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After interviewing countless numbers of sales people I’ve heard some answers and seen behaviors I now consider pet peeves. I call them this because I’ve heard and seen them so many times they’ve become generic and annoying. Repetition can make anyone cringe; I believe this is the entire premise of Chinese water torture.
If you want to stand out in an interview please avoid these bland answers and basic mistakes below. If you’re currently doing any of the below realize you are fading into the crowd or actually standing out only because you’ve been the 10th person that day to do or say the same thing.
1) Claiming You’re Number 1. Every rep talks about how they are the top rep at their current company. Please don’t tell me this, show me. I want to see awards, achievers trips etc. Only if you are the actually the Number 1 rep. If you are not the top rep, it’s ok to be 2nd, 3rd, 4th, etc. I prefer honesty (see number 6). It will also help to clarify if your rank in relation to how many other reps. If you’re 3rd among 100 reps this is just as impressive as the Number 1 rep of 10 people.
2) “Building Relationships”. Please don’t say this in an interview as every rep feels as though this is part of their special sauce. You should have good people skills; this is a perquisite for the career. That’s like saying you have typing skills. Instead, tell me what you’ve done differently than all the other people interviewing for the job. Think of examples when you did something really creative to get into an account or close a deal. “Developing Relationships” will also make my eyes roll.
3) No Notebook. If a rep shows up without a note book, it’s a clear indication of how detail orientated they are. It also shows me you fly by the seat of your pants. While this might work at your current position, any new job will require training and a learning curve. The interview is the first part of that process. If you’re not taking notes now, you probably won’t take training seriously and you’ll be a heavy tax to ramp up and train.
4) Generic Questions. Candidates who ask basic questions and aren’t really inquisitive indicates you’re looking for any old position. It could also indicate you’re desperate because if you had a lot of job options you’d really be trying to figure out which of them is best for you. Instead of the generic questions, get really curious about the job and ask those questions. Not in regards to compensation or culture, but more so about who is their top rep, what are they doing differently, etc.
5) Close-ended Questions: I’m paying attention to the content of your questions but I’m also paying attention to the format. If you ask close ended questions in your interview, this is a habit and you’ll do this during the sale. Open ended questions are Sales 101. The interview is no different.
6) BS. I purposely question a rep relentlessly until I get to the raw unscripted answers, the area where there is no way you could prepare for. I want to make sure you don’t feed me BS. I like if you’re quick on your feet and I also like a rep that will answer “I don’t know”. If I sense BS, then it’s not a fit. As a manager I won’t have time to clean up the messes you make in a sale.
7) Motor Mouth. If you talk the entire interview and you’re so long winded I can’t get my questions in, your prospects will feel the same way. Stop talking.
An interview can be nerve racking, but remember this is also your opportunity to find out if the company is a good fit for you as well. Think of you interviewing the company. This will help take the nerves away and allow you to be quick on your feet and get curious.
