National Salesperson Day: How to sell yourself to potential employers
Today is National Salesperson Day – a day where we are eternally grateful to all of our 70+ Recruitment Consultants across the globe for all the hard work they put in. Today however, we’re doing more than just showing our appreciation for our brilliant global teams. In line with National Salesperson Day, we’re going to take some of the best traits of a top-quality salesperson and use them as a base for how you can develop your own personal brand as a candidate. We’re going to break this down into the 3 main stages of the recruitment process: 1) The application, 2) The interview, and 3) The on-boarding. 1) The application process During the application process, it is important to find your niche, so to speak. Simply listing your interests, talents, and passions may not suffice, whereas brief descriptions of your engagement in such activities can help emphasise your personality. This will give the employer a much better understanding of who you are as a person, and more importantly whether you would be a good fit for their organisation. Networking is important in virtually every industry, whether that be liaising with colleagues or attending specific networking events. However, it is now essential that you build your digital network. Sharing and writing articles & blog posts, connecting with the right people on LinkedIn, and interacting/ connecting with industry influencers can help develop your personal brand. It is crucial that you tailor your CV to the company you are applying for. Suitable use of buzz words that are associated or even featured on the job ad is a great way to showcase your value before you even take part in the interview. It is also important to be self-aware – i.e. knowing what your strengths and weaknesses are and emphasising them in a positive manner in your CV displays an excellent level of professionalism and humility. 2) The interview process The first key component to undertaking a successful interview is to be able to emphasise your knowledge. Specifically, remaining aware of current industry trends, staying active on social media by following influencers/ industry players, and also liaising with colleagues/ ex-colleagues/ friends who have their finger on the pulse of the current market climate. This shows employers that you’re living and breathing what you do for a living – a great asset for them. Actions don’t necessarily speak louder than words in an interview scenario, however they do in a sense with regards to your body language. Try to avoid slumping in your chair, avoiding questions, or being evasive in answering/asking questions. Instead; be willing to share knowledge and discuss through a theory you are interested in or that is affecting your market, or future of the company. Make sure you’re specific in your answers to questions – i.e. if you are describing a time when you completed a task at your old job and that caused sales to rise, don’t just outline. By that, we mean tell a story (objective, solution, outcome) and provide specific KPIs. 3) The on-boarding process When starting a role, you will be introduced to a lot of new people. The key rule here is to introduce yourself in the right way – with enough detail, whilst keeping the introduction brief. When introducing yourself to one of your new colleagues, you should try and keep your introduction between 30-60 seconds to let them know who you are, what your job is, what team you’re in, what company you have come from, and a few positives about your current focus. Something to remember when starting a new role is don’t tell people how great you are, show them how great you are. Figure out where you can contribute the greatest value without taking on too much. Of course, prioritise your own work and complete tasks to the best of your ability, but also attempt to pick up extra jobs around the office, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant. For example, if you excel with Excel, then lend a hand to someone struggling with a spreadsheet. Offer creative suggestions in team meetings and most of all, show a positive and hard-working attitude. Finally, align yourself with the organisation. By that, we mean putting your ideas across whilst ensuring that they match the goals of the business. As well as this, make sure you incorporate feedback from senior management and colleagues so that you can learn from your mistakes, therefore growing as an employee and showing that you are adaptable. We hope this has helped refine your self-branding skills across the recruitment process. If you are looking for a new job and are interested in speaking to one of our specialist Recruiters, please call 0203 675 2920 or visit www.hamlynwilliams.com/job-search or email info@hamlynwilliams.com for more information. Happy job hunting!
December 13, 2018
