Job interviews picking up? Improve your chances by knowing what sales managers are looking for.

• Author: Wiesner, Pat
• Position: [on] MANAGEMENT - Column

A candidate for the sales job comes into the room, looking ready for the interview. She seems cool, pleasant and friendly. She has a confident manner, and over the next 25 minutes she gives a very professional account of her experiences and successes of the past few years of selling. She had the experience and answered every question perfectly. But something was missing, and she didn't get the job.

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Why?

Because sales managers are looking for the same things you would be looking for if you were the interviewer ... things that would make your new salesman or saleswoman different and better than all but the best of competitors.

So what are some of the "instincts" that the good sales managers are looking for?

Curiosity. Show yours! One of the top characteristics that good managers look for in sales candidates is the ability and inclination to dig into what the interviewer knows. Every salesman's job is to find out what is in the mind of his customer or client.

So you can't really expect to get the offer if you don't show how good you are at opening up the interviewer. For starters, ask some questions like, "Can I ask you a few questions about your company?" Or better, "What are the three top characteristics of a successful salesperson in your company?" Or better yet, "Explain to me how people move up in your company."

Your job is to get conversation going with the interviewer. Set yourself a goal of learning something from the interviewer that you didn't know before you started. If you are successful, you are doing the most important thing a salesperson can do: getting info by getting the customer talking.

If you feel yourself making a speech (talking for longer than 30 to 60 seconds), ask a question, and ask it fast! Get your client talking, or you will start to go in the wrong direction.

Be brief when talking about yourself. A good guide is the "20 second rule," whether you are interviewing or actually selling. It's meant to remind those of us who like to talk a lot, to try most of the time to ask a question of our client before we talk more than 20 seconds.

For example, if the interviewer asked you something...