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How to nail your next Tech Sales Interview

How to nail your next Tech Sales Interview
  • June 6, 2022

Want to nail your next interview? Listen up! Two weeks ago we hosted our first Recruiter masterclass, where recruiters shared their best practices and tips for the different stages of a tech sales recruiting process. These were the key learnings of the session.

Ok, so you’re facing your tech sales interview soon and want to make sure you nail it? Listen up!

At Hyrise we help people just like you land their first role in tech sales. We work with 70+ top tech companies in Europe and trust us when we say we’ve seen it all! 

Two weeks ago, we hosted our first Recruiter Masterclass, where some of the best-recruiting professionals shared their best practices and tips for the different stages of a tech sales recruiting process.

These were the key learnings of the session:

Recruitment process:

1. Motivational Interview 

The motivational interview is the first stage in the recruiting process. At this stage, it is all about pitching yourself, showing your motivation, and proving that you are the right person for the position. 

  • Prepare, prepare and prepare. Do some thorough research on the company. Knowing the company's business model and what solution it offers is an absolute must. No one expects that you know every detail, but you must nail the basics and show you’ve done your homework!
  • Know what tech sales is and the ke activities of the job position. This might sound obvious, but you might be surprised how many people apply to tech sales positions without really knowing what it is. 
  • No one wants to hear your full life story. When walking the recruiter through your background, make sure to deep dive into the most relevant experiences only. Focus on what past experiences have taught you and how they shaped you, and how that makes you fit for the role. 

 

2. Roleplay/Case Study

Success! You passed the first interview, and you face the dreaded role play/case study. Here, your coachability and communication skills will be tested. 

  • Prepare to simulate cold calls or discovery calls. Make sure you fully understand the company’s product and customers in-depth, and practice pitching them in front of the mirror or a friend!
  • Recruiters look for confidence when communicating, and how good you are at storytelling. Try to avoid filler words like “eeehm” or “errrr” and be as clear as possible. Practice is key to making this happen. 
  • Sometimes they will give you feedback after the roleplay. Be super receptive and open about the given feedback. Never get defensive. Thank them and ask for clarifying questions where necessary. Recruiters look for your coachability, which is the ability to receive feedback and quickly apply it. 
  • Don’t worry if it doesn’t come out perfect! Recruiters don’t expect you to do it perfectly, but rather want to see how you try to improve and are motivated to keep trying. 

3. Cultural/Behavioral Interview

The cultural or behavioral interview is typically the last step in the recruitment process. 

  • The main focus of this stage is to see if you really fit into the culture of the company. It’s important you know the values of the company and transmit they are also your personal ones (Note: don’t force it! If you don’t like the company culture, it’s best you move on to your next opportunity 😉)
  • Be prepared to answer behavioral questions (Tell me about a time when…). Adopt the STAR (situation, task, action & result) method to answer these questions.
  • Be sure to fully understand what your future responsibilities are and how the company works. 

Unconventional questions

Nowadays, it’s pretty common for recruiters to ask questions that seemingly don’t fit into the conventional interview narrative. They’re usually looking to test your personality, so the key here is to be natural and answer honestly. We asked recruiters for some unconventional questions they use and these were some examples shared.

  • What are you looking for in this new role?
  • How do you stay motivated?
  • What is your spirit animal? 
  • Imagine you have 100 calls and only 2 of them were successful. What makes you come the next day to the office? Why would you continue?
  • Pitch a passion of yours
  • What is the last book you read? 

Best Practices 

To wrap up, we want to share with you the best practices that have helped our Hyrisers land their dream job. 

  • Do some deep breathing and confidence poses right before the call. You’ve got this!
  • Treat the interview process as if it were any other sales call – sell yourself.
  • Document your job search, and take notes after each interview. After going through several interviews, you might lose the overview of all the different companies and the details. 
  • Don’t be discouraged by rejection. Like anything in life; not everyone fits with everyone and sometimes things don’t work out. Don’t take it personal and focus on your next opportunity. 
  • Always send a thank-you follow-up note through email or by adding them on LinkedIn. This leaves a great impression and might be the differentiation factor that lands you the job. 

We hope these tips will help you nail your next tech sales interview! If you are considering launching your career in tech sales, we encourage you to apply here – our program is 100% free and candidates usually find a job in under 30 days.

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