If you’re responsible for sales hiring, you’ve probably spent hours sorting through resumes, cover letters, references, and other materials. But once you’ve got a list of candidates, how do you find the right salespeople for your company?
This post has the best sales interview questions to uncover professionals with the selling skills, attitude, and cultural fit for your organization.
Tips for Attracting Good Sales Candidates
You can improve your chances of hiring good salespeople by attracting high-quality applicants. Here are three ways to kickstart the interview process.
Define the Role
Make sure your job posting accurately reflects the duties and responsibilities of the position. In your posting, try to be as descriptive as possible, and make sure to include information on the prerequisite skills and experience you’re seeking.
Reach Out to Your Network
Let your contacts know you’re hiring. Ask them to share your job posting with anyone they know who might be qualified and interested.
Be Proactive
Use social media such as LinkedIn to contact prospective candidates. Use LinkedIn’s search features to find individuals with the skills and experience you’re looking for, then send them a message letting them know about your open position.
Pre-Screen Sales Candidates Before Interviewing
A sales assessment is a useful tool before you begin the interviewing process. If you’ve been a sales manager long enough, you can attest to the fact that the only thing some salespeople know how to sell is themselves in an interview.
You’re seeking individuals who are motivated and have the consultative selling skills and confidence to succeed in a demanding role. A well-designed sales aptitude test can be used to assess candidates’ intrinsic skills and assist in weeding out those who are underqualified or less motivated before the in-person interview.
By doing this, you can be certain the applicants who advance to the in-person interview have the qualities required for success.
40 Sales Interview Questions
It can be a little daunting to vet candidates, determine whether someone is qualified for the role, and find out if high-quality salespeople feel the same way about you and your organization as you do about them.
To maximize your sales hiring process, you need to ensure each prospect is as promising in person as they appear on paper. The potential cost of a mis-hire could range from 30% to 100% of the salesperson’s annual compensation.
Once you have confidence in your prospect pool, use these sales interview questions to find superstars.
1. How much of your time is spent fostering customer relationships or finding new customers?
In general, sales roles can be divided into two categories: farmers and hunters. (See this blog post to learn six selling styles.) Before making a hiring decision, you want to figure out which open position your candidate is best suited for and whether their experience matches the requirements of the role.
When you ask a candidate this question, make sure you know which role you’re filling. If you’re filling a position to acquire new clients or customers, you need to find a candidate with a track record of success as a hunter.
If the open sales role requires the cultivation of leads and customers as well as the maintenance of existing relationships, you should look for salespeople with experience in farming.
2. How do you win a prospect’s trust?
A salesperson needs to become a trusted advisor to their customers. Building trust allows them to gather information about needs and objectives and build long-term relationships. However, not all salespeople can do this effectively.
The interview process can be very telling on this point. During the interview, pay close attention to how the salesperson interacts with you. Do they make eye contact? Do they listen carefully to your questions? Do they appear receptive to your message?
Gauge your prospective employee’s body language and the connection they’re able to make throughout the conversation. If the prospect struggles, they may not be the best fit for your sales team.
3. How do you stay up to date with trending sales topics and methods?
Your candidate’s response to this question will reveal whether they have the interest and drive to stay abreast of the latest developments in your industry, even if their prior sales position was in a different market.
By asking about an individual’s personal growth, you can get a better idea of how dedicated they are to a career in sales.
4. How do you research potential customers before a call?
Research skills are essential. To build a relationship with a potential buyer, a salesperson needs to have a fundamental understanding of the prospect and be able to connect with them personally.
See how the candidate prepares for a meeting by researching a customer, the industry they’re in, how the customer can benefit from a product or service, and the prospect’s requirements.
If your candidate goes above and beyond by conducting more research on LinkedIn, Google, or ChatGPT, it shows how they work a lead and prepare for a customer conversation.
5. What questions do you ask potential customers?
One sign of high-quality salespeople is that they believe asking probing questions is more important than presenting their product or service. Open-ended questions allow sellers to uncover customer wants and needs, sell with value, and build stronger relationships.
You want the response from your candidate to be crammed full of questions that help them learn more about the customer.
Good questions to look out for are:
- What prompted you to look for a new product/service?
- What specific needs are you hoping to address with this purchase?
- What other options have you considered?
- What budget do you have in mind?
- What timeline are you working with?
- Who else is involved in this decision-making process?
- How can you win your prospects’ trust?
6. What constitutes a successful first encounter with a prospect?
A successful first meeting with a prospect is one in which both buyer and seller feel they’ve accomplished something and are looking forward to the next steps. There should also be a sense of rapport and trust, as this is essential for moving forward. The candidate’s answer is a good indication of whether they understand their goal when speaking with a customer.
7. How should you discuss pricing with a prospect?
The candidate should answer that they show the value of your product or service and how it aligns with the customer’s wants and needs before presenting price. This question can give you an idea of how well the candidate can sell value and whether they intend to follow a sales process.
8. How do you acquire leads?
This question can provide insight into someone’s fit for your open role. A candidate who replies that they have only ever had warm leads will not be a good fit for you if your business requires proactive prospecting, cold calls, or emails. For this role, you want someone who offers precise information on how to generate leads on their own.
9. What does going “above and beyond” mean to you?
There is no wrong answer to this question, but it’s an opportunity to gain insight into how an individual will perform as an employee. The only answer one should be leery of is the candidate will only do what is expressly demanded of them.
A great candidate is willing to put in time and effort to go above and beyond minimum requirements. This type of candidate will add value to your company and its customers.
10. How do you handle rejection?
Sales is full of unavoidable rejection. How a seller reacts to setbacks and losses is a significant factor in determining their ultimate performance.
Your candidate needs to have a very positive and resilient attitude. You want them to avoid taking rejections personally and to instead use them as motivation to get the next deal closed.
A salesperson who is aware of the fact that each “no” puts them one step closer to a “yes” is the kind of salesperson you should strive to have on your team.
11. How do you handle short vs. long sales cycles?
Your candidate needs to understand the differences between these two types of sales cycles. They need to know that quick closes are required for shorter cycles and that lengthy cycles call for a consultative sales approach.
12. What would you do in your first month at the company if hired for this position?
You need a salesperson who can take initiative. Responses that demonstrate a lack of independence are warning signs. Even without concrete details, your candidate needs to show they can make a plan and position themselves for the first sale.
13. Have you recently learned something new? What was it, if so?
It’s a terrific quality for a seller to look for ways to improve themself. While not every lesson may be related directly to sales, the answer can show their interests, what they’re passionate about, and which areas of their life they’re looking to improve and grow. If the applicant doesn’t respond well to this, they’re likely not a great fit for your team.
14. What motivates you as a salesperson?
If the candidate’s main objective is financial gain, it’s a red flag. Salespeople can be motivated by a number of driving forces, but in addition to commission, they should have a natural desire to be successful and a strong feeling of competition.
15. What qualities do you think a successful salesperson possesses?
Make a list of the characteristics an ideal salesperson should have. Then evaluate each candidate based on how well they match those characteristics.
Successful sales professionals have drive, are highly organized, and are self-motivated—a combination of traits necessary for achievement and competition. They also have strong communication skills. Factor in any additional skills and/or characteristics you find valuable for your sales team and make sure your candidate’s answer aligns with this list.
16. Have you ever disqualified a prospect because you felt they weren’t a good fit?
It’s never a good idea to hire a salesperson who believes a product or service will work for every single customer. The ability to discern when a customer’s needs are not going to be met by the products or services provided by your company and to politely decline business from that customer is an essential quality in a salesperson.
If the answer is along the lines of, “No, I never reject prospects,” then consider this response from the candidate to be a red flag and proceed with caution. At the end of the day, while you want an individual who is good at selling, you also want someone who can understand when a prospect isn’t a good fit.
17. How do you persevere through a challenging day?
There is no correct answer to this question. Rather, this question allows you to get to know the individual and determine whether they need some time to recover from a difficult decision or whether they can get over it quickly and go on.
18. Can you describe a moment when a customer made things challenging and how you overcame that obstacle?
One of the most important characteristics of a great salesperson is the ability to overcome one’s pride and persist in pursuing a difficult customer. This shows they can put their personal feelings to the side and concentrate on the task at hand.
19. How do you build rapport with prospective customers?
Building rapport is far more than identifying things in common and having a polite conversation. Rapport is about making authentic connections, listening actively, and adapting communication to match the buyer’s style. High-performing sales professionals listen more and talk less when engaging with customers, to show they care about the customer’s needs, challenges, and goals.
20. How do you get referrals after a sale?
Individuals who treat a closed deal as an opportunity for additional connections are a fantastic addition to a team. But you don’t want someone who relies too heavily on recommendations after a closed deal. This question will give you a good understanding of how the candidate plans and manages their pipeline.
21. Would you rather have satisfied customers or meet your quota?
Despite the fact that meeting quota is important, a salesperson should never put their goals ahead of providing customers with the assistance they require. Satisfied customers stay loyal to the company over time and contribute to referrals, reputation, and increased income.
22. Do you follow a sales process, and can you walk me through the stages?
It’s crucial for sales candidates to have a basic understanding of a sales process. You can tell how someone prioritizes opportunities and organizes their time based on how they respond to this question.
23. How would you describe the corporate culture at your previous employer?
Consider the candidate’s response carefully. If they criticize the company, grumble about long hours, or mention impossible quotas, they may have a negative outlook in general and won’t be happy at your company. Keep your ears open for complaints that are relevant to the role they’re applying for.
24. What three things about your prior place of employment would you improve if you could?
There is neither a right nor a wrong answer to this question. The candidate’s response will reveal a great deal about them. Because a person’s history is the best predictor of their future conduct, it’s essential to have a solid understanding of their mindset.
Do they believe there is room for development in the company? Do they harbor any ill will toward the company they worked for? Do they have stringent requirements that your company would never have a chance of satisfying?
This question will help you acquire insight into their past employment as well as what they valued and disliked about that job.
25. Can you describe an instance when you faced criticism and how you responded?
A candidate who takes criticism personally and responds angrily to feedback probably isn’t the best fit for your team. Look for someone who strives to understand the issue and the importance of changing their behavior to improve. You want someone who is receptive to feedback and welcomes opportunities to grow.
26. What is your ultimate career goal?
Research shows that a lack of opportunities for advancement is one of the primary reasons salespeople decide to leave an organization. Look for a candidate who has some ambition. If they’re looking for something you can’t provide, it may be an early warning sign they’re not looking for a long-term position with your company.
27. Why did you decide to get into sales?
If the candidate’s response to this question is only about commission or a lack of other employment alternatives, it can be a sign that this candidate might not be the best fit.
28. How do you feel about working in a team setting?
Collaboration is a must in sales. A sales professional who is willing to work with others will be invaluable to your success as a team. Sharing strategies and advice to help deals progress, mentoring, and peer-to-peer learning all strengthen sales performance.
29. What kind of sales manager is ideal?
The answer to this question will provide insight into how the candidate sees a connection with you and may flag possible issues if you cannot give them the support they prefer. This is another question that truly has no right or wrong answer.
30. What is your superpower?
Everyone is exceptional at something. How your applicant responds to this will reveal their assets and their level of self-awareness, both of which are essential for self-improvement and determining whether they’ll be a good fit for your sales team.
31. What makes you want to work here?
A candidate who is unable to provide a convincing response to this question likely is simply hunting for whatever position they can find. You want a response that makes it very apparent the candidate is interested in working for your company. This is another question where there isn’t a wrong or right answer, so you will have to use your best judgment to determine if their response feels genuine.
32. Why should we hire you?
A salesperson needs to have confidence, but you don’t want it to go too far and turn into arrogance. The candidate should respond in a way that is confident—listing their relevant experience and skills—but not haughty.
33. What sales skills would you like to develop?
Salespeople who view their profession as a vocation rather than a job are constantly seeking to enhance their abilities. Pay close attention to applicants who exhibit the appropriate degree of insight and self-awareness about what type of sales training they need, as well as those who show that they have given some thought to how they intend to develop moving forward.
34. What would you need coaching on, specifically?
This is a wonderful question to ask for a few reasons. It indicates the candidate’s self-knowledge as well as their awareness of the limitations they have. It also gives you a roadmap to begin sales coaching as soon as the applicant joins your company.
35. What difficulties have you encountered in previous sales positions?
Every job has its hurdles, so pay attention to a frank, upbeat, and professional delivery when the applicant talks about the difficulties they have encountered in the past. If there is a risk one or more of these challenges will occur in the role you’re hiring for, mention it and give the candidate an opportunity to react.
36. What is something you’ve learned from a lost sale?
Every experienced salesperson has missed out on a deal. The most beneficial thing for a salesperson to do after a loss is reflect on the experience and learn from it. Pay attention to the lessons learned from these experiences and the steps they took to apply those lessons to future deals.
An optimistic outlook is a significant component of drive, which is necessary for achieving success in sales. If an individual is unable to answer this question, you can assume they lack experience in the industry and/or are unlikely to grow from failure.
37. How would a former customer describe you?
There are a lot of good answers to this question, but if your candidate lists “helpful” as one of their recognized attributes, take that as a positive sign.
38. What is the best advice you’ve ever gotten?
Ideally, your candidate will provide a sales-related response that they apply in their day-to-day work.
39. What do you do for fun?
You want to get a grasp on an individual’s experience with sales, but you also want to get a feel for their personality and how they’ll fit into your sales team. The activities someone enjoys in their spare time and whether they’re passive (watching television or movies), creative (pursuing hobbies), or active (playing sports or other outdoor activities) can reveal their preferences and the kind of salesperson they are.
40. What questions do you have for me?
If your candidate doesn’t ask you any questions, that’s a serious red flag. It’s their opportunity to ask open-ended questions to learn more about you, your sales team, and your company. Their answer may be a good indicator of how they will interact with prospects and whether they can come up with intelligent and well-thought-out inquiries.
Let The Brooks Group Help You Build a Successful Sales Team
Top sales talent can make or break a company. But what, exactly, constitutes “top sales talent”? How do you find and keep the right sellers for your organization? Contact us to learn how The Brooks Group’s sales assessments can help you select, train, and motivate sales professionals for the best results.
