The Best Sales Interviewing Strategy You Don't Know About
Our recruitment experts analyze thousands of sales and marketing interviews each year. Over the past 20 years, job applicants at all career levels have integrated our strategy with tremendous success. The expert recruiters at KAS designed a few core interviewing objectives.
From the onset, we intended to provide a clear interviewing preparation framework. Also, our recruiters’ approach succeeds in helping job applicants differentiate themselves. The results continue to be encouraging. Our recruitment experts’ philosophy assists hundreds of job seekers in finding better careers each year. Consequently, this number rises year over year.
Interview Preparation Philosophy
Comparatively speaking, our headhunters suggest preparing for an interview the same way a politician would for a debate. They are still determining what they’ll be asked. Therefore, they begin from the point of defining the priorities and motivations of the audience.
Then, that insight will determine key talking points to address. Finally, they ensure they can insert those talking points regardless of the specific question. For an job seeker, accessing a team of researchers, strategists and polling experts is not an option. Fortunately, research, creative thinking and employer patterns of behavior tells all.
Sales Interviewing:
An example would be interviewing for a sales job involving prospecting, anticipating the hiring manager or recruitment professional judging you on critical criteria. Often, their focus
- Your ability to uncover, prospect and manage a sales cycle to contract signature
- Willingness to succeed in a semi-autonomous nature
- Ability to learn and adapt
- Ambition, manageability and likability
Uncovering Interviewer Priorities
You may not have the depth of research and resources politicians enjoy. However, by analyzing the core job requirements and following our interviewing strategy, an educated guess regarding the top 3 to 4 most essential interviewer priorities.
Concentrating on more than a handful of priorities for preparatory purposes adversely affects interviewing preparation, performance and confidence.
Executive Level Sales Interviewing
Suppose you’re interviewing for a sales management or higher executive-level sales position. In that case, assume interviewing success will be contingent on a few critical hiring variables.
- Leadership, teaching and team-building history and methodologies
- Ability to build a positive, collaborative culture in-line with expectations
- Implementation of sales processes that upgraded past teams
- Your recruitment experience
Persuasive Statements
Per the above assumptions, selling an interviewer on your leadership abilities, productivity and ability to drive towards ambitious objectives and long-term potential should come in the natural flow of conversation. Working in the below points is typically easiest when discussing past jobs.
“When selling, I’d start by envisioning the organization’s strategic goals as a whole. Also, I’d consider the individual goals of each decision-maker and make sure I spoke their language.”
“Then, I discuss with them how we can partner to relieve the problem, mitigate stress among their team members and make them more competitive.”
“I always know what my audience cares about most. Whether I am selling the solution or teaching how to sell the solution, the drive to better analyze and act upon the client’s business.”
“I always had a passion for the industry, but also a knack for being able to connect with people on both a personal and professional level. The natural progression was to enter the sector via a sales job.”