Tips on Cracking Sales Interview, this keyword has a great search for every search engine nowadays. Well, cracking sales interviews is not as easy as a candidate is judged exclusively on the results of the interview.
However, there is a secret sauce that can help you to overcome fear during the grilling interview process.
1.Knowing about the company. Here are the few tips on cracking sales interview.
You should be well aware of the company for which you are appearing for the interview. Spend time on the internet to know about the company, the latest technologies/domains in which the company is working and the recent awards won by the company.
Also, do competitor analysis of the company and see where the company stands among its competitors.
Try to develop a view on the top 3 strengths and top 3 weaknesses/shortcomings which the company has. Be prepared to articulate and how you can reinforce the strengths and how you can play an important role in overcoming weaknesses.
Regarding work culture in the company, look for reviews on glassdoor and Google reviews. Here you will get insights from the employees who are already working in the company and can give you genuine feedback.
2. Make a Good Impression to crack sales interview.
General view of any Sales guy is that he is there to just sell his product. However, nowadays sales is more about creating relationships. The same is the case for cracking sales jobs as well. Cardinal rule for cracking sales interviews is to be polite and offer warm greetings starting from the parking attendant who helped you find a safe place to park your car. When it’s time for the interview, keep in mind that first impressions in the first few seconds of the meeting can decide the success of the interview or it can break it.
Remember that having a positive attitude and expressing enthusiasm for the job and employer are vital in the initial stages of the interview; studies show that hiring managers make critical decisions about job applicants in the first 5 minutes of the interview.
3. Storytelling and add examples of your work during the sales interview.
To be good at sales, you should master the art of storytelling. You should be able to convey real-life examples from the current job ( if you are mid-level sales professional) or case studies if you are fresher and going for the first sales interview. Some candidates take a copy of their most recent written review to the interview. Obviously, you should only do this if your evaluation is outstanding. Perhaps you could come with a graph or a chart that illustrates the actions you took that saved your old company some money or even how you improved their business.
4. Be active on Social Media is very important to clear the round
Social media is a great platform as professional sites like LinkedIn gives you a launchpad to portray your talent to the world and hiring managers. Do have a strong LinkedIn profile and take testimonials from your seniors/colleagues.
Do add certifications if you have done some course from Udemy/ Coursera etc.
Twitter and Facebook are great for finding a common social ground to build a rapport. Being part of the sales group on Facebook helps you to be abreast of the latest changes and also for new opportunities in the sales domain.
Try to go through the company’s LinkedIn Facebook/ LinkedIn page and mention the interview.
5. Important Skills of a Sales Person to clear the sales interview.
- Good and listening and comprehending things.
- Networking skills
- Ability to relate to customers in his interests/hobbies.
- Adaptable to different situations as every customer is different and has a unique set of requirements.
- Enthusiasm and perseverance
- Strong Follow up- One thing which is important is Sales is to have strong follow up. To be a good sales leader, make sure that you are good at follow-ups and never miss calling/emailing customers on the promised time.
6. Practice your answers and refresh sales basics:
Cracking interview has a lot to do with confidence communication. Practice your introduction and common sales interview questions in front of a mirror or with your family members to gain confidence and fluency. With time we tend to forget certain technical terms. However, before going for an interview be sure to read about relevant terms and trends in your field.
7. Do follow popular sales blogs and Youtube Channels.
It is always recommended to go through popular blogs of sales like Sales Hacker, Hubspot sales Blog, Sales Solutions Blog and subscribe to Youtube channels/ podcasts of Sales Ninjas like Grant Cardone, Victor Antonio, Jeffrey Gitomer’s sales training.
I hope these tips will help you in cracking your next sales interview.
Cheers!
Tarun.
