Great sales people can be terrible at presenting themselves in an interview. I think it’s because their skills are innate so they often don’t think about the process of how they come across. The sales person who is brilliant at making money can be rubbish at showing how they do that in an interview situation. These are 5 simple tips to presenting yourself.

1.     Let them know who you are
I don’t mean, ‘Hi, I’m Mel from Behind the Lines’ I mean let them know the real you, use the language that you would normally use (within reason) and engage their interest. Smiling is the best place to start and listening as though you are taking an interest. Don’t pepper the interview with fake credentials but make sure that you put across your best qualities.
 
2.      Know what you’re selling
Start by knowing what it is you’re presenting: Write down your best attributes and ask other people for their input. If you use a business network like LinkedIn or Plaxo, ask for recommendations and see what other people say about you. Build a sales story around you as a whole person including your qualities outside work ; what makes you a good friend, how do you contribute to society outside work.
 
3.      Prepare your presentation 
Be clear about what you want the interviewer to know.  Read the job description and pick out the key requirements, try to read between the lines to see the underlying needs of the role and then present the unique combination of attributes you have that satisfy theses needs. Don’t try to be everything to everyone but be prepared to sell a distinct package that solves thier problems.

There may be some dofficult questions and it’s worth rehearsing how you would answer them. 'What is your worst failing/ what is your best quality ' is an old question now but it can still be hard to answer if you're caught on the hop. Remember that for every positive trait you have there is a potential negative: For instance, creative and energetic sales people can be poor at doing mundane tasks. Be prepared for the interviewer to quiz you about the negative aspects of your best attributes and offer the positive side of your less than perfect attributes.

4.      Have your questions ready
Show that you’ve done your homework and use the information you’ve gathered to prompt further questions. ‘I read that you’ve just won the TMDI account, how will that affect the structure of the teams’

Don’t ask stupid questions, ‘so what does this brewery actually make.’

Ask questions that are relevant to your role in the company, ‘So how much do you reckon the CEO makes,’ isn’t the way to impress people.

 
5.      Take care of the details
My personal pet hate is the smell of fags. Try to have the last one well before the interview and wash hands, eat mints etc. to get rid of the smell. There are a lot of us picky ex smokers out there now. 

Get there in plenty of time if you can so that you can be composed and relaxed before you go in.

Know the expected dress code, it’s fine to turn up in jeans if a suit would give you away to your boss as long as you’ve arranged this with the interviewer beforehand.

And a personal falling of mine, know where you’re going. Have the address, maps and contact details on you.

Once you’re there, composed and ready to tell a good story about why you have the unique combination of experience and qualities for this job you stand a good chance of getting the job.

Clere here for part 2.