interview with real confidence

open role: enterprise account executive

• series b, $65M+ in funding, $10M in revenue

• team of 4 reps, hiring 2 more in the next month

• selling to technical buyers, head of engineering etc

• the infrastructure driving the future of agents/internet

• a product you’ve engaged with and didn’t even know it

• $300k ote + equity + insane upside + onsite in sf daily

interested? email me (you can just reply here)

my 2 cents: interview with real confidence

a lot of the dialogue around confidence is based on tone, self talk, and posturing. all good things, when applied correctly, but often only give you the appearance of confidence and not the substance of it.

i’ve written about tone/approach etc before - here and here 

but today i want to talk about the foundation of confidence that can withstand pressure tests. confidence that isn’t a mask or a facade. confidence that isn’t dependent on tone, self talk, or body language (all still valuable). confidence that goes beyond the surface and can truly be relied upon.

confidence: the feeling or belief that one can rely on someone or something; firm trust.

it’s easy to look at that and begin to dig into the emotional, psychological and interpersonal aspects of confidence in yourself, but I want to stay wildly practical.

the idea of “firm trust” in the context of interviewing and job hunting is really about the belief that you or the person you’re talking to can actually do what they’re saying. you have confidence, or trust, in the other half of the conversation.

a sense that tells you, “they know what they’re talking about.” not just that they can spout information, but that they intimately know the data behind their claims.

as a candidate, this looks like knowing your numbers and how to show your work

• being able to show how you arrived at that conclusion.

• you were #1 on your team, what about #2-5? how did they do?

• you were 120% to quota, but what was your quota?

• your ACV was $100k but what was your biggest deal and what was a normal deal? average doesn’t tell the story

  • if all you’re doing is spouting off stats but you don’t actually know what you’re talking about then why should they have “firm trust” in you?

this is super elementary in theory but in practice it’s a lot harder than you think and it’s often a reflection of how we approach our work. when we learn a motion to just check a box, we struggle in these scenarios. but when we learn the system behind the motion, it enables us to truly get it and in time, thrive.

if you’re struggling in interviews to really get into the weeds, i’d imagine you’re not getting in the weeds in the first place. so how do you do that?

• open up your crm and dig into the numbers

  • what does the data say right out the gate?

  • what story does it tell you from the “cover page”

• what story are you telling yourself and others, and where can you find it?

  • i’ve been claiming XYZ, is it there?

• look at the data like your manager should and ask yourself:

  • what data shows my strengths

  • what data shows my weaknesses

  • where’s the evidence to back my claims?

    • if you can’t find the data behind your claims, then you either need to find the proof or quit with the false claims

  • where’s the evidence against my claims?

    • don’t just give yourself confirmation bias. try and disprove yourself. you’ll either end up with stronger claims or more accurate information, both of which will increase your confidence

true confidence in these calls is tied to a deep knowledge and understanding of what you’re talking about so when (not if) you’re pressed you’re unfazed and you’re easily able to expand on what you just said with clarity and… you guessed it… confidence.

lots more to share on this but, i’m already a few hours behind on writing this and i have an adorable 2 year old son to go play with. greatest job in the world.

music for your friday