Are you looking to grow your career in a sales role? Here are some things employers are looking for when hiring!
One of the most widespread questions when it comes to candidates applying for sales roles is “what skills are employers looking for?”
To be a great sales person, previous experience is not necessarily required. However, employers do look for specific skills in sales people whether they have experience or not.
An employer should have a written job description that highlights all the main attributes and experience (if they require this!). Reading the job description for the role you would like to apply for is a great start. By doing this, you not only get an understanding of the role, and whether you think you have the relevant skills needed, but you will also get an insight into the business itself. You can also decide whether your CV needs any adjustment to highlight the skills required to make sure you stand out to the employer as much as possible. Studies show that you have approximately 7 seconds to grab the employer's attention with your CV, so make those 7 seconds count!
So, what skills should you be highlighting when applying and interviewing for a sales role?
- Open-mindedness: in order to be receptive to new requirements or ideas, open-mindedness is a key skill that all sales people should possess. Employers like open-minded people as it highlights their adaptability, which is something that is super important when working with different types of customer and selling various products.
- Flexibility: this is not flexibility in terms of being flexible with hours but being flexible in changing your stance when needed. It also applies to you being willing to step outside your duties when required.
- A keen interest in learning: having an interest in learning and progressing within your role is extremely attractive to employers. They want to know you are interested in a long-term role within the business and expressing your interest in progressing within the company is a fantastic way of doing this.
- Confidence: to be a great sales person, you need to have belief in your knowledge and skills. Employers like to see that you have stepped out of your comfort zone on occasions to try and benefit your progression or that of the business.
- Proactive: being successful in sales is all about being adjustable to the situations you find yourself in. Not every sales pitch will go smoothly and not every customer is easily pleased, meaning you will have to be proactive with how you approach different situations.
- Communication: an obvious one but very easily forgotten! Effective communication skills, both orally and written, are essential for being a great sales person.
- Compassion/Empathy: being able to show empathy when required is an essential skill in sales. Showing empathy means you understand the frustrations that your customers might be facing and can therefore offer an alternative that might suit.
- Responsibility: taking responsibility for your actions and mistakes is a necessary skill when looking to take a role in sales. If a business hires someone that makes commitments but then does not follow them through, it makes the company look bad and can create more serious problems.
There are various additional skills that a sales person might need depending on the requirements of the individual role, however these are a few to get you thinking.
It is always important to research the business if you do get to the interview stage so you can answer any questions that may be asked. We would also highly recommend thinking of examples of where you have used some of these skills so you can elaborate on any questions you are asked.