How to Sell Yourself in an Interview | 6 Best Strategies

An interview is like a sales pitch.

You're selling the interviewer on you.

Knowing how to sell yourself is a fundamental life skill that will help you go farther, faster.

Turn your next interview into a job offer with these tips on how to sell yourself in an interview.

What is selling yourself in an interview?

Selling yourself in an interview means actively taking steps to convince the hiring manager to choose you for their open marketing role.

Imagine yourself as a salesperson, but what you're selling is yourself and your customer is the company you're interviewing for.

Take an active role in securing the position by using some of the tactics we're about to share.

How to sell yourself in an interview

When trying to sell yourself in an interview, everything matters from what you say to how you say it.

It involves going above and beyond standard interview preparation and will help you better perform in your next interview.

The best way to sell yourself in an interview is

1. Deserve confidence
2. Speak with enthusiasm
3. Tailor yourself to the role
4. Distinguish yourself from the competition
5. Choose an industry-appropriate outfit
6. Practice and prepare

Deserve confidence

It's not just what you say, it's how you say it.

Nerves are normal, but if you want the hiring manager to believe you're the best fit for the role, you have to believe it too.

That means you need to deliver your answers confidently. 

Would you believe a salesperson if they seemed like they doubted themselves? Probably now.

So to sell yourself in an interview effectively, you need to believe in yourself completely.

Speak with confidence in an interview and don't over-explain yourself when answering interview questions.

Keep your answers concise and embrace the silence. You shouldn't feel the need to fill silence with words.

Some of the best negotiating you'll ever do is when you're not talking!

Speak with enthusiasm

Use your enthusiasm and excitement to overcome your fear.

Excitement and fear are the exact same thing in your body.

The only difference is what your brain calls it.

Before your next interview, tell yourself that you're excited, not afraid, to use enthusiasm to overcome fear.

Speak with energy and that energy will become contagious.

Remember, interviews can easily get boring for hiring manager's so make yours memorable with positive, enthusiastic energy.

Tailor yourself to the role

In order to be successful when trying to sell yourself in an interview, you need to make the interview about THEM!

Think about the advertisements you see on trying to sell you on what they offer. 

You won’t see a GEICO ad saying, “We need to sell more insurance. Please buy more insurance”.

You therefore don't want to say, “I need a marketing job. Please hire me for a marketing position.

Instead, GEICO focuses on how you'll benefit: 15 minutes could save you 15% or more.

You should focus on how the company will benefit from hiring you to effectively sell yourself in an interview.

Do not give the same interview answers to the same companies.

Instead, study the job description to tailor your answers to the role.

You can’t sell yourself effectively in an interview without first understanding your audience and making your interview answers about what your audience (the company) needs.

For example, if a company asks you, "what is your greatest strength", list an attribute the company stated they wanted in the job description.

Don't just give a blanket answer to every company. Make it unique to the company's needs.

Distinguish yourself from the competition.

The most highly coveted marketing positions have hundreds of applicants and it's your job to find a way to stand out in the sea of applicants. 

Think about what makes you unique and highlight that throughout your interview.

All candidates can sometimes look similar, so to sell yourself in an interview you need to focus on what makes you unique to stand out as an applicant.

If you're not sure what makes you unique, ask your friends and family for help!

Ideas on how to differentiate yourself in an interview:

• Your background is in an area not related to the job, allowing you to bring a unique perspective
• You have a strong, personal connection to the brand or company
• Ask thoughtful questions that show you've done extensive research on the company
• Share a marketing campaign you came up with that you think would benefit the company
• Call out the elephant in the room. Whether it is your lack of experience, lack of required tech expertise or having been fired from your last job, don’t wait for the interviewer to mention it
• Share a portfolio showcasing examples of your previous marketing work experience

Choose an industry-appropriate outfit

It may not seem important, but your outfit can help you sell yourself in an interview.

We've all heard the saying that goes something like, "Don't dress for the job you have, dress for the job you want to have." 

We have a slight twist on that. Replace the word job with company.

There is never going to be one answer for what to wear in an interview because it's going to depend on the industry and company.

What’s appropriate for an interview at a fashion magazine, tech start-up, and retail job differs.

When in doubt, it's always better to overdress to show the hiring manager that you take yourself and the interview seriously.

Remember that interviewers are like any other person. They tend to like candidates that are just like them.

You can do some LinkedIn stalking to see what the employees typically wear and try to match that.

Also, if it's a Zoom interview, ditch your sweatpants for something more professional. Even if the interviewer can't see bellow your waist, it will help you feel more confident-- trust us!

Practice and prepare

The more you practice, the more confident you'll become and the better you'll be able to sell yourself in an interview

Write down exactly how you are the best candidate, choosing words that align with the qualities the employer is seeking.

Then, write down 3-5 key stories or experiences you want to highlight in your interview. 

Memorize those main points so you can incorporate them naturally into your interview and effectively sell yourself.