There is nothing more heart breaking to me than watching a sales professional walk into my office for a first interview and simply self destruct before my very eyes. Sadly, this is not an uncommon scenario but one that happens quite frequently. In this article I will discuss three principles that should be applied to every sales interview to ensure you avoid the dreaded self-destruct button.

The three principles to a solid sales interview are listen, ask questions, and don’t be afraid to say “I don’t know.” Interestingly, these same principles are key to a successful sales process as well. The following is an explanation of the three principles and why they should be applied to your sales interview:

Principle I: Listen
It always amazes me when a new candidate comes into my office, sits down, and immediately starts ”information dump overload.” This is one of the first steps to self-destruction during a sales interview. The fact is when I consider a candidate for a sales position one of the first things I look for, as a recruiter or hiring sales manager, is the ability to listen. You see, regardless of how well you can talk, if you can’t listen you will never be successful in the sales industry. 

Principle II: Ask Questions
Like the sales process, one of the first things you want to do is uncover the needs of the customer. In this case, you want to determine what the employer or recruiter is looking for. Asking questions is the key to understanding the sales position and the qualifications required to get the job. As a recruiter or hiring sales manager I am looking for someone who can ask questions and demonstrate their full understanding of the sales job and requirements.

Principle III: Don’t be afraid to say “I don’t know”
Frankly, I have probably hired more people that told me “I don’t know” than those who gave me a thirty minute answer that had absolutely nothing to do with the question I asked them. One of the biggest mistakes you can make during a sales interview is to try and answer a question that you really do not know the answer to. The fact is no one likes a know-it-all and even worse no one likes a know-it-all that doesn’t know anything.

Overall as a hiring sales manager, I look for someone who can be trained, someone who is not afraid to admit that they do not know everything, and someone who can apply an investigative approach to uncovering prospects needs. Implementing these three principles will help you achieve better results in your sales interviews and ensure you avoid the self-destruct button.