When it comes to hiring a sales superstar for a high-stakes role, you want a candidate who not only talks the talk but can also walk the walk — especially when the pressure cranks up.
Finding the right fit means going beyond the cover letter and resume and asking questions that actually reveal a candidate’s potential. So, if you want to attract top sales talent, what questions should you be asking? Let’s dive into the top six interview questions that will help you uncover the sales champions you’re seeking.
1. How Do You Handle Rejection and Keep Up Your Momentum?
Sales is a game of numbers, determination, and resilience. Questions about overcoming rejection and adversity cut to the heart of whether a candidate has the tenacity and strategies necessary to bounce back from dry seasons and slumps.
Excellent candidates will likely share an anecdote or two that highlight their persistence and ability to learn and grow from each ‘no’ they’ve received along the way.
2. Describe a Complex Product or Service You’ve Sold. How Did You Convey Its Value?
This question tests product knowledge — absolutely essential for making high dollar-value sales — and the ability to simplify complex solutions for clients. It’s not a competition to find the candidate with the most complex answer, but a way for you to observe how clearly they communicate complicated information. Turning complexity into simplicity is a true art form, and the best talents will pepper their explanations of a product or service with benefits and solutions rather than features.
3. Can You Share a Time When You Turned a Negative Customer Situation into a Positive One?
Asking about unhappy clients probes candidates’ problem-solving and customer relationship skills. A skilled applicant will probably recount a detailed story demonstrating empathy, quick-thinking, and a commitment to saving a relationship. Do they have the right emotional intelligence (or EQ) along with the core IQ needed for the job? Look to how they’ve handled trickier human interactions.
4. What Does Your Sales Process Look Like From Prospect to Close?
High-pressure sales roles require a structured yet adaptable process. When a candidate lays out their preferred sales process, you learn about their strategic approach and organizational skills. Qualified candidates will articulate a clear process that includes identification, connection, needs assessment, value proposition, overcoming objections, and closing — with a dash of follow-up after the sale.
5. Give an Example of How You’ve Contributed to a Team Selling Environment
No salesperson is an island. The modern sales landscape often involves, or even demands, functional teamwork. A candidate’s response to this question should highlight their collaborative nature and understanding of ways to leverage collective strengths to close deals more effectively.
6. Why Are You Interested in Selling Our Product/Service?
Passion moves products. No matter what you sell, you need someone who believes in what they’re offering to real human beings. A candidate’s response will reveal their genuine interest (or lack thereof) in your offerings and show whether they’ve done enough research into your mission, values, unique selling features, and so forth.
Beyond the Top Six Questions
Structuring interviews with these powerful questions — while incorporating a data-driven evidence approach, of course — will allow you to better identify candidates who are both capable and poised to thrive in high-pressure sales roles.
Remember, an interview is a two-way street; as you assess candidates, they’re also exploring whether your company is a good fit for them. This exchange will ultimately lead you to a sales professional equipped to excel in your company’s unique environment. Happy hunting!