Give yourself a pat on the back for performing well at your most recent sales interview. To make sure that you cement the positive impressions you left at the company where you want to work next, it is a good idea to keep in contact with the interviewers and hiring managers following the sales interview. When done well, keeping in contact post-interview can increase the chances you will be extended an offer.

Sending a Thank You Letter As Follow Up to a Sales Interview

Sending a letter thanking interviewers for their time immediately following an interview has become standard procedure. Many hiring managers expect to receive such a letter and sales people who do not send one may actually damage their candidacy. A thank you letter should typically be short and to the point, with a section explaining why you would like to work for the company and how you would be a good choice. Integrate information that you learned during the interview into this section to catch the interviewer’s attention. Also ensure that the letter:

• Is no more than three paragraphs long
• Is addressed personally to your contact at the organization
• Is completely free of errors in grammar and spelling

Keep in Contact after the Thank You Letter with a Phone Call

Your next step for keeping in contact after a sales interview will usually be a personal phone call to the interviewer or hiring manager. The timing of a follow up phone call depends on the timing of the interview process. If during the sales interview you learned that the company expected to make a hiring decision by a certain date and you have not heard anything by the time that date has arrived, call to touch base. During the call, try to:

• Reiterate how interested you are in the open position, and why
• Use new information to explain how you are a great hiring choice
• Thank your contact again for their time during the interview and the phone call

When Sending a Follow Up Email Becomes Necessary

If you can not make contact with your point person at the company over the phone, or if you were able to make contact over the phone but another week or decision date has elapsed, it is acceptable to send a follow up email. With all follow up that you do to stay in contact after a sales interview, you should be careful not to use the same phrases and keywords in order to continue differentiating yourself as a candidate. Your follow up email could include:

• Your thoughts on how you could contribute to the organization, such as in a problem area discussed during the sales interview
• A recap of your top two or three qualifications for the open position, especially if you were not able to mention or thoroughly describe a key experience during the interview
• An offer to meet with the interviewer again by phone or in person

Respect the Time of Interviewers and Hiring Managers

It can be difficult to determine how frequently to follow up after a sales interview. If you learned during the sales interview that the company anticipates filling the open position within a short period of time, your initial follow up may be all that is necessary. If a longer hiring process is anticipated, it might be a good idea to follow up more frequently with your potential employer in order to keep their impressions of you and your accomplishments fresh. However, it is possible to follow up too frequently, and all of your follow up should be done with a respect for the time of others.

To make keeping in contact after a sales interview easier next time, make sure that during the sales interview you ask about the anticipated timeline for the company to make a hiring choice and preferred methods of follow up so that you are prepared for keeping in contact afterwards.