Director of Sales Skills Interview
Author:
Rebecca TrainIn Rebecca Train’s template, questions and answer tips are optimized for a Director of Sales who manages multiple teams across a defined region to achieve the macro sales objectives for the business. This template covers key responsibilities for this role including managing sales targets and objectives at the team level, hiring and retaining junior sales talent, and contributing to strategic planning and implementation of strategic initiatives across the organizations. There is an emphasis on managing individual and team sales performance to manage sales KPIs effectively.
Focus area:
Question
1
What are some specific ways you would manage your sales KPIs as a Director of Sales here at [insert company]?
What does this question reveal?
Candidate has the knowledge and ability to set and track sales targets for sales team/department
Explore tips
- Specifies core KPIs (e.g. login-deal ratios, call numbers, average deal size)
- Reviews KPIs on a structured and systematic basis (weekly, monthly, quarterly)
- Analyzes data to identify and respond to issues when metrics are not reached
- Incentives team to go above-and-beyond by rewarding exceptional performance
Question
2
What was your sales performance like when you were in a more junior sales role? What are some indicators of your performance in those roles, and why was it successful?
What does this question reveal?
Candidate is achievement-oriented and has exceptional selling skills
Explore tips
- Explains how they met/exceeded their sales targets in previous roles
- Shares strategies they used to ensure success (e.g. organization, grit)
- Discusses focusing on learning and development to advance career objectives
- Uses specific evidence/data to support their claims
Question
3
Sometimes sales associates/consultants don’t start aggressively going for their sales targets until the end of the month. How would you motivate a team like this to have a more consistent monthly sales cadence?
What does this question reveal?
Candidate has the ability to implement tactics that ensures sales efforts are consistent throughout a defined period
Explore tips
- Focuses on tactics to promote accountability among team
- EX: Structures detailed performance expectations for specific time periods
- EX: Clearly communicates the recipe for success (e.g. # of calls, emails, etc.)
- Suggests implementing a mid-month target day (e.g., 40%)
- Incorporates discussions about sales patterns in employee performance reviews
Question
4
Tell me about a time in the past where one of your sales employees was struggling to meet their sales targets. What did you do, and what was the outcome?
What does this question reveal?
Candidate has the ability to effectively manage performance of individual sales team members
Explore tips
- Checked-in on the person’s situation/well-being to understand the issue
- Put the employee on a performance improvement plan
- Set specific targets and provided appropriate resources to help them succeed
- Explains the outcome (retained? Let go?)
- Shares any learnings/key takeaways from experience
Question
5
If your whole team was struggling to hit their sales targets and you knew it didn't have to do with external factors, what would you do to improve performance?
What does this question reveal?
Candidate has the ability to take ownership and engage in selling activities to train and improve team performance
Explore tips
- Focuses on training and developing desired behaviors to improve performance
- Suggests taking ownership by getting on the sales floor
- Sets example by making cold calls and engaging in sales cycle motions
- Monitors improvement after implementing specific tactics
Question
6
Recruiting is an important part of the Director of Sales role. What would your recruitment process look like if you were working here as a Director of Sales?
What does this question reveal?
Candidate has the ability to run an effective selection process and identify top talent
Explore tips
- Explains how they would structure a hiring process
- Mentions tactics for recruiting, screening, interviewing, and hiring
- Acknowledges the importance of planning and preparing for every step
- Highlights specific things they would assess (e.g. grit, curiosity, etc.)
- Shares specific methods to identify top candidates (e.g. interview questions)
Question
7
What are some challenges you've faced in the past when recruiting junior [insert function] employees? How have you overcome these challenges?
What does this question reveal?
Candidate has the ability to be creative with finding and assessing candidates
Explore tips
- Shares specific challenges associated with identifying top talent
- Leverages resources for candidate outreach (e.g. student fairs, coaching class)
- Identifies specific factors that are difficult to assess (e.g. grit, curiosity)
- Explains what they've done in the past to overcome challenges
Question
8
In addition to recruitment, retaining a high performing sales team is also integral to your role as a Director of Sales. What are some tactics you would use to ensure members of your sales team are engaged and committed to their job and the organization?
What does this question reveal?
Candidate has the ability to build a positive sales culture to develop, grow, and retain top talent
Explore tips
- Uses monetary incentives to motivate performance (e.g. first to hit quota)
- Emphasizes the importance of promotions and career growth
- Considers training and development opportunities
- Creates accountability among team to facilitate ownership and success
- Focuses on building an engaging, fun, and inclusive culture for success
Question
9
Minimizing churn is an important sales objective for keeping executives and investors satisfied with the business’ performance. What is a strategy you could implement to keep churn down? Why would that be effective?
What does this question reveal?
Candidate has the ability to develop strategic initiatives to achieve sales goals
Explore tips
- Acknowledges the value in retaining existing accounts versus acquiring new ones
- Analyzes existing processes to identify opportunities to improve
- Suggest specific strategy to address churn
- Suggests how they would get buy-in from others and roll out the strategy
- Considers how the strategy would affect all relevant others
Question
10
Can you share a specific strategy you've used/implemented in the past to address a sales issue at an organizational level? What was the initiative, and was it or was it not successful?
What does this question reveal?
Candidate has the ability to take a macro approach to solving problems by developing strategic initiatives
Explore tips
- Explains the issue and the initiative (e.g. campaign, performance incentives)
- Justifies how the initiative effectively addressed the issue
- Explains their involvement with implementing the initiative
- Tracks performance of the initiative with data/metrics
- Explains and justifies the outcome of the initiative
