What do you do if your sales experience isn't coming across in an interview?

1 Reflect Honestly

Before you can address the issue, take a moment to reflect on your interviews. Are you articulating your experiences clearly? Sometimes nerves can cause you to undersell your achievements or fail to mention key sales victories. Consider practicing with a friend or mentor who can provide honest feedback. They might point out areas where your delivery lacks confidence or where your stories need more detail to truly demonstrate your sales expertise.

2 Tailor Your Examples

When discussing your experience, tailor your examples to the media sales industry. Highlight situations where you've successfully navigated the challenges unique to selling media. This could include developing innovative advertising campaigns, securing large deals, or retaining high-profile clients. By providing specific examples, you're showing potential employers that you understand the nuances of media sales and have a track record of success in this field.

3 Showcase Adaptability

Media sales is an ever-evolving field, and showing that you're adaptable is crucial. Talk about how you've kept up with industry trends or how you've adapted to new sales technologies or methodologies. This demonstrates that you're not just experienced but also forward-thinking and capable of thriving in a dynamic environment. Employers want to see that you can evolve with the industry and continue to drive sales in the face of change.

4 Highlight Soft Skills

While technical skills and direct sales experience are important, don't underestimate the power of soft skills. Communication, problem-solving, and relationship-building are all critical in media sales. Share anecdotes that showcase these abilities, perhaps when you resolved a client issue or collaborated on a cross-functional team. These stories can round out your professional image and prove that you're a well-rounded candidate.

5 Ask Probing Questions

Asking insightful questions during your interview can also reflect your experience. Inquire about the company's sales strategies, challenges they've faced, or their target market. Not only does this show that you're engaged and interested, but it also provides an opportunity to relate their answers back to your experience, further demonstrating your understanding of media sales.

6 Follow Up Strongly

Finally, a strong follow-up after the interview can leave a lasting impression. Send a personalized thank you note reiterating your interest in the role and summarizing how your experience aligns with the company's needs. If there were any moments in the interview where you felt you didn't properly convey your experience, this is a chance to clarify or add additional information.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?