Questions To Ask In A Sales Interview
Now that weve covered common sales job interview questions, its time to focus on the questions you should be asking the hiring manager. Remember, its a chance to determine if this job is the right fit for you, so its an opportunity worth seizing!
Here are ten example questions to ask in a sales interview:
NOTE: For more great questions to ask in an interview, check out our article!
Whats One Small Habit You Have At Work That Has A Huge Impact
Habits matter and superstars know that.
This is one of the more important behavioral sales interview questions.
You have to know your own habits to truly excel.
At the end of each day, I prioritize the next days activities.
I read one industry-related blog post every day to keep my skills sharp.
Small? Yes.
Keep that person. Theyre paying attention and it will help them win.
Unique Interview Questions To Ask Sales Candidates
Reps are notorious for knowing what to say. And that makes it extra difficult to evaluate them during an interview.
As a hiring manager, one of your jobs is to ask the right questions so you can get a reliable assessment of the candidates potential.
We reached out to and hiring experts to share their favorite interview questions, and here are some of the best responses:
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Over The Last Several Years Have You Been Working From Home Or From An Office
Interviewers ask this because:
They want to understand which environments youve worked in.
Workplaces are in flux right now all over the world. Some are back in the office, others are fully remote. Some offer certain days of the week in office, others offer certain teams to be in the office. Some require vaccinations, and some require masks.
How to answer:
Dont be afraid to be honest about your preference, but if being flexible is an option, make sure they know that.
If you know you will only succeed in an office or working from home, it is important to talk about it upfront.
How Do You Think Our Company Can Improve Sales
Research the company to identify what aspects of its operations could be expanded. Some businesses may be easier to fix than others, so choose your words carefully and make sure your criticism is constructive. Rather than criticizing the companys efforts, strive to provide more information in the form of facts and data. If you have a strategy in mind that you believe would benefit the firm, make sure you have a plan in place to put it into action.
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Tell Me About A Time You Had To Adjust Your Sales Strategy To Reach Your Target
This question helps hiring managers see how driven and ambitious candidates are. It also gives the candidate an opportunity to provide insights into valuable lessons learned. Similar to question #18, this question helps determine whether the candidate has absorbed lessons and feedback. If they arent able to provide an answer to this question or think there is no room for improvement in their sales strategy, thats not a great sign.
Talk About A Time You Had To Put Aside Your Ego And Do Something That Didnt Directly Benefit You But A Co
Talk about a time you had to put aside your ego, and do something that didnt directly benefit you, but a co-worker or your company? Most salespeople are great at selling themselves and communicating their successes. Its more difficult for them to put that aside when necessary, but those are the kinds of people you want on your team.
Bob Clary, Director of Marketing, DevelopIntelligence
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What Is A Quarter Of A Half
Its an intelligence question and its unacceptable for sales candidates to not know the answer since they are dealing with money. That being said, its incredibly surprising how many people get it wrong! Or, how many get it right, but arent quite sure they have it right. I want a salesperson who answers the question confidently and is almost offended that it was asked in the first place.
Bob Bentz, President, Advanced Telecom Services
What Is The Best Way To Build Trust With Prospects
This question is a great way to determine how a candidate works to build and maintain trusting relationships with prospects, an important part of securing consistent sales. You may ask this question to better understand their communication, interpersonal skills and trust-building techniques.
Example:”First, I begin with active listening. In my experience, prospects most often want to feel heard by their sales representative, so I do my best to listen carefully to all of their wants and needs. To convey my understanding of their situation, I often paraphrase the information they’ve given to me and ask clarifying questions when needed. Second, I try to be as honest as possible about our abilities to fulfill their requests. I believe that being honest and communicating openly with prospects is the most effective way to foster trust.
If there is a delay in our delivery, an issue with their order or an aspect of their request we simply cannot accommodate, I try my best to be as truthful as possible about the reasons for those setbacks. Prospects often appreciate honesty and integrity and are more willing to trust our company if they know I’m doing all I can to ensure their satisfaction.”
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Compile A List Of Open
You definitely want to get a sense of the organization in the interview, but that’s not the only reason you should do this as you prepare.
Think of your interview as a sales meeting. Open-ended questions are an important aspect of the “discovery” or “information gathering” aspect of the meeting. You can exercise your active listening skills to pick up on information that can help you in the interview.
At the very least, it gives the interviewer a chance to evacuate your skill at asking questions and imagine you with their prospects.
Now that you know what to do to prepare for the interview, heres some last-minute tips to maximize your chances of landing the job.
Have You Always Been Able To Meet Your Sales Targets
Past trends can help predict the future, and your answer will give interviewers an insight into how you will perform at the company, in terms of meeting deadlines and sales quota. Be honest, but highlight the positives more.
Sample Answer:
At XYZ Company, I was regarded as one of the top salespeople for the past five quarters. However, before this, I did have a rough quarter where I struggled to meet my goals. I was discouraged but I took it as a step toward success, where I could rethink my sales approach. So, I worked on the aspects that were holding me back, and it was great to see the tweaks pay off positively in the following quarters.
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How Soon Are You Able To Start
Interviewers ask this because:
They might want to get a sense of how serious you are about the role, but this question can also be about simple logistics. They know when they need somebody they want to know when youre available, so they can plan properly.
How to answer:
Standard time in the United States to give your current employer is 2 weeks notice. Other countries have different norms, though. In the UK, for instance, Ive heard of people giving 2-3 months notice.
Regardless, remember that how you treat your current employer is indicative of how youll treat them.
If you have another reason that would prohibit you from 2 weeks, be honest and clear. Theyll wait for the right person!
Example answer:
Id like to give my current employer two weeks notice, so I dont leave my team in the lurch. Im sure you can understand. Im available to start immediately after that.
Id like to give my current employer two weeks notice, so I dont leave my team in a bind. Its also very important to me that I start this new role with a clear mind, lots of energy, and free of distractions in my personal life, so Id like to ask for a week in-between roles.
If thats not feasible, I can be flexible. Im eager to get started.
What Is Most Important To You In Your Next Company
Interviewers ask this because:
They want to be sure you are a great match. As much as you want to show you are a good fit for them, they want to be sure they are a good fit for you.
They might also be trying to get a sense of your thought process as you search for a new role. Did you apply because you were just throwing spaghetti at the wall, or did you see something about their company that specifically drew you in?
How to answer:
Again, be honest. Come up with two to four things that are truly important to you in a working environment. They dont necessarily need to be things you already know about the company to which youre applying.
Maybe they reference workplace culture, tools that are available, management styles, access to resources, etc.
Example Answer:
Its important to me that Im part of an organization that aligns around a shared mission, and that it shows in my interactions with colleagues in other departments. Im also looking forward to being part of a team where everybody holds high standards for themselves and those they work with.
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Is Sales A Good Career
Sales can be a great career for several reasons. You can find sales positions in many industries, including retail, real estate, food service, technology, health care, and more. Many sales positions offer flexible hours, professional development opportunities, career advancement, and the potential for high earnings. The skills you learn in sales may apply to other roles or career paths, such as marketing, product development, or entrepreneurship.â
Interview Questions To Ask Every Sales Candidate
Content Marketing Manager at LinkedIn
65% of hiring managers in sales agree that a lack of soft skills among candidates limits their companys productivity. Of course, soft skills are notoriously difficult to screen forand theyre also central to the act of selling. A great salesperson is emotionally intelligent, quick on their feet, and eager to improve.
But you cant just ask candidates if they have those soft skills: theyll all say yes, obviously. Unless you can get a hold of Wonder Womans Lasso of Truth, direct questions will be a dead end.
Thats why many turn to behavioral interview questions . While they shouldnt be your only tool and there are other ways to screen for soft skills, they can still be super useful: , behavioral questions are the single most effective way to assess a candidate’s soft skills.
For those hiring in sales, the most important behavioral qualities are:
- Potential for growth
Read on for the three best interview questions to assess each soft skill in candidates according to sales managers plus a few bonus questions from a seasoned sales recruiter.
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Walk Me Through Your Resume/background
Interviewers ask this because:
They want an easy recitation of your relevant experience so they can start to assess fit. And they also want to see if you can hit critical and relevant points of a story in a short time.
How to answer:
Keep it to 90 seconds.
Spend time on the elements of your experience that are most relevant: A club at school? Athlete? Door to door sales? Lemonade stand? Waitress?
They dont need to know everything about each role theyll just want to hear the skills that you learned that will help you excel in sales.
Example answer:
In my most recent job experience, I managed the front desk with a busy multi-line phone system. While being responsible for multiple tasks, like greeting guests on arrival and receiving and sorting mail to 100+ employees, I learned how to comfortably handle communications and balance that work my other responsibilities. Before that, I interned at a public relations company and got some great exposure to how businesses position themselves in the market.
It was important to keep a positive attitude even when the external environment was hectic and ensure that the customer and their needs were always top priority. I believe both of these experiences are relevant and set me up for success in the fast-paced role of a customer-facing sales rep.
Creative Sales Interview Questions: In Person Interviews
At the end of the day, you need to hire sales reps that will make your team better than it already is. Look for people with unique skill sets, personalities, and an ability to work well on a team.
Believe it or not, these creative sales interview questions will help you hire the best reps. But, only you can decide who is the perfect fit for your team!
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What Accomplishments In Your Life Are The Most Important To You
What to look for:
This might seem like a huge ask, but the answer illustrates your candidate’s values and motivations. If the candidate tells a story of overcoming great odds to achieve a specific goal, that signals a driven and highly motivated salesperson. If a candidate’s most valuable accomplishment is finishing all seven seasons of The West Wing, you should probably move on.
For Senior Level Sales Positions Including Inside Sales
- How do you handle conflicts on your team?
- How do you approach a sales representative who is underperforming?
- Whats your experience in forecasting sales? Name any tools and software that you use.
- Describe a time when your team didnt manage to achieve sales quotas. What was your role in that experience? What did you learn, and what did you do differently for the next round of sales quotas?
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The Traits Of A Team Player In Sales
Patrick Lencioni, a bestselling author on sales leadership and team management, covered this exact problem in his book The Ideal Team Player: How to Recognize and Cultivate The Three Essential Virtues.
In his book, he lays out three traits that companies need to test for in order to hire team players on a sales team. He even argues that these traits are more important than skills alone. They are:
- Humility. Team players dont have big egos or concerns about status, they point out contributions of others and define success collectively and not individually.
- Hunger. Team players are always looking for moremore to learn, more responsibility and they are always thinking about the next step.
- Smarts. Team players have a great common sense of people, they ask good questions and deal effectively with others.
The key approach is to always look for all three traits of a team player. If theres even one missing, that sales rep might throw off the entire team balance, productivity and even trust.
For example, if a sales rep is missing the humility trait, he or she will know how to get what they want, but they wont mind if its at someone elses expense. On the other hand, if they are missing the hunger to excel, they will easily slack at workand potentially drag other reps down.
Are You Comfortable Analyzing Data
Sales managers should be comfortable analyzing data because, ultimately, data helps tell the story of how the product improves client processes or performance. Plus it can help managers set quota and build sales plans.
You have to be able to read historical data as it pertains to properly forecasting new business, but also empowering your sales teams with information thats going to drive impactful business decisions, Ashley Lochen, Sales Manager at DocuSign, said.
Example:Ive grown accustomed to analyzing data because I believe its crucial to understanding the sales process. I typically use tools such as and to conduct analysis on past sales. Both historical sales data and data surrounding the product itself will empower me and my team to set realistic quotas and accurately forecast sales plans.
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Tell Me Something Youve Taught Yourself Recently
Learners. We cant get enough of them.
But which kind of learner do you have on your hands?
Some do their yearly professional development and are satisfied with that.
Others couldnt stop soaking up information if they tried.
Theyre the ones youre looking for. Deep learners. They try to teach themselves more than just sales skills.
