Interviews can be scary. You want to make a great first impression and say all the right things to hopefully land your next job. Here are a few tips to prepare for a successful sales interview, as well as interview questions you can practice to land your next role.
1. Do your research
One mistake candidates often make is going into an interview blind and not doing any research about the company they’re interviewing for. When it comes to sales interviews, doing research about the company and its products or services is going to be crucial to a successful sales interview. Oftentimes, they’ll ask you questions related to their products, so you want to be as prepared as possible.
2. Practice your answers
Practicing answers to common interview questions will help you feel prepared and more confident going into your interview. We all get nervous during interviews, it happens to the best of us, but preparing will help the interview run smoothly so you can nail your interview.
3. Highlight experience that relates to the role
When highlighting your experience, make sure you frame it in a way that relates back to the job you’re interviewing for. You should highlight the responsibilities you have and how they relate to the role and responsibilities of this new role.
4. Remain customer-centric
Being a good salesperson is all about putting the customer’s needs first and this is something hiring managers want to make sure you do right. During your interview, make sure you’re practicing this by remaining customer focused in all of your answers.
5. Use the STAR method with your answers
The STAR method stands for situation, task, action, and result—and can be a valuable strategy to use when formulating answers to sales interview questions. Start by describing the situation, then explain the challenge or task at hand, what actions you took to resolve the challenge, and what the outcome was.
6. Don’t forget to prepare questions
When you get to the end of your interview, the interviewer will likely ask if you have any questions for them. Your answer should always be yes. Prepare a couple of questions that will really show the interviewer that you’re interested in the role. Try asking questions specific to the job, as well as one question that relates to the company as a whole.
Example Sales Interview Questions to Practice Before Your Next Interview
To make sure you’re prepared for that next interview, here are some example sales questions you can practice to make sure you nail it.
- What does your current sales process look like?
- What advice would you give a salesperson just starting their career?
- Describe a time you lost and deal and how you handled it?
- What do you know about our company and product/service?
- What sales software are you familiar with?
- Describe a time you feel short of a sales goal.
- Why are you looking for a new role?
- What do you like least about sales?
- What excites you most about sales?
- How do you handle challenging or demanding clients?
Whether you’re just breaking into the sales industry, looking to make a career change, or you’re a seasoned salesperson looking for your next big role, following these tips to prepare can help you land your next sales role in no time.