How Do I Prepare For A Technical Sales Interview
How do I prepare for a Technical Sales interview? How to Prepare for a Sales Interview
Considering this, What is a technical sales specialist?
Technical sales specialists work for establishments that produce or provide technical goods and services such as computer services firms, communications companies, and engineering firms. Medical equipment and supplies sales specialists work for pharmaceutical and medical equipment manufacturing companies.
Subsequently Why do you want to be in tech sales? Today, tech sales is all about getting to know your customer, building a relationship, and helping them solve their problems. The new generation of tech sales professionals are intellectually curious, driven not exclusively by money, but out of a passion and a desire to solve meaningful problems.
How do see yourself in 5 years?
How to answer where do you see yourself in five years? in an interview
Tips To Market Yourself In A Sales Interview
A sales interview can be tough, especially because the interviewers already have high expectations from you, with regards to your persuasive skills. If you cannot persuade the hiring manager to hire you for a sales job, then there are little chances that you would succeed in persuading their customers in buying something.
The best way to approach a sales interview is to think of it as a sales meeting. Understand the requirements of the interviewer and see what skills you have got that can be highlighted. Keep an outline ready as to what you can offer, that others cant, in terms of work ethics, resourcefulness, knowledge of the domain etc.
This is easier said than done. Hence, here are our hacks to market yourself in a sales interview:
Have A Rolodex And Flaunt It
Having contacts is essential, so ask around about the company. Prove to the interviewer that you know people in the industry, in the company, and that you’ve talked to them about working in sales.
Working in sales is like joining a team, so mention all your team, group, and social activities. Being on a sports team is a plus.
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Questions To Ask In A Sales Interview
Now that weve covered 10 common sales job interview questions, its time to switch gears and focus on the questions you should be asking the hiring manager. Remember, a big part of sales is solving the clients problems and in this situation the client is the hiring manager. Hiring managers ask you interview questions to make sure youre a right fit for the position theyre hiring forand your asking questions helps to determine if this job is the right fit for you!
Here are five example questions to ask in a sales interview:
- Is there travel associated with this position and if so, how much?
- Can you explain the commission structure for this position to me?
- Are there bonuses for sales?
- When it comes to negotiating with a customer, how much flexibility does the salesperson have?
- How does the company motivate the sales team?
NOTE: For more great questions to ask in an interview check out our article!
Where Do You See Yourself In 10 Years
Interviewers ask this question to check your stability, see if you are a success-driven person and if youd be the perfect candidate for the position you are applying for. When they ask this question, it is usually unclear if they mean long-term or short-term career goals. Now, you could simply ask them, OR you could answer both. Start with your short-term goal and move on to the long-term. This will tell the recruiter that you are a goal-oriented and rational person.
Answer Example:
As I will have to start my career as a sales representative, I would like to be a team leader in 2 to 3 years, gradually climb the stairway of success and hopefully, one day, be among the Top Level Management.
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Whats Different About A Sales Job Interview
Lets talk about what is different in a sales job interview first. Then Ill cover some basic interview preparation tips that you should follow.
First off, when you prepare for a sales job interview you need to show that youre driven and motivated.
Sales has its ups and downs and companies dont want to worry that theyre hiring someone who will constantly need encouragement if they have a bad week. So prepare to show them youre resilient and have faced challenges in your life and career.
Think of one or two examples of past challenges or tough weeks youve faced at work and how youve overcome them.
This will prepare you to answer questions like, Tell me about a time you failed?
In fact, even when you answer a basic intro question like, Tell me about yourself, you should already be thinking about how to show the resilient, motivated attitude that employers want in a sales interview.
How To Prepare For A Phone Interview
Phone interviews vary significantly between company and role. First off, lets distinguish between a screening call and a true phone interview. A phone screening is typically done be HR. This is simply to confirm you are a real person and to check some of the basic facts on your resume. From the companys perspective the purpose of this call is to rule out any red flags and then tee things up for the hiring manager. If you are getting a screening call from HR after submitting an application, your experience is probably somewhat in the ballpark of what the company is looking for. If everything goes well, you will be moving on to a conversation with the hiring manager.
This first conversation with the hiring manager may be a phone interview, or it may move straight to in-person. If it is a phone interview you need to prepare. This discussion will dictate if you even get an in-person interview. It will be much more in depth than the HR screening. Dont be caught off guard by this! The hiring manger typically starts by giving you a more detailed run down of the role, and then will start to off with some questions. These will be more pointed than the discussion with HR.
It is important to prepare for a phone medical device sales interview in the same level of detail as an in person interview. Make sure to research the company and work on how you will be presenting yourself.
Research The Company
Presenting Yourself
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Consider These Universal Job Interview Questions
These tried-and-tried prompts can also help you understand each candidates experience, skills, and personality traits.
- Tell me about yourself.
- Whats your biggest strength?
- Whats your greatest weakness?
- Why did you leave your last role?
- Where do you see yourself in five years?
- What do you like to do for fun?
- What did you like or dislike about your last company culture?
The Best Sales Interview Questions And Answers
So, how can you ensure you hire the sales representative with the ideal skillset, experience, knowledge and personality for the needs of your company.
No matter which sales role youre interviewing for, make sure you include these eight must-have sales interview questions.
1. How would you describe your perfect work environment in sales?
This question helps you uncover the expectations they have of their ongoing workload, their team, the office atmosphere and even the way tasks are planned and delegated.
While theres no one-size-fits-all answer to this question, it should help you work out how open your candidate is to reflect on their work, upskill on an ongoing basis and lift other team members up as opposed to aiming for individual goals only.
2.How did you land your most successful sale?
With this question, your potential sales rep should light up and confidently go into detail on their strengths and overall sales talent.
A good answer is one that reveals a candidate’s unique way of moving a sale forward. This sheds light into their communication skills and the sales strategies they employ.
Make sure to ask follow-up questions to learn more about their mindset throughout that success, as well as the way they dealt with any hurdles and even the way they celebrated this sale.
3.Walk me through your approach to the sales process in your most recent role.
4.What is your least favorite part of the sales process?
6.Why are you looking to leave your current job?
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Top 7 Tips To Prepare For A Pharmaceutical Sales Job Interview
Posted By: Lisa ManleyMay 13, 2016
You have put together a well written resume, networked and have lined up a few interviews, it is now time to prepare. Here are the top 7 recommendations on how to prepare for your interview from leading medical recruiters.
Once you find out who you are interviewing with get their backgrounds.
Knowing where the managers went to college, previous companies they worked for and who they are connected with on LinkedIn can all be beneficial during an interview. For example, if you do your research you may find out the hiring manager you are interviewing with went to the same college as you. This gives you some common ground and a good starting point for the interview. Take a look at who the hiring manager is connected with on LinkedIn, often you can see the background of his/her sales team. This gives you an idea of what type of sales representatives they hire and what their backgrounds look like. Again, you may recognize someone you know who can give you a strong reference.
When interviewing always do research on the company and the products.
Bring your resume.
Prepare a 306090 day sales plan.
Put you brag book together.
Prepare good questions for the interviewer.
Be ready to thank them.
Lisa Manley has been a recruiter for leading biotechnology, pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
What Do You Consider Your Most Significant Sales Achievement To Date
Why They’re Asking
This question is where interviewers give you an opportunity to make a meaningful impression. They want to know that you’ve been able to apply your skills effectively to legitimately impressive ends. They’re also looking to see how well you can identify the challenges you’ve faced and articulate the strategies you leveraged to overcome them.
How to Answer
Specificity is key here. People remember richly detailed stories of success. When fleshing out your crowning achievement, talk about the time, the specific obstacles you overcame, the people involved with the process, the steps you took to achieve the end result, and what happened afterward. Everyone loves a good sales story, so the more you can amp up the drama, the better.
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Why Do You Want The Sales Manager Position
This is a simple question that all employers will ask. They want an honest answer that shows why youre the right candidate as well as what you bring to the table. This is a great time to show you have done your homework and understand the company. Also, its appropriate to bring up some examples where you stepped up as a leader.
Example: I enjoyed what I read about this company and your products. I am ecstatic at the possibility of working for you. I love working with teams and helping to guide them to give it their all every day because thats what I will do as the sales manager. I appreciate all the rave reviews about your products and want to help get your sales to the next level.
In my previous job, I was promoted to start a new sales team and got to choose team members. I looked at everyones personalities, experiences, strengths and weaknesses to create a team that would balance each other. I know I can succeed as the sales manager for this company and want the opportunity to show you how I can help this company reach new heights.
Have A List Of Questions Ready
When the interview is coming to a close and youre asked if you have any questions, dont just say no. Thoughtful questions indicate to the interviewer two things: 1) your interest in the company and the role and 2) your ability to listen to what youve been told during the interview .
To avoid getting stuck, its safe to go in with a list of questions that you can pull out on request. Some examples include:
- What qualities do the most successful sales people at your company possess?
- What percentage of your sales force hit their targets?
- How much flexibility do sales people have to negotiate deals?
- What are the main barriers to success for your sales team?
- How big is your sales team and how is it structured?
- Whats the best thing about working in sales at the business?
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Sales Interview Questions And Answers
What Are You Most Proud Of
This question lets the interviewer know what you value about your past experiences. Its an opportunity to speak about accomplishments. Practice answering this in a brief and meaningful way before the interview, so that you give an answer that is meaningful.
Example answers:
I most value my 5 years at XYZ company because it gave me a solid successful sales foundation.
OR, you can make it more personal like this:
I am most proud of helping my brother get through college because our parents couldnt afford to pay for it, and it completely changed his future for the better.
Im most proud of my work on the board of ABC foundation because of the impact we have had on funding life-changing programs.
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Focus On Consultative Sales Skills
Remember that sales employers always want somebody who has what is most commonly referred to as a “consultative selling” approach. More or less, the term refers to a sales style that aims to uncover the client’s needs as opposed to the infamous sales style portrayed in the film Glengarry Glen Ross, which was most famously known for the mentality that regardless of what the client wants or is best for them, close the deal.
To express this unethical sales methodology in both an entertaining and theatrical manner, playwright David Mamet scripted the infamous “A.B.C.” or “always be closing” line.
How Do You Balance Work And Life
People ask this interview question for all kinds of reasons. Some want to assess your dedication to work, while others want to hear that youre not the kind of person who only lives to work.
Use your knowledge of your interviewers values and the work culture to tailor your answer a bit, without making up a story about yourself that isnt true.
Example answers:
I am pretty good at balancing work and life. I am able to leave the day behind me and shift gears to spend time with friends and family.
Im terrible at balancing work and life. Work gets the best of me. I am always thinking of the next step in moving the needle in sales.
Im great at balancing work and life. The funny thing is, when Im not working, I still find that I meet people that serendipitously lead to sales opportunities.
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Tell Me About A Time Conflict Arose Among A Team You Managed How Did You Handle The Situation
Although not ideal, conflict among team members happens. When it does, managers are often tasked with helping diffuse the situation. This question is designed to help you understand the candidates conflict resolution style.
Though the nuts and bolts of conflict resolution can vary depending on the situation, ideally you want a candidate who is willing to hear both sides of a situation and can facilitate a fair solution.
Be Prepared To Answer Specific Questions
Prove that you’re in touch with the industry by telling your interviewer what you’ll be able to do within a realistic time period if you’re hired for the job. Have a go-to-market strategy, and be able to talk about it.
“Every sales person applying for this job has great sales numbers. You need to highlight how much you sold and to whom, how your percentage exceeded the quota and how your previous successes can translate to the position you are interviewing for,” says Matthew Rothenberg, Editor-in-Chief of TheLadders.com.
Indicate that you understand sales cycles and you’ve thought about how to contribute to the company in specific, concrete terms. Prepare answers to questions like:
* Have you always met your revenue goals?
* What was your biggest challenge as a salesperson, and how did you overcome it?
* What sale are you most proud of and why?
* What would you do if a customer was being difficult and wouldn’t respond to you?
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