no sales experience for job
Discussion
hey
im applying for a sales job at a music store, i fit the bill perfectly but havent got any sales experience which is one of the things the store said they wanted, i have been in there many times and bought a lot of gear from them and im friendly with all the staff so do you guys think they will still look at my application even though i havent got any previous experience?
i do make up for this in just knowledge of guitars, amps and music and would easily be able to deal with customers but do you guys think they will just dismiss my application straight away?
thanks
im applying for a sales job at a music store, i fit the bill perfectly but havent got any sales experience which is one of the things the store said they wanted, i have been in there many times and bought a lot of gear from them and im friendly with all the staff so do you guys think they will still look at my application even though i havent got any previous experience?
i do make up for this in just knowledge of guitars, amps and music and would easily be able to deal with customers but do you guys think they will just dismiss my application straight away?
thanks
I'm currently in a sales role despite having no previous experience in either sales or any kind of customer service type role. Although, to be fair, they did say during my interview that they didnt want anyone with sales experience as they wanted to train me to thier slightly unigue way of doing things.
If you know them or atleast the person reading the applications they might consider you to be suitable for the job despite lack of experience. Its probably easier to start in sales if you are selling something you have an interest in/experience with.
If you know them or atleast the person reading the applications they might consider you to be suitable for the job despite lack of experience. Its probably easier to start in sales if you are selling something you have an interest in/experience with.
rog007 said:
You will have 'some' sales experience; could be selling stuff on e-bay; sold anything through a newspaper ad or sold a car or bike to a mate? This all counts as long as you package it honestly and share what you learned from the experience.
You are joking aren't you?What possible correlation could be drawn from selling something on ebay to selling a company some advertising space (for example)? Other than the common use of the word sell.
C2james said:
Well I've applied for the job and I am going to go in and speak to the boss about the job, hopefully I will get it but I'm a bit worried that my CV isn't very long, but I'm only 19 so can't really have a huge CV.
As long as everything worth putting in your CV is in it, its well laid out and reads well then I have been told on several occasions that a short CV that is straight to the point and full of info is more likely to be read through than a long one that waffles on abit.I meant to say, fit the bill perfectly apart from having experience. I know there's a good chance I won't get the job but I do know a lot about guitars and seeing as the shop knows me I'm hoping for a bit leniency, I know that I shouldn't but I'm going to speaker to the owner tomorrow about the amount of experience they want seeing as I didn't go in today.
The key to this is to "sell yourselves" to them, proving that you don't need the experience.
THis is easy.
Start by following up your application personally for 3 reasons:
1) Because as a CV in its own right it will get binned out of hand and
2) It automatically demonstrates that you are more proactive than the other applicants and
3) It makes them realise that they don't need someone with specific experience merely the right charachteristics
Acknowledge that you realise you have no direct experience but that you know you are perfectly capable of doing X,Y &Z and recognising buying signs etc. and that you know the industry well etc
When Im advertising for sales people ,'experience' is purely to weed out the type of people who simply aren't sales people and don't seem to know why they are applying.
THis is easy.
Start by following up your application personally for 3 reasons:
1) Because as a CV in its own right it will get binned out of hand and
2) It automatically demonstrates that you are more proactive than the other applicants and
3) It makes them realise that they don't need someone with specific experience merely the right charachteristics
Acknowledge that you realise you have no direct experience but that you know you are perfectly capable of doing X,Y &Z and recognising buying signs etc. and that you know the industry well etc
When Im advertising for sales people ,'experience' is purely to weed out the type of people who simply aren't sales people and don't seem to know why they are applying.
swerni said:
If they want someone with sales experience and you don't have any, what makes you think you fit the bill perfectly?
On the face if it you don't have one of the major requirements
just curious
Not necessarily - I work in a largely-sales job, but have no experience of it at all. The interviewer realized that I obviously knew alot about the products, and that my knowledge would probably instill confidence in my customers to buy from me... and that if I didn't he could always get rid of me.On the face if it you don't have one of the major requirements
just curious
As it turns out, I'm actually not that bad.
The least you could do is try (but "I buy a lot of stuff form you therefore I can sell it" wouldn't be a good thing to say).
okgo said:
You are joking aren't you?
What possible correlation could be drawn from selling something on ebay to selling a company some advertising space (for example)? Other than the common use of the word sell.
The underlying principles are the same (using the sales funnel process), what may be different is the medium, context and scale, and whether you actually realised you were employing proven techniques consciously or not. What possible correlation could be drawn from selling something on ebay to selling a company some advertising space (for example)? Other than the common use of the word sell.
The principles of selling a product or service to someone over the phone or face to face is NOTHING like ebay.
Ebay is a site where people go knowing what they want, the only thing that will determine if somone buys the product is price and description, the seller can sell something on ebay without speaking to the buyer at all and by the time they meet the buyer is obliged to buy that product under ebay rules, therfore I am struggling to see crossover...
Ebay is a site where people go knowing what they want, the only thing that will determine if somone buys the product is price and description, the seller can sell something on ebay without speaking to the buyer at all and by the time they meet the buyer is obliged to buy that product under ebay rules, therfore I am struggling to see crossover...
okgo said:
The principles of selling a product or service to someone over the phone or face to face is NOTHING like ebay.
Ebay is a site where people go knowing what they want, the only thing that will determine if somone buys the product is price and description, the seller can sell something on ebay without speaking to the buyer at all and by the time they meet the buyer is obliged to buy that product under ebay rules, therfore I am struggling to see crossover...
It's a bold claim to say 'NOTHING'. Your assumption that people only go to eBay knowing what they already want to buy is also a bold statement; I'd need to see the evidence first, but I know lots of people in my family who unintentionally purchase off eBay. Why is this? Because the product, pitch, photographs, price, postage deal and reputation of the seller draw them in, a little like standard sales techniques? Ebay is a site where people go knowing what they want, the only thing that will determine if somone buys the product is price and description, the seller can sell something on ebay without speaking to the buyer at all and by the time they meet the buyer is obliged to buy that product under ebay rules, therfore I am struggling to see crossover...
okgo said:
Based on your example BMW's would sell themselves.
Funny you should say that... http://www.motorauthority.com/news/1046509_2011-bm...How did you get on James? I think sales is by and large quite easy if you have enthusiasm and knowledge of what you are selling. It sounds like you do, so just go for it.
As for the relevance of ebay to professional sales, I would say ebay is only relevant as you are not interacting with people. If they're just clicking on some generic product and ordering it then there is no salesmanship involved. If they are phoning up, coming to view or even asking questions by email then there is an element of sales involved.
As for the relevance of ebay to professional sales, I would say ebay is only relevant as you are not interacting with people. If they're just clicking on some generic product and ordering it then there is no salesmanship involved. If they are phoning up, coming to view or even asking questions by email then there is an element of sales involved.
It would make a nice change to walk into a shop, and speak to someone who actually knew about the product they are selling! 
Good luck with it, if you have the enthusiasm and knowlage of the product, I'm sure you'll do better than some junked up t
t in a suit, who knows Jack st about the product he's selling!
I recently walked out of an Alfa showroom, when the "Sales person" tried to tell me, in his well rehearsed speel, that the styling of a Mito came from the 8C, and other worthless drivel. Idiot!
Good luck with it, if you have the enthusiasm and knowlage of the product, I'm sure you'll do better than some junked up t
t in a suit, who knows Jack st about the product he's selling!I recently walked out of an Alfa showroom, when the "Sales person" tried to tell me, in his well rehearsed speel, that the styling of a Mito came from the 8C, and other worthless drivel. Idiot!
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