Interview advice, please (bonus if you have a sales background):
I'm a candidate for a sales role at a great company where I had a former colleague recommend me.
The screening recruiter told me to come to the next interview (which is on 12/14) prepared to talk about my sales goals, and how well I've performed.
I work for a not-for-profit company where I have an annual goal. It is broken into two product types (so in a way, it's like having two goals). They have never given us details about exactly how we've performed. For instance, I imagine other companies make it easy for their sales people to see (on a quarterly basis, even) reports about how much they are making/invoicing and how close to target they are. Mine has never done this, and the only way we can figure it out is to keep track manually on our own. At some point, I just gave up trying to track it, it was just too hard (I've had quite a few territory shifts as well, and filling in for colleagues, which can confuse things).
So what is the best way to talk about this in my upcoming interview? I do know what my goals have been, and I have a vague recollection of how I've performed. But honestly, I will likely be making numbers up if I say things like, "And in 2019, I made 99% of goal, and in 2018 I made 101% of goal" etc. Thanks for any advice!!
I currently work in sales for a major bedding retailer. I would talk about HOW you made your numbers. When I was interviewing candidates for positions, I wanted to know how the candidate made the numbers. I.e- every day I posted on my social media, I kept a file of quotes I contacted daily, I checked in with my former customers (we call them guests) to see how they are enjoying their new bedroom and offering additional services they may have passed on. Sales is no longer make the numbers and get out. You really need to game plan for longevity. Don’t get me wrong the numbers are important but not everything.
This is a great (and brave) question!
I have been in sales and I have been responsible for hiring sales teams. I have the advice to give, but first I have some food for thought.
You said a few things in your post that struck me as strange, so I hope you'll consider this in the spirit of getting some clarity around what you do and what you want: if you are in a "sales" job where you are not *obsessed* about meeting your quota for these products, aren't actually clear on what your quota is, don't know where you are against that quota for the defined sales period, don't know where the organization is against its revenue targets and what your contribution is, if you don't adjust your sales month/actions during their sales cycle to make up for shortfalls, if you don't know your close rate, if you can't project what your sales will be based on recent performance so you know if you'll make the quotas, if you throw up your hands because it's too hard to track or don't keep on your management team to provide the data, OR if you don't make a commission or get bonuses on the transactions that come from your efforts, then, with MUCH love for your situation and your great question, you are NOT in sales. Not in the sense that your next company will mean it.
If you are not getting any data about how you are performing, then that tells me that you are not making a commission/bonus. (And if you are and don't have any of that - how would you possibly know if you've been properly compensated?) If your performance is not being determined by tracked results and monetary gain, then, again, it's not a sales role no matter what they choose to call it. It would be something more akin to an Account Manager, Marketing Rep., etc.
If you came to my interview without data around your prior sales history, straight up - I would not hire you. I would not even call you in just to chat. I've had my interview time taken by too many people who regard themselves as in sales and jump from role to role after a year with no numbers to share. There are many who get into sales because they like people. They like talking and presenting. They like developing relationships. They are friendly and outgoing. All of that is moot if they aren't single-mindedly focused on knowing their numbers, making their numbers, plotting and planning next month's numbers, and making the company (and themselves) money. Real salespeople are just built differently.
I'm sorry to be so direct about this, but I want you to either be positioned best for this interview or ready to consider whether you are in the best role for your valuable skills. It's an employee's job market right now. There are lots of options out there.
So...here's what I would do. Right now it's probably the end of the fiscal year for your organization. If it is, then I would sit down with a manager or finance person asap (before the interview) to get clarity around this year's numbers. December is a good excuse to do this without raising suspicion that you want to leave. Let them know that you want 2022 to be more numbers-focused and you need a clear quota from this year as well as your results so that you can help set your personal goals for compensation for next year. Hopefully, this gets you the information you need. If they really cannot produce this and you feel that sales is for you, then you are in a bit of a pickle, but leaving is the right thing to do. You need to be somewhere data-driven so that you can be successful.
If they can't help, what numbers do you have that you can use? Do everything you can to reconstruct the data you should have been keeping. I've had territories change before. I've filled in for colleagues. It may have changed the quota, but it never made it challenging to track the numbers. I kept the numbers separately when I needed to show the difference between my quota and the additional work I took on. If I had concerns, I talked to my manager or finance team right then.
What are your accomplishments? I've surpassed colleagues in their own territory while they were out. I felt bad about the way it made them look, but I was recognized for carrying that and my own workload. Are you able to share accomplishments like that? That's compelling.
The other thing I would do is be able to describe your sales cycle, the challenges of your territories, and bring examples of your sales plans. How did you analyze the market and your competition and what did you do to overcome barriers? What did you do when sales were down? What was the outcome after executing these plans?
Can you sell the proverbial (or actual) pen? In other words, without warning, can you be presented with something you haven't sold before, find out what is most important to your potential buyer when considering that purchase, and make a persuasive argument that closes the deal on the spot? That's something that I would practice just in case they spring a scenario on you like that.
A combination of sales data and demonstrated skills in penetrating a market are what will get you the job. If you can't get that together for this interview, then I would go and do it as a skill builder. Then I would go back to my manager or my own notes and get the numbers to use with my next opportunity. Good luck!
Thank you for taking the time to share this feedback!
I should have been more clear: I am a non-commissioned account manager responsible for key accounts focused on long term growth. I am salary + annual bonus (no commission). Because my role's sales activities have a significant impact on our department, I am bonused partly on my performance, and partly on the department performance. It's definitely unusual!! I used to be a commissioned sales rep ages ago, and it was much as you described. I am more of a key relationship manager now.
This job is also an account manager, but crosses over into more sales-rep-type structure, as it is indeed commissioned. I'll have a think about what you've said here, thank you.