Businesses are constantly looking to find sales people. If you’re trying to break into the industry for a great, fulfilling career in sales, you shouldn’t have any shortage of opportunities to do so. All that said, however, just because you land 100 interviews doesn’t mean you’ll have 100 different job options to pick from.
You have to make your resume impeccable, your people skills impeachable and your overall presence to any business indispensable. That sounds a bit like biting off more than you can chew, doesn’t it? Luckily, these four quick tips can help you make every interview count.
Finding out everything you can about the company
Look, it’s 2014 now, which means there’s no excuse for showing up to a job interview without knowing any background information about the company you’re applying to. Most businesses make that knowledge very accessible on their websites, and it’s always free to explore, so take advantage of those opportunities. A lasting career in sales really starts with your willingness to dive headfirst into your potential new business.
Charming the interviewer
In the most non-smarmy way possible, you have to make the interviewer like you. If it’s someone from the company’s HR department, it’s typically easier to leave a lasting impression. But if it’s a worker from a professional recruitment agency, it’s a little tougher. That’s why you need to be able to adapt to any situation, any environment and any set of circumstances if you want to make a long-term career in sales.
Showing off your skills
It’s not just a charming smile and an in-depth knowledge of products that’ll help you, either. Sometimes, the best skills you can have when entering a new sales gig are technical. Certain sales teams rely on management software, especially when dealing with contracts and other specifics of sealing the deal. It always helps to have a background in any kind of technology, so broadcast what you know during the interview.
Planting some roots
Companies need to hire sales reps often very quickly because the sales team is what keeps the business rolling in. What often happens, though, is that a business ultimately gets what it pays for — in other words, if the process is rushed and the candidate is hired despite not being a good fit for the role and/or the overall company, he or she will likely be gone within the year. That can significantly impede upon a business’ productivity, so show some determination to stay the course during your interview. Don’t be afraid to demonstrate how you want to plant some comfortable roots at the company.