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
Finally there is a Holistic Approach to Managing Career Change and Self-Improvement Would you like a more satisfying and rewarding life? Are you looking to get a great job? Or do you have important choices to make about your future? Then I invite you to explore this web site. I am passionate a…
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