How to respond
Be honest. You obviously have a reason why you got into sales, and that should extend beyond “I wanted to make money.” Start with how you got into the field. Then explain why you’ve enjoyed it enough to pursue it as a career path.
Talk about how your personality and skill set align it directors managers email lists with sales as a practice, but also discuss the specific aspects you like about both your daily and overall goals.
In addition to anticipating some of the most common sales job interview questions, you should prepare for your sales interview in other ways. Below, you'll find our top tips.
Research the company and the products it sells.
The key to being prepared for a sales interview is to understand the details of the job and demonstrate that you fit in. This starts with learning as much as you can about the opportunity.
Just as you would research a potential client to build rapport, research the company to help you more easily become familiar with the interviewer. Doing so solidifies how competent and knowledgeable you appear.
From there, identify who your target buyer is likely to be.
Once you've thoroughly vetted the company you're interviewing with, start piecing together who their target buyer is. Based on the functionality of their product or service, the copy on their website, their competition, and other clues, figure out who the company is trying to market to.
Being able to talk about the buyer and their pain points demonstrates your empathy and skill as a salesperson, as well as your value to your potential employer.
Take stock of your sales achievements.
Reflecting on your successes can help you build self-confidence and get in the mindset to communicate in detail why you are the right person for the job.
If you're just getting into sales and don't have sales experience, take advantage of related skills and accomplishments. For example, being in customer service may have sharpened your communication and problem-solving skills. Having an academic background may have prepared you for the research aspect of prospecting.
Always play to your strengths.
Consider how to convey them in a concrete, measurable way.
One way to communicate your achievements is to attach numbers to them. By using concrete details, you can improve the quality of your communication, back up your claims with “proof,” appeal to the interviewer’s logic, and challenge them to imagine themselves in the numbers.
Here's how:
Instead of saying, “I have experience with cold calling,” I would say, “At my last company, I would make X cold calls per hour and successfully convert about X% of them into leads.”
Instead of saying, “I’m an expert at fundraising,” you would say, “I raised $X last year for [Program Name].”
Be able to talk about yourself as you would a product or a buyer.
An interview is like a sales meeting. However, instead of persuading a buyer while selling a product or service, you will be tested on how well you sell yourself. Consider the company's problems and the value you can bring to the organization. Doing this will help your interviewer imagine how well you will sell the company's products or services.
Be able to articulate your goals, motivators, and work style. How well you know yourself and can advocate for yourself will help them imagine you doing the same for your buyers.
