How can I improve my interviewing skills for a sales role?

The best way to improve interviewing skills is super simple - and this is going to sound reductive - 

Go ask your most respected colleagues & peers to interview you - just get creative with it. 

But the take away should be 

Develop a point of view on your history. what motivates you, what makes you succesful and how you plan to harness it and systematize it going forward. 

The practice with trusted colleagues will arm you with newly developed point of view about yourself and how you fit inot the bigger picture - this is the ultimate skill you're practicing for in an interview. 

There are many ways to crush your sales interview, but an excellent sales interview usually comes down to 3 core elements -- #1) Preparation #2) Storytelling 3) Self-Reflection. 

The best candidates I've interviewed will always come PREPARED to:

• Answer why they are interested in the company and the role
• Answer what they know and don't know about the industry/role (having thoughtful questions for your interviewer shows you're curious and eager to learn)
• Pitch the service/product you're trying to sell (assuming this is a quota-holding sales role) 

But it is not enough to come prepared, you must also showcase your STORYTELLING skills. Selling is storytelling at its best, and the best way to highlight your strengths is through concise and effective examples from the past to show, not tell your interviewer how you're qualified for the role. Here are some stories (real-life examples) you should have in your back pocket:

• Think of a time you successfully overcame an obstacle (how did you do it?)
• Think of a time you unsuccessfully overcame an obstacle (what happened and how did you deal with it after?)
• Think of a time you worked collaboratively with teammates or other teams (what worked well and didn't work well in that example?)
• Think of a time you had to resolve a conflict or misunderstanding between a client or colleague (what approach did you take?)

Remember that true storytelling means painting a picture for the interviewer of what you would be like in certain scenarios. So be sure to do more than just give an example -- be sure to explain why this story is important and what you learned from it. Try to always tie the lesson back to a relevant skill for the role. 

Finally, the ability to SELF-REFLECT can help you stand out from the crowd. Everyone always talks about how great they are in an interview, but not everyone has the self-awareness to speak about their areas of development. We all have things we need to work on. So the more aware you are of the good, the bad and the ugly that you may bring to this role, the more you appear to be self-aware and coachable. Here are some good self-reflection questions:

• What may some challenges be for you in this role, and more importantly, how will you address them?
• What is your plan to ramp up and set yourself up for success when you start? (What is your 30/60/90 day plan?)
• What are one or two things that may set you apart from all the other candidates? What is your secret sauce?
• How will you stay motivated in this role during difficult times? Do you have examples of self-motivation in the past?

If you can come PREPARED, STORY-TELL and SELF-REFLECT in your interview, you will surely impress your interviewer. I know I'm always looking for sales candidates who have done their homework, know how to paint a picture or highlight their strengths effectively, and be vulnerable about what they need to work on.