Guest post by Wes Weiler
When you are looking for a sales job, there’s no better way to prove your worth than to sell the hiring employer on your skills and value to their company. Think of the steps you need to take when selling a product, and consider how to apply them to yourself. Here’s how:
NETWORKING
You know how difficult it is to make a cold call—and when you think about it that way, it makes sense how hard it is to get an interview with a company where you have no connections. Why should they pay attention to you among all the other candidates contacting them? However, having a personal connection with an employee or strategic partner can go a long way to getting an interview with a recruiter.
Focus on building connections and relationships throughout your industry and among acquaintances. Look through your LinkedIn network, the business cards you’ve collected and your personal friends. See if someone you or someone you know already has a contact at this company. If a friend is willing to make the introduction, the contact will already be primed the next time you reach out.
TAKE CHARGE
The hiring employer has all the power in a job-seeking situation, right? They have what you want: the job. But what is selling all about? Proving that what you are selling is what a potential client needs. During the job hunting process you’re selling your own skill set. What would make you an indispensable employee? Use your skills of persuasion—combine quantitative data on your selling skills with engaging success stories to prove your worth.
GENERATE POSITIVE FEELINGS
Be knowledgeable about the hiring employer. While you pitch yourself, remind the interviewer of the company’s strengths and successes. Integrate yourself into a similar vision of the company’s future: describe how you can help continue the successes and how inspired you are by the tactics they already exhibit.
Your skill in pitching your own job candidacy will show your skill in selling. If you do well, how much you convince an interviewer of your own worth as an employee also will prove your skill in pitching a great service or product.
These are just a few ways that you can put your sales skills to work for you in finding a new job. What other ways can help you land your next sales job?
Wes Weiler is the chief marketing officer at hiredMYway.com and a graduate from Michigan State University (Go Green!). He is responsible for facilitating growth, sales and marketing strategy, and working toward objectives such as revenue generation, cost reduction and risk mitigation. Connect with Wes on Twitter @weilerwe.
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