October 22, 2007 in Blog by Dawn Williams

Selling yourself – how much is too much?

How much is too much? When does a sales recruiter think that a candidate has overdone it? You want to show that you’re good at your job, you have transferable skills and that you can get the job done. You’ve got 60 maybe 90 minutes to show the sales recruiter than you have skills that he or she should be interested in.

You should of course talk about your accomplishments without embellishing the truth. Do not overstate your involvement. If it was a team effort, say so. If you were the “quarterback” of that team, it should also be pointed out. So many organizations are matrix and being able to work with a team, even in sales, is an asset.

When you summarize your positions, each one should have a list of accomplishments per position. A good sales recruiter wants to see what you have learned from each position and what you accomplished. Try to avoid going on and on. Look for cues that your sales recruiter is falling asleep. Do not hijack the interview. The sales recruiter needs to probe certain information for their client. If there’s something crucial that was not covered, there should be a time allotted for questions. This will be your time to point out why you should be chosen for the position.

Talk in finite terms when at all possible. If you achieved 105% of quota say so. If you ranked #1 also say so. Don’t ever put down other reps, it looks cheesy. It’s OK to pay a complement to others if you worked well as a group.

Sing your praises but look for

clues that you’ve lost your audience. Also ensure that these praises are sung at the appropriate moment. Ask your sales recruiter how much is too much. A good sales recruiter should tell you how much you can lay on.

Happy selling.