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Sales Interview Questions
Struggling to plan an interview for your current sales vacancy? We've been interviewing sales candidates day-in-day-out for nearly a decade here at Aaron Wallis. Here is our guide we've put together on the most insightful questions you can ask when interviewing a sales candidate.
We hope it's useful whether you are an employer looking to plan an interview or a candidate who wants to get ahead of the game!
Most Common Sales Interview Questions
Here is our list of the most common or classic sales interview questions. We tend to find these questions great as a way to start or close the interview. A longer list of common sales interview questions can be found here.
- Can you start by introducing yourself?
- Explain what you know about the company
- What attracted you to the role?
- Why do you consider yourself a good fit for the role?
- Give me some reasons why you would like to join our company
- Explain what motivates you
- What strengths do you have?
- Why are you looking to leave your current position?
- Where do you see yourself in 5 years time?
- What are your weaknesses?
Interview Questions Concerning Performance
Meeting targets and general performance is probably the area employers value the most in their employees. Here are some of our favourite questions to get a real insight into how a candidate performs day-to-day. More sales performance interview questions can be found here.
- Tell me about a time when you have exceeded a target
- Explain a situation in the past where you have failed to meet a target
- How do you usually close a sales deal?
- What would you say are your greatest performance motivators?
- What is the most impressive piece of business you’ve ever won?
- How do you deal with objections from a client / potential business lead?
- Have you ever walked away from a deal, and why did you do it?
- What is the sales cycle and process you generally tend to follow?
Sales Manager Interview Questions
Great performance from sales teams usually comes from the top, and it’s crucial that you hire the right leader to guide your staff. A more extensive list of sales management questions can be found here.
- Explain how you manage sales staff in your current role
- Explain what you think your ‘management style’ is
- Tell me about a time in the past where you have had to deal with a difficult employee
- How do you like to motivate your team?
- What do you think are the most important qualities of a manager?
- What’s more important, your reports performance or wellbeing?
- How would you welcome a new employee to the business?
- Give me an example of a great leader
Questions About Decision Making
So much of sales is about your decisions and when you choose to make them. Here are a few questions to get an idea of how a candidate makes decisions.
- Tell me about your decision-making process.
- Do you tend to make decisions based on instinct or deliberation?
- What is the best decision you have made in your career?
- What is the riskiest professional decision you have made?
- What proportion of decisions would you say you get right?
More decision making interview questions can be found here.
Questions Around Teamwork & Communication
- Do you find yourself more effective working in a team or on your own?
- Tell me about a team project you have worked on that was unsuccessful
- Would you say you are easy to get along with
- How do you deal with difficult personalities?
- Give me an example of a time you have dealt with a disagreement
More communication interview questions can be found here.
Related Topics
The best sales and business development staff know how to deliver a presentation that will secure a deal. Questions On Presenting & Pitching will uncover how good a candidate's pitching skills are.
Follow this link to the section of our website which outlines some sales manager interview questions and interview questions for sales development.
Competency Interviewing
Competency interviewing is often made out to be a much more complex technique than it actually is. We often get questions from employers about the best way to competency interview candidates.
Luckily, we have a huge dedicated section on our website around competency interviewing techniques written specifically for salespeople. This includes video tutorials, forms, templates and how to plan competency interviews.
Of course, it is imperative that your interviews are legal. Indirect discrimination can often be a trap to unwittingly fall into yet is still illegal. Find out more on Questions That Employers Are Not Allowed To Ask
Date published: 28th February 2024
by Simon Bonner
Associate Director
About the author
Simon Bonner
With over 25 years in B2B sales and recruitment, Simon is an English Graduate from UEA and specialises in recruiting commercial and FMCG sales positions. Simon joined the sales recruitment industry in 1998 before progressing into field sales and returning to recruitment in 2015. As an Associate Director, Simon is well placed to understand the needs of clients and candidates' needs, having spent ten years selling electronic security and managing National Accounts within OEM manufacturers and distribution channels. An avid Luton Town football fan, Simon dotes on his two daughters and enjoys keeping fit, socialising, food and wine.
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