Q & A

Sales Interview Questions and Answers Essential Guide Although the sales role varies from employer to employer you can anticipate likely sales interview questions by reviewing the knowledge and core competencies (skills and abilities) required for success in all sales jobs. The knowledge requirements will vary depending on the organization, the product or service, the scope and seniority of the sales job. However typical knowledge requirements for a sales job include: Job Interview Guides Overview Accounting Job Call Center Job Customer Service Manager Job Project Manager * sales and marketing principles, techniques, strategy and tactics * sales control systems * computer and software applications * administration processes * basic business principles. Interview questions around the knowledge requirements are answered by reviewing your resume or CV as they refer directly to your qualifications, training and work experience. Expect sales interview questions such as: "Detail a typical sales cycle in your last position?" "How many appointments did you have in a typical week?" "How much time do you spend directly with a customer or prospect on an average day?" "What percentage of your targets did you achieve?" 1

The sales interview will focus on questions that look for evidence of the core competencies needed to succeed in a sales job. You will be asked to provide specific examples of when you have previously demonstrated the required competency. You should reflect on your past experiences, select appropriate examples and plan your response using the following structure: * Describe the specific situation or task you were involved in * Detail the action and steps you took in the situation * Outline the results and outcome of your actions. What happened, what was accomplished, what did you learn? Go through the sales interview questions that explore these essential competencies. Use the answer guidelines to help you prepare your own excellent interview answers. Sales Interview Questions Adaptability Sales jobs involve dealing with a wide range of people, the ability to adjust your approach to the situation is an important job requirement. "Tell me about a situation where your contact person changed at a key account, how did you adjust to the new contact?" "Give an example of when you had to change your approach to a prospect because the initial one failed." Answer Guidelines : Show how you maintain performance and your effectiveness in different situations and faced with different people. Include how you are able to adjust your approach to match different demands and challenges Resilience Key to continued success in sales is the ability to handle disappointment and rejection. "Tell me about a time you worked hard for a sale but didn't get it in the end, how did you handle the situation?" "Give an example of when you had to overcome strong resistance from a customer." Answer Guidelines : Describe how you have maintained enthusiasm and performance after disappointment. How you are able to take negativity in your stride and bounce back quickly. Include examples in your sales interview answer of persistence and determination in finding solutions to obstacles or challenges. 2

Persuasiveness Sales interview questions will focus on your ability to persuade and influence others to accept your product or service. "Describe a recent approach you took with a brand new prospect." "Tell me how you developed your largest account." sales interview questions Answer Guidelines : Describe how you determine customer needs and select the most suitable approach to demonstrate how your product or service meets those needs, deciding on the right interpersonal and communication style. Include how you are able to anticipate and overcome objections, and gain commitment from the customer. Motivation A strong sense of purpose together with the ability to maintain a high energy level are important contributors to sales success. "Tell me about one of the most time-consuming sales you have made." "What goals have you set for yourself this year, how have you ensured progress towards them?" Answer Guidelines : Show how you set yourself challenging goals and put in high levels of effort and commitment to achieve results. Negotiation A core sales competency is the ability to reach agreement through successful negotiation. "Describe a recent situation where you negotiated terms with a tough customer." "Tell me about an important negotiation that failed, what went wrong and why?" Answer Guidelines : Describe your ability to explore the needs and concerns of the customer, to determine areas of agreement and disagreement, to work out alternatives and solutions to reach a workable agreement for both parties.

Presentation Skills Sales involves presenting information effectively and convincingly to potential customers. "Tell me about successful formal presentation you made recently." 3

"Give me an example of when you had to make a presentation to an unresponsive audience, how did you handle it?" Answer Guidelines : Detail your research and preparation of material for a target audience. Describe how you establish the importance of the presentation to the audience, your ability to organize the content in a logical way, how you read an audience's mood and interact effectively with them. Expect and prepare for sales interview questions that investigate your motivation and commitment, such as: "What do you regard as the biggest challenge in a sales position?" "What do you enjoy and what do you dislike about sales?" "What attracts you to a career in sales?" What Else You Need to Know for Your Sales Interview Your ability to make an impact, to create a good impression and command attention and respect will be observed during the sales interview. Speak with a confident tone and make sure your posture indicates an attentive and open attitude. The way you communicate and your ability to actively listen will be assessed as you interact with the interviewer so speak clearly and concisely, choosing your words with care and using correct grammar. Listen closely to the sales interview questions and ask for further clarification if you do not properly understand something. Whatever job you are applying for, interviewers use some common questions to evaluate the candidate. Review these standard interview questions with sample answers by clicking on common job interview questions and answers Salesperson job description Consider the sales interview as a key sales call that requires planning, commitment and effective presentation to prepare for success!

Typical interview questions and sample interview answers below. What did you like/dislike most about your previous job? What do you like most about your current or last job? The interviewer wants to evaluate your compatibility with the position you are interviewing for. Make your answer relevant to the job requirements. General 4

reasons such as new challenges, interacting with people, growth and learning opportunities, using your initiative, working as part of a team and meeting set objectives and goals are usually applicable to most job opportunities. Highlight the reason and make it more specific by quoting an example. "I enjoyed having to use my initiative. I have implemented and improved a number of the systems including the order processing system." What do you like least about your current or last job? With typical interview questions like this be careful that the dislikes you talk about do not refer to specific characteristics of the job opportunity you are interviewing for. Stay away from reasons such as overtime and salary. Avoid criticism of your boss, management or co-workers. Be general and refer to the lack of or absence of what you seek in a job or work environment. For example, "There was very little opportunity for me to use my initiative. I regard this as one of my strengths and found it frustrating that I was unable to get past the bureaucracy of such a big company to implement any improvements. That is why I am enthusiastic about working for a smaller company like this which I know encourages employees to use their initiative." Or "There was a lack of growth opportunities in such as small company. One of the reasons I am so interested in your company is that it is a much larger organization with formal career planning structures in place." This way you emphasize why you are a suitable candidate for this job and company as well as turning it into a compliment to the company you are interviewing with. What do you like and dislike about the sales process? This question is asked to explore the candidate's self-awareness and motivation. Know your strengths in the sales process as these will translate into what you like. Your "likes" and strengths should correspond to the main priorities of this sales position. For example, if your strength is negotiating, describe how you enjoy this aspect of sales and your satisfaction at coming up with win-win solutions. Highlight how this has resulted in both satisfied customers and increased sales which is what this position is looking for. When responding to the "dislikes" go carefully! The best approach is to choose a characteristic of your present or previous company such as its poor delivery on the sales you made or its lack of flexibility when it came to negotiating sales solutions. Answer in a positive manner as someone who is able to take these sort of problems in their stride and constructively improve on them. For example if the delivery of company products was slow and 5

resulted in angry customers, discuss how you instituted a follow-up process that accelerated delivery. What do you think are the most important skills in succeeding in sales? Put a number on the skills so that you can structure your sales interview answer around this. For example, "I think the 3 most important sales skills are ...". Rather than referring to specific sales techniques focus on competencies and abilities that every successful salesperson needs, such as: * the ability to adjust your approach to different people and situations * the ability to ask the right questions and listen carefully * the ability to deal with disappointment and rejection * the ability to stay motivated with a high energy level * the ability to plan and prepare * the ability to influence and persuade * the ability to negotiate and reach agreement What technique have you found most successful in handling objections When answering this sales question acknowledge that objections happen frequently during the sales process but that you view them as a positive rather than a bad thing. An objection is a request for more information from the customer and gathering and giving information is one of the key steps to making the sale.

Highlight how you view an objection as an opportunity to engage in conversation about something the customer is interested in. Then focus on an effective strategy that you use to work through the objection. This could include the following key steps to handling an objection: * listen to and acknowledge the concern *ask questions to clarify and ensure you have got to the real objection *empathize with the objection *put forward a proposal to overcome the concern *confirm that you have answered the concern 6

In the current sales environment, what is the process you go through to qualify prospects? This question is designed to evaluate your ability to assess what is a solid prospect and not waste your efforts on poor prospects. In tough economic conditions sales people can waste precious resources chasing every lead that comes their way. Focus on the characteristics of a good prospect including the actual needs of the customer, the customer's budget and the real authority of the customer to make the buying decision. Sales interview questions and answers about your knowledge and application of sales principles and practices will include: What do you consider the key skills in closing? Key points to keep in mind when answering this sales interview question are: *recognizing buying signals both verbal and non verbal *not attempting to close too early *familiarity with different closing techniques such as the alternate choice method *allowing the buyer the appropriate time and silence to respond to the close *to stop selling once the sale is made How would you describe your previous manager/boss/supervisor When answering typical interview questions about previous managers avoid saying anything that can be interpreted as negative. It sends up a red flag about your attitude to authority and supervision. Even if there is something truly negative about your boss rather try to find something positive to focus on. The answer you give should be fact-based and not just your opinion. For example: "My manager was very experienced, he had managed a number of big call centers over the past 12 years. He liked his staff to be able to work independently and I had to learn quickly to become independent about analyzing problems and finding solutions."

How would your co-workers describe you? What motivates you in your job? How do you define success in your job? 7

Describe your ideal job How do you handle conflict? What has been the most difficult situation you have faced?

The knowledge requirements will vary depending on the employer, level and scope of the manager job. However typical knowledge requirements for managerial or supervisory jobs include: * business and management principles * strategic planning 8

* administrative procedures * operating systems * read and interpret accounting and financial reports * budgets * organizational planning tools * information processing applications * relevant software applications * human resource management principles Manager interview questions around the knowledge requirements are answered by reviewing your resume or CV as they refer directly to your qualifications and work task experience. Anticipate and plan for questions that explore your training and qualifications and your task experience, with reference to the specific knowledge requirements listed. Examples include: "What methods have you used to evaluate employee's job performance?" "What experience do you have in setting budgets?" "What systems have you developed and implemented to improve operating efficiency in your department?" Motivation "Give me an example of when you successfully motivated your staff using incentives or rewards." "Describe a time you had to motivate a staff member who was reluctant to undertake an assignment. manager interview questions Answer Guidelines : Show how you determine the appropriate motivation strategies for your staff members by understanding their different needs and perspectives. Include the communication of goals and visions to your staff, gaining commitment to these, establishing appropriate reward and incentive structures and supporting and leading staff to success. Staff Development "Describe a time you had to provide training or coaching to different staff members on the same tasks." "Give me an example of when you had to provide feedback to a staff member who was performing poorly, how did you go about this and what was the outcome?" Answer Guidelines : Show how you have facilitated the development of knowledge and skills, how you adjust your approach according to the 9

individual and provide support where needed. Discuss how you are able to assess the needs of your staff, establish a plan for improvement considering available resources and the individual requirements and gain agreement to this plan. Staff Communication "Give me a specific example of when you had to clearly communicate your expectations to a subordinate." "Tell me about the steps you took to establish rapport with a new staff member." Answer Guidelines : Show how you communicate information effectively to an individual or group, adjusting your approach according to the situation. Include your ability to see the other person's perspective and establish a constructive relationship. manager interview questions Work Management "Talk me through a short term plan you developed and implemented for your department." "What methods have you used to prioritize work assignments?" Answer Guidelines : Describe your ability to establish objectives, set priorities, plan proper assignment of tasks, allocate resources effectively, use appropriate organizational tools and follow up on work status. Expect manager interview questions that explore your motivation and commitment to a managerial position, such as: "What do you consider to be the most challenging thing about being a manager?" "What are the recent trends in management that you have come across?" "How would you describe your management style?" What management style have you found to be most effective? The interviewer is evaluating your ability to adapt your management style to different people and circumstances. Describe how you are able to employ different management styles and interpersonal skills to get the best out of the situation. Give reasons why you use a particular management style in a certain situation and why it works. For example: "I find that it is not effective to use only one type of management style, I have to adapt according to the individual I am dealing with and the situation. For example with inexperienced employees I use a management style that 10

involves a high level of task instruction and close supervision. I find this effective because the employee needs to be secure that they know exactly what to do and how to do it. They also require constant support to build their confidence. For a more experienced employee who is comfortable with the work, I delegate the task and expect them to come to me for help if they need it. This demonstrates my trust in their ability to do the job on their own." Work-force diversity has important implications. Managers need to be able to recognize employee differences and respond to those differences in ways that ensure effective working relationships. Management interview questions will include: What type of people do you work with most effectively? This is basically asking what type of employees do you get on with and what type of employees do you find it difficult to work with. management interview questions This is an important question because it again evaluates the flexibility of your management style. Are you able to communicate and interact effectively with a variety of individuals? Are you able to establish good working relationships with a diverse group of employees? "I work well with people who are hardworking, competent and confident of their abilities. Obviously I have had to manage people who do not fall into this category. When this happens I set myself the challenge of developing the employee and helping them to use their skills to their fullest potential. My goal is to support them towards competence and confidence through guidance, direction and mentoring." What aspect of your management style would you like to change? No-one is the perfect manager so denying that you have any areas for improvement shows a lack of self-awareness and insight. Focus on an aspect of your management style that you're working to improve. Describe the steps you're taking and give evidence on your progress. "I have been trying not to give my employees the answers when they ask for help with a problem. They need to learn how to come up with the solutions themselves and I need to guide and facilitate this process. I have read up on how to do this and have put these facilitation skills into practice. For example, I allocate however much time is needed to sit down with the employee and work through the problem. We discuss it, I give my view of the situation and then ask the employee to go away and think about the best solution." The manager's relationship with his or her employees is determined by the management style employed. This relationship, because of the current economic downturn and downsizing, is more vulnerable than ever before. Expect tough management interview questions that explore your ability to handle diverse employees and changing work situations. Prepare insightful interview answers that highlight your ability to effectively do this. 11

12