Selling a pen at an interview. How to sell a pen at an interview. The main mistakes that a candidate makes when conducting a dialogue

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Selling a pen during an interview is a funny situation on which the applicant’s possible career in the company may depend. This is a useful procedure for the applicant and the employer, which can determine a person’s potential. But not everyone knows how to properly sell this pen. We are ready to offer seven ways, original and effective.

Such testing is not a way to exhaust the applicant. It’s not just that an employer wants someone who comes to try to sell him some stationery. He wants to see several very important qualities for a salesperson:

resourcefulness;
correct work with clients;
availability of psychology skills;
creativity in finding a way out;
presence or absence of sales skills;
a clear and understandable train of thought and way of expressing it;
method of collecting and processing incoming information;
self-control in an unexpected situation.

This is why employers and HR managers often use this exercise. Even if the applicant fails, during the testing process you can see whether he has potential, or whether it is easier not to waste time on training.

Classic stages of sales - a little theory

When going for an interview for the position of sales manager, consultant, or anyone else related to trade, you should assume such testing in advance. You need to psychologically tune in a certain way - calm down, collect your thoughts and imagine what could be useful to a manager or HR officer.

To sell something, even if someone doesn’t really need it, you need to have a rough idea of how it’s done. And selling pens is no exception. Any attempt of this kind is based on psychology. So, what stages should a job seeker go through in the classic process of selling a pen to an employer?

Preparation for sale

Before you sell something, you need to carefully study the product. It is worth asking the employer for one or two minutes to prepare. This is normal, don't be afraid. It is unlikely that he will refuse - as a manager, he must imagine that it is impossible to sell something without knowledge of the product.

What to look for when preparing? There are several important pen parameters:

expected value for the client (image, practical, visual, etc.);
external parameters (expensive or cheap in appearance);
company manufacturer;
features (ink, two-pin, metal, heavy, etc.);
possibilities (writes upside down, underwater, in space, on an uneven surface, etc.).

In addition, during preparation you need to come up with the name of your company. Remember: you are playing the role of a real seller. And what kind of seller works without a company or at least a big name? It’s also worth studying the interviewee’s office, its external features and roughly estimating what he might want. Then these estimates will need to be clarified with him himself.

Greeting and making contact

An important part of selling is establishing contact with the client. It is important that he pays attention to the seller and is ready to devote time to him. To achieve this effect, it is important not just to say hello and introduce yourself, but also to provoke the person into a response dialogue. Example:

– Hello, my name is Anton and I represent the company “Ruchki Limited”. How should I address you?

At the same time, you need to behave politely, look friendly and smile. It will be ideal if you can establish visual contact with the client. The response of an ordinary person will not be long in coming - he will automatically say hello and introduce himself. And this is success.

Identifying needs or pain points

Once you have established contact with a person, you need to find out what their needs are. But this must be done carefully. It is best to ask questions that are likely to have a positive answer and relate directly to the person. Or which will stimulate further dialogue and provide more information.

Presentation

Once you have figured out the necessary information, it is time to present the pen. In the process, you need to present its qualities, positive aspects and direct benefits to the buyer.

Important! There is no need to stress on the characteristics of the pen itself. You need to show its benefits to the client.

That is, there is no need to say: “the pen writes on uneven surfaces.” It’s better to say: “you can fill out documents anywhere, and you don’t have to look for a flat surface.”

In this case, you need to rely on the information received from the client. Let's return to Anton, who is having an interview with the rector. The latter, for example, answered him that yes, he has a lot of paperwork, and people often come up to him to sign papers (they almost push him under the toilet stall doors). How to present a pen to such a client? Example:

– I’m ready to offer you a pen that you can always carry with you. It is not too big and will fit into any pocket. It doesn't leak, so you won't stain your clothes. It also has a large supply of ink - with active use it lasts for six months. In addition, you can write with it wherever and however you want - even on the ceiling or on a very uneven surface.

This way you will cover the key needs of the client:

Lots of paperwork– ink does not run out for a long time.
Small– it will be convenient to carry and sign documents outside the office.
Doesn't leak– when carried in a pocket, it will not ruin clothes (we’ll close one objection right away).
Writes anywhere– you can lean on a wall, knee, fabric, etc. to write something.

During the presentation, you can casually mention some qualities that are not related to the information provided by the client. For example, that she writes even in space. This characteristic will not be useful to the client, but it hints at the quality of the pen.

In general, it is important not just to listen, but also to hear the client and imagine how your product can help him.

Handling objections

As a rule, a person may have objections after presenting the pen. This is a situation where a person is not sure what he wants to buy and is trying to approach the matter rationally. Examples of objections:

I already have a pen, why do I need another one?
I'm not sure about the quality of your pen. Why should I trust you?
The pen is good, but too expensive. I'm not ready to buy it.
I don't need a pen; I have a secretary to sign documents.

How to sell a pen - classic ways

There are several methods of selling pens that are constantly used. They are built on sales theory and conventional psychology.

Selling a solution to a problem

Actually, the method that is described in the theoretical part. The goal is to find out what problem a person has or a possible problem. For example, he often signs documents, and not only in the office, but also outside it. What problems might this cause? The pen runs out, gets lost, doesn’t write, and so on.

And present our pen as a solution to the problem. Moreover, describe in as much detail as possible how exactly it will cover the client’s pain. “Do you often sign documents? Here’s a pen that runs out of ink very slowly and doesn’t get lost.”

Selling benefits

Sometimes it happens that a person does not have a problem. Let's say he is a successful businessman, he produces and sells pens in the mid-price segment. That's why he has plenty of them. In this case, he does not have a problem with handles.

In such a situation, you can try to sell him a benefit. That is, something that he will gain if he buys a pen. For example, you can offer to buy him a conditional “Parker”. It will add solidity and make his personality more significant in the eyes of his business partners.

Three Yes Method

It lies in banal psychology. A person cannot switch quickly, and if you bombard him with questions, the answer to which is definitely “yes,” then with each subsequent time the client will answer out of inertia. It is only important that the person is guaranteed to say “yes” to the first two questions. Example:

– Do you manage a large company?

- Yes

– Do you often sign documents?

- Yes.

– Do you need this pen?

- Yes.

- Great, then 50 rubles - and it’s yours.

There can be any number of questions before the main one. But it’s better not more than three or four, because otherwise a person may get bored with the monologue. And then it will be difficult to return contact.

Unusual and funny ways to sell pens

If the standard methods seem too boring and tried-and-true to you, or if nothing worked, then you can use unusual methods of selling pens. We warn you - not every employer will appreciate such humor. On the other hand, the goal has been achieved, isn’t it?

Provocation to buy

You can provoke the employer in any way. For example, ask him if he himself can sell a pen at an interview? Or ask for a master class, assuring that he is so experienced and professional and, of course, will be able to complete the task brilliantly.

If the interlocutor is led to provocation, he will need a pen. And he already gave it to you. So it will be enough to offer to buy it from you to prove your abilities or conduct a master class.

Pick up and leave

Anecdotal, but quite effective, this method is not for the faint of heart. Great if the pen is expensive or memorable - for example, with engraving. That is, valuable and possibly important for the employer.

The point is that the first time you refuse a purchase, you need to put it in your pocket, turn around and leave. With a high degree of probability, they will hear: “You forgot to give the pen!” In this case, it’s enough to turn around and try to sell it again: “Do you want to pick up your pen? Buy it from me!

Offer to sign

A similar technique was used in the film The Wolf of Wall Street. Only there they asked for an autograph. But you don’t have to be so banal, do you? For example, you can offer to sign a note stating that the person was at an interview.

The main thing is to force a person to grab a handle that he does not have. And then say: “Oh, you don’t have a pen to sign? I'm ready to offer you mine. Just 50 rubles - and it’s yours!”

Catch questions

Psychological way to react. Immediately after the employer has given the task, you need to ask him again about the essence of the task, placing a little emphasis on the word “want”:

– Do you want me to sell you this pen?

- Yes.

– Great, I’m ready to sell it to you. 50 rubles from you.

An employer simply won’t have time to switch to the role of a buyer in a few seconds. He will answer automatically, thinking that he confirms the essence of the task. You will have time to become a “seller”, and with your answer “buyer” will confirm your intention to sell the pen. A way for resourceful and risk-taking people - the employer can laugh with you, or he can force you to pass the interview normally. If we get lucky.

Often during interviews, candidates for sales positions are offered unusual tests. If you are asked to sell a pen, what will you do? Why are such tasks needed and how to respond to them? How to behave to convince the employer of your professional suitability?

Selling a pen at an interview. For what?

So, you are applying for a position as a sales representative or sales manager. Come to an interview, and the recruiter literally stumps you right out of the gate with his offer to sell a pen.

Beginners and young professionals will be puzzled and confused by such an offer; more experienced applicants will quickly pull themselves together and try to sell the product, but at the same time often using hackneyed phrases like “great thing”, “a pen of simply excellent quality”, etc.

But the most creative candidates will be able to find a non-standard approach to the “buyer” and convince him of his ability to solve assigned problems creatively.

The purpose of this “sell a pen at an interview” test is simple: to test your potential ability to sell a product.

For a newbie applicant in the field of trade, it is important to show certain qualities, but experienced “sales people” will require other skills.

Inexperienced applicants are expected to be stress-resistant, persistent, and demonstrate their desire to sell. They can be taught sales techniques.

It is important to show your knowledge of the stages of sales when taking the test. Moreover, if the interview questions are not asked by an ordinary recruiter, but by your possible manager.

Here the applicant will also need to be liked by his manner of communication, original thinking, sense of humor, and attention to the client.

If you are confident in yourself, are not afraid to look ridiculous and even stupid in some situation, are able to make spontaneous decisions, act outside the box - this is already half the success.

But you still need to know the sales scheme and adhere to its stages when selling goods.

1. Establish contact. The success of a sale depends not so much on the product as such, but on the potential consumer.

You should quickly take a closer look at the potential buyer and determine his needs.

To win someone over, be friendly, smile, try not to show your excitement in any way, on the contrary, radiate confidence.

Have you formed a general opinion - is the client talkative (closed), easy to communicate (important), economical (loves ostentatious luxury)? Start communicating.

2. We identify the buyer's needs. Start communicating using active listening techniques.

This includes head nodding, attentive facial expressions, assenting, clarifying questions, repeating what was said and emphasizing the significance of these words.

The ability to ask the right questions is important. Find out whether the client often uses a pen instead of a computer, why - to sign papers, make notes, give a pen to visitors for signing or filling out forms.

Which pen is more convenient for the client - ballpoint, gel, automatic, with a cap, etc., and does he have a spare one? Does the client always carry a pen with him, how many employees are there in the department and how many visitors do you have to work with every day.

There should be enough questions to understand how to build communication at the next stage - product presentation.

3. We conduct a presentation of the product. So, you have received the necessary information from a potential buyer about his needs and, based on this, offer to buy a pen.

The client must get what he needs. Offer a budget-friendly but functional option to someone who cares about their status—something unique and prestigious.

For someone who writes a lot, you can offer a pen as a spare; for a client who rarely writes, you can offer it an inexpensive one, just in case.

Don’t forget - you are not selling the product itself, but those properties that satisfy the buyer’s needs.

To sell a pen at an interview, you need to convincingly but objectively describe its qualities. You should not endow an ordinary, ordinary item with unique properties. But to claim that the status “Parker” is worth 1 USD. That is, it’s also impossible.

Maintain eye contact during the conversation, offer to hold the pen, look at it, or write something with it.

4. We work with objections. Even if the presentation is successful, the client will try to object. Most often he will say - I have a pen that suits me quite well.

Your answer: I understand you perfectly - of course, you use a pen that you like. And it would be strange if you didn’t have it at all, you’re a business person.

But, you must admit, it can be unpleasant and annoying when, at the most inopportune moment, your pen runs out of ink. That’s why you need a backup option, especially in the field in which you are engaged - in sales you need to react quickly and office supplies should not let you down.

There are also non-standard moves when selling goods, when the seller uses sales techniques unfamiliar to the client during an interview. Everything will depend on your imagination, ability to improvise and knowledge of psychology.

For example: are you aware that pens will soon be discontinued due to the development of new technologies? They will become a real shortage, I recommend to my clients to stock up on pens, then evaluate your foresight.

Try this option: I see that you are a real specialist in successful sales, but would you like to be guaranteed to receive a good and quick income? I suggest you buy a pen from me at a very reasonable price; you can sell it very profitably and easily.

Or offer to buy the product from you in order to offer to sell it to other applicants at the interview with whom the employer will communicate after you.

You can offer the pen as a gift that the client can give to their loved ones or colleagues (as a way to motivate staff), because it is an item that everyone needs. And everyone loves small but nice gifts.

5. We complete the deal. The final stage of your test - “how to sell a pen at an interview” - will be to close the deal.

If you have successfully completed the previous stages, the client must agree to purchase your product.

If the buyer hesitates or refuses, do not give up. Try any possible options to still convince him to buy a pen from you. The employer will appreciate your persistence.

In order to complete the deal, ask a question that leaves the person no choice - should you order one pen, or maybe several - in reserve? How do you prefer to pay for a pen - by card or cash? Today is the last day of the discount on the product, are you taking it?

Experienced sales managers use the Socratic method (three yeses). When a person answers yes to several questions in a row, it will be difficult for him to say “no.”

For example: did you like the design of this pen? Is it convenient to write with it? Is this really the best option for you?
And after that - a “control shot”: do we make a purchase?

But this method will require the seller to be able to quickly ask the right questions, guided by the client’s reaction.

Did you manage to sell a pen during an interview? Congratulations, you will most likely get the job you want.

In any case, the employer, conducting such a test, wants to make sure that he has the abilities necessary for sales specialists.

Perseverance, originality, endurance, imagination, the ability to win over your interlocutor, unconventional behavior - these are qualities that may interest an employer. Therefore, try to show your best side at the interview.

Greetings, dear friend!

How to sell a pen at an interview - this topic has already been completely worn out.

Employers have not asked this question for a long time, and the Internet community is discussing everything. When I interviewed sales people, many of them had a desire in their eyes to sell me a tattered pen. Right now...)

For me, it is more important to know the answer to the question: KHow to sell something at an interview? That is, in principle.

What I mean is that preparing to sell a pen is no longer entirely relevant.

“Tell me, dear friend, how to “sell” an idea?” If you can sell an idea, then you can sell anything. Why? Because objects are purchased for the sake of an idea.

Having implemented this idea, we will experience positive emotions. Is not it? Why do we, as an employer, “buy” a job seeker? Not for his own sake. We want to receive what it will be useful to us. That is, benefit. Benefit will bring us positive emotions.

That is, when you are asked to sell some kind of rubbish, immediately think about the idea and the positive emotions that your interlocutor will experience when purchasing this rubbish.

Well, that's clear, I hope.

Just convey it, hook it. Simply informing is not enough.Information, even the best quality, is not a reason for action. And we need actions from the interlocutor.

Minimum task -he must decide to continue the dialogue. The maximum is to make a purchase decision (if we are talking about a specific sale)

How to do it?

Are there any secrets? To begin with, it is enough to know the ordinary alphabet. The alphabet is ABCD. An abbreviation, each letter of which must be observed.

ABC ABCD

This alphabet did not appear from a fool , as they say, but based on real observations.

Observations of how senior managers, in whose team I worked, make decisions about the choice of proposals that come to them from subordinates, suppliers, providers. How the quality of ideas and proposals is assessed. Essentially how they “shop”.

For the “purity of the experiment,” since we are talking about sales, we will call the interlocutor a client.

A) Targeting

Your idea should be tailored to a specific client. It would seem an obvious fact, but do we always pay due attention to it?

Our proposal must resonate with what is important to the client. For example, our client is the head of a department. We often make the mistake of shaping our proposals based on the company's goals, or even further. However, it is no secret that for any manager the goals of his department are closer than the goals of the company. Simply because he is personally responsible for them. Your shirt is closer to your body.

In addition, our client is just a person, and it is human nature to experience emotions. Often it is emotions that play the role of a trigger for decision making.

So, we need to know our client - and not just know - build communication with him using this knowledge. This is the key to success.

You can watch the video on how to quickly research a company and create an idea for an interview:

One more aspect. When the client is represented by several people, your job is to understand who is making the decision and who is shaping the decision. It happens that one person makes a decision, but another forms it. That is, it influences decision making. These people should be given the most attention. First, establish contact with a senior person, then switch to the one who forms the decision.

No need for calls from an armored car. “Friends, now I’ll show you... super duper.” If you speak to ten people, no one will listen to you; if you speak to just one person, all ten will hear you.

B) State the essence of the matter quickly

Why is fast food popular? Even though it's not useful. Not only because the food is already ready, but also because calories quickly enter the body; as soon as you take a bite, the food is already broken down into carbohydrates.

Time is the most valuable commodity today. And your meeting is short, time is limited.

Therefore, get straight to the point of the proposal.

There is no need to start the conversation with the client’s problems, as some experts advise. They say that first you need to discover your needs. But,

Firstly, it irritates many people (like me) and just spoils the mood. Not everyone likes to discuss their problems.
Secondly, you must know your client's needs. Your task is to create a new need in him, which the client often does not realize.

The client is not interested in the idea itself, but in its result, preferably expressed in profit, costs or qualitative measures that show the obvious contribution of your proposal to the client's results.

So, quickly state the essence of the matter.

B) Client benefits

What is the benefit for a person to communicate with you? If there is a benefit, we listen; if there is no benefit, we don’t listen.

Benefits cover one or more of the following areas: Money, time, problem solving, risk reduction, new opportunities.

The benefit of cooperation with you is a decisive factor when making a decision

D) Willingness to object

A serious client will usually find something to ask or object to.

You need to prepare for questions in advance. Nobody knows your offer better than you. Take a piece of paper, write down possible questions, objections and think through your answers.

Not the best scenario for a meeting is when a client’s question or objection takes you by surprise. It’s even worse if you start foaming at the mouth to prove something, without having sufficient arguments. The other option is not the best - you will fall into a stupor, begin to meme and ee.

Such situations can be minimized thoroughly prepared . Including morally

There are universal techniques for this, which we discussed in the article.

If the question still takes you by surprise, this is an excellent reason to give your interlocutor a compliment.

D) Demonstration of an idea

The principle is this: Tell less, show more.

Don't try to convince. Make sure the client is convinced that your offer suits him. I have met enough people who foamed at the mouth to prove something, but did not provide any visual evidence.

Despite the short format of the meeting, prepare and upload a presentation to a flash drive and offer to take a look. But only if the employer is interested. No need to impose

Enhancing Benefits

You have already answered the objections and dispelled the client’s doubts.

However, to make a decision that an idea (proposal) is accepted, an impulse is needed. Now is the time to make the final chord. And you say the most lethal argument in favor of your idea.

It is important to evoke emotions. This is the impulse, the trigger. You can play on positive emotions, for example hope, anticipation of benefits.The same applies to negative ones, for example the fear of missing out.

Often it is enough to answer one of two questions:

What will happen if the client accepts the idea? Describe the client's outcome in terms of benefits. - this will evoke emotions - hope for excellent results and benefits, for a new reality, if you like.
What happens if he doesn't accept it? – Describe the result of such a decision and a negative emotion will be triggered - fear - fear of missing out on benefits, for example.

Great argument - Comparisons. At Company U, a similar proposal led to excellent results. Provide evidence, numbers.

Numbers and calculations, especially in the context of comparison with others, for example, competitors, have a magical effect on many people. Emotions of envy and fear of hopelessly falling behind and falling out of the loop are triggered.

So, demonstrating and enhancing benefits is the final chord in the sequence of our arguments.

Three "Yes"

Call to action. Under no circumstances should this point be neglected. As Stirlitz said, it is important to enter into a conversation correctly, but even more important to complete it correctly.

Get Three Yes's. Here you can already ask questions. You have already said a lot and have the right to receive feedback. The “three yeses” method is well known, but the trick is that it works well in the final part of the conversation.. Many people make the mistake of bombarding a person with questions from the very beginning.

Do you understand the idea? Yes
Is the idea interesting? She will allow you... Agree? Yes
I would suggest: Continue the discussion in detail. Do you agree? Yes

The third question is key. This is our task - the minimum, if you remember. This question is asked thirdly not by chance. It's easier for a person to say yes after he's already done it twice.

Once again I will draw attention to the correct construction of the question.

point 2: Not just a question: is the idea interesting? He may shrug or answer no. And “she will allow you... Do you agree?” Now the answer is “yes” is more likely.

It is important not to delay the repeat meeting, otherwise the client will forget everything. It is optimal to meet in 2-3 days.

If the conversation continues at this point, restate your agreement at the end.

Thank you for the meeting and say: “If I understand correctly, we meet then in such and such a format and discuss the details of the proposal.” Confirming the agreement at the end of the conversation is important - the end of the conversation is well remembered. A resume of sorts.

Having received the answer yes, we consider that the minimum goal of our meeting has been achieved.

So, ABCD is a simple tool that allows you to convey your idea to your interlocutor.

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Applicants for the position of manager or sales representative are often asked to participate in a business game. Its essence is that you demonstrate to the employer your talent for selling an item. For example, it could be an ordinary ballpoint pen. The candidate is assessed based on criteria such as business skills and the ability to convince a potential buyer of the need to purchase a product.

Step one - study the product

If during an interview you are asked to sell a pen, do not worry and do not under any circumstances give up the business game, otherwise you will not have a chance to get the position. Nobody needs an employee who doesn’t know how or even want to do their job, in this case selling a pen.

During a conversation with an employer, do not lower your eyes down or take them to the side. Eye contact is a sign of a confident person. And this is most likely what your potential employer is looking for.

Before you sell a pen at an interview, ask your interviewer for some time to study the product on offer. Do not hesitate to voice out loud all your actions and thoughts on this matter, so the employer will understand that you know how to think. This is highly appreciated. For example: “In front of me is a ballpoint pen, an automatic machine, it turns on and off properly, there is a rubberized insert, the body is green, the paste is blue.” Describe everything you see, say everything that comes to mind, but don’t be silent.

Twist the pen in your hands, evaluate its appearance, you can even take it apart to look at the internal contents, check whether it serves its intended purpose - whether it writes at all. Otherwise, you may have to sell an “incompetent” pen, and it’s better to know about this in advance. The task is difficult, but quite doable.

Step two - study the buyer's needs

The product has been studied, you know what you will sell, but that’s not all. Before you sell a pen at an interview, you need to understand what the client wants and what his interests are. To do this, ask open and closed questions. The first assume a detailed answer, the second - “yes”, “no”. Closed questions are recommended to be used infrequently as they create the appearance of interrogation. And he, as you know, is very annoying. We don't need angry customers.

First, you should ask the interviewer if he has pens; if not, then find out what he uses and why. You can ask the employer whether the cost of the pen and its color are important to him as a potential buyer. Find out what your employer does and what his hobbies are. Maybe he likes to do crossword puzzles, draw, or sign papers all the time. The interviewer is an ordinary person, imagine that you are talking to a new acquaintance and want to find out what he does in life. Any information can be useful to understand how to sell a pen at an interview.

Step three - present the product

You asked your employer for a reason; use the information received to present your pen. Focus on those qualities of the item that the employer considered important to him.

Come up with a beautiful speech that the interviewer will listen to and will not ignore. Invite your potential client to hold the pen in his hands and get to know it better. During this time you will speak and present the subject.

When you know your product and the client's needs, you have a good chance of selling the pen in an interview. An example of part of such a presentation: “Our pen has many advantages and advantages over other writing instruments. If others stop writing over time, then ours will perform its function until it runs out of paste. If the pencil breaks, the pen will never let you down. Exclusive design will make you stand out from the crowd. Bill Gates himself has such a pen!”

Talk about the benefits of the product, focus on uniqueness, quality, practicality, material, and you can even offer a gift in case of a successful transaction. The employer must see the benefit of this purchase.

Fourth action - direct sale of the pen

Gradually we led the interviewer to buy a pen. You can summarize all the advantages of the product offered. And then ask: “What price would you pay for this great pen?” When the employer names the amount, invite him to conclude a purchase and sale transaction. Most likely, he will agree, and you will successfully pass the test and get a job. The interviewer will be confident that you can sell a pen or other product to any client in real life, just like during an interview.

If the employer refuses to “buy a pen”

During an interview, a situation may arise when the employer is not convinced by all your arguments, and he says that he does not need a pen. Don’t be alarmed, say that this is a completely normal situation when the buyer is not interested in the product. Try selling him another office item: pencil, eraser, ruler, scissors. Find something that will interest your employer as a potential buyer. Proceed according to the above scheme from the very beginning. Most likely, your interviewer will agree to this option, and you will be assessed as a promising employee.

Now you know how to sell a pen at an interview. The presentation example described above can be used for any product or you can come up with your own original plan. The main thing is not to be afraid and feel confident.

Stories about job searches and interviews have now become like jokes. While some ridicule the behavior of recruiters, others are indignant: “They asked me why dogs don’t fly! How does this even relate to my position?!” We asked a hiring specialist, Tatyana Arsenovich, deputy head of the Personnel and Career Department at the IT company GANDALF, what happens during an interview, what these questions mean and what HR people want to hear in response. As an example, we took a position that exists in almost every enterprise - salesperson.

Tatyana Arsenovich, Deputy Head of the Personnel and Career Department at the IT company GANDALF

– What kind of people are you looking for?

– A person should want to work, and not collect vacancies, test a recruiter. Be adequate, understand that he is at an interview. This is not enough to hire a person, but this is the first thing I want to see: the person understands that he has come for an interview and imagines what kind of job he wants. He also understands that he is also being tested to see if he is suitable for the vacancy.

– What should the ideal be like?

- We need burning eyes. This person begins to sell himself, already entering the personnel department. A person who knows his strengths and weaknesses and shows off the positive ones. I don’t want to hear from him: “Well, I can’t sell you now, you’re not a buyer...”

A salesperson is not a role. This is a stock of competencies and skills. I am waiting for a person who respects the profession of a salesperson, wants to be one and understands that this is not temporary, this is a calling. He respects the client, is committed to positive interaction, and at the same time knows how to insist on his own, is interested in how to earn money, and understands that there is a difference between receiving and earning. He will say: “Give me a foothold, and I will change the world, give me a product, a price, a customer base, and I will make money for myself.” He thinks in terms of “I will get as much as I sell.”

And he asks the right questions. Last week a candidate for the position of sales manager asked us: “Isn’t it noisy in your office? Can I leave at 18:00?” These are important things, but the seller should be interested in something else: “Do you have a salary ceiling? Can I sell to other regions? Can I sell courses or services from another department?

– Is it sometimes clear at first glance that a person is not suitable? What gives it away?

– Low emotional tone. If a person comes in as if he is bored, tired, has drooping eyes, shoulders, moves slowly... More often than not, this will not be a salesperson. If a person is not proud of himself, considers himself and his achievements to be mediocre, and does not name his results, he is not a seller. A seller is a person who is confident in himself.

– What kind of “baggage” do applicants for sales manager come to you with?

- With different things. Salespeople with biologist, roboticist, philosopher, and management education became equally successful in our company. Experienced candidates are interested in their level of knowledge, ability to learn, and ability to work with clients. This greatly speeds up their entry into the profession and brings success closer, but does not guarantee it. And there are many cases where a person with no experience, but with a greed for work, became very successful in a short time and compensated for the lack of knowledge. Here fighting qualities play a big role.

– What from your experience is worth mentioning, and what is it better not to talk about?

– Any experience working with people is a plus. Not necessarily in sales. Even a waiter – working with a conflict client, the ability to insist on one’s own, the ability to manage dialogue. Interesting progress in the study of complex materials and products. Ability to overcome difficulties.

And sales experience is undoubtedly useful. But the right ones: where there is identification of needs, working with objections, the ability to establish contact with a client, knowledge of the stages of sales, including the stage of completing a transaction, understanding the logic of the sale. If a person is accustomed to peddling, deceiving, or, conversely, giving up at the first objection from the client, then such an experience is harmful. There is nothing worse than a salesperson who, at the first “no” from a client, hangs up.

– Are interviews different for an experienced candidate and an inexperienced one?

– The questions will not be much different. As I already said, there are also harmful experiences - “just to sell.” When choosing, we are guided not by the number of lines in the resume, but by the skills and knowledge that we reveal during the conversation. We find out achievements, and if there are no work results, we ask about personal ones.

Let's learn the principles of working with clients. Only for an experienced person these can be examples from practice, and for an inexperienced person - his fantasies, an idea on this topic, which can also be analyzed.

We identify personal traits: fighting character, motivation, goals. It is important for us not just to fill a vacancy, but for the person to work in his place. So that the company allows the employee to realize himself. I'm trying to understand: what a person expects and what we can provide him are the same thing? And it makes no difference whether he is experienced or not.

The practical part may vary. We can give an inexperienced candidate simpler cases: on the ability to ask questions, identify the need for simple goods. An example is the banal sale of pens or seeds. And we will offer an experienced candidate to sell what he sold before or a product with which he worked. And we check how much this corresponds to our idea of professionalism.

– Here we come to the proverbial handle. What is the true purpose of selling it?

– Firstly, you need to back up your words with action. I met experienced candidates who did not know the basics or could not demonstrate their experience in practice. Therefore, we need the sale of a pen to check what sales technology the candidate uses. Does he use his own methods, “tricks”: an experienced person should have them.

Secondly, we test the ability to do inconvenient, unpleasant things. It is understandable that an experienced candidate is uncomfortable. The process of verification and evaluation itself is exciting. It’s one thing to talk about your experience, another thing to demonstrate it in a stressful situation. And for a seller this is an important skill.

There were comical situations when a seemingly experienced seller began to ask and beg to buy from him. There are people who very quickly leave the role and begin to explain every word, why he said that, to make excuses - the mask of “experienced” immediately falls off. But there were also unexpected good sales: cases when the applicant took the initiative, entered the game and began to sell not only what was given, but also everything that he saw around him. These are great sellers, even in an uncomfortable situation they force you to play by their rules.

Still from the film "The Wolf of Wall Street"

– Is it possible to say at an interview that you came to work for money?

- Can. A company needs workers to make a profit and achieve some goals. And the employee needs money - it would be strange if it were otherwise. Especially for the seller. A seller who does not say that he wants to earn a lot is a terrible seller. He must understand that the more he sells and the more he earns, the more the company earns. We are extremely interested in the seller wanting to earn more. The key word is “earn.” It is important that the employee can correctly estimate how much he must sell in order to earn a lot.

We ask how much the manager wants to receive, we find out - 50,000. And then how much should you bring to the company? And the man replies: “Well, bring 50,000!” With such an understanding of the situation, it is difficult to achieve such a salary. When a person realizes that he needs to sell 250,000 worth of product to get his 50,000, this is normal.

But when a person is only interested in money and nothing else, this is not an ideal picture. After all, you can always find more money somewhere. There is no limit. And it will be difficult for such a person to build a career in one company. Therefore, a person must be driven by something else: ambition, desire, or an expert in his product. Additional motivation helps build a career.

– Often before an interview you are asked to fill out a questionnaire. But why fill out a form if a person sent a resume?

– If the questionnaire repeats the resume word for word, then it is an unnecessary questionnaire. But more often than not, the questionnaire contains open-ended questions that allow the recruiter to understand certain competencies. Or the questionnaire serves as an additional source of information for conducting interviews, and it is necessary to correlate some data with others.

A recent example: we hire an employee to work with partners in one of the representative offices. And the person in the questionnaire indicates that his priority working condition is the team. And the position requires working alone, the person is alone in the office. And he already agreed to this. For me, such contradictory information is a signal of risk. We need to clarify the real motives and understand whether we can give it to him. It may be necessary to adjust the adaptation system, draw up agreements on interaction, arrange for the manager to call him 5 times - and then the person will have the feeling of a shoulder nearby. Therefore, it is important that a person answers questions both orally and in writing, since these are different circumstances of the answer. Orally we answer faster and can succumb to the intonation of the dialogue; in writing we can think through the answer.

And if a person gives different answers to questions in the questionnaire and in the interview, this is a signal that this person should be trusted less.

We also check the literacy of written language, this is important for a seller who constantly conducts business correspondence with clients. And adequacy in the answers. One of the candidates recently wrote in a questionnaire in response to the question of what you are proud of in life: “I hit a dog and then saved it.” Are such stories appropriate when applying for a job? Not always.

– The questions asked at interviews have already set many people on edge. Why do they continue to be repeated over and over again?

– Why and why they ask similar questions are two different topics.

Why - because the science of personnel assessment is common among HR people. Like 33 letters in the alphabet: years go by, but there are still 33 of them. So here, the assessment technology is built on approximately the same structure. However, a good HR manager needs to be able to diversify his arsenal and not bore applicants with the same questions over and over again.

Why - so that the recruiter completes his task. This task is not to have a nice conversation or ask a hundred questions and get data to predict the success of a person in this position. How responsible a person is, how he treats clients, how persistent he is... And so on. To do this, the recruiter has only two types of verification: interviews and cases.

Therefore, questions can be aimed at the past in order to understand how a person acted before - because this is how he can act in the future. Questions can be projection questions, where a person talks about a specific topic so that we can predict his behavior in similar situations. And cases that represent future work, perhaps in an exaggerated way, to understand its potential behavior.

I don’t have prepared cases; I compose them during the interview, depending on what raised doubts about the candidate. For example, if I doubt customer focus, then the case will contain a conflict situation with the client: “Suppose you are a salesperson in a store, a client comes in, takes a brick and breaks the glass.” If there are doubts about the responsibility of the applicant, then the case will be different: “You need to submit a report right now, the manager is already calling, in a hurry, suddenly a call comes from a client, and a second client walks in the door. What are you going to do?".

– Why do they ask a sales manager where he sees himself in 5 years? Let’s say one answers: “Sales manager,” and the second: “Your director.” Who will answer correctly?

– There are not enough factors to evaluate here. After all, it is not the position itself that is interesting. If this department needs a leader, and the candidate wants to become one, then this is a signal - look, this person has ambitions, maybe this is it.

In reality, I need an answer for something else. I need to understand the level of motivation (motivation for an HR manager is the same as a need for a salesperson - it needs to be identified). I need not only the position, but how he sees himself as a whole. And from what he calls, I understand what is more important to him. He talks about income - that means income is important, he talks about a position - I clarify that the main thing in this is income, status or the opportunity to influence, or he wants to be a professional in his field. And I analyze from the point of view of whether a person will be suitable for this particular department. If the department doesn’t need a manager in the near future (although this is conditional, we always have growth), then you can consider a vacancy in another department. We immediately anticipate his further career planning so that the candidate’s goal can be achieved.

And this is a very important point: we do not only hire. Our Personnel and Career Department combines both the personnel department and the personnel development department. Our work does not end when a person signs an employment contract. It is important for us that a person continues to grow. If a person gets a job today and quits tomorrow, this is not a result for us.

– Do you pay attention to the applicant’s speech?

- Necessarily. Speech, voice is a seller’s tool. Considering that we work in B2B, in telephone sales, the voice is for many years the image of the seller and the company for the client. There are no strict requirements here, but dirty or common speech, or speech impediments will make it difficult to communicate with the client. An advantage is when a person has a large vocabulary and can correctly express his thoughts and give examples.

– If the applicant is late, how do you react? Is it possible to give such a person a chance?

-There is a chance. It’s good that if he’s late, he warns about it: it will be polite and appropriate. But if this is the third time we have been late during our acquaintance, then we will draw conclusions for ourselves.

– What to do to fail an interview?

– Be sure to wear jeans with holes and your dad’s worn T-shirt. Be an hour or two late for the interview, and when you arrive, demand special attention. Argue with the recruiter and don't answer his questions. Better yet, slam your fist on the table and demand that this stupid interrogation stop. Be sure to refuse to fill out the form; it is better to tear it up and burn it right in your office. Don't tell anything about yourself, let them read your resume, stupid girls. The main thing is not to comply with the agreements, refuse tasks and say that you are tired of interviews. And finally, at a meeting with your manager, call him a fool.