Whether you have trained to become a sales development representative by us at Dojo, or you already have years of experience and are looking for your next position, it is always best to come prepared for an interview. You never know what type of questions will be thrown at you, so you need to be ready to answer just about anything.
Preparing for the interview and trying to gauge what questions will be asked will help pass the interview successfully.
The questions are just one piece of the overall puzzle, as an interview has different phases. Understanding and analyzing how to approach them will increase your chances of passing on to the next round. So it's all about taking an iterative approach.
While it would be ideal to see these broken down into specific phases, interviews are more of a fluid dialogue that can shift based on how the conversation goes. With this in mind, you will still be able to practice different aspects of the interview but won't always know where they come up. The best strategy is to come across as positively as possible.
Think of your job sales interview as a sales meeting. Familiarize yourself with the skills and requirements needed for the job. This way, you can easily highlight your skills and what you can offer to the company. They say if you can not persuade the hiring manager to hire you for a sales position, they might think you won't be able to convince people to purchase their product/service. That is why you have to give an excellent lasting impression to the interviewer.
It is always best to research the company first before the interview. Check their website for any updates, read about their mission and vision, see if their company values align with yours, what the culture is, what products or services they sell, reviews about the company, etc. This way, you get the necessary information about the company you are applying for and what questions to ask the interviewer.
For those that are pivoting their careers into sales, you want to highlight those essential experiences. Let us say were you convinced and led teams to your way of thinking, whatever the process may have been. For example, maybe you were in an operations role and took charge to re-engineer the entire process flow for a task and convinced senior management to launch the change management.
There are also times when the hiring manager may want to assess your sales skills on the spot through role-playing. Use this as an opportunity to show them what you've learned and how you work on building rapport to set that appointment.
You should constantly practice and focus on the parts of your sales pitch or process that need additional refinement. But, again, the interviewer won't know you, and if you're able to sell them the pen, it will help go a long way throughout the rest of the interview.
Don't just try to look good on paper and be the best sales development representative. While that is important to show in the interview, there's a big part of any interview or job application that's related to the culture fit. You want to share who you are outside the office and what keeps you entertained when you aren't crushing your sales targets.
Of course, in this area, it shouldn't be something where all you like to do is watch Netflix into the night, but what your hobbies are. Whether it's reading, paintballing, or snowboarding, when possible, sharing these with your interviewer will help them to weigh up how you would fit in with the rest of the company, as well as if you would be an ideal fit with the target market the product is being sold at.
You want to show a dynamic personality which is a requirement for sales, and this is an excellent way of doing that.
One of the biggest mistakes one can make during an interview is not asking any questions to the interviewer. It will help to have a list of questions handy and to ensure the presence of mind is always there so as not to repeat any questions already asked. You want to be able to ask the type of questions that will help give you insight into your position, what it takes to succeed, and what your growth path is going to be like.
Questions can range from what types of resources. What does a top performer look like, and what sets them apart? What are the company's core values? Missions? What is the interviewer's favorite part of the team or company? These questions will incite a thought-provoking conversation meant to have you showing interest in the role and company.
An SDR interview typically involves a mix of behavioral and technical questions. Find time to research and take down notes on how you plan to answer questions so you don’t end up sounding confused and repetitive.
Here are some common questions that may be asked during an SDR interview:
Remember, throughout the interview, you want to come across as authentic and natural as possible. The interviewer knows you're applying for a sales position, but you cannot come across as too sales-like. Always make a point to pause and take a breath before providing any response, and don't forget the post-interview.
Always thank your interviewer for their time and ask for feedback if possible. Ask for other ways to reach out, like Linkedin, as it can be a great addition to your network. It helps the interviewer know you're very interested in the position and can be a deciding factor in moving on to the next process.
Also, if the interview doesn't lead to anything further or a position, use it as a learning experience and a training session as you would in our Dojo classes. Every interview is another chance to practice your interviewing skills and an opportunity to learn something different. Apply to another sales position, then another, then another. Don't stop applying until you land that job that excites you to work every day. Good luck!