When preparing for sales job interviews there is one really important preparation question and all applicants must find the answer to it if they are going to get the job they want. If you apply for a sales role and don’t consider this question you could lose any hope of being successful. I have been interviewing sales people for over two decades and I regularly reject applicants that make this one mistake.
The most important sales interview preparation question is: Does the employer want a Hunter or a Farmer.
Is the sales job for a new business hunter that tracks down prospects, knocks on doors, and can get past gatekeepers to capture new business. Are they looking for someone that can cold call, take rejection, and show great resilience to pursue a sale. Will the interviewer want to see evidence of a great sales pitch, and effective and pushy closing techniques that may not be appropriate for existing valued customers.
Or will the interviewer be looking for someone to cultivate existing customers. Do they want a farmer that can grow revenue and profit by nurturing small seeds of repeat business. Is the company sales plan based on harvesting a regular crop of orders from the same existing accounts year after year.
The two roles are very different from each other and they require completely different sales skills. But not all sales job applicants take that into account when they are preparing for their interview. Over the past two decades I have interviewed thousands of sales people for both new business and account management roles. One of the common mistakes applicants make is to present evidence, and answer interview questions, with a focus on the wrong type of selling.
For example, I advertise for a new business hunter that can self generate prospects, make appointments from a cold call, and bring in sales from customers we haven’t dealt with before. I guarantee that some of the job applicants will make a complete mess of their interview by showing me evidence of how they have farmed existing accounts to achieve sales targets. They bring in reports and records to prove how they have grown the existing accounts in their portfolio. They answer the sales interview questions by telling me about their great people skills, and how they can build long term relationships. They ruin any chance of being successful in the job interview because I’m looking for someone that can knock on a door, get themselves in front of a buyer, make a sale, and then move on to the next prospect. I want a Hunter not a Farmer.
The opposite also happens. I advertise for an account manager, someone with people skills that can build relationships, a farmer that can work with existing accounts and bring in repeat business. The ideal job candidate for this type of sales position will project an image of reliability. My customers want someone that comes across as dependable and able to deal professionally with their problems. But in the sales job interviews I will get applicants that have prepared answers and evidence that shows what great hunters they are. If I’m looking for an account manager I don’t care how good the applicant is at prospecting for new business.
When you are preparing for a sales job interview it is really important to read all the information about the role and ask the question: What percentage of your time or sales targets will be focused on farming repeat business and existing customers, and what percentage will be on hunting for new business. Many sales jobs are a combination of the two sales skills. Once you have this information you should aim your interview preparation at being able to present evidence, and answer questions, that demonstrate how you fit the role of Hunter or Farmer.
Stephen Craine – Stephen Craine is a successful working sales manager and trainer for a major international company. He has combined 20 years of sales and sales management …
http://ezinearticles.com/?Sales-Job-Interviews—The-Most-Important-Preparation-Question&id=4743038
Job interview