CareerJournal.com offers this article – Facing Down the Fear Factor When You’re in a Job Interview. We talk about the fear factor in face-to-face interviews often. Personally, I like to see a touch of fear, or maybe nervousness is a better way to put it, in a sales position interview.
Of course, there are limits at both ends of the spectrum. An overly-nervous candidate does not project confidence and is difficult to imagine them running a successful demonstration in front of a grade A prospect. If the candidate is too smooth and calm, the slippery sales schmoozer image is conjured up in my imagination. It is a fine line to walk in a pressure-filled interview.
This quote from the article defines the interviewer’s perception of an overly nervous candidate:
“Anxiety can be compounded when they perceive they can’t meet the threat that faces them,” says Dr. Binning. Thinking that you’re only average may be one source of your anxiety, he says.
One note I should make is that entry-level sales positions are usually filled by young, green salespeople. They often display a nervousness in the interview that we would not want to see in a more experienced salesperson. However, we do consider their experience when completing our post-interview debriefing.
Some good advice for job seekers:
Since you tend to panic during interviews, running through the basic questions a couple of times before turning on the television is not good enough. You need to be prepared to the point where you can list your best qualities in staggering detail while parallel parking a Cadillac in a tight spot.
Again, taken too far and the canned answers will be a detriment. Best to have a general outline in your head and be able to support your comments with actual examples. Another sound bit of advice is to have some specific questions prepared to ask the interviewer. When we are interviewing, we always note the questions and question patterns that are asked by the candidate.