After nervously holding your breath, you’ve received the great news that you’ve earned an interview for the sales role you’re super excited about. Congrats!
Just as you spent time tailoring your resume, cover letter, and answers to any application questions asked by the interviewing company when you applied, now it’s the time to make sure your interview stands out from anyone else they may be considering.
When it comes to performing highly in your next sales interview, we have three key tips for you to focus on to knock it out of the park. Read on to understand how to easily incorporate them into your interview so you can be the best candidate that company can’t wait to hire.
Tip 1: Research the company
Of course you know to head to the company’s website in order to study them, but what exactly should you look for? In a sales role, it’s very crucial to understand the company’s product, what it does, what problems it solves, and how that product reflects the company’s mission. When browsing their website, watch any explanation/demo videos and read the product descriptions, as well as review any “What We Do” or “Why Us” type of pages.
It’s also great to know who the company’s clients are. To understand the impact that company has made with other businesses, you can check out their case studies, which are usually found in their blog or a “Who We Serve” page.
Lastly, you’ll want to find out how they target their customers. Many companies have webinars, shoutout people in their network, and publicize the events they’ve attended on their blog or News & Events page; LinkedIn is also a great place to look too. By viewing the company’s website, you’ll curate a ton of talking points for your interview!
Tip 2: Show great interest
When interviewing with a representative from the company, don’t be afraid to show your excitement. The interviewer wants to see how much you value their company!
After doing lots of research using Tip 1, you will be able to highlight what you find interesting about the company’s product and use your knowledge to connect how your skill set will allow you to excel in selling it. This will help the interviewer also see that you’re a self-starter, which is important in sales.
Besides the actual questions, remember that your non-verbals play a huge part in how the interviewer sees you. Make sure your tone of voice has some energy in it, smile, and make eye contact (even if it feels awkward if you’re doing a video interview).
Tip 3: Bring your questions
Create a list of at least three to five questions to ask at the end of your interview that correlate to the company. This shows the interviewer that you are invested in the company and have the desire to learn more – this also gives you more information to know if this role is the right fit for you.
When deciding what to ask, a great place to start is any questions that popped in your head while you were researching the company. These could be about the product, the origin story of the company, or more about the sales team itself – like how many representatives they have, what their workflow is, what tools they use, and the training process.
Interviewers also enjoy being asked creative questions and will appreciate your efforts in coming up with something unique. Remember, they are potentially speaking with many other people for the same role, so your questions can also help you stand out from the crowd. Need some ideas for creative questions? Ask the interviewer about their experience at the company, what they have learned so far during their tenure, or what leader they admire at the company and why.
For your final question, make sure to ask for feedback on how the call went. By doing so, it exemplifies that you are coachable and adaptable – two traits that are essential for salespeople to have.
Pulling it all together
Although preparing all of this information can be time consuming, it will help you stand out in the interview process. This is your chance to not only highlight your skills and storytelling abilities, but also to explain why you’re looking to work with that specific company. Taking time to research the company you’re interviewing with shows you’ve gone the extra mile, and can greatly improve your success in the interview process. So pull up your sleeves, get to researching, and you’ll be on your way to landing your next role!
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