What gets you excited about new business and selling?

Closers may be good at "closing" the sale. They may enjoy the chase of the sale and the end result.

What steps do you take to achieve a positive outcome?

Closer may struggle with time management.

What would you say are the most important aspects of a business relationship?

Closers may be more apt to go after the sale rather than build a relationship with the client.

If I were to hire you now, sit down at a desk with a computer and phone without and instruction. What would you do to generate business?

Competitors may have high motivation/drive to want to get on the phone and make sales.

Give me an example of one success and one failure. What factor had the most impact on the results?

Competitors may not want to share their failures since they tend to be more critical of others and may have the need to be perfect.

What are the top three factors you would attribute to your success?

Competitors may focus more on their accomplishments, rather than attributing their success to everyone who got them there.

If a customer is using abusive language with you, but has a valid point, how would you handle it?

Consistents may be friendly and want to do what they can to rectify the situation and put the customer at ease.

What are your cold calling strategies?

Consistents may not be motivated to stay on the phone to do cold calling to drive new business.

What would you do in your first three months on the job to ensure your success?

Consistents may need a lot of guidance and reassurance and may count on others for their success.

Have you ever dealt with an emotional client? How did you deal with them?

The Engineer may be a calm and logical presence that the client needs.

How involved are you in the community?

Engineers may have trouble with relationship building.

How would you define a team player?

Engineers prefer to work alone and may be more focused on their work than on being part of a team.

What is your greatest strength? Where does it come in most handy?

Independents may be innovative, good listeners, and value their own time. However, their relationship-building may be lacking.

Why should we not hire you?

Independents may have a tendency to argue and not want to reveal their weaknesses.

Please share an example of a time you had difficulty working with someone. What made them difficultto work with? What steps did you take to resolve the issues?

Independents may struggle with relationship building and may prefer to work alone.

Can you tell me about a problem you solved in a unique way? What happened?

Knowledgeables may be good problem solvers.

When have you worked in a situation where there were no guidelines? What did you do?

Knowledgeables may be organized and require boundaries and instructions in order to work day to day in the office.

Tell me about a time you took a risk and it succeeded.

Knowledgeables typically do not take risks. They may conduct research on a situation before moving forward.

Tell me how you would build new accounts.

Networkers may have a lot of contacts. This may help in building accounts.

How do you overcome price objections?

Networkers may be willing to walk away from a sale rather than give the benefits of the product to avoid coming across as "too pushy", because they want the client to like them.

What are your personal ambitions in life, and what have you done to achieve them?

Networkers may find it difficult to achieve their ambitions.

Have you ever been in a situation where the facts required you to deliver bad news? What did you do?

Nurturers may be understanding and steady. They may be the "hug through the phone" that the customers need during a situation where bad news is being delivered.

Tell me about a time your manager wasn't satisfied with the results of your work. How did you discuss the issues, and what did you do differently next time?

Nurturers may be sensitive to criticism and hold a grudge.

Have you ever bent the rules in assisting a customer? Tell me the situation and the outcome.

Nurturers may bend the rules for clients to avoid confrontations.

How have you handled previous conflicts with co-workers or clients?

Organizers are "people-oriented". They may prefer to have a harmonious environment. They may be good at building relationships with clients/co-workers by listening and talking through any conflicts that may arise.

Are you good at saying "No?"

Organizers may become overwhelmed when they take on too much.

Describe to me how you work under high pressure and/or in high-stress situations.

Organizers may feel more pressure and stress because they take on too much and have trouble saying "No".

Give me an example of a time you went to great lengths to help a customer.

Perfectionists may excel in customer service and go the extra mile.

Describe a time of great change at work. How did you handle it?

Perfectionists may resist change and struggle to adjust.

How do you respond to situations where you feel you haven't been given clear guidelines or don't have enough information to finish a project?

Perfectionists may require boundaries and specific instructions and may feel stuck if they do not have the answers to their questions.

Tell me about a time you took a risk and it failed.

Persistents may be good in a crisis and in making on-the-spot decisions. This is accompanied by high confidence and their willingness to take the bull by the horns when they see a situation that needs to be handled.

If someone else applying for this job is better than you, what makes them better?

Persistents may have high confidence. It may not occur to them that someone else may be better.

When working on a team, what role do you feel most comfortable with? Why? What was your most recent team experience like?

Persistents may be able to work on a team as long as they are the leader or their ideas are being heard.

If your manager asked you to complete a task you thought impossible at first, how would you go about it?

Planners may be decisive in their thinking and find it hard to look at a problem in a different way. However, they are good at researching an issue to help find alternative solutions.

Why do you like the option to make commission over strictly making an hourly pay?

Planners may get caught up in the details, rather than looking at the big picture of how much they can make as a whole.

Can you tell me about a time when you convinced a reluctant customer to make a purchase? How did you do it?

Planners may have low persuasive skills, which may inhibit their selling abilities.

Who inspires you and why?

We want to hear about how this influence directed their career path to the industry they're interviewing for.

Has there been a time when you did not have enough information to finish a project? What was the outcome?

Researchers may need clear-cut boundaries, exact descriptions, and value accuracy. They may not verbalize their needs.

What's your communication style like? What way do you prefer to communicate with others?

Researchers may prefer to communicate electronically, rather than through personal contact. This may allow them to have all the data and details prepared before answering.

Can you give me an example of how you go about influencing other people to your way of thinking?

Sales Leaders may be influential to others and make an impact on their way of thinking.

What is your greatest weakness? What do you do to overcome it?

Sales Leafers may have a lot of confidence. They may struggle with admitting weaknesses.

Have you ever failed in a sale/negotiation because you talked too much? What did you do about it?

Sales Leaders may have a tendency to talk too much and talk themselves right out of a sale, rather than listening to the customers' needs.

If we were to offer you this position, what can we do to keep you motivated day-to-day?

Sales Persons may be motivated by money, bonuses, and contests that offer incentives.

Tell me about a time you missed (or almost missed) a goal. How did you react when you realized you were falling behind? What did that experience teach you?

Sales Persons may struggle with deadlines and time management.

Can you think of a time when an opportunity passed you by? What did you do?

Sales Persons may not want to volunteer the information on how they missed an opportunity, such as a promotion.