough for a sales candidate to answer the question "How much do you know about us?" by responding with a salvo of information pulled exclusively from the prospective employer's website. Recruiters will not be impressed by such a superficial approach to information gathering, but will respond favourably to a candidate who has taken the time to dig deeper by, say, reading trade publications and talking to real people currently employed in that particular field of business.
It's not always the most persuasive seller, or the one with the best product offer, that gains the sale. Another way to win the spoils is to have a better understanding of the customer, his needs and the dynamics of a particular sales call. Sales people are supposed to be good and insightful gatherers of important information. Candidates for sales positions who can demonstrate this skill by acquiring hard won knowledge about a potential employer are already distancing themselves from the field.
Treat the Job Interview as a Sales Call
Top salespeople, when interviewing for a new job, will sometimes try to close the interview as it were a sale. This might mean responding to the question, "Is there anything you'd like to ask us?" with the answer, "Yes, can I have the job?"Such an approach, however, is, in most circumstances too blunt; it can be like asking for a sale too early in a call, and may look clumsy if asked at the end of a first-stage interview. However, a competent seller will, during the course of a sales call, ask qualifying questions, that lead towards a close. An interview should be treated the same. Some questions that a candidate may find appropriate are:
- Do I merit inclusion on your shortlist?
- How do you currently view my candidacy versus your other applicants?
- What concerns do you have about me that I need to address before a further interview?
- As things stand, how likely are you to be offering me this position?
- At the next stage, what will I have to do to persuade you that I'm the best candidate?
Some candidates may consider such questions to be too "pushy." This may indicate that they have the wrong personality type for a selling position. As such, job-seekers considering a sales career might consider a vocational assessment of their personality and skill set before beginning their search.