Acquirent

How do you successfully interview with a prospective employer? In every industry and for every position, hiring managers are looking for you to demonstrate knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs). Securing a position with any employer relies on the your ability to exhibit those KSAs during the recruiting and interviewing process. Doing so will ultimately secure your employment. So what are some tips to highlight those KSAs and nail the interview?

Several weeks ago I had the distinct pleasure of watching the Johnny Cash biopic, Walk the Line, with its memorable crooning by the very believable and acoustically impressive performance of Joaquin Phoenix. Even though I have never been a self-professed country fan or aficionado, I found myself gleefully tapping my foot and singing along to the catchy folksy melodies. Who knows, I may even be able to act as a fill-in if a Johnny Cash sing-along breaks out. It would be quite amusing: me solemnly singing the male part of the duet “Jackson” while waiting for the mid-morning train during an unlikely, spontaneous Johnny Cash-athon.

“Stop selling. Start helping!” proclaimed Zig Ziglar. I have always interpreted the quote to mean that as sales professionals, we should stop worrying about trying to “close the sale” (and inevitably about our commissions) and concentrate on understanding and helping our customers and prospects with their core issues and problems.

In today’s always-on-always-connected world of business, there are limitless opportunities to network, connect with people and companies, give feedback on products and experiences that you have, and rate brands and colleagues on their skills and abilities. With all of this going on, standing out and networking can be tough. How do you get someone’s attention and build your network? What are the best ways and the best tools to use?

Guest post by Wes Weiler of HiredMyWay.com

When you are looking for a sales job, there’s no better way to prove your worth than to sell the hiring employer on your skills and value to their company. Think of the steps you need to take when selling a product, and consider how to apply them to yourself.