One trait common among top sales professionals can help job seekers as well
Stop us if you’ve heard this one. When you’re looking for a job, what you’re really doing is selling. And the product that you’re selling is… you.
That’s pretty much right on the money. You’re selling yourself – your skills, your experience, your expertise, etc. And that sales process is not much different from other kinds of selling. So what do you need to do in order to become successful at selling you?
A quick survey of a number of sources quickly showed general consensus that one of the top – if not the number one trait of successful salespeople is being a good listener. For some people this may seem counter-intuitive. Many people believe that to be good at sales you need to be able to be a good talker. You can talk anyone into buying anything.
Ask any successful salesperson and they’ll tell you that it’s just not the case. You have to be a good listener. More than that, you have to be an active listener. Don’t let those words go in one ear and out the other. Don’t just hear, listen.
If you can do that during a job interview, the interviewer typically will be very specific about what the job entails and what they’re looking for. If you’re actively listening, you can respond directly as to how through your skills, experience and expertise, you match the candidate who they’re seeking to a tee. You fit the bill.
Follow that simple formula and you will be successful – regardless of your age.
Of course, as with many other things, there is a flip side. If you’re actively listening, you may hear things you don’t like or things don’t mesh with your vision for an ideal workplace. In this case, you’ll want to thank the interviewer and move on. You may have just dodged a bullet.