Interviewing Tips

At SalesAnimals we understand that preparing for an interview can be a difficult task which is often intimidating, confusing and frustrating. The interview is the “moment of truth” when you must capitalize on your experience and background, present yourself as both knowledgeable and prepared and use your people skills to either “close the sale” and be hired or become the candidate of choice. Although the interview is influenced by the interviewer and the setting, you can greatly increase your chances for success by good and thorough preparation. Having the right tools and by following the right steps, the whole process can be less stressful and much more effective. We have put together a list of resources which we know you will find helpful in your job search. Good luck!

Are you ready for the Sales Interview?

Preparing for the Interview: Possible Interview Questions

It is often said that “Success is the direct result of preparation”. As a jobseeker, you have already presented yourself and your skills set via the resume, and have been asked to either come in, or do a telephone interview. As an employer, you have positioned your company and the opportunity so well that you have a list of potential candidates that have applied, and now are either coming for an interview or will be interviewed via telephone. Both situations will require preparation in order to maximize the possible insights and and leverage the opportunity. We have compiled from our collective experience in various industries and put together a helpful list of “Preparing for an Interview” guidelines.

Employers / Interviewers: These questions can help you prepare to interview a potential SalesAnimal for your company. We have accumulated some great sales questions to help gauge your interviewer’s sales skills.

Jobseekers / Interviewees: These questions can help you get prepared for your sales interview, think about your sales skills, and how you may answer potential interview questions.

General Sales Questions

Why did you go into the sales profession?
Why do you enjoy selling?
What is it you like about sales?
Where do you want sales to lead you in your career?
Tell me about the accomplishments you are most proud of.
Describe to me the details of your last three days at work.
What do you like and dislike about the products or services you’re selling now and why?
What attracts you to the industry you are in?
What are your long-term professional goals?
What do you do personally for your professional development?
What are your favorite selling books?
As a sales professional, what do you see as your primary and secondary roles within a company?
Describe a time where a creative approach to meeting an objective didn’t work and what you did next?
What is the largest group you’ve presented to (externally/ internally)?
What do you like and dislike about presentations and why?
Describe a time you led a group of people, the primary challenges you faced and how you handled them?
What would you say your one or two biggest failures or mistakes were? What did you learn from them?
What are some of the challenges you see that are facing this industry?
How would those with whom you work now, across all areas of the company, describe you and the work you do?
Are you an individual contributor or do you sell as part of a sales team?
Tell me about the product you sold in your last job.
What kinds of rewards do you find most satisfying?
How do you keep yourself going when everyone around you is complaining about having a bad day?
Do you meet report deadlines?
What lead sources have you found most productive?
Does your company provide you with leads?

Sales Skills

Why do you think people buy from you?
What are the top two or three most important sales skills one should possess? Why?
Tell me about your two most satisfying sales deals and why they were your best.
Tell me about two deals you’ve lost. Why did you lose them? Who was the competitor you lost them to? What did you learn from losing them?
How do you deal with rejection?
What areas would your two most recent Managers say you should improve upon to become stronger?
Describe a situation with a client or prospect where you could have taken a different approach. What would you have done differently?
Describe a couple of instances, big or small, where you took a different approach in achieving an objective outside the company direction?
How do you organize a presentation?
What do you think are the most important skills in succeeding in sales?
What are your top three open-ended questions for initial sales calls?
In your current sales environment, describe the process you go through to qualify your prospects?
What is your biggest difficulty in selling?
Tell me about a recent sale that you lost to a competitor.
Give me an example of a recent difficult sale and how you closed the deal

Sales Cycle/Process

What’s the average length of a sales cycle?
Describe your typical sales cycle.
What do you feel are the two most important things you need from a company to get off on the right track?
What do you like and dislike about the sales process and why?
What type of sales cycle is most rewarding to you? A long cycle for a big-ticket item or a series of smaller, more frequent sales.

Typical Week

How many first appointments do you have each week?
How many rejections do you take in a typical week?
In your current position, how much time would you say you spend directly with prospects and customers throughout the sales day?
What do you see as the key issues in negotiating?
How would your present prospects and customers describe you as their sales representative?
Does your company support the sales force?
Describe a time your company did not deliver on its product or service and how you responded?
How strong is your pipeline?
Describe how you present a solution to your prospective client?
At what stage in the sales process do you present the ROI to the prospect?
Describe one or two of the most difficult challenges and/ or rejections you’ve faced in the past and how you responded?

Quota

Over the past three years, what percentage of your quota did you achieve?
Have you ever worked in a commission only job?
How were you rated in your last three performance reviews?

Closing Questions

Tell me about a time when you were in a “closing situation” and for whatever reason, the “decision-maker” couldn’t make a decision. What did you do? Did you get the deal?
What do you see as the key skills in closing?

Questions an Interviewee should ask

What are the three key factors that will assure my success in this position?
What qualifications does your company seek in a sales rep?
What is the manager looking for in a rep?
What products will I be selling?

The above are by far not all inclusive lists, and we always welcome your input. If you have good questions that we can add to our list, please email them to us at info@salesanimals.com or click here. Thanks for contributing!!!

Should I prepare for a Telephone Interview?

Telephone Interview Background

By: Nathan Newberger

Telephone interviews are quite common in today’s job market. They are offered for a variety of reasons including cost savings, screening of candidates and out-of-town applicants. To successfully navigate the phone interview, it is important to have a solid game plan in place for preparation.

The following 8 quick telephone interview tips will help prepare yourself for a successful call:

1. DO SOME RESEARCH

Visit the company website and do a little company research to find out about the company you will potentially be working for. Try to find out who will be interviewing you. Will there be multiple people on the call? If possible get their names and titles. Become familiar with these before the call and you will have one less thing to worry about during the call. Try and get some background on the interviewer. Any insight you can gain about him/her will allow you to better tailor your responses to make the best possible impression.

2. ORGANIZE YOUR THOUGHTS

Make a list of your accomplishments, goals and strengths. On a 2nd list, write out your weaknesses and what you are doing to overcome them. On a 3rd sheet, write down why you are interested in the company. On a 4th sheet, write down a list of questions to ask the interviewer about the company and position. Think carefully about all of these items as they often come up in interviews.

3. PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE

Never forget that a telephone interview is still an interview. Take time to practice interview questions with friends or family. Ask them to provide honest feedback so you can improve your responses. Mock interview questions can easily be found on the internet or the bookstore. If you get stuck on a question, sample answers to these questions are often provided as well.

4. DO A SOUND CHECK

During the mock interview, have your friend ask you questions both over the phone and in person. Make sure that he/she listens not only for content, but also tone, rate and clarity of your speech. If possible, record yourself speaking. Are you speaking slowly and clearly? Can you easily be heard? Is your voice portraying you as a confident and enthusiastic candidate? If not continue to practice until you are comfortable.

5. FIND YOUR LOCATION

Stake out a quite space to occupy during your interview. Ideally, there should be a comfortable place to sit as well as a table to lay out your papers. Try and find a low-traffic spot where members of the household are un-likely to disturb you.

6. ORGANIZE YOUR PAPERS

Have a copy of your resume and cover letter close at hand. Take out those lists you made while organizing your thoughts. In addition, keep any notes related to the company that you feel may be helpful during the call. Spread these items out across your table so they are easy to access. Only keep what is truly necessary. Too much paper can be a distraction.

7. GATHER YOUR WRITING TOOLS

Place a notepad and several pens or pencils on the table. These will be helpful in writing down notes, questions and most importantly, your interviewer’s names.

8. ELIMINATE DISTRACTIONS

As the appointed hour draws near, make sure that the television and the radio are turned off. Exit your email and turn off your computer screen. If possible, disable your call-waiting. Let your family or roommates know about the timing of the interview so they do not accidentally disturb you. Place a do not disturb sign on your door as a gentle reminder.

CONCLUSION

By following these 8 basic tips, you are making a great impression and on your way to the onsite interview. Remember, the phone interview is very important and you should plan and prepare for it carefully.

This article can be read online and shared with others directly at: http://www.worktree.com/newsletter/telephone-interview-preparation.html

Sincerely,
Nathan Newberger
Managing Editor
http://www.WorkTree.com
“Helping You Find More Jobs Faster”

About The Author: Nathan Newberger is the job and career expert at http://www.WorkTree.com. Nathan has over 10 years experience in staffing and human resources. He has worked both as a recruiter and career counselor. Mr. Newberger has been the Managing Editor at http://www.WorkTree.com for the past 5 years and his articles have helped thousands of job seekers.

Does it matter how you dress for the job interview?

It’s true – You Are What You Wear! Especially when it comes to the job interview.

By: Nathan Newberger

Believe it or not, you are examined from head to toe in all interviews. Not only is your experience and personality sized up…but also your appearance. The dress code for men and women differ substantially so this article is broken up into separate sections for each gender.
Before you go on that job interview, make sure you read these dressing tips! Many people take for granted the appearance aspect of the job hunting process. The better you are dressed, the more confident you will feel and exude.

There’s no impression like the first impression. Initial decisions made about you in the first three minutes of the job interview are nearly irreversible.

The purpose of your clothing is to project an image of professionalism. Consider:

Your clothes should subtly add to your appearance. More importantly, clothing shouldn’t detract from your business persona.
Much as you may want to stand out, wearing the business “uniform” communicates instantly that you are a mature, stable professional and a member of the team.
Even if the internal dress code is very casual, your interviewing attire should adhere to a conservative standard.
Dress up – the best you would ever dress when actually employed there.

Here’s how to dress for the best possible outcome:

Research the prospective employer – companies and even industries have definable corporate cultures. Find out what the corporate uniform is – and wear it.
Select an outfit you have worn before and are comfortable wearing.
Try on the outfit a few days before – enough time to have drying-cleaning and repairs completed.
Check the ensemble for missing buttons, frayed cuffs and other needed repairs.
Everything must be clean, neat and ironed.
No bulging pockets or sagging coat lining.
Hair and nails must be clean and groomed.
Scent should be low-key or absent.
The favorite color of most Americans is blue – it conveys trust, calm and confidence. Blue is a very good interview color.

The Fine Points

Shoes should be comfortable and polished. Shoes that are well cared-for signal “Good attention to detail.”
Be sparing with scent – many people are allergic and too much perfume is an instant interview killer.
Jewelry – real jewelry, if you have it. No jewelry is better than fake. No rhinestones cufflinks, no cloth watchbands, no novelty tie tacks.
Clean and polish your briefcase or purse; organize the inside.
A winter coat must be cleaned and pressed, particularly since a coat may be the main item your interviewer first sees.
Your umbrella should be in conservative colors (black, tan, navy, gray) and in working order. Do not leave it to drip on the company carpet.
Bring a pen and paper; check that the pen works and doesn’t leak. Store them in the inside jacket pocket, where you can easily find them.
Allow time to dress with care and deal with emergencies. Examine the results, front and back, in a mirror.

Men – Consider These Tips/Advice

Tailored suits in navy, gray, beige. (black is a funeral color, avoid it.)
Dark suit, light shirt
Natural fabrics – wool/wool blend for the suit, cotton for the shirt, silk for the tie
Business shoes and over -the-calf dark socks
Matching silk tie in low-key colors

Women – Consider These Tips/Advice

Simple, tailored suit
Tailored dress
Dress & jacket combination
Simple blouse
Natural fabrics – wool/wool blend, cotton and silk
Conservative colors – blue, gray, beige or black
Avoid loud or flashy styles and colors
Use makeup sparingly.
Low-heeled pumps, flesh colored stockings

Sincerely,
Nathan Newberger
Managing Editor
http://www.WorkTree.com
“Helping You Find More Jobs Faster”

Share and Enjoy: