Hiring managers love to ask about your weaknesses. I’m going to give you an inside look at a popular interview question: “What’s your greatest weakness?” Otherwise known as, “What’s an area of improvement for you?”
Most people don’t realize the snowball effect applies to interviewing. The better you interview, the better the job you’ll get, and the more money you’ll be offered. Want a compelling job offer? You need more than the basics.
You need some kind of “wow factor” that keeps the interview interesting and authentic. So let’s get to it.
Three Costly Mistakes to Avoid
Mistake #1: Giving phony weaknesses. Resist the temptation to use manufactured and overused examples, because they won’t help you land the job. The most common yet worst answer of all time is “I’m a perfectionist.”
Your hiring manager’s eyes roll when they hear the word “perfectionist.” Silently, they start to wish they were somewhere else, anywhere but tucked away in a small interview room with you. And once they tune out, it’s over.
Mistake #2: Naming a weakness that’s fundamental to the job. Don’t say you hate meeting prospects in person, detest cold calling, get jittery before C-level meetings, or abhor networking events. Pick a fundamental sales skill as your weakness and you’ll be shown the door in no time.
Mistake #3: Discussing weaknesses without solutions. This is a h-u-g-e pet peeve for most hiring managers. They cringe like nails scraping down a chalkboard, because it’s the equivalent of going to meetings, raising problems, and never suggesting solutions.
It’s pretty simple: never state a weakness and leave it at that. “I hate using the phone. I’m better in person.” Awkward silence.
Now Let’s Put the Interview Ball in Your Court
Step #1: The power of preparation. Don’t flub this question. It’s a known classic, everyone asks it, and any hesitation will show.
You’ll spend the rest of the interview fighting your way out of the sub-par category, and you’ll only have yourself to blame. Sub-par isn’t going to get you your dream job or a winning offer, and an average answer isn’t going to get you there either.
Step #2: Select thoughtfully. Pick the right weakness for the right role. Choose a low-impact weakness that won’t affect your ability to perform on the job.
Say your weakness is consistently documenting activity in the CRM while you’re interviewing for a management role or an inside sales position with a 30-day sales cycle, and that spells trouble. Mention the same struggle interviewing for a field sales position with a six- to nine-month sales cycle, and you’ll get quite a different reaction.
Step #3: Back it up. “Take nothing on its looks; take everything on evidence. There’s no better rule,” Charles Dickens wrote in Great Expectations. It was true then, and it’s still true today. Supply proof that you’ve taken action to improve.
Here’s an example: “My greatest weakness is patience. I know only two speeds, fast and faster. Sometimes I have to slow down and remember people don’t always process information or move as fast as I do.
I’m reading a book right now on patience called The Power of Patience by MJ Ryan, and it’s helping me remember to slow down. I’m not improving as fast as I’d like to, but then I remember change takes time.”
Outshine the Competition
When you’re persuading someone to hire you, the competition can be monstrous, and the better the job opportunity, the more contenders you’ll need to outshine. Great salesmanship requires you to be on top of your game.
Stay focused on mastering the classic questions, honing your answers with thoughtful preparation, and providing supporting evidence, and you’ll be one step ahead of the pack. While you’re at it, make sure you’re not committing the seven basic interview mistakes, and get a behind-the-curtains look at what employers really want before your next round. This is one classic among many; prepare for all of them with the sales interview guide.
