Sales Interview Competency Questions

Perfect Planning Prevents Poor Performance... some people add a few more P's to that but not us!

If you want to win your dream sales job, perfect planning for your sales interview is an absolutely crucial part of your process.

Based on what our clients tell us and years of sales recruitment and recruiter experience, we've put together some key, important sales interview tips and questions that get asked at sales interviews.

Hope you find them useful...

Sales

• What targets/KPI’s/Objectives do you work to now?

• When have you exceeded targets? How often and by how much?

• How would you approach business development?

• What do you do when you are given a new target?

• Describe a time when you have gone beyond the call of duty to achieve a target?

• Provide an example of when you have overcome an objection and achieved a sale?

Relationship Building

• Provide an example of a successful client relationship that you have nurtured from cold?

• Explain how you build a client/candidate relationship, what approach do you take?

• When have you turned a difficult working relationship around?

• What is a positive working relationship to you?

• How do you maintain a positive working relationship?

Communication

• When have you had to communicate something difficult to a client or candidate?

• How do you adjust your communication when speaking at different levels?

Team Work

• What do you expect from you team?

• Provide an example to show you are a good team player.

• How would you approach fitting in with your new work colleagues?

Negotiation 

• Describe the most challenging negotiation you have conducted. What was so challenging about it? Which of your negotiating techniques was most effective? What were the results?

• Trust is an important factor in negotiating. Share a situation in which your ability to gain the trust of the other person(s) was key to your success in negotiating

Multi Tasking

• Provide examples of when you have successfully multi tasked.

• Provide an example of when you have thought on your feet to resolve a difficult situation.

Cold Calling

• How would you approach cold calling new clients?

• How would you organise a cold calling task if you a) have been given a number or clients and candidates to call? b) Given an objective that you have to break down and develop.

Personal

• What motivates you to be successful?

• What are your aspirations?

• What do you like about your current employer?

• What would you change about your current employer and why?

• How would you describe yourself?

• How would your manager describe you?

• What are your strengths and where do you need development?

• Why do you want this job?

• Why should we employ you?

• What can you bring to this organisation?