Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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^Everyone Sells Deborah T. Owens, Merck, Inc. Webster's definition of the verb "sell" is to persuade influence to a course of action. Whether you are seeking an accounting, engineeri finance, management, research or marketing positi your goal is to sell yourself and your abilities to the cc pany recruiter. When I talk to students about selling, many are turr off. Their idea of selling is going door-to-door trying make customers buy something they don't want, dc need or can't afford. However, when you look at the t ger picture - everyone sells. As a college graduate, your biggest selling job will be 1 interview. In order to land a position, you must sell yo self to the company. Regardless of your major and 1 position you are seeking, you will be most effective if y prepare for each interview the same way a good sal< narenn nrenarfiS fof 3 cliftnt nraconMU^ ^v.? " r'WW| ?iauv;i i. BE PREPARED A good salesperson would never meet with a client wi out first doing background research. This would incli the company's mission statement, future goals, a background information on the industry. Once the ba< ground information has been completed, a good sal< person would not proceed to the next level unless th felt confident they had something to offer. Thorou research will save you from wasting your energies or dead-end prospect. I've had students interested in selling medical supplies WHY APPI Ir, ---- - m ? ? > i Frank Endicott, editor of the Endicott Re surveys of companies and industries lu which most often lead to rejection of the a points out the 14 main reasons why applic 1) Poor scholastic record (Low grades without rea of accomplishment). 2) Inadequate personality (Poor attitude, Lack of Timid, Hesitant approach, Too introverted). 3) Lack of goals/objective (Poorly motivated, Dc Indecision, Poor planning). 4) Lack of enthusiasm (Lack of drive, Not sufficie of initiative). 5) Lack of interest in the company's type of busine pany, Not interested in the type of job the company interview with me only to find out later that we don't manufacture or sell medical supplies. The biggest complaint I hear from recruiters is the lack of research by students. Again, do the appropriate research before each interview or - it makes a difference. PRODUCT KNOWLEDGE ng, on, A good salesperson knows their product like the back of >m- their hand. In this case, you are the product. Before going into any interview, you should know your strengths and weaknesses, what you can and cannot do led (relocation, computer skills, physical limitations, etc.) I to what you have to offer, and what separates you from the >n't other candidates. Answers to these questions must be >ig- thought out well in advance of the interview. Be prepared to demonstrate with specific examples how the your skills and background would be a perfect match for ur- the position the company is trying to fill. This would the include academic requirements (specific majors and min'ou imum GPA) and personal attributes (leadership skills, inies tiative, enthusiasm, etc.) FEATURES AND BENEFITS Every sales book I've ever read and every sales seminar I've ever attended have always stressed the importance lc*e of benefits. Features are wonderful, but features alone nc* will not sell a product. The same applies to an interview; :k" you must show the company how your skills will con3S" tribute toward the comoanv aoals. For examDle. when ,ey asked by an interviewer, "Why should I hire you," stu9 dents typically respond by saying, "I have a good GPA 1 a and have been very involved in extracurricular activities while in school" That's the beginning of a great answer, but don't stop there. That answer has only provided feato \NTS LOSE OUT port, has completed many 6) Inability to express him/he sting the negative factors pplicant. The following list 7) Unrealistic salary demar ?antc Irkcannt' Unrealistic exDectations. Ov start at the bottom.) sonable explanation. Low level 8) P??r Persona' appearance 9) Lack of maturity (No evide poise, Lack of self-confidence, 10) Lack of extracurricular a activities, No accomplishmen >es not know his/her interests, 11) Failure to get informatic interview, Did not read the lite mtly aggressive, Little evidence 12) Objects to travel (Geogra ;ss (Lack of interest in the com- 13) Excessive interest in seci / has to offer). 14) Inadequate preparation fc tures. You have to take the answer one step further and clearly state the benefits of a hign GPA and extracurricular activities. An appropriate response might include, "Mw nDA a ? iiji 11ly 11 ui ri uciiiunouaiua my aunuy iu leant ana quickly grasp technical information. My strong aptitude for science will enable me to excel during the highly technical training program and effectively sell your products." Once you have successfully answered the interviewer's questions, you now have a chance to ask your own questions. Ask pertinent questions based on your research. Asking questions that are easily answered by reviewing company literature shows lack of preparation. However, you can ask for further clarification on information you've researched. CLOSING THE SALE No sales presentation is complete without asking for the business. Once you have concluded there is a match between your skills and abilities and the company's needs, ask for the job. No, I don't mean asking the inter viewer if there are any additional questions. I mean ASK FOR THE JOB ? state in no uncertain terms that you want to be a part of Company "X's" team and briefly summarize what you can contribute. Remember, if you don't ask for the job, the next candidate will! The on-campus interview will be your first or last contact with a company. The interviewer has only 30-45 minutes to determine if there is a "fit." Make the recruiter's job and your life easier by being prepared to fully discuss the product - YOU! Any good salesperson will tell you practice makes perfect. Practice answering standard interview Questions until vou are able to clearlv and oon cisely highlight your attributes. Grades and extracurricular activities will get you the interview. Selling your skills and abilities will get you the job. ON A JOB rself in speech (Inability to sell him/herself). ids (More interested in salary than in opportunity, eremphasis on management positions, Unwilling to ! (Lack of neatness, Careless dress), nee of leadership potential). ctivities (Inadequate reasons for not participating in ts in activities). >n about the company (Lack of preparation for the jrature.) phical preferences, Unwilling to relocate), jrity and benefits ("What can you do for me?"). >r type of work (Inappropriate background)