You found your dream job. Your resume is perfect and the first interview could not have gone any better. The sales manager has asked you to come in for a second interview. You feel confident, self-assured and know the job is yours for the taking. You need to make sure that you don’t blow it. Unfortunately, there are plenty of ways to blow the sales job offer.
- Arrive Late! Delays can happen so you want to make sure you give yourself plenty of leeway to arrive on time. Nothing is more annoying than waiting for someone who is late. Minutes tick by slowly and the person waiting becomes exasperated, frustrated and often angry. If being late is unavoidable, call ahead and let the person know. Being punctual will help you get the sales job offer.
- Dress for Failure! You’ve already made a good first impression so don’t blow the sales job offer by taking it for granted. Jeans and a tee shirt won’t cut it. You need to continue to put your best foot forward and look like you mean business. Professional attire, light on the cologne and well-groomed are the way to go.
- Be Cocky or Uninterested! Never act like you know the sales job offer is in the bag. Never act bored or too overconfident. There is a fine line between arrogance and self assured. You need to continue to show your upbeat and positive side without being haughty. The sales manager needs to see that you are excited, eager and enthusiastic about the position before they make you a sales job offer.
- Badmouth Your Current or Past Bosses! No one likes a disgruntled employee. No matter how awful or unpleasant the past boss was, it is unprofessional to gripe about it during an interview. Try to find something positive to say. If you can’t think of anything positive, say nothing. The goal for you is the sales job offer, not venting about past employers.
- Leave Your Phone On! Before you enter the building, take off the blue tooth, turn off the phone and put them away. If you receive a text or a call during a job interview, it is distracting and makes you seem unprepared.
- Don’t Stop Talking! When you come in for the interview and sales job offer, you need to gather just as much information as you offer. Answer questions succinctly and fully, but don’t keep blathering on after you have made your point or answered a question. People can only absorb so much and will start losing focus if you talk on too long. A good sales person is a good listener.
- Don’t Ask Questions! Not asking questions makes you look unprepared or uninterested in the sales job offer. You want to find out as much as you can about the position, the company and the people you will be working with. Your questions should be direct and business related.
- Eat, Drink or Smoke! Again it all comes down to a professional appearance. If you popped a piece of gum into your mouth prior to the interview, make sure you get rid of it before the interview starts. If you are offered something to eat or drink it is fine to accept but never bring the food or beverages with you. Also, if you smoke, don’t light up right before the interview. The smell of tobacco is lingering and can be very off-putting. It can hurt your chances of the sales job offer.
Your goal is to make the best impression that you can. These mistakes are easily avoided. When you are looking to get that sales job offer, be prepared, be professional and be smart. This will allow you to avoid these missteps and mistakes.