How To Prepare For A B2B Telemarketing Interview
So, you’ve landed yourself a B2B telemarketing interview, and it’s the only thing standing between you and a new job.
Sales interviews can be particularly nerve-wracking, because if an employer doesn’t feel like you’ve sold yourself, how can they expect you to sell what they’re selling?
Here’s how to prepare for a B2B telemarketing interview.
Do Your Research
It probably goes without saying, but employers tend to appreciate it if they can tell you’ve done a little research prior to an interview. Nothing too expansive (unless they’ve planned a pop quiz), but you should have more than a basic understanding of what they’re selling, their market, and their unique selling points.
If you don’t have any industry experience, don’t let that dissuade you from doing research. Regardless of where you’ve worked previously, try to gain a solid understanding of the enterprise sales process. You’ll be far more likely to stand out.
B2B Telemarketing: Know Your CV
If you’ve been invited to an interview for a B2B telemarketing job, it’s probably because they picked up on something specific in your CV. When it comes to that something specific, it could be the fact that you’ve been juggling semi-professionally for the last ten years, but it’s a little more likely they’ve noted your experience.
Make sure you know exactly what you’ve stated in your CV when it comes to your experience, so you can expand on this in your interview.
It’s impossible to know exactly which questions you’re going to be asked. But if you can talk about your experience with some degree of confidence then you’re far more unlikely to… crash and burn, so to speak.
Practice talking about yourself out loud. It can be extremely helpful if a little unnatural at first.
Know Your Key Metrics
This won’t really apply if you’ve had no direct experience, but if you’ve had sales jobs already (and you’ve been successful in those roles), make sure you’re confident discussing your key metrics.
This means things like average deal size, quota attainment, average sales cycle… any numbers or statistics that will make you look good. If you’ve outperformed your peers, don’t be afraid to brag a little. Nothing wrong with being the best!
Anticipate Specific B2B Telemarketing Questions
Every employer will be different, but there are some questions that are bound to come up.
For example, they may very well ask: ‘When do you accept that a prospect just won’t buy?’ One of the most valuable skills that a sales rep can have is knowing when to cut their losses.
If you’re a competitive person (and not to make assumptions but if you’re in sales, you’re probably competitive), then you might struggle with accepting defeat. But if you’re not getting anywhere with a prospective buyer, then it gets to the point where you’re wasting everyone’s time. Yours, theirs, and your company’s.
If an employer asks you this question, they probably want you to be thinking about the big picture. If your company was nearing the end of the quarter and an account had been stalling for weeks, it would only make sense to turn your focus to other prospects.
And, yes, even in a B2B telemarketing interview it’s not out of the question that you’ll get the old ‘Sell me this pen!’ chestnut (and by old chestnut we mean cliche). Watched The Wolf of Wall Street recently?
B2B Telemarketing Ask Questions Back
It can often be an oversight when it comes to interview prep, but the employer will appreciate it if you have a few questions to ask them. When you’re doing your research in regards to the company and their market, take note of anything you might want to learn more about. This could be a number of things: the role itself, the company in general, and whether they have any pets (maybe not that one but read the room).
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No one ever feels completely prepared for an interview. But if you can talk about yourself and you know about the company, then with a little confidence and a little luck you could be well on your way to a job.
