Whether youre applying for your first sales job or youre an experienced sales representative, obtaining an interview is the first step in building a successful career in sales. In an interview for a sales position, the interviewer assesses your hard skills, soft skills and behavioral intelligence. Being well-prepared for the sales interview is key when applying for a sales development representative job. In this article, we share the most commonly asked SDR interview questions and tips on what the recruiter is looking for in your responses.
- Why should we hire you?
- What appeals to you the most about this job?
- What do you know about our organization and our products/services?
- How would you describe our ideal customer, based on what you know about us?
- What is a ‘buyer persona’?
Business Development Representative Interview Questions and Answer Examples
What Do You Think Describes Our Ideal Customer?
This question tests your understanding of the organization’s existing client base, its target customer, and its position in the marketplace. Be prepared to offer a customer profile, but also offer suggestions for potential client bases that haven’t yet been tapped. Where can the organization grow its client base? What areas are being overlooked? What are some potential sectors that are ripe for expansion?
Do You Like Cold Calling? What Are Your Thoughts About Cold Calling?
Cold calling is a big part of a sales representative’s job. So if you’re uncomfortable with cold calling, this will be a red flag for hiring managers.
What Is the Most Challenging Assignment You’ve Encountered on Your Learning Journey?
Interviewers use this question to assess your problem-solving skills and your own self-awareness. Your answer to this question will shed light on your critical thinking skills, risk tolerance, and coping skills. When sharing past examples, contextualize the situation and explain the problem you were tasked with solving. Briefly recount your approach to solving the problem, and how that affected the final outcome.
Have You Worked With CRM Software Before? What Other Sales Tools Have You Worked With?
Most sales teams use customer relationship management (CRM) tools such as Salesforce and Zendesk. If you haven’t used a CRM before, show that you are willing to learn.
How Do You Handle Negative Feedback From Your Team Members, Senior Staff, or Clients?
Hiring managers ask this question to see if candidates are coachable and receptive to change. No one expects you to be perfect, but hiring managers will expect you to accept feedback with grace. Whether that criticism comes from a manager, peer, or customer, they want to know that you’ll be open to improvement.
What Sales Techniques Do You Use? Which Methods Do You Find Most and Least Effective? Can You Explain With Examples?
This question is an opportunity to talk about your soft skills, technical skills, and broader sales skills. For example, you might want to talk about the importance of storytelling, or how you use social media and CRM skills to identify potential buyers.
This is the first step to tailoring a sales pitch. As a senior BDR, you’ll train junior salespeople, set sales targets, and help develop buyers’ personas for the rest of your team. This question measures your understanding of all these tasks.
