The interview process can be a harrowing experience for anyone. I get it. It’s a tough processes no one likes to go through. I have a great deal of empathy for those of you who are out there pounding on doors.
A couple of thoughts you might want to consider:
- You’re qualifying them as much as they are qualifying you. You can’t demonstrate equal business stature if you’re giving all the power to the interviewer (read ‘buyer’). Why not plan to get control of the meeting by asking THEM questions? Why are they looking at the new position? What’s the history of the position? Is the company losing ground to the competition? Do they want to grow a new territory? Are they frustrated by a lack of results?There’s 1,000 easy questions you can ask to find out why the need now.
- Set some ground rules for the meeting. You can’t qualify them if they give you 30 minutes for an interview. That’s a one-sided play to make you give up control. You can’t qualify them if they won’t agree to your agenda too.
- Ask for a decision at the end of the interview. If they’re 100% sure there’s not a match (and if you’re sure of the same), don’t you want to know that at the end of the meeting? Why play the “We’ll get back with you game?”
- Demonstrate evidence of a selling system. Very few people are proficient in their sales methodology. In fact, most alleged salespeople wing their calls hoping their good human skills will carry the day. Don’t wing a sales call and don’t wing an interview.
- Demonstrate original thinking. The value proposition in most sales calls is original thinking. If you can’t demonstrate it during an interview, then you can’t do it on a sales call either.
- Know that they are testing you in the interview. They really would like for you to demonstrate an ability to win the business. Show them you know how.
Good Luck. We’re all pulling for our sales brothers and sisters.
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