Potential interview questions to ask candidates during phone screens or interviews.
Prepare the questions you want to ask ahead of time. Listen carefully to what the candidate is saying.
Remember to remain EEOC compliant when interviewing your candidate(s).
Why did you choose a career in (sales/insurance/management)? OR Are you interested in a sales position?
Do you prefer inside sales or outside sales? Why?
How would you bring in new business?
Describe the steps you’ve taken to build a pipeline of promising prospects.
Tell me about your cold calling experience. How much time do you spend cold calling to find new clients?
What role does social media play in your selling process?
When you lose a deal, how do you follow up with that prospect?
What do you currently sell? Please go over your presentation.
Tell me what is most important to you in your next sales position. Why?
What skill or expertise do you feel like you’re still missing as a salesperson?
What do you do the first time a potential client says “NO”?
Can you tell me when you convinced a reluctant customer to make a purchase? How did you do it?
Have you ever failed in a sale/negotiation because you talked too much? How did you rectify the situation and save the deal?
How do you overcome price objections?
What is your most significant obstacle in closing a sale?
At what point do you stop working with a potential client?
As a salesperson, you will have to do some account management/retention and daily routine tasks. What are the tasks that you feel you should be responsible for and why?
What is an example of something you do not like in a sales environment? What is an example of something you love about working in a sales environment?
What does success look like to you in the workplace?
Tell me about a time you missed (or almost missed) your goals. How did you react when you realized you were falling behind? What did that experience teach you?
Tell me about a losing streak you had. How did you turn it around?
Tell me about a mistake you’ve made in sales and what you’ve learned from that mistake.
How do you measure or evaluate your performance at work? How do you measure or evaluate others’ performance at work?
If I have two jobs available, one is a higher commission salary with a bonus, and the other is a lower salary with unlimited commission potential, which job would you prefer? Why?
Walk me through how you ask for a referral.
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