Smilesndialz

SDR

Interview Question

i have an interview with my #1 company this week and I asked the sales manager what I can do to stand out from the rest of the candidates. One of the things he mentioned is to be prepared to answer "why should we hire you given that you're up against candidates with closing experience."

for context, I'm an SDR trying to move into a closing role. I always get stumped with the "why should we hire you" question and I don't know how to articulate it well besides saying I want to move up so bad I won't let myself fail. any advice?

🧠 Advice

🚀 Career Goals

🤝 Interviewing/Offer

29 comments

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CuriousFox

WR Officer

🦊

Why are you confident you are the best to fit the role? They have a problem. They need a rep. You have the solution. You are the best because you solve their needs by xyz...

Smilesndialz

Politicker

SDR

@CuriousFox I know it sounds ridiculous but I can’t answer the question in a way that doesn’t sound cliche. I always win when I bet on myself though.

CuriousFox

WR Officer

🦊

Get out of your damn head bb.

Smilesndialz

Politicker

SDR

@CuriousFox I need to. I just worry I won’t be able to get an AE role and be stuck as an SDR. :(

CuriousFox

WR Officer

🦊

Change the conversation in your head from worry to determined to close the interview at all costs. Make it a goal.

Smilesndialz

Politicker

SDR

Okay I will

CuriousFox

WR Officer

🦊

Look at you making positive changes 😉

Smilesndialz

Politicker

SDR

@CuriousFox I’m trying lol

nomdeguerre

Executive

Account executive

In the words of the great master Yoda: there is no try only do. I know it sounds corny but it’s true, people who say they’ll try are already protecting themselves from the future failure. Sorry to be harsh, but you have to abandon that mentality. You have to change your mindset to “I’ll do”.

Also detach yourself from the outcome, explain why you truly think your the right choice based on your intrinsic beliefs, stop trying to guess what he wants to hear. It won’t work anyway, and of your beliefs don’t align it’s not the right role for you anyway. You don’t want to present yourself as something you’re not and then 6 months down the road feel miserable in the role because their expectations and your beliefs don’t align.

Good luck 👍

Smilesndialz

Politicker

SDR

@nomdeguerre You’re totally right. If it’s meant to be it’s meant to be.

Fenderbaum

Politicker

Retired Choirboy🪕

Years ago, I advised a young guy to utter that phrase at the end of his promotional interview. It was a 3-person interview panel, with my friend as the chairman. My friend was/is a huge Star Wars nut, so I figured that quote would definitely separate him from all the other people interviewing. He aced the interview, got really dramatic with the quote, making it about himself, and got the position. My friend/chairman was so surprised, but immediately knew that I had to have given him the advice. He said it was like a huge fart in church...he wanted to laugh out loud, but had to stay professional. Ahh, the good 'ole days.

boredAnti

Tycoon

That One Guy

I had this same question with my current company and I got the job.

You close on appts. Give them the metrics on it. Also put into play if you have done anything with helping out the sales process, like refining it, shortening it, how did you do it. How was/is your hold ratio. There are a ton of ways you can spin this to make yourself look better. I went from a BDR at a copier company to AE at a SaaS company. You can do it man.

Smilesndialz

Politicker

SDR

@antiASKHOLE Should I mention that I reached back out to a prospect who went dark on us and got the deal closed a month later? It took me a while but I got them back to the table.

boredAnti

Tycoon

That One Guy

Absolutely. Word it in a creative manner though. Like "I have been able to reengage prospects back into the sales process which has resulted in closed revenue" make it your own depending on how you usually talk.

Smilesndialz

Politicker

SDR

@antiASKHOLE you’re amazing, thank you!

Sunbunny31

Arsonist

Sr Sales Executive 🐰

Some great suggestions here. Just be confident. In sales, you will get questions that will stump you, so you're going to have to know how to manage the curve balls. Visualize being fine. You've gotten some advanced coaching, which tells me they're interested in you. You've got this.

Smilesndialz

Politicker

SDR

@Sunbunny31 Thank you so much!

Kosta_Konfucius

Politicker

ERP Sales

You can go the route of I didn't have cold calling experience before being a SDR but was able to consistently be a top performer.....I have experience selling a similar product/selling to similar businesses/selling to DM with similar titles......Every new hire will have a ramp up period I will be able to come in knowing exactly where I need to spend the most time on to perfect

TennisandSales

Politicker

Head Of Sales

i like this.

I would also play on your coach-ability.

You may not have closing experience but that also means you do not have bad habits you need to break yet, or have a way of thinking that may not be inline with what they find successful.

You take feedback well and be the AE that this company really needs with minimal effort.

Learning a new skill is easy, Changing behavior is hard. thats what an AE with experience may have to deal with.

thats the card I would play.

Smilesndialz

Politicker

SDR

@TennisandSales and @Kosta_Konfucius I LOVE these!

TennisandSales

Politicker

Head Of Sales

let us know how the next call goes.

My suggestion would be to LEAD with this. dont wait for them to ask you why they should hire you. get our in front of it and drive that conversation

Smilesndialz

Politicker

SDR

@TennisandSales So include this when I tell them about myself?

boredAnti

Tycoon

That One Guy

Exactly! Show them how you are a sales person by LEADING the conversation. This is how you will sell yourself and your ability. LFG @TennisandSales

TennisandSales

Politicker

Head Of Sales

yeah. i would end the "tell me about your self" with something like "and Im aware I dont have closing experience like some other candidates probably do, but I would love to explain why i still feel im the best candidate"
this gives them a chance to ask another question, or make a comment but you are driving the conversation by suggesting where they should go next.

TennisandSales

Politicker

Head Of Sales

yeah man gotta sell your self!!

GDO

Politicker

BDM

Show willing to learn and being hungry

Pachacuti

Politicker

They call me Daddy, Sales Daddy

Even SDR's close on people - you get the meeting. That is closing.

FranchiseSalesQB

Politicker

Franchise Sales QB

try, "you'll find out why you hired me because everythingyour looking for to fill this role is exactly what I do"

CRAG112

Valued Contributor

Account Executive

Explain your math of sales and share your screen. Do the same thing with your sales process.

dig deeper in to your sales process and math of sales to project for what you are selling and who is buying (persona).

be prepared to not only discuss math of sales and sales process, but extrapolate that information towards being an AE.