What are the most common mistakes you see candidates make during an interview for a sales position?
The most common mistakes have to do a general lack of preparedness -
It's hard to know exactly what to prepare for when hopping on an interview - but generally speaking I know a conversation isn't going well when I hear things that demonstrate that the candidate doesn't really know about my business ... but worse, it isn't clear to me what the candidate kows versus doesn't know or even shouldn't necessarily know.
The basics, try to have a base line of the following:
- The general value of the offering
- The general customer profile
- How to manage a deal cycle
If it's clear that the candidate has done some homework - it will shine through, and resourcefulness is a key defining attribute I interview for.
So when getting ready for an interview - figure out what you are converscent in (if you know the company or the product, write out what you know) BUT then isolate the things that you DON'T know and be clear and transparent that THESE things are the things that you don't have explicit knowledge in. Then be prepared to share how you generally plan to fill gaps ...
Be confident in what you DO and DON'T know !
From my experience, most candidates coming into an interview put their best foot forward and perform well, however, here are some of the most common pitfalls before, during, and after a sales interview...
1) Lack of Preparation - candidates who have not done even surface level research on the following is a massive red flag:
The company - reviewing the website, blog, etc. to understand what we do
Myself and the other interviewers - looking at the LinkedIn/social presences of those who they are meeting with
The job itself - reading & understanding the job description, and
The product - signing up for a free trial if there is one and at the very least understanding the basic value proposition
2) Lack of Narrative - being able to effectively tell your personal story & professional story is critical and usually one of the first questions asked during an interview ("So tell me about yourself"). Not only does this give the interviewer a deeper understanding about your career & the decisions you've made along the way, but it also gauges your ability to effectively craft a narrative. Make sure you practice it over & over, until you have it just right! And also make sure you can articulate what you are looking for in your next role/company, and do not be afraid to be explicit about it. If the role/company isn't a fit, it's best to identify & address it early.
3) Not Following Instructions - usually this comes up during a role-play, demo, or craft demonstration, but I can't tell you how many candidates have ended up falling out of the hiring funnel for not following instructions in a prompt given during later stages of the interview. Hint: if there is something you don't fully understand or is vague around the expectations that have been asked of you, then make sure you contact the recruiter or hiring manager to get clarity.
4) Asking Non-Relevant or No Questions - typically at the end of an interview, there will be an opportunity for you to ask your questions. Make sure those questions are relevant to the person you are speaking with and avoid asking questions you could easily research on your own ("so what does the company do", or "who are some of your competitors", etc.). Non-relevant questions signal a lack of research, preparation, and engagement. And worst of all is asking no questions at all!
5) Not "Closing" at the End - especially for a sales role, I expect candidates to be willing to ask hard questions and "close" at the end of a call. If you are not able to ask questions like the following, then how could I expect you to ask hard questions & close with a prospect or customer:
"So after meeting with me, are there any questions or concerns you may have outstanding?"
"Is there any reason you would not feel comfortable recommending me to move into the next round of the interview process?"
And at the very least make sure you are clear on the expectations, next steps, and timing of the remainder of the interview process.
6) Not Following Up - at the end of every sales conversation, there is an expected follow up recapping the discussion & making explicit the next steps. The same is true for an interview. Call me old school, but if a candidate does not follow up with me after an interview, it's a signal they are not engaged, or worse, not capable of crafting an effective follow up message. The hand-written note is a thing of the past. If you have my email address, send me a message and if not (or you're just looking for another touchpoint), then connect with & message me on LinkedIn.
Common mistakes include:
- Focusing on why you want to work at X company, but not why you want Y job (it's arguably more important to show why you're drawn to the role that you will be doing every day rather than just the company you will be joining)
- Not having any questions whatsoever for your interviewer at the end (it's important to show that you took some time to think through thoughtful questions)
- Spending more than half the interview going through every single job you've ever had (essentially, reading off the resume). Perfect your elevator pitch for yourself. In just a few minutes, how can you tell your story effectively and succinctly?
- Indicating that you've never had any setbacks, failures, or difficulties in your previous roles (no one is perfect so being able to speak to setbacks and what you've learned from them is important)
- Not knowing much about the company, its products/services, value props of what you would be selling, etc. (little-to-no research done before the interview shows a lack of Investment on the interviewee's end)
The biggest mistakes that we see from candidates are related to not being prepared for the interview. Failing to research the company, role, or industry before an interview can signal a lack of genuine interest and initiative. Thoroughly research the company, its products or services, industry trends, and competitors, and come prepared with thoughtful questions to demonstrate engagement and enthusiasm. We expect candidates to do their homework on the role, the interviewer and the company, just like we expect of our Account Executives prior to a prospect meeting. Asking questions when the answers could have been easily found online and not showcasing knowledge when they should have studied up on the company is a clear sign of not being prepared.
Not doing enough research on the company they're interviewing with
Not anticipating the questions the interviewers will have
Not coming prepared with their own questions for the interviewer
Not coming with multiple examples prepared or not having results and metrics at the ready to speak to in the interview
Not leveraging their recruiter as a resource to adequately prep for the interviews
Not asking for feedback from their interviewer to apply to the next interview
Not closing their interviewer
Not sending a follow up email post-interview
Not practicing concise answers ahead of the interview
the most common mistakes that a rep makes during an interview are
1. not having a strong sense of the job they are applying for
2. not having a strong sense of what they've accomplished historically
3. not asking for clear guidance on how I, as the interviewer, can help them help me get what I need - own your discovery but do so in a curious, yet concise way.
Expanding on the above:
1. not doing research on the company or myself - when I hear a tid bit on the company that demonstrates research was done, I immediately am curious about your research process which could turn into a conversation about how you prep, pitch, or run a process - all very telling signals
2. not having a clear example of a sense of accomplishment professionally - it needs to translate to an approachable or even basic representation of what Im hiring for. Pro Tip: Codify your profressional history - make it simple, apply a naming convention for key learnings - Executives speak in headlines and codified language that's meant to succinctly articulate an idea or in this a lesson learned. In doing so you'll communicate that you're a strategic thinker that won't require a tremendous amount of inidivual hand holding should you be selected for the job.
3. really lean into understanding what the interviewer is looking for - when you boil it all down you'll find that things like rapport, coachability, communication are really realy critical in a decision makers process - so if you follow the above mentioned steps and are professionally curious about my objectives in sourcing a candidate - you'll have effectnely 'pattern interupted' my process and will have me remembering how you steered the convo when and where you could - BUT, don't let it get distracting, you must be concise in your questions (this means practice) - thats lasting, thats ideal.
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