A career in sales can be very lucrative but can also be a stressful one. It certainly takes experience to be successful and once you’re in the industry, if you continue to work hard at it, you’ll do better and better each year. The even more stressful aspect of a career in sales and market, however, is actually interviewing for sales jobs.
If you don’t have any experience in sales, it’s difficult to get that first opportunity. The only way you can do this is if you find the right job to apply for and have a great interview. Here are a few tips you can use to succeed in a sales interview.
Sell Yourself
You don’t have any sales experience, so the only thing you can sell is yourself and your work ethic. Show the interviewers exactly what kind of person you are and how hard you plan on working. If they ask about your past work experience and you undersell the importance of each position, there is a good chance they won’t hire you for a sales position. On the other hand, if you oversell the position, they, again, might think you don’t have what it takes to thrive in a career in sales. It’s a fine balance, but do your best to sell yourself in the interview, it’s your only chance.
Know Exactly What Position You’re Applying For
Too often during interviews qualified sales people ruin their chances because they aren’t 100% sure what the company does, what their job will be or what their job will not be. You do an extensive amount of research on the company you are interviewing with a few days before the interview. Not only will you show the interviews that you’re prepared, you might be able to use some information to help tailor some of your other answers to their questions. Once you figure out what you’re applying for, make sure to be very specific when talking about what you’re exceptions would be if you had the opportunity to join their company.
Don’t Lie On Your Resume
You don’t have sales experience yet, that’s okay. You’ll get a shot if you’re serious about it and a hard worker. It’ll be much more difficult to land a job if you lie on your resume. Saying you used to do sales for a company you washed dishes for will not only set you up for an embarrassing talk with your would be new boss, but you’ll also ruin your chances at various other companies in the manager’s network.
Consult with experienced sales recruitment firms if you want to better your chances of starting your sales career and good luck!
