A common stereotype of sales career interviews is the “sell me this product right now” question. Any job interview, not just for a sales job, in the world of business, will lean heavily on the interviewee’s ability to sell themselves, their abilities, and the company when they ultimately are hired. I found an article from the Balance Careers that offers insight on how to approach this question.
Interviewers want to see your ability to improvise. The last thing they want to see is a rehearsed answer, so don’t look at this article for that reason. Despite this temptation, I thought it would be valuable to read about how to approach this kind of question and think about it in terms of what we’ve learned in this class.
- Be Positive and Enthusiastic – Don’t be bashful. Go crazy for this pen. Show them how this pen means to you.
- Emphasize the features the interviewer will value – features tell, benefits sell. Identify what the interviewer is attracted to in the offering of your pen.
- Be ready to sell – you can’t always expect them to play along like Professor Sweet. Be prepared to rattle off the script.
- Probe for reservations about the product or service – get past the interest and find out if the fit is right for them.
- Make an attempt to close – Interviewers want to see that you care. Set up the appointment,
- Don’t be afraid to employ some creativity – being 100% correct matters less than being persuasive in an improv situation like this.
BoweryJE22
Even something as simple as selling a pen boils down to the fundamentals of any effective sales process. These steps describe that sales process very well.