After working in this industry for nearly twenty years as a hiring manager and recruiter, I must say that the biggest hurdle I’ve seen for candidates of all experience levels is the dreaded sales role play. That’s right – if you’ve never successfully interviewed for a sales rep position, you probably didn’t know that most companies require their hiring managers to role-play all candidates. You will be asked to sell anything from the company’s actual products to a generic item that anyone can identify with. I can already see the sweat forming on your forehead …..
But sales role play doesn’t have to be so scary if you’re prepared and practice, practice, and practice. In the second, or sometimes the third interview, the manager will ask you to sell him a product to assess your sales skills. How can they hire you if they don’t know if you can sell? This is an especially important part of the process for job seekers with little or no sales experience. I once worked with a candidate named Paula who was a physical therapist and had never sold anything in her life. He called me after getting good results in the first interview, but was completely freaked out when the recruiter told him that he would have to prepare for a sales role-play in the second interview. First of all, I told Paula to take a deep breath and assured her that I would help her blow the manager off with her role play. I taught Paula the Steps of Selling that is critical to understand before someone can be successful in role play. And then I set up several scenarios for her and we practiced one for everyone. And guess what? After the second interview, the hiring manager not only said that she overcame the role play, but that she was the best of any other candidate, and a few weeks later she got the job! All because the manager knew he was easy to train and could sell, even though he had never worked as a sales representative. Let me share with you some tips that I gave to Paula …
This role play will likely come after the manager has asked you about your sales process or the steps of the sale. (That’s why it’s so important that you know the Steps of Selling Backwards and Backwards!). They are testing it to see if what it says is what it practices.
Most important is your ability to ask questions and discover the needs of the “client” (manager) in role play. Many candidates get nervous in the interview process and don’t ask enough questions. Do this and you are sunk! The manager does not want to hire someone who talks more than he listens.
After the role play, be sure to ask the manager for an honest appraisal of your performance. If you think it was a bomb, accept the comments and ask for an opportunity to redo the role play. Make the changes suggested by the manager and you will show that you are trainable and willing to improve. In my job search toolkit, I give you one of my favorite role-play stories about a Johnson & Johnson hired candidate who came straight out of the Army and had never sold anything. He used this technique and got the job!
So if you want to learn the steps of the sale and exactly what to do in the critical role-play step of the interview process, you must have my job search toolkit “The Ultimate System to Land Your Dream Job in pharmaceutical or medical sales “that contains all the tips and strategies you need to master the role play and even give you specific scenarios to be prepared for. I also share with you exactly what the hiring manager is looking for and how to make sure they press all the correct shortcut buttons! Click here to learn more about this life-changing kit and how you can land your dream job now, no matter your background or level of experience!
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