You begin by pointing out that a sales manager position is a logical next step for you, given your strong sales background. Then you support this by relating some of your experiences: the time, for instance, that you brought in so much business to your family's firm that the orders backed up production by three weeks. You go on to outline how you solved that problem by setting up a customer service hot line, and by working with the production people your father hired over the summer so you could understand their problems a little better.
In other words, you speak in specific terms about how you've solved problems in the past and can be expected to do so in the future. What's more, the problems you solve dare associated closely with the ones the company itself is going through right now. What's the result of giving an answer like that?
Wham! You're a "live one." You've distinguished yourself from the fifteen other people Ms. Shoestring has spoken to that day, and you've done it in about forty five seconds, which saves her a heck of a lot of time, and probably engenders a certain amount of goodwill between the two of you immediately. The beleaguered Ms. Shoestring has found exactly what she was looking for all along. She doesn't care now whether or not you have two years of professional management experience. She's got a feeling you can get the job done. By being open to the employer's problems and how your background could allow you to solve them, you've been able to tailor your answer in the correct way.
Look at what's happened closely. You had a prepared answer about your past experiences that demonstrates your problem solving abilities, preferably in a way that parallels the employer's own problems within the company. Whatever question the interviewer decided to use as the interview's "opener" you were prepared to shape your answer around a strong statement of your strengths. You used specific examples that showed off strong past performance and future potential. And you maintained an enthusiasm tempered with professionalism in the hopes of revitalizing a glazed, over scheduled, easily bored, or just plain overworked interviewer.
The "telling stories" strategy is a very useful one. Use it for the rest of the interview whenever possible. Make sure you've prepared many examples of your skills that can be used as miniature case studies. These incidents will bring to life any statement you make about your own strengths. It is much easier for an interviewer to recall your skills and background if you've related some memorable anecdote that illustrates key achievements.
Think back to the teachers that you liked best in school. Didn't they usually pepper their lectures with a lot of examples examples that somehow brought the subject to life for you? Do the same thing with your own experiences.
Even in the "screening" interview, some questions may come up that don't seem to lend themselves to anecdotal or "story" answers. Many of these questions are asked in order to determine your current employment status, your ability to think on your feet, or your long term potential: Why are you thinking of switching jobs? What do you know about our company? What would make you uncomfortable about this position? What would you consider to be your chief weakness?
To the extent possible, outline answers to these kinds of questions ahead of time. Whatever your state of preparedness, answer the question in a positive context. For example, if you are leaving your present job because you're afraid that the company is going to close, don't say you're worried about job security and want to get while the getting is good. Be positive. Stress the attributes of the company with which you're seeking a position, and talk about how you want to work within a company that is in a growth cycle or has a reputation as the leader in its industry,
How? Well, suppose Ms. Shoestring is a very tough interviewer and throws that very question at you the one where you're supposed to talk about your weaknesses.
Admittedly, this is a tough. But if you make your "problems" a group of qualities that are actually slightly overenthusiastic positive attributes, you'll be well on your way to answering the question in a way that puts your candidacy in the best possible light.
You: Well, I've had to accept the fact that you can't always push others as hard as you might push yourself. I remember one instance where / probably alienated someone I was supervising at my current job by asking him to produce more than he thought was possible, and it led to a little friction between us. Of course, we were able to resolve that problem successfully I invited him to lunch the next day, and tried to get his perspective. We get along great now.
An answer like that shows that you are a creative manager of people, that you're oriented toward high standards when it comes to productivity, and that you know how to respond to a nasty question! That last element means more than you might think who do you think is going to be tougher to deal with, a personnel administrator throwing a trick question, or a customer who ordered something from Fancy Footwork six months ago and hasn't received it yet?
The key, again, is to try to show your "weakness" inaction in a way that silently advertises your strengths. That mindset should stay with you throughout your interview.
