Sales Interview Tips

An interview is a stage where you have to sell yourself hard. Considering that you are applying for a sales job, if you fail to sell yourself first, the job is not yours.

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Sales Interview Tips :

Study the Company: Make it a point to gather information about your company. Thoroughly browse through the company's website, read the current news, briefly educate yourself about the past year's performance of the company. The company will discuss these issues with you to gauge your interest in the company.
Design your resume: Customize your resume according to the job profile. Emphasize those points which pertain to the company needs. After all, your resume is an important aspect of your interview that represents you before the actual interview.
Dress up carefully: If you are a sales professional, then it is expected that you look like one. Formal attire combined with a business like attitude defines a good salesman. A business suit or even a shirt and tie combination is widely accepted attire for a salesman.
Speak the Role: You should be able to answer the obvious job related questions. This section forms the crux of any sales interview. Interviewers will want to know how much you know about the sales job. Hence, prepare yourself well to be able to answer them with least difficulty.
Carefully choose your words while discussing questions related to handling the customers, resolving their problems, increasing the sales volume etc. Evaluations are based on the manner in which you tackle these issues.
Outline your achievements: As a sales professional, do not underplay your accomplishments. Take pride in discussing them with the interviewer. Embellish your achievements in college projects or during your previous work experience. Bring out your ace performance at last. This will add to the climax effect. Speak enthusiastically about your experiences.
All the same, avoid being pompous about it. It is important to respect the thin line between being confident and over confident.
Stress Test: Especially during sales interviews, interviewers introduce a few questions that fall into the stress test category. Interviewers try to course you towards awkward situations by asking you controversial questions. This is basically a test to check how well you handle undesirable situations. To steer clear of falling into their trap, you should maintain your cool and try to be the solution rather than feel intimidated or frustrated.
Wrapping up: You exit plan should be as smooth as your entry. Ending your interview abruptly will form a negative impression. To close your interview effectively, ask for the next steps and convey your interest in the role.
Follow up: A good follow up will imprint a positive image and boost your chances of being selected for the job. Send a thank you note to each of the interviewers mentioning the key areas of the interview and your eagerness to join their team.