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Food for Thought: 17.09.2015

Candidate Tip: Nerves and talking too much at interview

Any interview is going to make you nervous to a certain extent and that tension tends to make people monosyllabic or talk way, way too much. You will be given plenty of leeway to waffle on at the start, but you need to make sure you are not over doing it. So for every question you are asked, give a short answer and then say:

“Would you like me to go into more detail?”

“Does that answer the question or should I explain more?”

Watch carefully for the interviewer’s hands signals; if they do a circular motion that means they want more, if they have flat hands with splayed fingers that means you are talking too much.

One of the ways to avoid over-talking is to practice answering questions in a direct manner. Avoid nervous talking by preparing for your interview with role-play, either alone or with a friend.

The first signs of nervousness can also often be verbal ticks. We all do this from time to time using "umm," "like," "you know" as we try to think of how to say something. Ignore your nerves and put up a front of calm confidence. Avoid verbal ticks by pausing for a few seconds to gather your thoughts before each response. Again role-play will help to eliminate this, so practice sharing your success stories ahead of time, and you'll feel more relaxed during the real interview.

Client Tip: How to interview a Pre-Sales Consultant

Are they early, well presented and well prepared?
Ask how many deals they have won in the last year
Ask how many first meetings and demos they typically do per month
Are the demo’s face to face or WebEx?
What information would they like to have from a client before a demo?
What is the process for creating the demos?
At what point do they need technical help on the demos?
What technical skills do they use when they create the demos?
Describe the scene that allowed you to do the best demo you have ever done
What things have gone wrong in the past that they try to avoid now during the demo process?
How often have they done demos alone and how do they feel about that?
How have they sought feedback on their presentations and demo’s to improve their performance?
Describe one deal in the last year where the input they had in the sales process had a clear impact on the client’s decision to buy.

If you ask these questions, you should have a pretty good idea of what you would be hiring by the end of the interview.

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