Who would ask 32 questions in a job interview? No one. Take your personal pick from these thought-provoking ones. Just know that softball questions don’t work well in job interviews. You don’t find out what you really need to know –is this interview worth my time? No matter what side of the desk you sit on, you need to dig deeper to find your dream sales job or the next future Sales Superstar. Here are 32 excellent questions – 20 for a Sales Manager and 12 for a Salesperson.
The 20 Best Interview Questions for a Sales Manager
Q. How do you go about convincing clients to buy from you?
Q. Are you more inclined to advise and suggest options to clients or just tell them what they need to do?
Q. How does that influence your selling style?
Q. What personality do you have in front of clients?
Q. Is that who you naturally are, or who you need to be to influence clients to buy?
Q. How do you encourage clients to take action and develop a sense of urgency?
Q. What’s your natural intensity level like?
Q. How would you describe your work ethic?
Q. How is your level of detail orientation and ability to be thorough with clients?
Q. What systems do you use to ensure that things don’t fall through the cracks?
Q. To be successful, a Salesperson needs to be good at (fill in the blank).
Q. What do most salespeople do too much of?
Q. What should smart salespeople focus on?
Q. What do clients want from Salespeople?
Q. What actions lead to sales success?
Q. What actions lead to the lack of success?
Q. Tell me about the best Sales Manager you’ve ever worked for.
Q. What was it about his or her style that worked so well for you?
Q. Without mentioning names, tell me about the worst Sales Manager you’ve ever worked for.
Q. Why didn’t his or her style work for you?
Summary: Stop focusing on the standard questions about work history and strengths and weaknesses. Get to know the real Salesperson on the inside – what motivates him or her to perform and how are they best suited to the culture and environment you have to offer.
The 12 Best Interview Questions for a Professional Salesperson
Q. Do you mind me asking if the Sales position is newly created or are you looking for a new person?
Q. Do you mind me asking why it’s currently vacant? Did the Salesperson leave or were they not successful?
Q. What was it that made them unsuccessful?
Q. What does the right Salesperson have to be good at in this position?
Q. What are your expectations of me in the first two weeks? 30 days? 60 days? To be able to pass the probationary period? Do you mind me asking how long it is?
Q. Tell me about your best Salespeople. What makes them successful?
Q. Tell me about the Salespeople that aren’t meeting your expectations. What aren’t they doing right? How could they improve?
Q. Could I be so bold as to ask about your management style? How do you like to manage?
Q. What kind of Salesperson thrives with you as his or her Sales Manager?
Q. What kind of Salesperson doesn’t?
Q. What’s the one thing that drives you nuts about Salespeople? This would be the thing that I should avoid, if you offer me the job.
Q. If you think that I might be the right person for the job, would it be OK for me to chat with some of your Salespeople? Maybe one of your top billers and another Salesperson who’s recently started with you. Please know that I just want to make sure that we are both making the right decision. I really want to stay with my next employer for many years to come.
Q. Are you OK with me asking all of these questions?
Summary: Stop focusing on pay, benefits and vacation-time. Get to know the person inside the Sales Manager you are thinking of calling “boss.” Does his or her style work with you? Does this company have the right culture and attitude to keep you motivated and productive for years to come?
Final point: Employment is a two way street. It takes both parties wanting to work hard for each other to create a successful relationship for years to come. You’ll spend half of your career searching for it. If you’re lucky and smart, you’ll hang onto it for the rest.
Thanks for reading!
PROSALESGUY TRAINING offers Keynote speaking, Group Sales Training, Individual Sales Training, Sales Management Mentoring and Consultation, and Business Consulting Services in Victoria, Vancouver, Edmonton and Calgary. Training can be done on site or via web conferencing.
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