The key to get a job is to understand what your interlocutor is looking for and responding with a concrete manner.
Let's start with the start-ups expectations when they hire a salesperson.
Early-stage start-ups will look for a first operational profile focusing on hunting ( "hunter" profile often called Business Developer) but also with loyalty missions ("farmer",profile also called Account Manager).
Since the establishment of more structured processes; The sales organization has evolved and the profiles sought also ...
LES 4 TYPES DE COMMERCIAUX LES PLUS RECHERCHÉS
Inside Sales
This position is suitable for junior salespeople (6 months to 2 years of experience). Missions: taking into account incoming calls with qualification of the prospect and / or sale on phone.
What the company is looking for: a potential, envy, dynamism, a well-made head. The resumé is less important in this position.
Business Developer
Missions: Generate sales figures. To do this, it will often be necessary to identify the right targets / new markets, to prospect by different means (telephone, Linkedin, trade fairs, etc.), negotiate and close.
What the company is looking for: a salesperson who likes to get out of his comfort zone, who needs challenge, good resistance to failure, tenacious, figures and results oriented.
Account Manager
The missions: generate turnover on the existing customer portfolio. So you develop partnerships with your customers, a relationship based on trust, as well as a regular follow-up. You will often hear about "cross sell" or "up sell".
What the company is looking for: a more gentle commercial approach (versus the hunter who may have some commercial aggressiveness), the accompaniment dimension, customer service (attention, we also look for a hunter ...), the ability to manage Long-term relationships and to build confidence.
Commercial (Business Developer or Account Manager) Key Accounts
Missions: same as before but with big accounts (the concept of big accounts may vary slightly depending on the companies for which you work).
What the company is looking for: a sales representative capable of negotiating with high-level and different contacts (business or support), managing long sales cycles (4 to 12 months), able to develop business within a (Eg subsidiary, different BU, etc.), able to negotiate framework contracts or to respond to calls for tenders.
SOME TIPS TO GET THE JOB
Reading the ads ... know how to distinguish what is essential in the customer's specification (example: current level of English required, SAAS experience required, etc) and what it is less (eg ideally, This experience will have been acquired within a marketplace or a 3rd language would be a real plus). It is rare to meet all the criteria but if you have the necessary criteria then you have all your chances of receiving a call from the recruiter ...
Your resumé
- A title to your resume. Easier for the recruiter to identify you and this shows that your business project is defined.
- Comprehensive and detailed missions: it does not matter what type of sales you are ... It is pertinent to see on a reseller's CV the following items: the prospecting and / or breeding share in your activity, telephone survey or (Sales, margin, or number of deals, etc.) and the results of the sales.
In interview
- Concentrate on the missions that come close to the position you are applying for, be synthetic, factual, results-oriented and numerical. And above all, show your energy, your motivation.
- Know about you. A start-up recruits a salesperson for his commercial skills but also for his personality. Prepare yourself for questions like qualities / defects, how you describe you, if I call your loved ones what will they tell you about you, etc. Take advantage of these questions to put yourself forward, be sincere (the contrary is seen;)) and do not joke like "I am the best or perfectionist! Ah no I laugh ..., etc. "It shows that you are not at ease and in addition it is not very funny ...
- The B.A.BA: to ask questions, to have prepared upstream, interest you to the overall project of the company, to the commercial organization then to the missions of the post. Take note of this.
- Prepare yourself for questions such as: Why my business? (Start up / big group, growth / projects, job interest, outlook, feeling with N + 1, etc.). Why you ? (Go back on concrete facts (your CV), your business potential and your personality). What will make the difference if tomorrow you have several proposals of hiring (attention, if you answer the tickets restau to a CEO of start-up, it's finished for you ....)
- On form: easy to say ... but a dynamic candidate, smiling, who wants to learn, proposal strength and full of energy will always make the difference compared to another! After the interview, a motivational mail with no spelling error is always welcome
For start-ups, which is important, in addition to all that has just been stated it is a versatile commercial, propositional, dynamic and that feels evolve with the structure.
