{"id":9192,"date":"2022-06-17T10:00:03","date_gmt":"2022-06-17T00:00:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pulserecruitment.com.au\/?p=9192"},"modified":"2023-10-09T20:19:14","modified_gmt":"2023-10-09T09:19:14","slug":"how-to-get-hired-for-a-sales-position-10-tips-that-will-help-you-land-the-job","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pulserecruitment.com.au\/how-to-get-hired-for-a-sales-position-10-tips-that-will-help-you-land-the-job\/","title":{"rendered":"Job Seekers Hub | How to get hired for a sales position: 10 tips that will help you land the job"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\" data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Sales is one of the most challenging, rewarding, and competitive professions out there. It\u2019s also a profession that offers excellent career growth potential and high earnings potential. If you\u2019re interested in becoming a sales professional and landing a job in this field, you need to know what it takes to get hired for a position. As an experienced sales trainer and consultant, I see many job seekers come through our training programs who are looking to land their first sales job or transition into another sales role. Oftentimes, these individuals struggle to understand what they need to do in order to sell themselves effectively as a candidate for hiring managers who will be interviewing them for the position. In this blog post, we\u2019ll cover ten tips on how you can get hired as a sales candidate so you don\u2019t have to worry about your next opportunity again!<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"color: #000000;\" data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">1 Know the company you\u2019re applying to and why you want to work there<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\" data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Why does this matter, you ask? A hiring manager is likely to assume that you don\u2019t care about the opportunity or that you\u2019re not taking your search seriously if you don\u2019t even know the basics about the company you\u2019re applying to. When you\u2019re applying for a sales position, it\u2019s important to start by researching the company\u2019s product offerings, portfolio, and target audience. For example, companies that sell to businesses (B2B sales) will likely have different needs and sales requirements than a company that sells to consumers (B2C sales). You should also take the time to read up on the company\u2019s strategic vision, its go-to-market strategy, as well as its sales and marketing initiatives. For instance, if you\u2019re interested in working for a B2B technology company that\u2019s looking to grow its sales team in the next couple of quarters, you should find out the following:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\" data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">What is the product or service that the company provides?<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\" data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">What industries does the company currently sell to, and what industries is it targeting for expansion?<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\" data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">What are the company\u2019s strategic vision and sales initiatives for the next 6-12 months?<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\" data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Who are the company\u2019s top executives, and what are their backgrounds?<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"color: #000000;\" data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">2 Network and be visible<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\" data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Networking is one of the easiest ways to get noticed by hiring managers and recruiters. You should be actively participating in professional networking groups and events and have an online network you regularly engage with. You should join niche-specific groups and build relationships with other sales professionals, recruiters, and hiring managers in your industry. You\u2019ll often get insider tips on hiring trends, as well as hot opportunities that hiring managers are actively looking to hire for. Regularly checking in with your connections is also key to building a strong network and keeping your name out there. You can also take a more proactive approach to networking by regularly sending out personalised outreach emails to people in your network.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"color: #000000;\" data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">3 Create a resume that shines<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\" data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">A lot of sales professionals struggle with creating a great resume. If you\u2019re one of them, don\u2019t worry. There are plenty of sales resumes that are ineffective and don\u2019t truly showcase the candidate\u2019s value.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\" data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">A lot of sales resumes are filled with buzzwords and empty phrases. As a hiring manager, I often see sales resumes with bullet points like \u201cdriving new business\u201d, \u201cgenerating new leads\u201d, and \u201cselling through to executive-level decision-makers\u201d. While these phrases might be true, they don\u2019t tell me anything about the candidate. When you create your resume, you want to focus on the results you\u2019ve produced. What have you done in the past that has helped grow a company\u2019s revenue, increase its customer base, or enabled it to retain its customers?<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"color: #000000;\" data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">4 Showcase your relevant experience and accomplishments<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\" data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Following on from the above, you want to include the most relevant and important information on your resume. There\u2019s no point in listing every job that you\u2019ve ever had on your resume when you\u2019re applying for a sales position. What you need to do is take a critical look at your past positions and decide which accomplishments and skills are relevant to the sales job you\u2019re applying for and will help you get hired. Once you\u2019ve identified the accomplishments that you want to include on your resume, you can then decide how to best showcase them. This could be with a bullet point next to the position, highlighting them in your work experience section, or even creating a separate \u201caccomplishments\u201d section on your resume.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"color: #000000;\" data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">5 Be confident and show that you\u2019re enthusiastic<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\" data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">This might seem like an easy one, but you\u2019d be surprised how often it comes up in conversations with sales hiring managers. Many hiring managers want to see that candidates are confident and enthusiastic about the company, the product, and themselves. You don\u2019t have to be a sales superstar who\u2019s been rocking it for 10+ years, but you do need to show that you\u2019re excited about the opportunity, have a clear understanding of why the company is unique, and have a clear plan on how you\u2019ll contribute to the bottom line. You\u2019ll want to make sure that you\u2019re speaking with confidence, have an optimistic tone in your voice, and are speaking at a good pace. You don\u2019t want to be talking too quickly, but you also don\u2019t want to be talking too slowly.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"color: #000000;\" data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">6 Be honest about your strengths and weaknesses<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\" data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Sales is a competitive profession, and hiring managers will expect to see that you\u2019re confident in your abilities. They will also expect you to be honest about your weaknesses, as the best sales candidates know that they need to make improvements on their soft skills and areas for growth. If you\u2019ve been out of work for a while and are worried about how to approach this topic, don\u2019t worry. You can talk about how you\u2019ve been actively looking for work over the last 6-12 months and be honest about the fact that you\u2019re looking to improve your skill set. Hiring managers want to see that you\u2019re honest about your weaknesses because it shows them that you\u2019re humble and driven to get better.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"color: #000000;\" data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">7 Have an answer for \u201cWhy are you leaving your current job?\u201d<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\" data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">If you\u2019re currently employed, you\u2019re likely going to be asked why you\u2019re leaving your job. This is a normal part of the interview process and something you should be prepared for. You might be tempted to say that you\u2019re leaving your job for a better opportunity. While this might be true, it\u2019s not going to help you sell yourself as a candidate. Instead, think about the following questions:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\" data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Why do you want to leave your current job?<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\" data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">What challenges have you encountered there?<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\" data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">What opportunities have you been presented with?\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\" data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">And what opportunities are you seeking now?<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\" data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">By answering these questions, you can focus your answer on the positive and show hiring managers why you\u2019re a valuable candidate.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>8 Strengthen your soft skills<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\" data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">In many cases, the most important aspects of succeeding in a sales role are your soft skills. This is especially true if you\u2019re transitioning from another industry or trade. While certain hard skills may be transferable such as your technical or product-related skills, others, such as your communication style, ability to use influencing techniques, and methodologies for solving complex sales problems, will be unique to the sales profession. Therefore, it\u2019s critical that you strengthen your soft skills to ensure that you are prepared to succeed in a sales role.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>9 Be Confident &#8211; Especially if you\u2019re currently unemployed<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\" data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">If you\u2019re currently unemployed, you are likely feeling a lot of pressure to perform well in the interview process. At the same time, you may feel like you have little to offer a potential employer. Generally speaking, an interviewer wants to see you as confident, decisive and engaged in the interview process. This shows them that you are invested in the opportunity. The best way to show confidence as an unemployed candidate is to be prepared for the interview. Know your story, know the company, and understand exactly how you will impact the organisation if given the opportunity.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"color: #000000;\" data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">10 Lastly &#8211; Don\u2019t neglect the interview process<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\" data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">You might be tempted to relax and coast through the interview process, especially if you\u2019re currently employed or have a strong network of connections that can get you in the door. You might think, \u201cI\u2019ve got this in the bag,\u201d or \u201cI\u2019ve done this many times before, so there\u2019s nothing to worry about.\u201d What you don\u2019t want to do is relax so much that you neglect the interview process and don\u2019t make an effort to show the hiring manager that you\u2019re genuinely interested in the position.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\" data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">You want to go into the interview with the following mindset:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\" data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Why do you want to work for this company?<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\" data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">What value can you bring to the table?<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\" data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">What questions can you ask that will showcase your interest in the role?<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\">READY TO TAKE THE NEXT STEP IN YOUR CAREER?<\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Explore a vast array of <span style=\"color: #2c9a63;\"><a style=\"color: #2c9a63;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pulserecruitment.com.au\/jobs\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">IT, sales, and marketing<\/a> <\/span>roles spanning across Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, the wider Australia and Asia-Pacific and the United States regions. With <span style=\"color: #2c9a63;\"><a style=\"color: #2c9a63;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pulserecruitment.com.au\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Pulse Recruitment<\/a><\/span>, you&#8217;ll find positions that resonate with your skills and ambitions. Embark on a transformative career journey and <span style=\"color: #2c9a63;\"><a style=\"color: #2c9a63;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pulserecruitment.com.au\/submit-resume\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">submit your resume of LinkedIn profile<\/a><\/span> today!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Sales is one of the most challenging, rewarding, and competitive professions out there. It\u2019s also a profession that offers excellent career growth potential and high earnings potential. If you\u2019re interested in becoming a sales professional and landing a job in this field, you need to know what it takes to get hired for a position.&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":9194,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","footnotes":""},"categories":[76],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9192","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-job-seekers-hub"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pulserecruitment.com.au\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9192","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pulserecruitment.com.au\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pulserecruitment.com.au\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pulserecruitment.com.au\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/users\/13"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pulserecruitment.com.au\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9192"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.pulserecruitment.com.au\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9192\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13748,"href":"https:\/\/www.pulserecruitment.com.au\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9192\/revisions\/13748"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pulserecruitment.com.au\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/media\/9194"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pulserecruitment.com.au\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9192"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pulserecruitment.com.au\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9192"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pulserecruitment.com.au\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9192"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}