I was on Zoom, in a cafe in Warsaw, and in my mind I was begging for this remote sales rep that I was interviewing for a client to do better.
He had the experience.
He was confident.
But he made a few rookie errors.
I don’t think people understand how an interview with a potential remote sales rep can have all the same mistakes as when someone is selling to a prospect.
I’ve been doing a lot of interviews with remote sales reps, and I keep seeing the same issues. Hopefully, they can read this article and not make these mistakes.
Deep down, I WANT them to get the job, but they have to prove they can sell me.
So, here are the mistakes remote sales reps make when applying for a job with me, my clients, or anyone.
Quick intro: I run a $10M+ service business that only takes me 2-3 hours a week to manage, thanks in part to a great team of remote sales reps. If you want to know how I did it, just DM me “SOP” and I’ll send you my 20-page sales script used by my sales team to generate millions in sales.
Mistake 1: Not Being Brief and Succinct With Answers
I find that sales reps go on and on and on. We all know that a good sale is done with about 60-70% good questions to get to know the issue. Just because it’s an interview doesn’t mean you have to talk endlessly about your accomplishments.
This can result in a lack of clarity and can talk you right out of the next interview.
I’ve had some interviewees talk too much…and it stopped making sense. They just felt it was better to keep going than to be succinct.
Now, instead of saying “Tell me about yourself and your sales experience,” I say “Give me a brief background about yourself and your sales experience. Just a quick overview.”
I’m looking for a few sentences that share a few highlights like:
“Sure, I’ve been in sales for 10 years and the last 2 years with company XYZ. There I closed XYZ amount in sales and was the top performer. Before that I worked for 3 years at company XYZ and got promoted. Now I’m looking for a stable job with a good company selling something I believe in.”
Mistake 2: Not Asking Questions
I always end every interview with “Do you have any questions for me?”
And I’d say over 50% don’t ask me anything. Usually it’s “I asked all my questions in the previous interview, I’m ok.”
This makes no sense because there is no way they understood every aspect of the job, the company, and their responsibilities from two interviews and a job post.
Even a generic question like “What does success look like in the next 90 days?” is better than nothing.
Also, don’t ask questions like “When will I get a response? When are you looking to start?”
The reason is because you’re not asking about the job, the company or the product…but instead focusing on yourself and when you think you’ll get the job.
Come ready with 3 good questions.
A curious sales rep is a good one.
Mistake 3: They Don’t Do Any Research
I had a recent interview where I said “What do you know about company XYZ?”
And the response was “I didn’t do any research.”
I found this incredibly frustrating because it literally takes 10 minutes to scan any company’s website, LinkedIn and Instagram.
They plan to sit for 30 minutes on Zoom with me, and they won’t even bother to do a little research?
Even if they said “I looked at the website and saw that you guys help XYZ clients with XYZ result” that’s pretty decent.
Mistake 4: They Can’t Answer a Question Clearly
I always ask: “Tell me a sale you are most proud of. What did you sell, how much was it and what did you do to conquer objections?”
I expect a clear answer about selling XYZ product to XYZ customer for $5,000.
But I have gotten many responses that made no sense. Or I couldn’t understand what they were selling.
Be ready to share a success story in an interview. And make sure it’s clear, articulate and easy to follow.
Mistake 5: Bad Video and Audio Quality (and General Zoom Setup)
On a Zoom call for a high-ticket service it’s very important to have excellent, high-quality video and audio.
Also, don’t be “super casual.”
Wear a collared shirt, and ideally a jacket. Come looking professional.
Also, don’t have a busy background, background noises, or other people constantly moving around.
It’s just not professional.
If you’re going to be on Zoom and on the computer all day, it’s important to have a good setup.
I’ve had moments where someone had people walking around and talking constantly in the background.
Or the video was super blurry and low quality.
Invest in good equipment and good Wi-Fi.
Mistake 6: Bad Tonality
I have had interviews where the candidate seemed like they genuinely didn’t want to be there.
Or were too polite and nervous.
Or were too dry and low energy.
Sales requires a good energy that is confident, upbeat, non-needy and relaxed.
You know it when you see it.
But it’s so key!
And if you want the SOP my remote sales team used to grow my business to $10M+ per year, that only takes me 2 hours a week to manage, DM me “SOP.”