Hiring excellent salespeople is the lifeblood of any sales organization. You’ll never hit your sales goals without putting the right team in place, so it’s key to make sure you have a great interview process in place to hire the right people. Know what questions you plan to ask, and what to look for in their answers before making an offer.
Before you interview salespeople, you have to know where to recruit quality candidates. With Indeed, you have access to the number one job board in the United States. As many as 3 million businesses post their open jobs on Indeed, and it has more than 200 million job seekers. You can also create a company and careers page. Sign up for an account today.
Here are the 15 top questions sales management leaders should be asking in sales interviews and what you should be looking for in their answers:
1. Tell me about the most difficult challenge you’ve experienced in your career & how did you handle it?
Sometimes people have a hard time talking about the biggest challenges they’ve had in their career—they would much rather tell you the good stuff. However, a good candidate knows failures are all part of the learning process and won’t be afraid to launch into a story about a challenge that taught them something that ended up making them stronger professionally.
What You’ll Learn
For example, a candidate might tell you they were struggling with closing deals and it caused a performance problem in one of their past positions. If they did something about it, like take training courses, found a mentor, or asked for help from their manager, you’ll learn they are resilient and solution-focused.
When you are recruiting salespeople, you want to find someone humble enough to admit they aren’t perfect and who shows they are coachable. It also demonstrates bravery and tenacity when they are able to show how they overcame a big challenge.
2. How do you deal with an unsatisfied customer?
Hearing from unsatisfied customers can rattle even a great sales rep. However, an excellent sales rep will stay calm and focused on helping the customer solve the problem quickly and efficiently. Look for an answer like, “I said I was sorry to hear they were having a problem, sought to clearly understand the issue, and told them that I would do whatever we needed to do to quickly resolve the matter.”
What You’ll Learn
You’ll learn if the candidate is a good listener and if they are empathic. You should also look for someone who helps customers stay calm and focuses on solutions and teamwork to resolve customer-related issues.
3. What are your best strategies for overcoming objections?
Experienced salespeople know overcoming objections can be one of the most challenging parts of the sales process because sometimes the objection the prospect is telling them stems from them not fully understanding how your business can help them. The salesperson has to dig deeper to uncover the real objection to get them past any hesitation they have.
For example, if a prospect complains that your products or services are too expensive, it’s probably true that the sales rep hasn’t built enough value in the product or service. Look for candidates who know how to lean into objections to find out how they can overcome them and close the deal.
What You’ll Learn
You’ll find out if candidates know how to get to the heart of an objection and help the prospect work through it by thoroughly understanding the objection. For instance, an objection might be a fear of change, and a good salesperson will say something like, “Our team will be with you every step of the way in training, and the ultimate outcome will be a better process.”
4. Tell me about your hobbies & interests outside of work.
Not every question has to be sales-related. The answer gives you insight into their character, their values, and what they spend their time and money on. For example, if they tell you they like to travel, have a passion for animals, or spend time doing family activities, you’ll understand more about what they value and their character.
What You’ll Learn
This question opens up a conversation about values, priorities, time management, and how they spend their money. A good hire will demonstrate they are responsible with their time and money by how they answer.
5. What do you do when you don’t know the answer to a prospect’s question?
Getting asked a question you don’t know the answer to can make any sales rep nervous. However, a good candidate won’t say they try to make something up just to make the prospect more comfortable—they know it won’t do them any favors in the long run. They’ll tell them, “You know, I’m not quite sure about that but I do know that I can find out. I’ll meet with someone from our team to find out and get back to you ASAP.”
For example, when I worked in sales for a business-to-business (B2B) tech company, sometimes I’d have a joint video conference with our technology director and the prospect to show we’d go above and beyond to make sure we gave them the most accurate information.
What You’ll Learn
This question will help you get to know the candidate more personally and find out if they are honest and willing to find the best answers for prospects rather than make promises they might not be able to keep. A good sales rep would never make up an answer or even give one they are not completely sure about.
6. Tell me what would you like to know about our company, product & culture.
Look for a keen interest in what you offer because a great salesperson knows they have to believe in what they are selling. They should also ask questions about your culture and values so you can see if they are assessing if their values align with your company culture. It’s a red flag if they have no questions for you because it shows they are either unprepared, uninterested, or both.
What You’ll Learn
This question gives them the opportunity to show they’ve done their homework. It also lets you know if they are interested in “just a job” or looking to work with a company that’s a mutual fit for their values and interests.
7. What’s your superpower?
This is a fun question that adds a little comic relief and breaks the tension. A tenacious salesperson might say something like, “Getting more work done in three hours than most people can do in five.” Or they might say, “Making strangers into friends easily.”
What You’ll Learn
You’ll find out what kind of time management skills they probably have, which is critical for a successful sales rep. You’ll also learn if they are good at building rapport and trust, or if they have a passion for always learning and improving.
8. When you fail in closing a deal, how do you react?
We all know it can be frustrating when deals don’t close, especially if you spent a lot of time nurturing a prospect. However, the best salespeople learn from failures and use that knowledge to improve their sales techniques.
For example, I used to set up short calls or surveys with prospects I didn’t close deals with. In many cases, even if our product ended up not being the right fit, I developed a rapport with the decision-maker. I’d ask them what we could have done to earn their business, and their answers helped me make my strategy better and allowed me to give feedback to the product team about the features we lacked.
What You’ll Learn
You’ll find out if the candidate is resistant and uses failures to improve themselves, rather than wallow in defeat. It’s no fun when you lose a big deal, but make sure to look for candidates who can easily pick themselves up and find learning opportunities when things don’t go the way they planned.
9. Tell me about the accomplishment you are most proud of in your career.
Salespeople are naturally competitive, so they should be excited to tell you about their career victories. If they don’t launch into a story of what they are most proud of, such as beating a monthly quota by 150% or closing the largest deal of the year, it’s probably a red flag.
What You’ll Learn
You’ll learn if the candidate takes pride in their work and if they really enjoy sales. A great sales rep gets excited to share their best stories, even if they are a humble person.
10. What does exceptional customer service look like to you?
A great candidate knows that providing excellent customer service throughout the sales process and beyond is key to earning and retaining customers. Look for answers that demonstrate empathy, understanding, active listening, problem solving, and timeliness.
For example, a good candidate might say something like, “Thoroughly understanding the customer and their needs and seeking to efficiently find the best solution to make their lives easier.” This demonstrates they are committed to putting the customer first and have an exceptional experience.
What You’ll Learn
You’ll find out if the candidate has the tools to give your prospects and customers the best care in the industry and better care than your competitors. Their answers will reveal if they truly believe the customer comes first.
“When we interview a sales candidate, we are looking for someone with personality, knowledge of our industry, and someone with the ability to hunt for prospects. We are in an age in sales where building trust quickly and developing relationships are of the utmost importance. So, our sales team members need to have the research skills to find prospects, the ability to engage in conversations, and the desire to nurture this trust-building proactively. We look for people who can tell stories aimed at solving clients’ pain points first and foremost—listen first and respond second. All in all, we definitely look for candidates who are willing to ask questions in an attempt to unpack more information from us and take nothing at face value.”
— Bernard May, CEO, National Positions
“When we interview a sales candidate, we are looking for someone with personality, knowledge of our industry, and someone with the ability to hunt for prospects. We are in an age in sales where building trust quickly and developing relationships are of the utmost importance. So, our sales team members need to have the research skills to find prospects, the ability to engage in conversations, and the desire to nurture this trust-building proactively. We look for people who can tell stories aimed at solving clients’ pain points first and foremost—listen first and respond second. All in all, we definitely look for candidates who are willing to ask questions in an attempt to unpack more information from us and take nothing at face value.”11. Why do you want to work here?
This question should make them think. They might not know if it’s the right match. After all, an interview is a two-way street to address mutual fit. For example, a good answer could sound like, “I’ve learned a lot during this interview, and I think there’s a potential good fit. I’m interviewing with several sales organizations to make sure I find the right fit for me—and for the company I join.”
What You’ll Learn
Their answers will help you find out if they are looking for a job or a career. A thoughtful candidate will be seeking to work with an organization that is a good mutual fit—where they can see themselves thriving and growing.
12. Can you walk me through the steps of an effective sales process?
While all new sales hires need company-specific coaching and training, a good candidate will have a basic understanding of the sales process. Look for them to talk about prospecting, qualifying, demoing the product or services, overcoming objections, and closing.
What You’ll Learn
You’ll find out how experienced they are. If you’re looking for a seasoned sales rep who will ramp up quickly, they should be able to talk about a sales cycle with ease without struggling to answer.
13. Tell me about the last time you did something nice for someone?
This is another character assessment question, and it might throw them off guard. You want to hire caring people who will be team players. If they can’t answer quickly, they might lack rapport and teamwork skills. A good candidate will easily be able to answer, even if it’s a small thing, such as, “I watched my friend’s pets and took care of their home when they were out of town last week.”
What You’ll Learn
Quite simply, you’ll learn if the candidate is nice and has good core values. We all want to work with nice people, and it shows they have the ability to be a good teammate who cares about the success of others.
14. What do you find are the best ways to build trust with a prospect?
An excellent salesperson knows building rapport and trust with a client is critical in closing sales. For example, they might talk about asking questions about the prospect and their background before launching into their pitch.
They might also say something like, “I ask how they do things now, and in their perfect world, what would they change?” in order to learn how they can best build value for the prospect. A good candidate might also mention their history of success, talk about sharing case studies, and sharing customer testimonials.
What You’ll Learn
A suitable candidate knows the importance of trust in sales situations, so they should have plenty of things to say about how to build it. If they struggle to answer this question, you know they’ll need a lot of coaching or may not be a good match.
15. What do you do immediately after you close a sale?
Look for answers like, “I thank them for the opportunity to earn their business and help them understand what to expect next.” A good candidate will also mention asking the new customer if they have any questions about the contract and payment process.
For example, when I worked in remote B2B sales, I’d make a custom video with me introducing them to the director of customer experience outlining the next steps and expressing excitement about the new partnership. This helps the new customer feel confident in your company and sets tangible expectations for what happens next.
What You’ll Learn
You’ll find out if they close deals and forget about the customer, or if they care enough to make it a seamless transition to the next stage of their experience with your company. Look for a candidate who knows how important it is for the customer to be nurtured along the sales journey.
Bottom Line
Hiring the best sales talent is key to driving success and surpassing company sales goals. Use these questions as a guide in your interviewing process to hire and train the most effective, high-performing sales team.
Many sales organizations use customer relationship management (CRM) software to track their interview pipeline. For example, Salesforce Essentials allows your team to track your interview pipeline and organizes all the associated communications for each candidate in one central place. Visit their website to sign up for a 14-day free trial.
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