How to Prepare For a Sales Interview Tips and Strategies - Career Sidekick

How to Prepare For a Sales Interview Tips and Strategies - Career Sidekick How to Prepare For a Sales Interview: Tips and Strategies Interview Preparation / https://www.edenscott.com/blog If youre looking for how to prepare for a sales interview, youre in the right place.Sales is one of the best careers out there, but these positions have some of the toughest interviews. Youll face questions about your mental toughness, why you want to work in sales, past challenges and success, and more.So how do you prepare for a sales job interview to land the job? This article is going to show you EXACTLY how, step-by-step.If you have a sales job interview coming up or youre hoping to find a sales job, then keep readingSales Interview Tips: How to Prepare For a Sales Job InterviewWhats Different About a Sales Job Interview?Lets talk about what is different in a sales job interview first. Then Ill cover some basic interview preparation tips that you should follow.First off, when you prepare for a sales job interview you need to show that youre driven and motivated.Sales has its ups and downs and companies dont want to worry that theyre hiring someone who will constantly need encouragement if they have a bad week. So prepare to show them youre resilientand have faced challenges in your life and career.Think of one or two examples of past challenges or tough weeks youve faced at work and how youve overcome them.This will prepare you to answer questions like, Tell me about a time you failed?In fact, even when you answer a basic intro question like, Tell me about yourself, you should already be thinking about how to show the resilient, motivated attitude that employers want in a sales interview.Dont Tell Them You Expect It To Be EasyThat brings me to the next point. You need to show them that you KNOW that having bad days and weeks is a part of working in sales.The ups, the downs, the challenges are normal. Hearing no multiple times per day is expected. So you need to show them that you know this is how it works.Part of preparing for a sales interview is thinking about how youll convince the interviewer that youre ready for these c hallenges.If youve worked a sales job in the past, thats the easiest way to prove youre ready for this. If not, think about what youve done in the past thats most similar.Its Okay To Talk About MoneyTheres also anotherdifference between sales job interviews and every other type of job interview out there.Most of the time in sales job interviews, its okay to talk about money and say youre motivated by money. So prepare a few reasons for why you want this job, and dont be afraid to include high earnings potential as one reason you are interested.Why Do You Want To Work In Sales?If you already work in sales you should be able to explain why you like it and want to continue doing it.If youre preparing to interview for your first sales job, this is even more important. Have a reason for why youre interested in sales in general.Ive interviewed plenty of recent graduates and entry level candidates for sales positions in one of my former companies. And we would NOT hire you if you didnt kno w why you wanted to work in sales.And also, its a big red flag if our company is the only sales position youre applying for. If I ask what other jobs youre looking at, and none of them are sales, Im going to wonder why youre here (and then Im not going tohire you).So lie if you have to, but dont tell the interviewer that their jobis the only sales position you are interviewing for.Show Energy/EnthusiasmYou need to show them youre excited about landing this job if you want them to hire you.So dont just say, Yes, I really want to work in sales. Show energy and enthusiasm when you do it.This includes having strong body language, maintaining eye contacting, and having some energy in your voice.Dont say it quietly and timidly. Im not saying you need to shout, but just turn your energy up a bit higher than usual if youre naturally quiet/introverted.(FYI you can absolutely be GREAT at sales even if youre an introvert. Ive seen it many times).So raise your energy level a bit for your sales interviews, and try to match the person youre speaking to. If theyre energetic and excited, add a bit of that to your own communication.If youre on a phone interview, stand up and smile while you talk. Those are two ways to change how you sound.Im not telling you to be completely fake. Tons of GREAT salespeople are introverts. I am, and I did fine working in sales. But you cant go into the interview mumbling under your breath and acting half asleep if you want to get the job.Having low energy is one of the top reasonsfor not getting hired in a sales job interview.Stories and AccomplishmentsAre Your Best WeaponThis is going to be tougher if youre interviewing for an entry level job and you have no sales experience. But try to think of ways to do this either wayWhen you preparing for a sales job interview, the hiring manager is going to want to hear specific examples of past accomplishments that relate to the job. Talking on the phone, convincing people to see things your way, being a good listener, overcoming objections, dealing with failures and setbacks, etc.If youve worked in sales before, youll want to give specific results you achieved. Get detailed, talk about exact numbers and accomplishments. I recommend this on your resume too FYI.But even if youre a recent graduate or entry level job seeker without sales experience you can talk about usingpersuasion to make people see things your way, or how you convincedsomebody of something in a class project or internship.You can also definitely talk about a challenge youve overcome, and a time a project didnt go how you expected but you overcame the obstacle.Those are two things youre almost sure to be asked about.Have One Big Thing That Motivates YouThis is important when preparing for any interview, but is especially important for a sales job interview. Why? because things tend to get tough in sales, and the hiring manager wants to make sure you have a powerful motivator so you dont give up and quit.This one big motivator can be many things: The desire to build a career youre proud of. The desire to earn a lot of money and buy nice things for your family. A love of challenges and pushing your limits professionally. A passion for talking to people, using persuasion, etc. Or come up with your own reason for why you get out of bed and go to work each morning. But have one big, powerful reason.Get Ready For Behavioral QuestionsThese are questions that start with phrases like: tell me about a time youCome up with one of the following:A time you overcame a challengeA time you had to convince somebody to see things your wayA time you failed and what you learned from itYour proudest accomplishmentA time you were under a tight deadline and how you handled itThere are over 50 behavioral questions you could be asked, but theseare things youre likely to be asked in almost every sales interview.If you want more help, I cover over 130 questions in mycomplete guide to job interview answersand I also shar e an easy 4-step method for answering any behavioral question correctly. Go ahead and check it out now ifyou think it might help you.Next up, Im going to cover some basics you should know for any interview, including your sales interview.Know EVERYTHING Here:Theres some basic stuff you should do to prepare for any interview. I cover it in-depth in this interview preparation article,but heres the basic ideaYou should know all of these things before the start of your interview (and be able to explain them well)Why youre job searching right nowWhy youre interested in their job/company in particularWhat the job involves (read the job description before you go in!)A good reason for why you left your last job(if youre unemployed right now)Who youre speaking with and what their background is (go spy on them on LinkedIn)You should also know all of these things about the companyHow do they make money? What do they sell?Who are their customers?Who are their biggest competitors?Who is their CE O and how/why were they founded?Youre Ready for Your Sales Job Interview!If you followed the steps above, you now know how to prepare for a sales job interview, and youll be much better prepared than the average job seeker!Many job seekers feel blindsided by some of the tough questions they hear in a sales interview, but if you study the questions and sales interview tips above, you will be ready.Dont forget to practice your answers at home, too, though. Thats my final tip for preparing for your sales interview.Nothing comes out perfect the first time, so practice the questions we looked at. You can talk in the mirror, record yourself on your smart phone and play it back, etc.And if theres one final thing I want to stress/repeat to you, its this: Prepare to talk a LOT about why you want to work in sales or why you enjoy working in sales.Most companies have their own sales training methods, their own scripts for emailing and calling, etc. So theyll teach you the how. But they need to make sure youre motivated and that you know what youre getting into (a rewarding, butemotionally-challengingcareer).Youre not going to pass your sales interview if you act like you expect sales to be easy. Show them you know it comes with mental challenges. When things get tough, they want to make sure youll stick around so acknowledge that you know this and expect it!If you have a question about any of the above tips for preparing for a sales interview, leave a comment below!