Should you go to the interview? Preparing right takes real time, sure. But to put it bluntly, you can’t get a job you don’t interview for.
Isn’t your future worth investing in?
Not all job interviews will be winners, but don’t let that stop you from showing up. The secondary benefits of any interview are the people you meet, the personal exposure, and the relationships you develop long after the initial encounter.
“I’m Not Looking”
We were recruiting for a startup client, and I knew a sales leader who was perfect for the role. He wasn’t looking. He told me so on our first call, in exactly those words.
But we got to talking, and one thing led to the next. The role was a chance to run the West Coast and build a team, and he took it.
Two years later, the startup was purchased by a very large, well-known software company. He was folded into the organization, ran the group, and became a manager of managers. He stayed with that larger organization for over a decade.
The best move of his career started with a conversation he had no reason to take. “I’m not looking” almost kept him from it.
You Already Believe This at Work
Think about how you run your own pipeline. No rep skips discovery calls because some of them won’t close. You take the meeting, because meetings are where deals come from.
First interviews are the top of your career funnel, and offers come from the same place deals do. You’d never advise a rep to take meetings only with prospects who are guaranteed to buy. So don’t run your career that way.
You Want to Leave with Options
The purpose of any interview is to gather information, sell your top skills, build trust, and take the next step forward. The ultimate goal is to be invited back for another meeting, or to be presented with a compelling offer.
Sitting in an interview letting your mind wander, contemplating whether you even want the job, is a waste of everyone’s time. Gather information, present your skills, and get invited back. You can decide whether to move forward when the choice is on the table.
Don’t let hiring managers make it for you.
That’s the real logic here: interview to create options, then choose. The salespeople who end up managing multiple offers simply took more first meetings than everyone else. (And when you’re certain a role isn’t for you, don’t ghost: here’s how to turn down an interview gracefully.)
No Second Chances: Your Career Depends on Your Sales Skills
Interviewing is a high-stakes game. When you understand your future’s at stake, prepare adequately, and manage your first impression, you’ll be on your way to a rewarding sales career.
After all, if you’re working toward mastering your craft as a sales professional, you’ll need to become exceptional at selling yourself.
Once you’ve said yes to the meeting, prepare with the complete sales interview preparation guide.
