I’m currently hiring for several roles and have been conducting interviews. On Thursday I interviewed a guy (let’s call him Karl) who came across extremely well. In fact, he was a masterclass in getting the basics right. Karl had researched both me and my company, prepared insightful questions, and smoothly dropped a colleague’s name to establish a shared connection. It all served to build his credibility. What was a bit sad was how bad he made some of the other candidates look, without much effort.
Another good example I recently interviewed (we’ll call her Jane) was a former company employee. That gave her a clear advantage in terms of knowledge of our company and solutions, as well as a number of shared contacts. What I really liked about Jane was her active listening. I felt like she left the interview with a good understanding of the role and expectations, and that I had been listened to.
If you are a presales professional reading this, maybe looking for a new job, I hope this is a good reminder of some simple tips (although let’s face it, you can read about these things on any job hunting site). However, the message I’d like you to take away is that meeting a potential customer and presenting your solution is not that different to a job interview.
A customer meeting is an exploration of whether you (you personally, and your solution, and your company) are a good fit, and if it’s of mutual interest to take the conversation further. You want to make a good impression, form a connection with the customer, and progress to the next round. Preparation and engagement are critically important, whether it’s an interview or a sales pitch.
It is quite incredible to me that I’ve been interviewing people who seem to know nothing about the hiring company. It’s not hard to do a search or look up a corporate website. I’ve asked multiple people in interviews, “what are your thoughts on our company?”, and they don’t give any hints of knowledge. All I get are vague, general answers. Not even a mention of a product name. It makes them appear uninterested in the role and does not build confidence.
Karl, however, was different. He took the opportunity early in the interview to mention some references to products and a recent platform announcement. He related the portfolio area we were discussing to his experience. I was impressed. Not because of his knowledge of our solutions, but because he had clearly taken the time to prepare.
I do know that Karl had looked me up on LinkedIn. During the conversation, he made reference to “that’s when I worked with Sandy Doe”. Sandy is a current colleague of mine and a shared contact beteen me and Karl (I had also looked him up on LinkedIn). He didn’t make a big deal of it (as opposed to some people who will say “I looked you up (or even “I stalked you”) but I noticed, and I admired the way he used this to seamlessly build another connection point between us.
The second thing I noticed was that Karl was using notes. Notes that he referred to when demonstrating his knowledge of our business. And notes where he had written his prepared questions. As an interviewer, I don’t expect the individual to have a flawless memory, or even a deep knowledge of our company. Seeing the use of notes gave me confidence that Karl was prepared, thoughtful and organised. It also showed me that he was taking the interview seriously.
The last comment I’ll make about Karl is that he asked good, insightful questions. He had come prepared with a question written in his notes, and asked a pertinent question (about SaaS) that served to demonstrate his business acumen, and again reinforced the impression that he had done his research and would be a good fit for the role.
With Jane, the standout characteristic was her active listening. She listened, then restated and replayed her understanding of what I had said. She thought out loud about some of the implications, and the sort of actions she might need to take. I got a strong feeling that she undertood both the opportunities and potential challenges with the role. And as the interviewer, it made me feel like we had a connection. We were on the same wavelength. It was a great technique to observe. It was also a big contrast to some people I have interviewed, who talk and talk and talk. All they are listening for is the cue to start talking about themselves, rather than listening for the key words or concepts that I care about. Or trying to engage with me in intelligent conversation.
All the things I’ve mentioned above can be learnt and practiced. They are also simple to do. Before you go for a job interview, or a meeting with a new customer, make sure you:
- Go to the company website. Get familiar with their products and the language they use.
- Go to the company’s news / press release page. What are their recent announcements?
- Look up the individual you are meeting with on LinkedIn. What is their work history? Do you have shared contacts?
- Write some notes to help you remember what you have researched.
- Prepare 1 or 2 questions that demonstrate both the research and your business knowledge.
Whether you are applying for a job or pitching for a sale, your goal is to get invited back to the next meeting. Preparation and active listening is key to making a good impression.
What else do you do to prepare for an interview or meeting?
Thoughtful Presales 