If you’re interested in a sales job, there’s no better time than now to get started. Sales jobs are always in high demand, and with all the competition out there, it’s important that you stand out from the crowd. Knowing the things you need to prepare for during your interview can help provide insight into what makes someone great at their job, so here are nine tips for making sure that happens.

Let your personality shine through

In a job interview, you want to be yourself. That means being confident and enthusiastic, positive, and open. But don’t forget to show your personality as well!

If you’re worried about coming off as too nervous during an interview or making a mistake, that could cost you the position. Remember: It’s better for employers to see someone who is uncomfortable than one who isn’t willing to try new things or say anything at all. The best way for them to figure out whether or not they’ll enjoy working with you is by seeing how much you show enthusiasm for working with them!

Show what you know about the company

Your research should show that you know the company and its mission, values, history, products, and services. You should be able to name some of the company’s competitors in detail and discuss how they compare to their company. If possible, find out who their customers are or what their market share limits are before going into an interview.

If you can’t get information about the company and its customers, at least do some research on the industry itself. Learn about who your competitors are and how they differentiate themselves from each other. This will help you come up with a compelling value proposition for the company that will make them want to work with you.

Give examples of times you met or exceeded expectations

A great way to show how you met expectations is by sharing examples. You can do this in the form of stories, or if you’ve done it before then maybe just provide a few bullet points from the situation that demonstrate your performance.

It’s important to note that you shouldn’t just talk about your accomplishments; you also want to explain why they were significant. For instance, if you were promoted at a previous job, then talk about what it entailed and how it helped benefit the company.

For example, if you were promoted to a manager position, then you could say something like, “I was responsible for managing and overseeing the sales team.” “This meant that I had the responsibility of hiring new members of staff, training them on what they needed to know and how we did things at our company, as well as making sure their performance was up to par with what was expected.”

Know what you want out of this job and why

This is one of the most important things to ask yourself when being interviewed for a sales job, because if you don’t know what your goals are and how they align with the company’s needs, then it will be hard to answer questions about them during the interview process.

Here are some tips:

• Know what kind of person they’re looking for in an employee (e.g., someone who can bring in new customers or help guide existing ones).
• Know how much money they want per year, per month, or per week from each employee (so that you can figure out whether salaries are competitive).
• Know what kind of sales experience they’re looking for (e.g., someone who’s been in sales for at least two years).
• Know what kind of work environment they have (e.g., one where employees can work from home or one that requires them to be in the office).

If you have the answers to these questions, it’ll be easier for you to determine whether the company is a good fit for you.

Wear appropriate clothing and bring a notepad and pen

If you’re wondering what to wear to an interview, it’s important to be professional but comfortable. Pick out clothes that make you feel confident and put together, which means avoiding tight-fitting or overly casual outfits.

You’ll also want to bring a notepad and pen so that you can take notes during the interview. This can help you remember important information, such as when an employer mentions their benefits package or asks what salary range you’re looking for.

Prepare to ask the right questions

The best way to prepare for a job interview is by researching the company. What are they doing? What do they value? How do they treat people?

Once you know the answers to these questions, it’s time to formulate some questions of your own. You should ask about:

• The job itself (what does it entail?)
• The team members (how many people are on it?)
• The manager (how long has he or she been there?)
• The company’s culture (what are the company’s goals and objectives?)
• It’s also a good idea to bring up any questions or concerns you may have.

Tell stories, not lists

One of the most important things to remember when interviewing is that you’re being interviewed. This means that your interviewer wants to know more about you than just your resume and job history. They want to know how you think, what motivates you, and what makes you tick.

Many interviewers will ask questions like “Tell me about yourself.” Or “what are your greatest strengths?” These types of questions can be difficult because they require more than one answer (and often multiple stories), but they also allow candidates room for creativity in their answers, which may mean telling a story instead of listing facts or numbers.

If possible, try telling stories related specifically to the job itself as opposed to broader topics like leadership skills or customer service experience. This way, there won’t be any confusion about exactly where those skills come from.

Don’t oversell yourself

When you’re talking about your skills, don’t oversell yourself. For example, no one wants to hear that you’re fluent in Spanish or can speak five languages fluently—they want to hear about their relevance to the job.

And if they ask about a skill and you don’t have it, try not to lie but instead focus on what they are looking for in order to answer their question directly without any exaggerations or falsehoods: “I’m great at math, but that doesn’t mean that I’m an Einstein or even close.” Instead, say something like, “I know how difficult math can be sometimes, but I love working with numbers so much.”

The same goes for speaking up during interviews. If someone asks why someone else didn’t get hired and the reason is that they could only speak Spanish when most people prefer English speakers, then don’t try convincing them otherwise. Just say something like, “Everyone has different strengths and weaknesses when it comes down to communicating effectively through language barriers.”

Anticipate surprising interview questions and how to respond to them

The most important thing to remember is that you should always be prepared for the unexpected. You never know what the interviewer will ask, so it’s important to stay on your toes and be ready for anything.

If you are asked a question that is outside of your comfort zone or experience, just remember that it’s okay to say “I don’t know,” but try to come up with an answer as soon as possible. Here are some tips to cope with this situation:

• Prepare your responses ahead of time by reading up on what kinds of questions are commonly asked in sales job interviews or by asking other people who have recently been interviewed and received their results. You can also do some research online, such as on Glassdoor or Indeed, where many employees post about their experiences with employers over the years.
• If possible, try practicing with someone else before going into an actual interview. In that way, you’ll feel comfortable answering questions conversationally instead of memorizing them off a script (which would be counterproductive).

Conclusion

With the right preparation, you can be confident in any job interview. The best way to prepare is to think about the questions ahead of time and make sure you have your answers ready.

Your resume will be reviewed by prospective employers before a hiring decision is made. It could be used as a strategy to convince a potential employer to hire you. Your likelihood of landing the job decreases if your resume lacks organization.

Our team of experts is here to help if you need assistance with your resume or cover letter. Let’s work together to develop the best resume we can for your application.