There’s an almost endless amount of interview tips online in blog and video format, but there aren’t as many specifically tailored towards those going for a sales role within a SaaS company.
Here, we look at how you can prepare for your upcoming interview at a SaaS company and what you can do to stand out against your competition.
1. MEMORISE RELEVANT EXAMPLES OF YOUR WORK EXPERIENCE
It’s not enough to just know your CV inside and out - you need to memorise specific examples of your work experience that will apply not only to the role you’re interviewing for, but also to the overall organisation.
For example, if some training you have completed or a tool you are well versed in has proven to be successful in helping you further your skillset, don’t forget to mention this and how it will apply to the organisation you’re interviewing with.
Come up with at least three things you think are worth mentioning in relation to the organisation itself, as it’s likely you’ll be able to refer to them when answering different questions.
2. RESEARCH THE COMPANY AND PROVIDE SPECIFIC EXAMPLES OF HOW YOU CAN HELP
Everyone knows to research the company before they interview anywhere - it goes without saying, as you don’t want to be caught out when the interviewer asks what you know about the company.
However, if you are looking to join a GTM team within a SaaS company, you will stand out from the crowd if you can refer to the organisation’s existing customer base and how you would successfully close similar leads.
Have you sold software to similar audiences before? If not, what transferable skills do you have that would be beneficial for this employer in particular? Again, have a few examples to hand.
3. HAVE A LIST OF ORIGINAL AND RELEVANT QUESTIONS TO ASK THE INTERVIEWERS
Being able to demonstrate your interest for the role, business and software you’ll be selling is crucial - if you don’t have a list of questions ready at the end of your interview, it’ll be likely that the interviewer will question why.
However, don’t just have a list of questions for the sake of it - ensure that they’re original and relevant. For example:
- What is your biggest challenge as a business right now and how can I help solve it?
- What are the company’s growth plans over the next few years?
- How quickly do you expect to scale?
- Where will the most investment be made in the business?
- How often is the software updated and improved based on customer feedback?
- What are career development opportunities like?
- What is your main USP in comparison to your competitors?
- How is the sales team structured?
- Do managers coach sales staff on an ongoing basis?
4. IDENTIFY WHY YOU BELIEVE YOU STAND OUT AGAINST OTHER CANDIDATES
Interviews are the perfect opportunity to sell yourself. Make a list of your strengths when you’re preparing for your interview, and make sure you memorise points such as training you’ve completed, targets you consistently achieve, and any relevant product knowledge.
And, if there’s anything else you think is worth mentioning that may give the interviewer an indication of your suitability, make sure you discuss it. If you’re a member of a sports team, or you speak more than one language, or you volunteer in your spare time - this will give the people interviewing you a better idea of your personality and traits.
5. HAVE A LOOK AT THE TYPE OF CONTENT EMPLOYEES ARE SHARING ON LINKEDIN
If you go on the company’s LinkedIn page and click on ‘people’, you should be able to see a full list of the GTM sales team, as well as all other employees.
Take a look at the type of content they’re sharing on LinkedIn - it’s highly likely that they’ll be sharing some useful information that you could use to your advantage in your interview.
For example, if they share any software or company-related content, you can be well-versed in all things SaaS prior to your interview. Alternatively, if the employees are sharing content about recent work events or charity fundraisers, for example, these could be worth mentioning in your interview, too. Demonstrating that you’ve done your research and you take an interest in the overall business is always a plus point.
STRIVE CAN HELP YOUR SAAS COMPANY BUILD A TOP-TIER GO-TO-MARKET TEAM
Here at Strive, we source the best sales talent for scaling and hypergrowth tech companies. To learn more about how we can help your business scale, contact our team at 0203 983 0770 or email hello@scalewithstrive.com.
