Job Seekers Hub | Five tips to nailing your next interview

“Success is where preparation and opportunity meet” – Bobby Unser.

Let’s assume you have the right opportunity for a minute, so now’s the time to prepare; here are some of the key things to think about;

1. Bring examples

In most sales interviews, a question about your sales process will come up. This presents an excellent opportunity to take control of the interview and give them a situational based answer to better explain your processes. Also, a situational based question might come up anyway, so bringing examples of some of the more challenging deals that you may have won is a no-brainer. You should be able to articulate things, such as:

• how you researched and uncovered the prospect,
• how you found their pain points,
• how you overcame their core objection,
• how you brought together key stakeholders,
• how you reignited the deal when a particular decision-maker went cold, and
• what the outcome was.

The more you can show that you have a rigid process to handle any obstacle and covering it in your pitch, the better.

2. Research, research, research

You’ve probably read the company website, and that’s a good start, but you need to dig deeper. Can you simply articulate their value prop? If not, it’s time to look again. Do you know the company’s history, when it was founded, where they are located, and when their key events are, such as mergers and acquisitions? From there, figure out how those events contributed to where the business is today and the verticals that they mainly sell into. Once you’ve nailed this, you will be able to paint a clearer picture both in your own mind and to the interviewer of who the business is and who their competitors are. Lastly, research who you are meeting and connect with them on LinkedIn. This might make all the difference that ends up giving you the edge over another candidate.

3. Why do you want to work at this company?

It may sound like an obvious question, but if you can’t answer it effectively, you might land yourself in hot water. Think about the bigger picture when you answer this one and put yourself into the interviewer’s shoes for a second. Base salary, commission and benefits are all important, but that’s not why this question is being asked. It’s about the bigger picture and your long-term viewpoint, your values, and how they connect to this opportunity. There are two parts to this type of question; 1. the role, and 2. the company. You’ve got to show that you would love getting out of bed in the morning to do the role you are interviewing for and that the company mission resonates with you. The fact that the company is a start-up, a scale-up or an established vendor fits your DNA, and the values of the company and mission statement align with your values and beliefs.

4. Come with at least five questions to ask

Think long and hard about the questions you want to ask, and don’t be afraid of asking the same questions twice to two different people. You could say something like, “I already asked Sarah about X but would love to get your take on this also”. Pick your questions depending on who you are meeting and what stage of the process you are at. In the first interview, focus more on the bigger picture, culture, training and your day-to-day role and the challenges that might come up. Remuneration, benefits etc., will all come in time, but the idea of the first interview is to make sure that the company and role align with who you are and that you are showing a genuine interest in them. A killer question to always throw in is, “Is there any reason that you think I wouldn’t be suitable for this role?” Basically, you’re closing the interview, and it gives you a chance to overcome any objections thrown your way.

5. Write it down

Most interviews are still being carried out online. One of the benefits of video interviews is that you can write down bullet points and questions that you want to ask and not look like you are robotically reading from a script. Sometimes it’s tough to remember a lot of information, especially if you haven’t had a lot of time to prepare, so a quick cheat sheet to remind you of key points is always a winner.

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