By Grace Du Prie Career Development & CounsellingServices

05/30/2011 Sell yourself! Interviewing techniques for success

By Grace Du Prie CDAA/ACA/RCSA member, Career & Personal Development Services, Queensland, Australia


What do Sales and Interviewing have in common?

‘Sell your self!’ is what they tell you when preparing for an interview. But what if you have never sold anything? How do you know what is important?

Let’s have a look at the sales process, compare it with the interviewing process and see how it can help you to become more successful during an interview.

FACTORS THAT ARE IMPORTANT TO BE A SUCCESSFUL SALES PERSON AND A SUCCESSFUL INTERVIEWEE

PRODUCT KNOWLEDGE
· SALES
Good sales people make sure that they know all there is to know about their products. They will know what the product can do for the client, which situation it is most useful for and the price ranges. This will give them confidence when they meet their customers.


· INTERVIEWS
You are the product in the interviewing process. What do you know about your skills and experience? What can you do for the employer? How much are you worth? Start writing down some of the things that you have done in your life. This can be work related or from your general experience including hobbies, interests and studies. Ask for help from someone who knows you well and you could be amazed at the outcome.

ATTITUDE
· SALES
Expert sales people have enthusiasm and will show this in their behaviour. These are the people that like their job, products and customers. This makes it easier to build rapport with the customer. Quickly building rapport opens the door for a successful sales process.

· INTERVIEWS
It is vital that you build rapport and display enthusiasm during the interview. The more preparation you have done the easier it will be. Think about your body language and posture, because your non-verbal message needs to match the verbal. In case of a mixed message people will always believe the non-verbal before the verbal. Prepare examples that show your positive attitude, because past experience will predict future performance.


RESEARCHING REQUIREMENTS
· CUSTOMER NEEDS IN SALES
When the customer walks in, good sales people will start to ask questions before showing product. The more they know about the needs of the customer the better the chances of bringing the customer to the relevant product. They keep in mind that the customer wants to know foremost ‘What’s in it for me?’ This will make a customer feel that he is listened to and builds trust in the sales person.

· EMPLOYER NEEDS IN INTERVIEWS
What do you know about the needs of your customer, the employer? Have you taken time to conduct research about the position, company and industry? How can you match your skills and experience to what the employer needs for this position. The more you know about ‘product’ and ‘customer needs’ the better you can convince the employer that you are the best person for this job.

INTERPERSONAL SKILLS
· COMMUNICATION AND INTERACTIVE SKILLS IN SALES
Good sales people will have the ability to communicate well and to build relationships in a short period of time. They will give the impression of being on the side of the customer and form a partnership/team with the customer during the sale.

· COMMUNICATION AND INTERACTIVE SKILLS IN INTERVIEWS
Team working skills are more than ever important in the world of work. To be effective in a team environment you need good communication and interactive skills. Apart from what you can demonstrate during the interview you would want to present examples of situations where you have productively been part of a team. The more work you have put into exploring your skills and experience the better you can bring this point across.

You are given an interview if you have at least the minimum requirements for a job. However, sometimes a person will be hired who has less training or experience over an other applicant. Why? Because the employer is convinced, that person will work harder or be more reliable.

In fact, most decisions are not based on skills. Skills can be learned. If you fit right in, be dependable, and work hard, you may even get the job over someone with more experience that you have!

It Is Not Always The Most Qualified Person Who Gets The Job –
It’s The Best Job Seeker!

Grace Du Prie Career Development & CounsellingServices

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