- #1 – Tell me, what separates you from the rest of your sales team?
- #2 – Give me an example of a creative way you managed to close a sale?
- #3 – Share with me an example of a recent goal you set yourself in the past and the steps you took to achieve it?
Situational Interview Questions for Sales
17. Describe a situation where you needed information from a coworker who was slow to respond. What did you do?
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The sound engineer in our company took a long time getting back to me with vital details. I started taking coffee breaks with him to catch up. I got faster answers and completed projects 15% sooner. |
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Our sound engineer always took a long time getting back to me. I had my manager talk to him about being more prompt. |
There’s nothing wrong with answering situational interview questions like that second example. However, the first answer shows valuable interpersonal skills.
The next of our scenario interview questions gets at your persuasion skills.
4. How did you land your most successful sale?
What They Want to Know: Interviewers want to see that you have a strategy when it comes to closing deals. Share a step-by-step scenario and keep in mind that your answer should showcase your best qualities as a salesperson. (While you want to use this answer to show yourself as a strong sales candidate, avoid bragging!)
My biggest sale (so far) involves selling a five-year contract for XYZs enterprise software to ABC Automotives. Believe it or not, this deal started with a cold call; in that initial conversation, the customer shared a problem that the enterprise software could solve, and so I was able to target subsequent presentations and interactions in a solution-oriented way. Relationship building was key to closing this deal, as well as to providing targeted demos of the software that spoke to saving the client time and increasing productivity.
More Answers: Questions about your most successful sale.
3. What motivates you?
What They Want to Know: Interviewers want to know what makes you tick. Its a smart idea to connect your response to the companys goals. Financial matters (like a compensation bonus) may be a big motivator, but try to go beyond that in your answer.
Every quarter, I strive to go beyond my quota and compete with my personal best results from previous periods. My goal is always to see growth in my sales records with each new quarter.
12. Describe a situation where you used Photoshop to complete a project
Example Job Specific Situational Interview Question and Answer
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We had a chance to win over a high-paying client. My design was shortlisted for a Design Week Award. We got their repeat business and raised annual revenue by 15%. |
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I’ve used Photoshop daily for 10 years. I guess one of my projects was to design a Tri-Fold for a client. |
Which of those two graphic designers would you hire?
These next situational interview questions get at your problem-solving skills. More than half the hiring managers surveyed count that as a key requirement.
