Sales Interview

8/8/2019 Sales Interview

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What are Your Strengths?

How to Identify Your StrengthsOriginal article by the authors of best-job-interview.com

"What are your strengths?" is one of the most common job interview questions anddifficult to answer. Prepare before the interview by using simple guidelines to identify

your strengths.

Before you can answer the job interview

question "What are your strengths?"

you need to understand your specific

strengths.

What is a strength?

A strength can be defined as a

combination of talent, behavior, skills and

knowledge that you apply consistently to

produce a successful result.

To identify your strengths you need to look at four criteria.

What activities make me feel involved and engaged?

Ask yourself these questions:

When I am busy with this activity do I think about other things and when it will be over or am I totally concentrated on the task at hand?

Do I look forward to doing this activity again?

What are my spontaneous reactions to the situation and activity?

Ask yourself:







When do I feel a sense of "rightness" and enjoyment?

What activities give me a sense of satisfaction?

What activities consistently produce the desired results?

Ask yourself:

Where do I perform at a high level?

What provides a consistent pattern of successful results?

What seems to be done well and effortlessly?

Where and when do I experience rapid learning?

Ask yourself:

What activities and tasks have I been able to learn quickly?

In what areas and activities have I experienced quick insight and understanding?

Use the strengths-finder list below to identify possible activities/skills/knowledge-

areas/behaviors that can be translated into strengths by answering the questions above.

What are Your Strengths?

A. activating, adapting, administering, analyzing, arranging

B. budgeting, building, briefing, balancing

C. communicating, controlling, co-ordinating, creating, checking

D. deciding, detailing, developing, directing, devising E. empathizing, evaluating , examining, explaining

F. finding, fixing, formulating, finalizing G. guiding, gathering, generating

H. helping, handling, hosting

I. imagining, implementing, influencing, initiating, innovating, improving J. judging

K. keeping





as a sign of maturity and wisdom. Refer to a true weakness but then turn it into a positive

by describing it as an area for development. In your job interview answer relate what

steps you have taken to try and improve.

"I'm impatient with people who don't work at the same pace as me but I'm learning to

manage this. I make sure that they have the right resources for the job, I follow up to seethat they are on track and I step in and help when needed"

"I can be disorganized, I am aware of this and make sure I answer my emails and

messages straight away. I update my calendar as soon as I have a new task or

appointment, this really helps"

A good guide is to acknowledge one or two

weaknesses, describe the efforts made to overcomethese and end your story on a positive note.

"I've been reluctant to delegate. I have had to re-evaluate this as it was creating a big workload for me. I assign each person a specific, manageable task and

then follow up to satisfy myself that it is being done

properly, this seems to work well"

Some weaknesses can be interpreted as a strength. Examples include:

"I can be a bit aggressive in getting to my goals"

"At times I can get too involved in other people's problems, trying to help them"

These are two of the most difficult questions to answer in the job interview. Prepare usingthese sample free interview answers and stand out as the right candidate.

Why should we hire you?"

Review the job description and note down the job requirements.

Refer to your skills and experience relevant to the job requirements and the company's

needs. What benefits are you bringing to this job?



Mention your previous successes and your goals

for the future. Be straightforward and confident

about your abilities.

" I have the right combination of skills and

experience for this job. I also bring the additional quality of strong analytical and problem solving

ability as shown by my introduction of a more

efficient work flow system at ABC Company.

My commitment to excellent work standards will add value to the team.

I am a fast learner, I had to learn a totally new

operating system in my last job and I was up and running within a couple of weeks.

One of the reasons I want to work for this company

is your reputation for staff development, learning

and growth are important values to me. I sincerelybelieve I am the right person for this job and for this

company"

Beenthusiastic

about why

you want this

job.

"I really would like this job selling gift items and I

strongly believe I will be good at it. I enjoy talking to customers and helping them find what they are

looking for. I am meticulous about handling cash.

I look forward to having regular hours and I amvery reliable. In fact, my reference emphasizes

that as one of my strong points"

For a good guide to identifying your strengths that

will help you answer this interview question.

Why do you want to work for thiscompany?"

Use your background research to prepare for this question, this way you will differentiate

yourself from the other candidates.

Common Job Interview

Questions and Answers

Overview

Tell Me About Yourself?

What are Your Strengths and

Weaknesses?

Describe Your Greatest

Achievement?

Your Goals for the Next 5 Years?

Reason for Leaving Current Job?

When answering interview

questions like this, don't try to saythat you are the best qualified

candidate, you are not familiar with

the other candidates' skills andexperience. Rather highlight the

reasons why you are the right

candidate for this job.

"My abilities in sales really seem to fit

this job. My success at ABC in

achieving an annual growth rate of 25% support this.

I have worked with a similar product

line and have an in-depthunderstanding of the technical

aspects.

My experience as a member of a large

team will contribute to your department and I am enthusiastic

about the new challenges involved in

this position"

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"I understand this company is expanding, your website indicates that you are about tolaunch a number of new products. I would like to be a part of this exciting growth"

"I have always wanted an opportunity to work with a company that provides such an

important service to the community"

"You are a small company with great opportunity for staff development"

"Your company has a reputation for being innovative and open to new ideas"

Find something specific about the company to hook into. Look at the company values,

mission, vision and successes. How do you complement and contribute to these?

"I know that your goal is to become the biggest provider of office supplies in the area.

My knowledge and experience of the customer base can make a big contribution to this. I

would really enjoy the challenge of growing this business"

Focused research and planning before answering interview questions puts you on the path

to success to your job interview!

Standard interview questions and answer guidelines about handling conflict, your ideal

job, how you define success and what motivates you.

What do you like most about your current or last job?

The interviewer wants to evaluate your compatibility with the position you are

interviewing for. Make your answer relevant to the job requirements. General reasons

such as new challenges, interacting with people, growth and learning opportunities, usingyour initiative, working as part of a team and meeting set objectives and goals are usually

applicable to most job opportunities.

Highlight the reason and make it more specific by quoting an example. "I enjoyed having

to use my initiative. I have implemented and improved a number of the systems including

the order processing system."

What do you like least about your current or last job?

With typical interview questions like this be careful that the dislikes you talk about do not

refer to specific characteristics of the job opportunity you are interviewing for. Stay awayfrom reasons such as overtime and salary. Avoid criticism of your boss, management or

co-workers. Be general and refer to the lack of or absence of what you seek in a job or work environment.

For example, "There was very little opportunity for me to use my initiative. I regard this

as one of my strengths and found it frustrating that I was unable to get past thebureaucracy of such a big company to implement any improvements. That is why I am

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enthusiastic about working for a smaller company like this which I know encouragesemployees to use their initiative."

Or "There was a lack of growth opportunities in such as small company. One of the reasons

I am so interested in your company is that it is a much larger organization with formal

career planning structures in place."

This way you emphasize why you are a suitable candidate for this job and company aswell as turning it into a compliment to the company you are interviewing with.

How to answer the question "What do you like and dislike about the sales job?"

How would you describe your previous manager/boss/supervisor

When answering typical interview questions about

previous managers avoid saying anything that can

be interpreted as negative. It sends up a red flagabout your attitude to authority and supervision.

Even if there is something truly negative about your boss rather try to find something positive to focus

on. The answer you give should be fact-based and

not just your opinion.

For example: "My manager was very experienced,

he had managed a number of big call centers over

the past 12 years. He liked his staff to be able towork independently and I had to learn quickly to

become independent about analyzing problems and finding solutions."

5

Years from NowOne cannot accurately predict what the job or the

company will look like in 5 years time. You can

answer in general terms about the type of situation you would like to be in and the way

you want to have grown and developed. Avoid

giving specific time frames or job titles.

More Typical Interview

Questions

How would your co-workers

describe you?

What motivates you in your job?

How do you define success in your

job?

Describe your ideal job

How do you handle conflict?

What has been the most difficultsituation you have faced?

In this answer you are stating a positive

fact about your boss, his amount of experience. You are also turning a

possible negative about your boss, his

lack of support, into a positive aboutyou. You have not criticized your boss

and you have taken the opportunity to

highlight your ability to be proactive

and deal with a situation.

Use these sample answers to help

prepare your own good interview

answers to these typical interview

questions. You will stand out as the

professional and prepared job

candidate.

Prepare for other common interviewquestions using our recommended

sample answers and interview answer guidelines.

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Focus on realistic career opportunities you could

expect in your industry and what you hope to have

gained from these opportunities.

"It is an uncertain world and one can't predict what

is going to happen. However, my hope is that I will have contributed to the success of the company and

grown both personally and professionally within my

position"

Combineyour personal

growth

strategies and

goals withcommitment

to the job andthe employer.

For example:

"I want to have developed new skills and abilitiesand to have made the most of my opportunities.

This position will give me the opportunity to learn

more about managing a work team, this is a goal

of mine. I would like to be recognized as anindividual who has really added value to the

company"

When faced with this job interview questionand answer , avoid making over-ambitious

predictions about your future potential. This indicates a lack of insight andmaturity. Broadly discuss your work values and goals, not focusing on a specific

career plan.

"I want to have learned and grown within my work, to have increased my

responsibilities and skills. I enjoy a challenge and would like to know that I amconstantly meeting new challenges. My goal is to be the best at whatever level I amworking at within the company"

Demonstrate that you understand that reward (salary, promotion, responsibility)will be based on the quality and value of your contribution.

More Interview Questions and

Answers

Overview

Tell Me About Yourself?

What are Your Strengths andWeaknesses?

Why Should we Hire You?

Why this Company?

Describe Your Greatest

Achievement?

Reason for Leaving Current Job?

Your interview answer should relate

to the job you are being interviewedfor in some way. The interviewer does

not want to hear that you hope to have

published your first novel or be

running your own business.

This interview question is designed to

assess a number of things.

How long are you likely to

stay with the company?

What is your motivation in

applying for this position?

Do you look ahead and set

goals for yourself?





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"I know that I was initially considered intolerant if I felt they were not putting in the same amount of effort as I was. I realized it was better to encourage them to meet our

deadlines by offering help where needed. This has worked much better for all of us."

Use work-relevant words like good communicator, reliable, decisive, resilient, energetic,

team member when answering top interview questions like this.


This is a personal trait, there is no right or wrong answer.

However, you need to prepare for this job interview

question and note down some specific examples. It is

often difficult to verbalize your motivation properly in

the stressful context of a job interview.

Other interview questions will determine whether you

have the skills for the job - can you do the job. With this

question the interviewer is exploring whether you will be

a good motivational fit with the job opportunity - willyou want to do this job?

What does motivate you will depend on your background and work experiences, but try

to make your motivation relevant to what this job can provide. For example if the job is afairly isolated one do not give "working with other people" as a motivation! You can use

this preparation as an opportunity to think about whether this position is really suitable

for you in terms of motivational fit.

Here are some sample answers to top interview questions about your motivation to helpyou prepare your own answers:

"I am motivated by the challenge of difficult tasks and projects.My previous manager

gave me more and more responsibility as I proved myself, I found this very motivating."

"It is important for me to meet the customers needs. I give them the best service and

when I exceed their expectations or get positive feedback it motivates me."





When answering this sales question acknowledge that objections happen frequently

during the sales process but that you view them as a positive rather than a bad thing. An

objection is a request for more information from the customer and gathering and givinginformation is one of the key steps to making the sale.

Highlight how you view an objection as an opportunity to engage in conversation aboutsomething the customer is interested in. Then focus on an effective strategy that you use

to work through the objection. This could include the following key steps to handling anobjection:

listen to and acknowledge the concern

ask questions to clarify and ensure you have got to the real objection

empathize with the objection put forward a proposal to overcome the concern

confirm that you have answered the concern

In the current sales environment, what is the process you go through to qualifyprospects?

This question is designed to evaluate your ability to assess what is a solid prospect and

not waste your efforts on poor prospects. In tough economic conditions sales people can

waste precious resources chasing every lead that comes their way. Focus on thecharacteristics of a good prospect including the actual needs of the customer, the

customer's budget and the real authority of the customer to make the buying decision.

Sales interview questions and answers about your knowledge and application of sales

principles and practices will include:

What do you consider the key skills in closing?

Key points to keep in mind when answering this sales interview question are:

recognizing buying signals both verbal and non verbal

not attempting to close too early

familiarity with different closing techniques such as the alternate choice method allowing the buyer the appropriate time and silence to respond to the close

to stop selling once the sale is made

How do you know when to walk away from a sale?

Sooner or later it will happen that it is necessary to walk away from a customer. This

sales question is asked to determine that you do not walk away from opportunities tooquickly or for the wrong reasons. You should have a walk-away strategy that is based on

valid and consistent reasons. These could include:



when legal and ethical standards may be compromised such as taking or paying a

bribe or compromising your moral or religious beliefs

when time and resources do not allow you to provide the acceptable standard of quality or when you know you cannot deliver what is been asked. This can be

viewed as an invitation to failure

when the time, energy and resources required to keep the sale or customer are nolonger a good investment and the business becomes unprofitable

when the deal does not benefit both parties and is not a win-win situation,

particularly when it is one-sided to your detriment

What is your favorite book about sales?

The interviewer is exploring your attitude to professional and personal development. It isalways impressive when candidates are able to list the books they have read. Include

time-honored sales books like How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale

Carnegie and SPIN Selling by Neil Rackham as well as some current sales books. Make

sure you have read the books and be prepared to answer questions like "What was themost important thing you learned from reading that book?"

Also expect sales interview questions and answers that explore your background research

and knowledge of the company and industry such as:

Who do you see as our company's biggest competitors, and why?

What do you see as this company's biggest challenges?

What are the changes that you see are taking place in our industry at the moment?

How do you see the future of our industry?

What technique have you found most successful in handling objections

When answering this sales question acknowledge that objections happen frequently

during the sales process but that you view them as a positive rather than a bad thing. An

objection is a request for more information from the customer and gathering and givinginformation is one of the key steps to making the sale.

Highlight how you view an objection as an opportunity to engage in conversation about

something the customer is interested in. Then focus on an effective strategy that you useto work through the objection. This could include the following key steps to handling anobjection:

listen to and acknowledge the concern

ask questions to clarify and ensure you have got to the real objection

empathize with the objection put forward a proposal to overcome the concern







confirm that you have answered the concern

In the current sales environment, what is the process you go through to qualify

prospects?

This question is designed to evaluate your ability to assess what is a solid prospect andnot waste your efforts on poor prospects. In tough economic conditions sales people can

waste precious resources chasing every lead that comes their way. Focus on the

characteristics of a good prospect including the actual needs of the customer, thecustomer's budget and the real authority of the customer to make the buying decision.

Sales interview questions and answers about your knowledge and application of sales

principles and practices will include:

What do you consider the key skills in closing?

Key points to keep in mind when answering this sales interview question are:

recognizing buying signals both verbal and non verbal not attempting to close too early

familiarity with different closing techniques such as the alternate choice method

allowing the buyer the appropriate time and silence to respond to the close to stop selling once the sale is made

How do you know when to walk away from a sale?

Sooner or later it will happen that it is necessary to walk away from a customer. This

sales question is asked to determine that you do not walk away from opportunities tooquickly or for the wrong reasons. You should have a walk-away strategy that is based onvalid and consistent reasons. These could include:

when legal and ethical standards may be compromised such as taking or paying a

bribe or compromising your moral or religious beliefs when time and resources do not allow you to provide the acceptable standard of

quality or when you know you cannot deliver what is been asked. This can be

viewed as an invitation to failure

when the time, energy and resources required to keep the sale or customer are nolonger a good investment and the business becomes unprofitable

when the deal does not benefit both parties and is not a win-win situation, particularly when it is one-sided to your detriment

What is your favorite book about sales?

The interviewer is exploring your attitude to professional and personal development. It is

always impressive when candidates are able to list the books they have read. Include

time-honored sales books like How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale



Carnegie and SPIN Selling by Neil Rackham as well as some current sales books. Make

sure you have read the books and be prepared to answer questions like "What was the

most important thing you learned from reading that book?"

Also expect sales interview questions and answers that explore your background research

and knowledge of the company and industry such as:

Who do you see as our company's biggest competitors, and why?

What do you see as this company's biggest challenges?

What are the changes that you see are taking place in our industry at the moment?

How do you see the future of our industry?

he Pre Interview ChecklistUse the practical interview checklist of what you need to do the day before your interview. You want to be sure that you are properly prepared and confident of getting the

job.

Here is a list of what you should put in

your portfolio or briefcase

(Remember to clean out your briefcasefirst, you don't want irrelevant papers

flying around when you are trying to

retrieve documents from it!)

Full name of company, name and position of contact person/interviewer and contact number

Full address of company and the department or building where your interview is.

Good directions or map. Get these by calling the company, they usually have astandard set of directions they can email you or they can tell you on the phone.









Include your company background research. Review the research that you have

put together about the organization and the job and consider how you will use it in

your interview.

Put in the questions you have prepared to ask the interviewer . You should prepare

at least five insightful questions about the job, the company, and management.

Read through these questions and feel confident about asking them.

Once you have prepared your portfolio, you have a couple of hours to do the

following on your interview checklist:

Take out the clothes you plan to wear to the interview. Make sure they are clean

and pressed. Shoes should be polished. Select the accessories you want to wear.Lay your outfit out ready for the next day.

Go through your prepared answers to common job interview questions such asWhat are your strengths?, Why are you the right candidate for this job?, Tell me

about yourself?.

If you are going to be asked behavioral questions, consider your possible

responses. The objective now is not to memorize your answers but to review themand be familiar and confident with them.

Try to practice your responses out loud. Ask a friend or family member to do a

mock interview with you. Ask for feedback on other elements such as your body

language, communication skills and clarity of your answers.

Make sure you have something nutritious to eat for breakfast the next day, you

don't want your stomach rumbling or to feel hungry during your interview.

Get a good night's sleep knowing you are fully prepared to ace the interview!

What has been the most difficult situation you have had to face?

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This job interview question is trying to determine

two things - what your definition of difficult is and

how you approach challenges and problems.

Job skills

that should be

highlighted

include

commonsense,

perseverance, diplomacy, maturity, stress

management and assessment skills.

For example: "I have faced a number of difficult situations, but the one that comes to mind now

is ...... ( describe the situation). I was able to deal

with it by assessing the situation, determining the possible different approaches and deciding on the most effective one. I had to remain unemotional and objective and

focused on a solution."

Preparing your answers to job interview questions like these sets you up for interview

success. Click on the table above to view more standard interview questions and good

sample answers.

Click here for good sample answers to these common interview questions:

More Typical Interview

Questions

What did you like/dislike most

about your previous job?

How would you describe your

manager/boss?

How would your co-workersdescribe you?


How do you define success in

your job?

Describe your ideal job

Avoid discussing difficult situations

that were directly caused by you. Makesure it is a situation that most peoplewould consider difficult or tough.

Think of specific problems that tested

your skills and abilities and had

positive outcomes. Highlight the wayyou analyzed the situation, the skills

you used to professionally deal with it

and what your particular contribution

to resolving it was. Always try to end

on a positive note

Examples of difficult situations include

having to discipline an employee,unreasonable goals and deadlines,

unreasonable customers and clients,

adapting to change and facing

unethical work practices.





















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Sales Interview