How to Sell a Product in an Interview Example Answer

How to Sell a Product in an Interview Example Answer

How to Sell a Product in an Interview. In any job interview which requires selling a product to a company, the importance of having unique selling skills simply cannot be overemphasized.

You must be able to convince your interviewer, first, that you fully understand your product, also, that you understand exactly how it is of value to their company, and convince them to make the purchase, without a second thought.

This article explains, in great detail, as well as answers pressing questions via examples, on how to amass this said skill, and put yourself in a position where everything that comes out of your mouth in the interview, is taken into great consideration, and is ultimately agreed with.

The Sales Interview Blueprint

1 – Laying the Foundation

As a salesperson selling a product in an interview, you must understand the importance of intensive research, as this lays a great foundation for the interview.

The first research you should make is on the product you are selling. Yes, you may have a pre-existing knowledge about your product, but being within physical proximity with your interviewer demands that you have answers to every question they may ask, which doubles down to how much you know.

Your product’s details and features should be the first on the list, and then, its values. Before the interview, it is advisable to interview yourself first, asking all the potential questions, and providing answers to them. This will help with your confidence and keep you knowledgeable while preserving your integrity.

The second research to make is about the company you are selling to. Understand why and how your product will be of benefit to them, and during the interview, be sure to highlight these points. A customer – individual or company – will only purchase a product which is valuable to them, and undoubtedly solves many of their problems.

This information is what will effectively lay the foundation for your interview, and eliminate any trace of diffidence and self doubt you may have possessed.

2 – The Art of Storytelling

Selling a product is not limited to just direct explanations, as there are multiple strategies to sell.

One of them is the psychological strategy, where a salesperson takes a more emotional and deeper route, to convince a customer. An example of these psychological strategies is storytelling.

Storytelling creates an atmosphere, where your prospective customer sees your product through an emotional lens, relating to it on a deeper level.

The art of storytelling is unique, because it gives them the opportunity to convince themselves of your product’s worth. In other words, they do the work themselves. And this is effective because a purchase is more likely to happen, if the customers convince themselves, by themselves.

How did you tell these stories? A few examples are stated below:

• Using personal experiences to showcase your selling skills: Your product should have solved a problem of yours in the past. Highlighting its value through your personal experiences is one way to go about this.
• Create a narrative that showcases the product’s value through storytelling. This can be done by bringing up a previous situation where your product solved a customer’s problems and made them happy. In this, be sure to highlight the problems it solved, and in the exact manner it did. This brings the value of your product to life, and the interviewer will be able to envision a practical implementation.

3 – The Consultative Approach

The consultative approach is a strategy that involves fully understanding a customer’s needs and providing solutions to them. In the case of an interview, your consultative approach should involve addressing the problems of the company, and explaining how your product effectively solves these problems.

How do you know exactly where their problems lie? In thorough research. After researching, you should be able to tell what challenges the company faces, and how your product can fix them.

The consultative approach should be a collaborative approach that priorities customer needs. In this case, concerns may be brought to you, requiring that you proffer solutions.

In this scenario, you should actively listen, and ask questions to gain clarity and insight about what is required.

The solutions you give must be tailored to address their needs, while taking advantage of the opportunity to highlight relevant features, benefits, and value propositions of your product.

In order to keep the dialogue collaborative, it is totally acceptable to give room for the interviewer to speak, sharing expertise and exploring all the possibilities together. This presents you as customer friendly and responsible at the same time.

During this, be sure to emphasize the value your solution brings to the customer, rather than just its features or price.The consultative approach has many benefits, including; building strong relationships, increasing customer satisfaction, differentiating yourself from competitors, and driving long-term growth.

4 – Handling Objections and Closing the Sale

In every sale, just like in your day-to-day interactions, there is a chance that you will be objected to, and the person you are speaking to, will not entirely agree with everything you say.

In sales, you need a certain level of intelligence to give the right responses at all times. Be sure to validate your interviewer’s concerns, while providing the right responses.

Remember that you are selling a product as well as your ideas. If something wrong is said, oppose intelligently, cautiously nudging them towards the right track. Try as much as possible to maintain the upper hand, while exuding confidence with the utmost respect.

Closing the sale means being fully convinced that you have, not just been able to sell the product, but buy your interviewer’s interest as well. They should not have made the purchase because of your persuasions, but because they are convinced that they need it. Convinced, even enough to tell others about what you sell.

5 – Bringing it All Together

Confidence and effective communication skills are crucial to successfully incorporating sales strategies in an interview.

Selling a product, in general, requires a lot of confidence in both yourself, and your product. Confidence stems from 2 key factors: authentic products (70%) and effective personal presentation (30%).

This is required especially in a one-on-one sale, like an interview. Leverage authentic online platforms (Orah, WooCommerce, Amazon) to mask apprehension and facilitate seamless sales.

Whatever the case may be, self evaluation and confidence is a crucial ingredient for an effective sale in an interview. You must believe yourself first, before anyone else can believe a word you say.

Conclusion

Selling in an interview is one often neglected topic for discussion, although very crucial. Selling to companies demands greater attention and commitment; precise execution of discussed strategies is crucial. Laying the foundation with the right knowledge is the first step. Storytelling can also be incorporated, as well as making use of the consultative approach, where the interviewer feels involved. Handling objections and tending to questions intelligently provides a good reputation for you and your product. Confidently practicing these techniques ensures smooth, successful product sales pitches in interviews.