For all sales jobs, the ability to persuade is a necessary skill. You don’t belong in sales if you can’t persuade people that they need to buy your product or service. Of course, this does not imply that you must persuade every potential customer to purchase; that would be impossible. However, in order for a company to profit, you must convert enough potential customers into buyers to meet a sales quota or projected number of sales. Product knowledge and the ability to relate to people are essential when communicating how the product or service you’re selling will meet the buyer’s needs and desires.
When you think about it, the interview is where you start proving yourself in a sales job. Many job applicants are unaware that they must sell themselves to the interviewer in terms of their ability to perform the job. This is especially true in sales jobs, where your ability to sell is the primary skill you’re selling. You are your own product, and before you can successfully sell other products or services, you must believe in yourself and be able to sell your own benefits. Job seekers for sales jobs must be able to demonstrate that they are the best fit for the company, just as a salesperson must persuade buyers that their product or service is a better fit than competitors’ offerings.
Because it’s not just about education or experience when applying for a sales job, it’s also about how the candidate presents that information to the interviewer. More than good written and verbal communication skills are required of successful sales candidates; they must also be able to maintain comfortable eye contact and know when to listen and when to speak.
Sales skills aren’t just about making a hard sell or aggressively selling a product or service. The salesperson’s demeanor must be approachable and confident. People in sales jobs who are likable and reasonable are more likely to be successful. This attitude, when combined with a thorough understanding of the product or service being sold, can help a company increase sales. Salespeople must also be able to deal with rejection, because no matter how successful they are at selling, there will always be people who do not want to buy what they’re selling.