Has anyone ever interviewed for an AE or BDR role and asked the interviewer a question that blew their mind and helped you land the job? If so, what was it and what was their response?
JuicyKlay
Best question to ask an interviewer?
82
"What is preventing you from hiring me today." It can come across pushy so be careful how you phase it. It should give you an idea on what they thought of you and what the rest of the process looks like. Also for a sales job its not bad to come off confident but not like a douche.
I like, "do you have any concerns about me joining your team?" I am a woman so I use a softer assumptive close.
I love this one ("questions or concerns") and I use it in every interview at every stage. It helps to get the buy-in from each interviewer and if there are any concerns you get a chance to address them. Sometimes those concerns are a great reason to follow up after the call with supporting evidence to help ease those concerns.
Same - I always preface with why I know I'm a great fit and then ask if they see concerns. Definitely want to address on the spot and most hiring managers like the confidence and seeing you think on your feet.
I love that, I'm using that this week!
Love this
“Do you have any hesitations or concerns about my qualifications that I can address before we end our conversation today?” Same meaning different words
This one sounds great, I have an important interview on Friday. Wish me luck.
Excellent
This one sounds great!!!! Will use it from now on!
GENIOUS! i love this- it leaves room for any misleading information or discomfort to be addressed and it also leaves a lasting impression, Ive had the "pleasure" of meeting a couple hiring managers that don't actually know how to ask the right questions correctly, then i feel what happens is that the whole situation is left to his/her/their feeling about how the interview went rather than the qualifications that are being met. its not too harsh not too soft, simply said, i love this i will use this thank you
great question but phrase it as "what hesitations or concerns....." as to make them give you a detailed answer rather than a yes or no.
I agree. Ask open ended questions that force the interviewer to provide a detailed answer.
Variation of the same theme, which is: for any sales job, you have to ask for the job at some point during the interview. It demonstrates your ability to go for the close. I wouldn't hire anyone for a sales job if they didn't ask for the job.
Agreed, I never hire anyone that doesn't go for the close.
I use this in my interviews. I word it a lot softer though. “Based on our conversation today I feel like I am a great fit for this role because of my background at x company and because I take initiative, am coachable, and build lasting relationships. Do you see any reason why we can’t move forward with this process?” Definitely have to feel it out though. I’ve had it backfire with some aloof HR people that didn’t expect me to ask for the job.
Careful with this one...it can put the interview on the spot and make them feel uncomfortable. Most employers interview prospective hires more than once, so definitely do not ask this in the first interview but I'd argue not to ask it at all.
People that ask this go into the no pile for me. Pushy. If this is how they are selling themselves, they will sell product the same. No good.
My version of this is "Is there anything preventing me or giving you hesitation for me to move to the next step in this process?"
Much better question. It's objection handling.
They can say "oh you don't have a Standford MBA, we need that"
They can say "oh you don't have a Standford MBA, we need that"
I dont understand why you wouldnt want a Sales person to be good at selling. I am asking a direct question. Its not disrespectful, Im not being "pushy". If I am interviewing for a position I dont think its wrong to ask where I stand.
Understandable, but you don't know your customer here.
Asking for the sale is one thing, being brash is another.
If you're not qualifying your customer (interviewer) correctly, it will reflect in your sell style.
Asking for the sale is one thing, being brash is another.
If you're not qualifying your customer (interviewer) correctly, it will reflect in your sell style.
I ask this question in every interview and have never not been hired or promoted when using
I disagree. I say go for it and don't be scared. You have to stand out from other applicants. Just blending in will get you overlooked and not selected for the job. Worst thing they can say is yes or no.
This is an awesome one!
My favorite question to ask. Works like a gem and always impresses them. They can see you want to receive feedback.
Fantastic. Very black swan Chris voss-esque question
I actually like this question, I would have to be really confident in the job to ask this. But I think it shows confidence which is key in sales.
Awesome! I'm always afraid to really push like that and come off overly confident...
I also have used, what does your intuition tell you about me joining your team? This one backfired a few years ago after I had a gap in my employment when my Dad was ill.
But, importantly, you got the information. Then you can address it. Oh, I understand how your intuition could be telling you x. Let me give you a bit more context here...
I could be wrong. But I use my questions not to impress but to identify potential red flags in the organisation i'm interviewing for.
You should - an interview goes both ways. It's an opportunity for both parties to assess each other. You do have to sell yourself in an interview, but a lot of people seem to forget the employer has to sell themselves to you, too.
Absolutely!
ask about the tech stack. i care a lot about tools they use
Same! If they're not rocking Outreach or SalesLoft and/or don't have a CRM, it's a no from me dawg.
I will use this as I have an interview this week with a SaaS company.
What makes someone successful in this role? (Shows you're interested and would be committed to doing well.)
What is your favourite part of working here? (Time for them to sell you.)
Describe the company culture. (Shows you're interested in a good fit and their answer can help you determine whether you'll enjoy working there.)
What is your favourite part of working here? (Time for them to sell you.)
Describe the company culture. (Shows you're interested in a good fit and their answer can help you determine whether you'll enjoy working there.)
I've used the 2nd question as well. Sometimes phrasing it like they would with me where they ask "Why Company X?"
Good call! I always ask the second two but need to start asking about what makes someone successful. Thanks friend!
"What can I do on day one that will make me successful at XYZ company?"
Starting out strong! I love it!
This one has done well for me
I like to ask what their goals are to grow, within the company and/or personally.
You ask that to the interviewer? Sounds like something that they'd ask the candidate.
While interviewing candidates, I appreciate it when they ask deeper questions about the role, company, goals, etc. Shows initiative.
Interviews should never be one-sided.
Interviews should never be one-sided.
That's a good one! You can never go wrong having someone talk about themselves.
At the end of the interview {If it went well and you really want the gig} Ask when can you start?
The assumptive close. It's a tricky one. If it's a panel, no don't do this. It will 💯 sour one person.
If it's a 1-1 and you've established great rapport, sure. Shoot your shot.
If it's a 1-1 and you've established great rapport, sure. Shoot your shot.
Agreed, would probably not go well in a panel situation. No one wants to say yes on the spot in front of their peers.
100% using this next time I want/will get the job
If I am scrambling for a question: "Is there anything we didn't cover I should know?"
That’s a solid one
My favorite interview question: "You're sitting down a year from now with the person you hire for this role, me or someone else. What one or two things did this person do in the last year to blow your expectations away?"
This pulls the interviewer out of evaluating you and thinking deeply about the future of this role (something most hiring managers haven't ACTUALLY thought through). It gives you insight to the core function(s) of the role and the metrics the company uses to evaluate performance (and a chance to make sure you SHINE in those core functions if you haven't already addressed them). It also reveals organizations that don't have a clear path to success in the role you're interviewing for (which should be a red flag).
Every time I ask this in an interview the immediate response is "wow, that's a great question, I have to think about that."
This pulls the interviewer out of evaluating you and thinking deeply about the future of this role (something most hiring managers haven't ACTUALLY thought through). It gives you insight to the core function(s) of the role and the metrics the company uses to evaluate performance (and a chance to make sure you SHINE in those core functions if you haven't already addressed them). It also reveals organizations that don't have a clear path to success in the role you're interviewing for (which should be a red flag).
Every time I ask this in an interview the immediate response is "wow, that's a great question, I have to think about that."
Great question!
What does an average rep W2?
What are the characteristics of your most successful reps?
Used this last week! Turns out they’re just like me 😂
Perfecto!
"What is one question you wished I has asked today, and what would have been your answer?" Works when you are interviewing people as well.
Wow that is deep!
If I was asked that as an interviewee I would say, when would you like to start, and respond with now. Then I’d walk to a random desk and start dialling. Power move
lol
"How does this role's success help you to get to where you want to be?"
What does your ideal candidate look like? A "purple squirrel" candidate looks like X in this role? (HR peeps know this phrase specifically).
Can I hot on any of these points when they answer.
Can I hot on any of these points when they answer.
Great call! Using this next time.
What would you ask if you were in my role today?
How'd one be successful in this role and what's the Y+3 year career map look like?
Always ask for the job.
How did you become a part of XYZ organization? What has your journey looked like here? Was this a position you thought you would be in when you initially started?
Ooooooo, Yes! This is a great set of layering questions that will make the interview think. You might not get a straight answer, but they'll leave with those questions top of mind. You need to rock the boat a little, do some DQing, and establish that you value the role but don't need the role - just like a sale.
I do the same but frame it differently. If the interviewer is provided I check their LinkedIn profile prior to the interview. I ask them questions specific to their prior experiences that led them to the current company.
Lets them know you did your homework and shows interest in them and the company.
Lets them know you did your homework and shows interest in them and the company.
I ask, "Do you see any concerns in my background that I can address while we're together?" At least you're able to answer rather than being silently eliminated afterward...
I could be wrong.
I have a lil salesman in my blood, so I usually go for the close at the end of each interview.
"If you had to pull the trigger on the hire today, would I be your choice?"
Its strong, and should only be brought out if the vibe is vibing, but if the VP or whoever you're meeting with has sales written in his/her DNA, he'll /she'll admire your chops.
"If you had to pull the trigger on the hire today, would I be your choice?"
Its strong, and should only be brought out if the vibe is vibing, but if the VP or whoever you're meeting with has sales written in his/her DNA, he'll /she'll admire your chops.
I always close with the question "do you have any hesitation about selecting me for the position and is there additional clarity about my experiences that I can offer you to ensure I am a good fit for your team?"
Is it unreasonable to ask “what’s the catch?” If I’m interviewing and it sounds great I might say “nothing is this perfect, what’s one or two difficult things?”
I always ask about what kind of people are successful in the company.
What does it take to be successful here?
I always ask "Based on what we've discussed today and what you've learned about me is there any reason we can't move forward." One person told me they had concerns over certain aspects and I addressed them at that moment. I received an offer letter the next day.
I like to know the challenges they are facing, not only in sales but as a company. So I typically ask, "What is one thing you would change about the company right now?"
I like this one: "Should you decide to move forward with me in the process, are you willing to share with me some feedback on this conversation so I can implement in my next interview" This also gives you an opportunity to address any of the feedback if they are on the fence about moving you forward.
“When can I expect an offer?” If I just went through their interview process and they’re not already thinking about making me an offer, then I will not spend any more cycles on their opportunity. I’m confident that I’ll find the company who gets excited to hire me.
Check out the article reverse interview by Elena Verna. Some great insights.
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