How often do those career days include someone from sales? I’d venture to say almost never. But truthfully, most of us spend a lot of our time selling, regardless of our title. Even in today’s tight job market; there are always open positions for sales people. Sales is an honorable profession and one where people with integrity and intelligence are truly needed.

Whether we’re looking for a job, trying to convince someone of our point of view or persuading a family member to do what we want; it’s all about sales. Sales is “the art of persuading.” I’m not talking about the sales ambush; where we are being forced to think about buying something we don’t want and getting pressured.

The most effective sales people understand their customer and match their product or service with the needs of that customer. In addition, they are often the best listeners, make an excellent living and have a lot of autonomy over their work day.

I mentor and coach small businesses as part of my volunteer commitment to SCORE ( an entity of the Federal government’s Small Business Administration). When I talk to entrepreneurs, I ask them if they think they are sales people. Inevitably they say no, but the  truth is that every entrepreneur needs to be a great sales person. They need to sell customers, investors, business partners and on and on.

Here are some sales tips that are also terrific ideas for everyday living. Here are my personal favorites:

• Want to improve the quality of your communication? Ask a better question!
• Guess what, it NOT about you.  It’s about them!
• Stephen Covey once said “Most people do not listen with the ‘intent’ to understand. Most people listen with an intent to reply.”

What are your favorite sales tips? I need all the help I can get.

• What is your greatest weakness?
• Explain how you handled a difficult person at work
• Discuss a failure you had and how you managed to turn it around

Phew. Ok, you’re ready. Here’s one more idea. When the interviewer asks you if you have any questions, try this:

“What are you looking for in a candidate?”

Wow, powerful question. Think about it. This gets the interviewer talking specifically about the criteria (hopefully beyond the job description) they are using to judge candidates. I suggest you take notes while they are talking. This will help you talk point by point about how you fit their criteria.

Ask questions for clarification but do not interrupt. Let the person talk as long as they want. This is the specific information that you need to sell them on your credentials. I repeat, let them finish and be sure you understand (using active listening) what s/he is saying.

Once you understand, you can start telling the interviewer about how your skills and experience match what they are looking for. While they are talking you can be jotting down ideas or stories that will convince them you’re the one. This is your chance to be self-confident and helps you to focus on the skills that are most important to this hiring manager.

I previously wrote about my favorite interview question, “Why is this a great place to work?” Try both of these and let me know how it goes.

Some hiring managers have already answered this question in the way they talk about their work, their team and the company. It is apparent from their enthusiasm that they like where they work.

Others are not as comfortable. I look for body language to read between the lines. Slumping shoulders, a lowering of their voice, eyes to the floor (maybe all in a split second) tell me that they are not as convinced as they’d like to be.

I liked this article on, determining the corporate culture of a company. While jobs are tight (and they won’t be forever), the ability to assess whether a company is a good fit for us is an important skill.

Think about answering these questions for the last place you worked and then think of the answers you’d like to have for your next employer.

• What 5 key words or key phrases best describe your company?
• What would you guess would be the 5 key words or phrases that your (husband/wife…) would use to describe your company?
• What is your favorite day of the workweek? Why?

By the way, turnabout is fair play. I am always prepared to answer their question about why I’m the kind of employee who would contribute to making their company a great place to work. Happy Holidays.

Hiring managers report:

• When I told a college student that the position would not work with his schedule, he asked, “Can I hire an assistant?” No.  Goodbye.
• Candidates have asked me if they can work under the table. Huh?
• We had an applicant who put down as a qualification that he had his haircut by Charles Worthington and had done some hair modeling. He was applying for a financial analyst. That hair thing is so important in the numbers game.
• Q) A goal you worked very hard to achieve?
  A) My Girlfriend! Umm.
  Q) Your scores on the resume don’t match from what you just said?
  A) Oh! I might have sent you the wrong resume. This resume was for XYZ company! Speechless.
• An applicant said she was a “people person” not a “numbers person” – in her interview for an accounting position. Perfect.

And my favorite…

I once had a friendly well-dressed guy fill out his application with sparkly purple ink. I asked him about it and he said that he felt the purple would help to make him more memorable. Memorable? Yes. Employed? No.

Please share your funny interview stories; I’ll post them after the first of the year.