A very common yet frequently asked interview question needs solid preparation to make an impressive difference. It is challenging to answer a common question with a whole new notion in order to get hired. But, think of your sales career. You need to convince people with different strategies every time, be it B2B or B2C. So, when you’re answering this question properly, it would actually reflect your uniqueness.
These types of HR interview questions are tricky to let the candidate be confused or tense while answering them. Interviewees might do counter-question from your part of the answer. Most importantly, this question can be asked anytime during an interview. So, when you’re applying for a sales job, let’s be sure about your purpose to join. When you know the core answer by yourself, then only the tips to frame the answer properly or phrases to say or not would work.
The first step to prepare for such sales interview questions is to ask yourself, why would I do this job?
Why Do Interviewers Ask “Why Do You Want To Work Here?”
Try to put yourself on the other side of the desk and think from an employer’s perspective. A company wants to hire someone who can connect with their mission and cope up with the work environment. According to Gallup’s study, 85% of employees are not engaged or are actively participating at work which results in $7 trillion of loss in productivity.
Yes, it is basic math that you need a job and they have a vacant position to fill. But, it is not that simple as there are too many candidates for one position. So, you need to stand out and the hiring manager needs to be convinced with your answer, attitude, and approach. Also, you need to showcase how you can be the best fit for the targeted role as well as the company.
It may sound weird to answer a question like this but this one question has the weight to bring the final conclusion for an interviewee. Especially, in a competitive field like sales, it is more important to examine the candidate’s true potential.
How to answer “Why would you like to work with us?”
While answering this question, you need to map your reasons with the company’s mission to satisfy the interviewers. There are key points like your compatibility with the role, core values, and your match with the job description. The company’s work ethics and the job description play an important role to prepare this answer as the major points can be extracted from here.
Any vague answer won’t be entertained against this question as the interviewers want to know if you can get engaged in the work. Employee’s engagement is directly proportional to productivity. Also, a happy employee can keep others happy and motivated in a team.
Also check : How to prepare for sales interview
Top reasons to give for wanting to work for a company:
There are multiple reasons you can mention as an answer to work with the company. Here are some of them.
- Ambitious Goal: If you are a person who wants to set goals for his/her work and try to achieve it for steady progress, can work in an organisation that is maintaining a good track record. You can mention that you’re highly impressed by the company’s success and want to contribute to such a company.
It will show that you have done background research about the company and you’re enthusiastic about it.
- Standard of service: There are product or service-based companies that never compromise with the quality. You can mention these customer reviews and your own research and let them know that you want to work in an organisation where the quality standard is supreme.
It will again show how strongly you want to get this job and how strong your research is.
- Scope of Innovation: Try to tell the interviewers that you’re a person who loves to pish all the boundaries similar to this company. The new ideas they bring, and the way they push their production is impressive. You only want to work with such an organisation where there is a scope to innovate.
- Company Culture: You can mention that from your reference you heard that this company culture is very supportive and encouraging. So, it will give you an opportunity to work with a positive approach individually, or in a team.
It will show that you have good network and communication skills that are important as a sales executive.
SPR Formula
When you have a certain frame to prepare an answer for an interview, it has three advantages. Firstly, you can cultivate the answer stepwise that reduces the chance of forgetting any point. Secondly, a successful frame always keeps you in a better position and the interviewers are impressed. Thirdly, a frame or formula let the interviewer visualise your answer easily. So, there is no scope of confusion.
SPR stands for Standards, Plans, and Reputation. As mentioned in the previous section, it is important to mention proper reasons to join a company. So, if you don’t have any other potential reasons to show, use this easy formula to prepare your answer.
Standard: My work ethic is quite similar to this organisation’s standards. I am quite impressed with your work culture and standards. I want to work in a company where I can feel motivated and likewise, give my best efforts.
Plan: I would love to be a part of the exciting future plans as a sales manager. Your plan of action is interesting and unique. I prefer to work in a position where I can learn something new and contribute accordingly.
Reputation: Your strong and positive company reputation from both the employee side and customer side make it a very attractive workplace to apply for. I want to be a part of this organisation with a standard reputation.
Now, to use this structure, you need to do proper research. You cannot make a vague assumption that their market reputation is good or they have better plans for the future.
How to find the proper reasons to impress the Interviewer?
Find out the company’s official website
All the necessary information like the company’s vision or mission, their achievements, ‘About us’ are available on the website. Read them carefully to find out the core reasons which you can map with your own work ethic.
If it is a product-based company, you may find customer reviews, or news or brand endorsement as well. In the ‘About us’ section, their work culture and principal would b mentioned.
Any relevant points that you can mention in your answer should be noted.
Study the job description again
You might have studied the job description while applying for a position. But, for a detailed interview answer to show your concern about the position, you need to read it out again. To mention the specific job responsibilities and how you can be a good fit for them, you need to study the job description once again.
Check the social media sites
The social media platform is another great medium to find out relevant news, company announcements, reviews and feedback. Check their official handles as well as different job review sites to understand their actual policies and work environment. You can also find i=out customer reviews, ratings, company’s popularity from the social media platforms.
Identify your core interests
Before proceeding further to make a good answer, try to find your favourite things about the position and job along with your long-term career objective.
Try to ask questions to yourself to find out what motivates you to work in sales, what are the work cultures you want to have in your job, and what are the core values you admire in your role model. These self-analysis questions would help you to find out your interest.
Sample Answers:
#1
Before I applied for this job, I visited your website and got to know that you’re launching a new project this year. I found this project innovative and I want to be a part of this one. I like to work where I found a chance to learn new things or innovate something. I am highly impressed by your products that come with a new idea. In this role, I can work with enthusiasm and the new opportunities will always motivate me to work hard. Also, I heard that your company maintains a positive vibe and supportive working environment. In such an environment, I can see my career growth as an individual as well.
#2
In my last job, there was not much scope for my growth and the working environment was toxic. I want to work in an organisation where I would not only come for earning money but also to grow positively. Your company mission really inspired me and I want to be a part of this. I really appreciate your idea to support an NGO every year irrespective of the fluctuating revenue. This cause would give us motivation to work hard as an employee. Also, I would love to work in an organisation that has 20+ years of reputation in this country.
#3
I have been working in sales for almost 5 years now. But, the support you as a company provide to its employees is unbelievable. I want to join this company where everyone can feel their worth and the company respects each one’s contribution. I have some of your existing employees in my network and they are very satisfied with this culture. That is why I applied for this job and want to work with you.
Similar Interview Questions:
- Why do you want to work here?
- Why do you want to work for us?
- What made you want to apply for a job with this company?
- Why Do You Want To Work For Us, Why Do You Like This Company?
- Why are you interested in this job and the company?
- Why Do You Want This Job?
- What makes you interested in this company and in this position?
- What are your motivations to work for us?
- Why would you like to work here and not somewhere else?
- Why would you be interested in this role and in the company?
- What makes you want to work for us?
Sales interview questions can be asked after anwering this question:
The targeted interview question can also be asked after you answer any of the following questions.
- Why do you want to work in sales?
- Tell us your motivation behind working in sales.
- Why did you apply for this position?
- What are the reasons to work in sales?
- Can you tell us any benefit of working in sales?
- Please tell us what are your strong points to work in this position.
Mistakes to Avoid while answering “Why would you like to work with us?
- Assume Something about the Company
People tend to assume that a company has supportive work culture or innovative projects and mention them as their reasons. Don’t follow such bad ideas and don’t be lazy. Complete the whole research before you prepare your answer and deliver a legit one.
- Deliver Vague Answer
Vague answers like ‘I desperately looking for a job’, or ‘I like to work in sales and I got to know about this job, so applied for it, or ‘I need money are not going to satisfy the interview panel. These answers would only show that you don’t have clarity in your thoughts, or there is a lack of potential future career goals.
- Be too Honest
Yes, in answers like this, being too honest can make the outcome hard. One of the major reasons to apply for a job is to earn money or be employed. But, this answer is not enough to inform why you’re the best fit for a particular company. You need to think from their perspective and prepare an answer that helps the interviewer to choose you over someone else.
Summary
In this article, all the approaches are covered with which you can answer this HR interview question, why you want to work with us in sales. Note that this is a very common question and can be asked anytime during an interview. Important to know that for this question you don’t need to focus on your core sales skills but your work ethics. The better you map your professional views with the company standards, the more chances you will get selected.
