Sales Specialist Skills Interview
Author:
Alycia Damp, PhD IRHRA Sales Specialist interview assessing key skills required for success. We've also included a few motivation and values questions to help you make the best decisions about your candidates.
Focus area:
Question
1
Why are you interested in making a career move to our company as Sales Specialist? How do you see this opportunity within the context of your career?
What does this question reveal?
Fit and motivation to join the company
Explore tips
- Is seeking an opportunity to grow by applying and developing multiple skills
- Wants to make a defined impact on others and the organization’s success
- Is motivated to add value to the company's culture and work environment
- Is passionate when discussing how this connects with their strengths/interests
Question
2
Based on your past experience, what is the best way to establish and maintain a relationship with a prospect?
What does this question reveal?
Strategically establish relationships with prospects
Explore tips
- Engages with prospects using different modes of communication
- Researches customer to identify needs and build strong rapport with prospects
- Shows they prioritize leads who will become long-term customers
- Emphazies how they will provide value to clients (e.g. solves problems)
Question
3
From your past experience, describe how you have handled working with customers with difficult or challenging personalities?
What does this question reveal?
Adapt approach to people with different personality types
Explore tips
- Communicates the value of adapting their approach to customers' personalities
- Treats all with customers with respect and empathy regardless of personality
- Highlights customer difficulties they've encountered and overcome in the past
- Seeks ways to ensure they fully understood customers needs to determine fit
Question
4
Imagine you have just closed a sale. How would you use this opportunity to retain existing customers or gain new customers?
What does this question reveal?
Retain existing customers and gain new customers
Explore tips
- Discusses requesting referrals directly after closing a sale
- Discusses following up with the customer after closing the sale
- Suggests an open door policy with the customer to ensure a return customer
- Discusses learning from customer objections and feedback to improve future sales
Question
5
Imagine I am a CEO of a rapidly growing start-up and am on the fence after an initial meeting. How would you go about closing the sales deal after the initial discussion?
What does this question reveal?
Gain commitment from potential customers and execute sales deals
Explore tips
- Acknowledges importance of timely communication and follow-up to gain commitment
- Knows the process of prospecting, connecting, evaluating, presenting and closing
- Explains how they would tailor the sales process to the customer's needs
- Shows they can handle objections or hesitations skillfully
Question
6
Tell me about a time you had trouble overcoming an objection from a client. How did you address the objection and what was the outcome?
What does this question reveal?
Think strategically to address client concerns and issues
Explore tips
- Shows they can actively listen, understand and validate client objections
- Explains how they developed a solution to address the client’s objection
- Shows they were prepared to address the client’s concerns
- Shows they provided advice, alternatives or solutions to close the deal
Question
7
Imagine you are trying to close a sale with a customer who repeatedly objects to your product or service. How would you navigate the conversation to close the deal?
What does this question reveal?
Identify true customer needs and underlying issues
Explore tips
- Acknowledges there is usually an underlying issue behind objections
- Researches customer and attempts to gain full understanding of their needs
- Is professional and strategic within the available time and resources
- Shows they prioritize deals that benefit both parties
Question
8
Active listening skills are really important to this role. When it comes to that skill set, what aspect are you best at, and can you share an example of how you've done this in a previous role?
What does this question reveal?
Ability to engage in active listening and understand how it contributes to success
Explore tips
- Clearly highlights their specific strengths in active listening
- Shares key active listening tactics (e.g. repeats information, asks clarification questions)
- Gains a deep understanding of the other person's needs by asking smart questions
- Uses evidence from past experience to justify their strengths
Question
9
Imagine you're speaking with a prospect and are having difficulty understanding their needs. You need to understand their needs to gain their interest in your product/service. How would you navigate that conversation?
What does this question reveal?
Use communication tactics to effectively share and obtain key customer information with
Explore tips
- Exhibits patience and calmly asks questions to clarify understanding
- Repeats back what they hear to ensure their understanding is accurate
- Takes note of non-verbal cues to gauge other's emotions/respond appropriately
- Is empathetic to the other person and values their unique needs
Question
10
What process would you follow to introduce a product/service to a customer with a demo?
What does this question reveal?
Effectively deliver a sales demonstration
Explore tips
- Prepares for demo in advance by researching the customer segment
- Tailors demo based on unique needs and previous conversations
- Clearly explains and demonstrates the product or service
- Solicits questions to ensure the prospect understands the demo
Question
11
Describe a time you personalized a sales demonstration for a potential customer. What did you personalize and why?
What does this question reveal?
Personalize a sales demonstration
Explore tips
- Shows they can adapt to fit the needs of the customer’s questions and concerns
- Shows they can demonstrate the ways a product is suited to the client’s needs
- Shows they can highlight features that impact the client in a positive way
- Shows they would listen to the customer’s hesitations and feedback
Question
12
Imagine a situation in where macro economic conditions impact your ability to hit revenue sales targets. How would you respond?
What does this question reveal?
Adapt to changing conditions and adjust sales expectations in line with business
Explore tips
- Suggests basing future targets on multiple scenarios to enable rapid adjustments
- Suggests breaking down achievable revenues into realistic sales targets
- Suggests identifying the territories and accounts with largest revenue potential
- Demonstrates creative problem-solving and the flexibility to adapt accordingly
Question
13
How would you handle a bad sales day?
What does this question reveal?
Bounce back from low sales and performance dips
Explore tips
- Shows they can maintain optimism and stay competitive with themselves
- Connects with their team for support
- Demonstrates tenacity, drive and motivation
- Considers the cause of poor sales to improve on
Question
14
Based on your past work history and professional experience, in what type of work environment were the happiest and most productive.
What does this question reveal?
Preferences for organizational culture and workstyle
Explore tips
- Discusses attributes that align with your organization
- References different organizational factors (people, place, work, etc.)
- Highlights the values that shaped the environment/culture
- Shares a story from past experience to support their claims
Question
15
What is one thing you wish I had asked you in our conversation today?
What does this question reveal?
Self-awareness of unique strengths and value-add
Explore tips
- Gives a response that is relevant to the role in question
- Justifies their suggestion by explaining their value-add
- Exhibits strengths that were not previously covered
