A great salesperson can boost revenue, build strong customer relationships, and contribute to your business's growth. However, identifying the right candidates in a competitive job market can be challenging. To ensure you're making the right choice, it's essential to ask the right interview questions. In this article, we'll explore some key sales interview questions that will help you identify and hire the best sales professionals for your team.

Related: The Evolution of Sales in Malaysia

6 Sales Interview Questions That Will Help You Hire the Best

1. What makes you a good sales representative?

This question actually requires the candidate to sell themselves, demonstrate confidence, and demonstrate their contributions to their current employer. Listen carefully to their language and delivery. Finding the right sales professional is crucial for success and profitability. If a candidate cannot convince you during the interview process, they may not secure successful business transactions or attract new clients.

Weak Answer:

• Interviewees who lack personal qualities and experiences but apply them to specific sales expectations may miss an opportunity to impress and leave their answers open for interpretation.

Strong Answer:

• Strong candidates share personal experiences, personal growth, and company traits, extending growth into future goals. They consider company products, services, or industries when describing their sales skills.

2. Sell Me Our Company’s Product/Your Company’s Product. 

Roleplaying should be a part of sales interviews to assess a candidate's ability to create innovative pitches and perform under pressure. Avoid sharing roleplay identity immediately and ask qualifying questions before launching into a pitch. A great candidate will ask questions about the problem and product's requirements.

Weak Answer:

• The candidate rushes pitching without considering unique pen benefits or user needs, fails to ask questions, and doesn't follow sales pitch best practices, particularly in closing the sale.

Strong Answer:

• The pitch includes a statistic or social proof, identifies product benefits, and connects prospect needs with benefits, with the candidate requesting to close the pitch.

3. Describe a Time You Lost a Deal and How You Followed Up With That Prospect? 

The golden rule of sales is to follow up on follow-ups, as only one in 50 deals are made in the first meeting. Sales professionals should embrace the "no" question to understand specifics and learn from lost deals. A good salesperson knows that lost deals don't mean lost relationships.

Weak Answer:

• The candidate accepts a lost deal without seeking feedback, lacks a complete scenario with the S.T.A.R. model, and lacks a follow-up strategy.

Strong Answer:

• The candidate effectively utilizes the S.T.A.R. framework to understand the lead's needs and lost deal, demonstrating a positive attitude, initiative, and clear follow-up plan.

4. What’s More Important: Achieving Your Quota or Keeping Customers Happy? 

The question indicates a candidate's values and priorities, with some prioritizing customer satisfaction over quota, while others recognize the balancing act. It's crucial to avoid representatives who prioritize quotas over customer satisfaction or withholding what they need.

Weak Answer:

• Candidates should highlight the values of both positions without comparing them, as this may not create a balanced fit for the company.

Strong Answer:

• Strong candidates prioritize maintaining sales goals for personal and business success, focusing on word of mouth and achieving workflow goals through effective strategies and skill development.

5. What’s your least favorite part about sales?

This question helps identify potential weaknesses in a candidate, such as a candidate's dislike for a specific aspect of the job. It helps identify areas for improvement, such as simplifying the least favorite part of the process or making it more enjoyable. This approach can also identify weak areas.

Weak Answer:

• A weak answer highlights negative aspects of a task without providing solutions, potentially causing candidates to appear insincere if they don't mention their dislikes in sales.

Strong Answer:

• A strong interviewee explains their dislike for a task while highlighting its value to the position and company, focusing on the positive aspects and candidate's approach.

6. Would You Rather Close a Guaranteed RM15,000 Deal or Have a Shot at a RM150,000 Deal?

The candidate's willingness to take risks and balance their workflow is crucial for a successful salesperson. They should be able to identify opportunities for both small and large deals, spend appropriate time on each deal, and shift their process accordingly. They should also have a healthy mix of mid-sized deals to work through larger, more time-consuming deals. The ideal candidate should be willing to consider their entire book of business and be able to close both small and large deals.

Weak Answer:

• Overeager candidates risk sales teams by pursuing larger deals without explaining their decision-making process or potential loss, while those who play it safe lack initiative to balance midsize deals.

Strong Answer:

• The candidate emphasizes maintaining relationships with multiple prospects to meet sales goals and evaluating potential deals to determine the most viable deals for the company.

Conclusion

Hiring the best sales professionals is a crucial step toward achieving your business's growth and success. Using these interview questions, you can assess a candidate's experience, skills, and alignment with your company's values and goals. Remember, finding the right fit for your sales team involves not only their ability to sell but also their potential to contribute to your company's culture and long-term success. So, use these questions as a guide to help you identify and hire the best talent for your sales team.

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