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Sales Interview Questions and Sample Answers

Are you comfortable making cold calls? - Best Answers

What Are Your Strengths and Weaknesses?

Bring up strengths that are important for telemarketing, such being a good listener, understanding customer needs, relating to customers and being a persuasive speaker.

When you point out a weakness, always follow up with how you’ve worked to overcome it, especially in a job setting.

Are You Comfortable Making Cold Calls?

Don't just say yes. Follow it up with why. For example:

Absolutely. I enjoy reaching out to people with new products and ideas.
I am comfortable making cold calls. I have found that some of my most interesting sales have been the result of a cold call, to someone who was rather unsure of their interest in my product at our first meeting.
I don't mind making cold calls, but I prefer to start my sales cycle with a customer who has shown some interest in the product. Warm leads are proven to be more cost-effective in the long term, and they are a more efficient use of my time spent calling.

What Motivates You to Sell?

With cold calling, keeping your motivation high is key. Convince the interviewer of your enthusiasm with these answers:

I really enjoy educating people on products that could help them or make their lives more enjoyable. I like to keep in mind that they would never know about these products if I didn’t make that call.

I feel a lot of pride when I complete a sale and provide a great service to a new customer.
I am very competitive and enjoy achieving and surpassing sales goals.
I love the teamwork environment of working in a call center.

How Many Calls Per Hour Can You Make?

You might hear this question if you come to the interview with prior telemarketing experience.

Be prepared to share how long your average call handle time was and how many calls on average you accomplished per hour. Explain any variables, such as if you used predictive dialing, and how those variables increased or decreased your efficiency.

How Do You Handle Negative Customer Reactions?

It’s inevitable that you’ll encounter angry customers who resent telemarketing calls. Explain your philosophy of handling such calls, and if you can, provide a specific instance that you handled well. For example:

I know customers are not always in the mood to receive a call. I find that apologizing often calms customers down. I always try to set up a callback time, because I don’t want the customer to miss out on the valuable product or service I am offering them.

Is Cold Calling Dead?

Some interviewers may throw in this trick question to measure your level of enthusiasm or knowledge of the industry. If the answer were yes, you wouldn’t even be interviewing for this position. So prep yourself with a positive spin on the question:

A lot of conditions in sales can change, but connecting with people never does. When I pick up the phone and call potential buyers, I control what I say and how I say it. I can keep the call focused on the customer and the value the product can provide.

Sales Job Interview Tips

Before you head out to your interview, review these sales job interview tips so you can convincingly sell your most important product — yourself — to an employer who is well-versed in sales strategies.

Have you consistently met your sales goals? - Best Answers

How to Answer

Prepare beforehand. Come ready to talk about your greatest achievements in sales. Before the interview, look back at your sales record. Note any periods of great achievement or success. By preparing beforehand, you will be better able to answer the question.
Quantify your answer. Whenever possible, use numbers to quantify your success. You might mention by how much you exceeded a sales goal, how many times you exceeded a sales goal, or even how much money you made for a company. These kinds of answers show the employer how you will add value to their company.
Explain how. If possible, explain how you met your sales goals in the past. Perhaps you developed a new sales strategy, or worked particularly well on team sales. Explain how you achieved success so the employer can better understand your skills.

Don’t blame others. Sometimes an employer will ask a question such as, “Tell me about a time you did not achieve your sales goals.” These kinds of negative questions can be tricky. However, avoid blaming others – such as your employer or coworkers – for a failure. Briefly describe the circumstances of the event, but then focus on how you improved your sales afterwards. By focusing on the steps you took to achieve success the next time, you will show the employer that you are innovative and can handle a challenge.

Sample Answers About Meeting Sales Goals

Yes, I have met or surpassed my sales goals every quarter over my five-year career in the business. For example, last year I led my team to exceed our sales projections by 20 percent — and we accomplished this in a very challenging market when most of the other teams in our group fell short. A lot of this success had to do with the strength of our team – I fostered a strong sense of teamwork among my staff, and this helped us surpass our goals together.
I have always met or exceeded my professional sales goals, and most often my personal ones too, especially during the last few years. With my experience I have learned to set my personal goals at an attainable level that is very high but not unreachable.
During the course of my career I've achieved several sales records. Between 20XX and 20XX, when many of my sales colleagues were leaving my industry and seeking other work in light of the recession, I managed to increase my production by 12 percent over the previous year by developing new sales strategies and techniques to help increase my success.

While I have been in the top 10 percent of my company’s sales staff for the past six years, there was one quarter when I did not achieve my typical high sales record. However, I immediately took action, making changes to my sales strategy the next quarter. In fact, I made a number of record-breaking sales that quarter. Whenever I have a setback, I make improvements and ultimately achieve new levels of success.

Do you prefer a long or short sales cycle? - Best Answers

I prefer a longer sales cycle, because the pace can be adjusted depending on the individual client you are dealing with. Some clients like to have a lot of information about a product right up front, are knowledgeable, and have a lot of technical questions. Others are more interested in the personal benefits of a product, and with a longer cycle, I have the time to spend letting them know about the features that make this the right product for them.
I really enjoy the quicker pace of a shorter sales cycle. I like to get right to the point about my product's features and benefits, and showcase the reasons why it's the best choice for the customer. I'm knowledgeable about what I am selling, and ready with answers to any questions they may have.

How did you land your most successful sale? - Best Answers

When you answer questions about your sales successes, be sure to give a tangible example of how and why you were successful.

When applicants are interviewed for a sales job the interviewer is looking for quantifiable accomplishments i.e. closing the sale, 56% increase in revenue year over year, how you made the sale, etc.

Sample Answers

My most successful sale was one where I had taken over a customer from another salesperson who had to leave suddenly. I immediately contacted the person, and let them know the situation. I knew that my colleague was having a difficult time getting the client to commit to the purchase of a large motor home. Part of it was circumstantial, but when I was given the opportunity to take over the sale, I was able to give the customer some reflection time, and was ultimately able to close the sale.

I would say that my most successful sales have followed a similar pattern. Once the customer has expressed interest in the product, I make myself available to answer any questions they may have. Next, I try to fill them in on the details they may not be familiar with, i.e. features, benefits, etc. I believe that when a customer is making a purchase, especially a large one, they like to have time to fully understand what features the item has, and what makes one company preferable to deal with than another. By representing a company with a superior product and a high level of customer support, I am confident in offering a fair price, and I have been very successful at landing most of my sales.
I have been very fortunate to have met many interesting people in my career in sales. One of the sales which I would consider my most successful was an international sale of a large number of books which had been returned after a major retailer closed. Through my contacts, I learned of an English Language bookstore in a small suburb of Delhi, and I was able to offer the owner a terrific deal, which helped out my company tremendously, by not having to re-stock the items.

How would your colleagues describe you? - Best Answers

How to Answer Interview Questions About Your Personality

The best way to answer this question is to actually know what your colleagues think about your personality in the workplace. Think back to any times that a colleague has praised an aspect of your personality, such as when you were a great team player on a project, or when you demonstrated kindness and helped a struggling employee. Perhaps a colleague once wrote a reference letter for you, or endorsed you on LinkedIn. Make a list of all the feedback you have received from co-workers.

Next, look at the job listing for the position you’re applying for. Circle any feedback on your list that is similar to a quality or trait the job listing mentions. Select one or two qualities to include in your answer.

If you cannot remember any particular feedback (either formal or informal) from your colleagues, write down some of your strongest qualities, and circle the ones that relate to the job listing.

Tips for What to Say

A strong answer to this question requires two parts. First, state the personality trait your colleagues see in you.

Then, provide an example of a time you that you demonstrated this quality. If a co-worker complimented you on this trait because of something specific you did, mention this.

The goal is to focus on the positive aspects of your personality that relate to the job you are applying for. While you should focus on the positive, you want your answer to be honest too. By being honest, you can avoid taking a job with a company whose culture doesn’t work with your personality.

Examples of the Best Answers

My colleagues have told me that I am extremely organized and excellent at time management. During one team project, my team members praised me for developing and sticking to a timeline for all the phases of our project. We ended up successfully completing the project ahead of time.
My co-workers would say that I am very optimistic, and always look for creative solutions to problems. When many people at my former job were upset about budget cuts to our department, I devised a few clever ways to maintain some of our resources on this limited budget.

I’ve been told that I am both a strong leader and a team player. One colleague offered to write me a personal letter of reference once because of my strong team leadership. He was impressed by my ability to effectively lead a group of colleagues while simultaneously listening to and considering everyone’s input.

How would your (former) supervisor describe you? - Best Answers

Sample Answers

She would describe me as a person who leaves no loose ends. I have often been complemented on my attention to detail.
My former supervisor would say that I work well as a part of a team, as well as being motivated on my own. At that particular company, it was important to be able to keep all the team members informed, as we worked collaboratively on many sales. It was an interesting environment, and I found it enjoyable and challenging.

He would describe me as a self starter. We were responsible for our sales from first contact to the close, and worked alone and independently most of the time. There were some experienced sales people who had a difficult time with the lack of structure there, but I found it satisfying to have that kind of autonomy.

https://www.thebalance.com/interview-questions-about-bosses-2061268

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Sell me this apple - Best Answers

Sell Me This...

· You might be asked to sell the interviewer an apple, a pen, a stapler or some other object. As with other hypothetical questions, there will be no right answer but the employer will be interested in the sales process that you follow, your verbal and communication skills, and your enthusiasm and creativity.

· Be Positive and Enthusiastic

Make sure that you are positive and excited about the product as you introduce it. You might say something like "I am so excited to tell you about how this apple can add to your eating pleasure and healthy diet." The nonverbal elements of your presentation will be as critical as your words, so make sure you pitch the product with an enthusiastic voice and facial expressions.

· Emphasize the Features That the Interviewer Will Value

An important phase of the selling process is getting to know your customer, so you might try asking the interviewer for some clarification about his or her potential uses of the product.

· For example, you might say "To help me to understand better how my product might help you, I would love to learn more about how you use a pen during your daily routine. When do you rely most on a pen during the day?"

· Then you can play off the interviewer's answer to emphasize some features of your pen that might help them with their activities.

· So if your interviewer mentions taking notes at meetings as a priority then you might mention in response that your pen has a fine point and non-smearing ink which would enable her to take legible notes.

· Be Ready to Sell

· Some interviewers may not play along with your effort to assess their preferences. So be ready to sell the product without their input. Emphasize features of the product and benefits that the customer will derive from owning and using it.

· For example, "My customers are finding that our apples make an excellent healthy snack for families on the run or to pack with your children's school lunch. Our apples are fresh and crisp since we source them weekly from local orchards. We only sell apples which are grown organically without pesticides and chemical fertilizers. Our apples are loaded with beneficial fiber, vitamins and nutrients so in an addition to being sweet and tasty, they are great for your health.”

· Be Creative

Interviewers won't expect you to be 100% factually correct when coming up with an answer on the spot, so feel free to be creative with your response as long as your assertions are plausible and delivered convincingly.

· Remember that confidence about the quality of your product is fundamental to effective sales.

What are your long term career goals? - Best Answers

How to Answer Interview Questions About Your Career Goals

Below are a number of tips for answering this question well.

Start with short term goals, then move to the long term. You probably have a good sense of your short term goals, such as getting a job with an employer like the one you are interviewing for. Start by describing these goals, then move to more long term plans.

Explain the actions you’ll take. Listing goals is not going to make a strong answer. You also want to (briefly) explain steps you will take to achieve those goals. For example, if you want to take on a management role, explain the steps you have taken, or will take, to become a manager. Perhaps you are developing your leadership skills through running group projects, or you plan to attend a series of leadership conferences.

Focus on the employer. Even though this question is about you, you want to convey that you won’t abandon the employer anytime soon. Focus on how you will add value to the company through the achievement of your own goals.

Don’t get too specific. While you want to present clear goals, do not get into too many details.

For example, if you know you want to work for a particular company in a particular position (not the company or position you’re interviewing for), don’t share this with an employer. Emphasize more general goals, such as taking one particular responsibilities. This allows you to balance clear aims with a flexible attitude.

Best Answers

Here are example interview answers that you can edit to fit your personal experiences and background:

In the short term, I hope to work as a sales representative for a company such as yours; one with a mission based on customer service and care. Working as a sales representative for a company I believe in will prepare me to hopefully take on expanded responsibilities in the future, as these become available.
My current, short-term goal is to develop and use my marketing and communications skills in a job similar to this one. However, I eventually want to develop into a position that allows me to continue to use these skills while also managing a marketing group. I will prepare myself for this goal by taking on leadership positions in team projects, and developing my professional career through attending leadership conferences, such as the one put on annually by your company.

What are your strengths and weaknesses? - Best Answers

Here are sample sales interview answers about strengths and weaknesses.

I would say that my greatest strength is my ability to follow through. In sales, I have found that I am most successful when I pay attention to every piece of the sales cycle, from the first contact, to the thank you at the completion of the sale. My greatest weakness is my tendency to over think a situation. I sometimes take too much time to strategize on a sale, and find in the end that my initial plan was the one that was the best.

My greatest strength is my organizational ability. I like to plan out the sales cycle to the letter, and follow it through. My greatest weakness is related to my greatest strength, because I would say that when my plan needs to change, I can be a little bit inflexible.
My greatest strength is my ability to think on my feet. I am very flexible in my approach to my sales, and am able to work with many different kinds of customers at once. My weakness is that sometimes I don't plan things out as well as I should, and end up reacting to things as they come up.

What do you find most rewarding about being in sales? - Best Answers

Sample Answers

I really enjoy making contacts, and spending time talking with people. The most rewarding part of being in sales, for me, is the time spent with customers, helping them make the right decision about a product.
I think the most rewarding thing about sales is providing customers with the best service possible. I pride myself on making sure that a customer knows about the product they are purchasing, and has the ability to use it to its fullest potential.

The most rewarding thing about being in sales, for me, is the satisfaction of helping a customer to realize their goals. Once I had a customer who was restructuring her Children's Department, and needed to fill in a large number of books in the pre-teen section. We had a great time making selections together, and she was really pleased with the variety I was able to help her select.

What do you know about this company? - Best Answers

How to Prepare for the Question

To answer the question well, you have to research the company before your interview. You can do a lot of this research on the company’s website. Check out their “About Us” section to get a sense of the company’s history, its mission, and its successes.

If you know anyone who works for the company, you might also ask to meet with them before the interview to get an insider’s perspective on the company.

In sales job interviews, knowing about the company’s sales record is particularly important. You want to know what they sell, their sales strategies, and any particular sales successes they have had recently.

You can get some of this information on the company’s website. Often, they will provide information about sales successes on their “About Us” page, or a page that includes PR and marketing information.

You might also look at popular websites or journals that talk about the company and its competitors to get a sense of where the company stands amid its competition.

How to Answer the Question

When answering the question, “What do you know about the company?” focus on one or two particular elements of the company’s sales record that stand out to you. For example, perhaps they had a particularly strong sales year recently, or they began to develop a new product. Noting these successes will show you have done your research, and you believe in the company.

In your answer, emphasize your enthusiasm for the company. You might even end your answer by saying that, based on these things you know about the company, you are very excited at the prospect of being part of the sales team. You might even say that your skills and experiences make you a good fit for the company, based on what you know about them.

Sample Answers

I know that this company is the number one widget wholesaler in the US, with a growing overseas presence in Europe and Asia. Additionally, your sales in China have grown by 25% in the last 3 years, and your widget sales are beginning to outpace the Chinese competition. Domestically, your sales continue to grow steadily, even through the economic downturn. I would love the opportunity to be part of such a fast-paced, trend-setting company. I also believe my experience in both international and domestic sales would make me a great fit.

This company was rated one of Forbes "America's Best Small Companies" in 20XX, and has shown consistent growth in the market. Your sales have surpassed expectations, and your innovative products and sales techniques have made you one of the most desirable companies to work for in the US.
In my research about this company, I discovered that you had started out over 100 years ago as a small brick and mortar retailer in Center City. As a family-owned business, you had the savvy to grow in unique ways, and when the opportunity chose to go public in 1993, the decision was clear. Since then, the management has continued to make aggressive decisions, keeping your business in the forefront of its competition. I very much appreciate your dual focus on community and innovation; this is something I strive to instill in my current sales team.

What interests you most about this sales position? - Best Answers

Selling Yourself for a Sales Position

Here are sample answers for the interview question "What interests you most about this sales position?"

I'm an avid amateur golfer, and I find your company's products to be superior and affordable for the average golfer. I believe selling something that I personally enjoy using so much makes me even more effective as a salesperson.
I have worked in this territory for many years and would welcome the opportunity to utilize my contacts and experience selling a superior product such as this.
The opportunity to utilize my experience in international sales is what interests me most about this global position.
Your company has an outstanding track record in customer service which I greatly admire. I have broad experience selling to your customer base and I know how to feature the customer service component. For example, I developed a campaign last year that focused on the importance of customer service...

I am continually motivated by the challenge of selling something new. Crafting a pitch and landing a new client is a satisfying process that never fails to excite me.

What Motivates You?

This is a related question, because if your prospective employer's products or goals don't get you fired up and motivated to sell, then you're likely not a good fit for the job.

Does money make you get out of bed in the morning? Do you like the challenge of selling something you've never sold before? Are you all about competition with your colleagues and a drive to surpass their sales? Be honest about your answer. If it's money and the company is driven to hit killer numbers month over month, this is a good thing in their eyes. It it's competition and they post a monthly tally of everyone's sales to keep people on their toes, you'll be driven to work hard.

What is more important, a quality product or excellent customer service? - Best Answers

"What's More Important, a Quality Product or Excellent Customer Service?"

Sample Answers

I believe that the two go hand in hand. You are not helping your customers by selling an inferior product. I make sure that the products that I represent are all of a high quality and good value, which gives me the confidence that I am providing my customers with the best possible customer service.
The quality product comes first. When you are able to provide a consistently high quality product, you are providing the customer with the most important aspect of customer service, a superior product experience.

Customer service is the most important aspect of sales. Without friendly, knowledgeable service, no product can sell itself.
I'm more focused on selling solutions in whatever form that takes, rather than products or services.

"Have you consistently met your sales goals?"

Naturally, the interviewer will want to know about your sales history and the ideal candidate will have proven experience meeting and exceeding sales goals.

Come ready to talk about your sales success and how you've met and exceeded goals. Cite numbers as evidence when possible.

Sample answer: I have never failed to meet or exceed sales goals in my eight-year career. Last year my team exceeded goals by 20 percent and consistently increased sales month over month. We made this happen during a time when the industry was contracting and other teams fell short of their goal.

"Sell Me This Paperclip"

Demonstrating your sales skills on the spot is an age old interview question to get you to think on your feet. To best attack this question, don't try to launch into a pitch about the paperclip; find out what the buyer/interviewer is looking for and then sell the paperclip's benefits that match his needs. If he needs something durable, note that the paperclip is guaranteed to last two years. If he needs something multi-functional, indicate the paperclip can hold papers, money and keep a loose button attached.

What makes you a good sales person? - Best Answers

How to Prepare for the Question

When preparing for an interview for a sales position, you will need to think about what qualities you possess that make you an excellent salesperson. This will help with your answers to many likely questions, including “What makes you a good salesperson?” You will feel more confident going into your interview when you are well prepared for the types of questions you may be asked.

In addition to reviewing questions, make sure that you research the company as thoroughly as possible. Even smaller firms usually have a website that will give you some information that will be useful during your interview. By Googling the company, you may find press releases and other articles you can mention during the interview to show how interested you are in working for them.

Tie Your Skills to Your Experience

It’s helpful to make a list of the hard and soft skills you possess that have helped you to develop your sales style.

Use your list to tie those skills to experiences which will highlight what makes you excel in sales. Interviewers like answers that include specific, verifiable information from previous employment or experience.

If you can, provide an anecdote about how you used a certain skill set to make a difficult sale to a particular client.

I was able to close the sale of 1000 units of our company’s large capacity freezers to Alaska Inc. by using my research skills to examine their present needs, and help them to anticipate how our product would enhance their productivity in the future.