SALES INTERVIEW GUIDE
1. Please describe your work history (beginning with your education).
2. Describe your day-to-day activities in either your current or most recent sales position. What would be a typical day for you?
3. What has been your proudest achievement in professional sales?
4. Looking at your most recent company, what would you do differently if you had the opportunity to begin again?
5. If you were to accept the position we are interviewing for, how would you envision spending your first month on the job?
6. What level of sales would you envision producing in your first four or five months on the job?
7. What techniques have you found most effective to set your company's products and services apart from your competition?
8. If you were asked to describe yourself using three adjectives, what would they be?
9. How many hours in a week do you expect to work? Or, how many hours in a week are you currently working?
10. Who has had the greatest influence on your adult personality? How would you describe this person's influence? If necessary, ask the candidate from a professional standpoint?
11. If you could improve anything about the way your manager goes about his/her work, what would it be? (If necessary, ask most recent manager if the person is unemployed or between jobs.)
12. Who was the best manager with whom you ever worked? What made him/her the best?
13. What do you believe is a reasonable amount (dollar volume) of sales for a person in the position we are interviewing to produce?
14. Who was the worst manager with whom you ever worked? What made him/her the worst?
15. Who is the best salesperson you ever worked with? What made him/her the best?
16. How would you compare yourself to this person?
17. If given the opportunity to speak to several of your peers in professional sales, how would you describe your approach to selling?
18. What do you really enjoy about your work? What do you enjoy least?
19. What would you like to be doing five years from now? If appropriate, ask what steps are you taking to be in this position?
20. If you were to work with a company for a number of years and then retire, what would you want people to say about you at a going away party?
21. Please describe your pet peeves; that is, the things that really irritate you about others. If appropriate, emphasize the work environment after he/she gives initial answers.
22. What has been your proudest achievement as an adult? If appropriate, ask professionally.
23. What has been your biggest disappointment as an adult? If appropriate, ask professionally.
24. If you could do anything differently to affect this disappointment, what would you do?
25. If we were to speak to the best manager you ever worked for, what would he/she say would be the area you need most improvement in?
26. If we were to speak to your current manager (if a different person from above question) what would he or she say would be the area you need the most improvement in?
27. If we were to speak to a number of your customers, please describe the type of relationship they would say they have had with you?
28. If we were to speak to one of your customers, what would he/she say would be the area in which you need the most improvement?
29. What steps have you taken to enhance your professionalism as a salesperson?
30. What is the single, most significant business lesson you have learned in the last year?
31. If you could change or improve one thing about yourself, what would it be?
32. If you were giving advice to a person who was about to enter the world of professional sales in your particular area, what would you tell this person to help him/her be the most successful?
33. What system or technique do you use to organize your time?
34. Do you feel listening skills are an important part of selling?
A. How would you describe your listening skills?
B. What steps do you feel you could take to improve your listening skills?
C. Do you feel it takes hard work?
38. Please give several, specific examples of things you have done that represent outstanding customer service?
41. What valid criticism, if any, has been made regarding your sales style?
42. What are your hobbies and personal interests?
43. Based on your understanding of the position thus far, what would need to occur for you to want to join this organization?
44. Why should we choose you for this opportunity?
45. Is there anything else you wanted to tell me about yourself that I didn’t ask?
Compliments of Bill Lee at
www.leeresources.com
Remodelers Advantage, Inc.
535 Main Street – Suite 211, Laurel MD 20707
Ofc. 301-490-5620 Fax. 301-498-6869
www.RemodelersAdvantage.com