Finding the right sales rep for your company isn’t easy. It all comes down to experience, relationship building, and of course, culture fit. Throughout the interview process, identifying the right interview questions for sales reps can make or break your process.
A little research and some stand-out questions go a long way. According to SiriusDecisions, 3% of high-performing sales reps are actively in the job market. That means you’re trying to find a needle in a haystack.
But don’t worry, we’ve narrowed down some of the top interview questions to ask your sales reps. Learn exactly how to identify the answers that make a difference.
What are the top interview questions for sales reps?
Interview questions are all about uncovering information. If you want to learn about someone’s skills, work ethic, and of course, sales record, you can ask. But how do you get to the heart of what sets them apart? You ask the right questions. Here are a few of our favorites.
Describe a time you had to do the right thing versus the easy thing. What was your decision?
If you’re hiring sales reps, you probably understand how hard it is for the general public to trust them. Trust is everything. Especially when it comes to selling your product.
With this question, you get an idea of whether or not your candidate will ensure your customers feel comfortable. The last thing you need is to develop a relationship for untrustworthy sales reps on your team.
What interests you in sales?
Whether it’s the earning potential or their general enjoyment of working with customers, understanding what drives a sales rep is essential. The answer to this question will help you identify if they’re in it for the right reasons.
Or, in the case of a young sales rep, whether they know what they want at all.
Would you rather achieve quotas or keep your clients satisfied?
The right answer to this question depends on your culture. If you’re highly sales-driven, you might want to hear that achieving quotas is the right thing. On the other hand, being a customer-centric company means you’d rather keep the customers satisfied than risk making them angry over a bad sale.
You need to know what you’re looking for in a sales rep. If you know that, the answer to this question will be black and white.
Which of our products would you enjoy selling?
We all need to know if an interviewee took the time to research the company and the products. If they did, this question should be a piece of cake.
Pay careful attention to how they answer. Do they understand the product? Are they excited about it? What aspects of it do they feel they can sell?
You’ll learn about the time they put into researching the company, or how familiar they are with what you do, from this single question. Plus, you get insight into how they define top selling points.
Let’s be honest; a great sales rep is hard to find. But with the right questions in mind, you’ll be able to narrow them down until you find your top pick.
