realname

Grocery Clerk

Valued Contributor

Interview Tips for Sales Noob

hey savages,

I'm booking some interviews (thanks to your help) and I want to know what questions I should prepare for, and also, what questions I should ask

I've already used the search bar and read several posts -- I'm wondering if there are any new members who want to share their perspective (or if any veteran savages have new info to share)

EDIT:

here's a list of questions I'm prepared to ask (many of which I stole from previous threads) - I obviously wouldn't ask them all at a single interview, but over time, I would absolutely seek answers to as many as possible:

Role questions:

- Why are you hiring for this role?

- How will you measure my success in this role at 3 months, 6 months, 1 year, and beyond?

- How many sales representatives do you have in similar roles? How many meet your expectations?

- What is your leadership structure?

- What tools does your sales team use?

- What’s the average tenure of your sales reps?

- How do you develop your team beyond their current role?

Company questions

- Why do you work here?

- What are the biggest opportunities for improvement on your sales team?

- What’s something that people in my position tend to struggle with? Do you have any advice for overcoming this challenge?

- What are your plans for growth in the coming year?

- Do you have any additional questions or concerns about my fit for this position?

other questions (if interviewing with actual sales person - not just hr):

- If you were starting in my position, what steps would you take to ensure success?

- What are some of your favorite resources for staying sharp in sales?

thanks homies

🤝 Interviewing/Offer

8

16 comments

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SADNES5

Politicker

3

down voters are marketing spies

Understand that not everyone can be a natural.

Research everything you can on the company you are applying with. Understand their values, vision, etc.

Find some new relevant new news on the company. Ask why that made a headline (to understand where the companies current focus is)

Find someone on LI with a similar or same title you are applying for and reach out. Ask for 5 minutes to understand the role, and ask if they had any interview curveballs. (Carpet the inboxes of 3-5 of them, 1 should reply) just like sales some of this is a numbers game.

Ask questions to the employee, why is role being filled to understand more about company.

Use this info to pepper your interview with filling need.

After the interview... Ask when you can expect a follow up. Some folks ask for the close "when can I start" I think this is cheesy AF and in bad taste TBH. But if it's your style who am I to stop you from shooting your shot.

If you are already connected with the folks, send a quick thanks for the interview and looking forward to hearing back shortly.

If you're unsuccessful - ask if they can flag any areas you can work on to be a star for the next time.

realname

Valued Contributor

1

Grocery Clerk

I’ve received some advice that suggests I be super pushy and confident (like saying “when do I start”), but honestly, that’s not me

I think I have a lot to offer, but, at the same time, I think I have a LOT to learn - and I feel like authenticity is the key to unlocking the right opportunity

I love your idea of hitting up SDRs on LinkedIn just to chat - not only will I learn a ton, but I might eventually land a referral

braintank

Politicker

2

Enterprise Account Executive

Don't forget to manage time well and close!

Agreed that "when can I start?" is cheesy.

My go to is: do you have any hesitancies about me as a candidate?

This allows you to: 1) uncover and address objections 2) get confirmation that you're moving forward

braintank

Politicker

1

Enterprise Account Executive

Also, do research on them and the company! Nothing worse than a candidate who clearly didn't do any prep work.

CatMom

Politicker

2

Account Executive

Great list of questions! Only one I would add maybe is “what keeps you up at night?” Love asking this to the hiring manager or senior level manager. Throws them off a little and makes them give you a little insight to what might need improvement at the company.

realname

Valued Contributor

1

Grocery Clerk

Yo, this is a SUPER great question!

CatMom

Politicker

0

Account Executive

Literally my fav Q. I ask it to prospects all the time during discovery.

braintank

Politicker

1

Enterprise Account Executive

No offense but this question has become cliche. Is there a way to ask it without using those exact words?

CatMom

Politicker

0

Account Executive

None taken! I can totally see that. Maybe something like what stresses you out? What problems/challenges are you currently trying to solve? What are some things you think could use some improvement 🤷🏻‍♀️

braintank

Politicker

0

Enterprise Account Executive

Two things came to mind...

One inspired from Google is: what gets you up in the morning? Drives at deeper motivation vs solving immediate issues.

The other comes from qualified sales leader (book). I have to paraphrase but it uses the analogy of a park ranger and forest fire. Basically: As an exec you have view over millions of acres. You can't realistically chase every smoldering ember, you don't have the time and the resources. How do you oversee the landscape and prevent forest fires?

Not sure if either of these are good... I just cringe at "what keeps you up at night"

Pachacuti

Politicker

1

They call me Daddy, Sales Daddy

Number 1 - have an answer ready for “tell me about yourself”. Also be ready to walk someone through your resume.

Find a top 10 list and script out your answers. Literally write them out.

Have 4-5 good questions too.

realname

Valued Contributor

0

Grocery Clerk

I just updated with a (large) handful of questions I might ask

Would love your feedback — especially if I’m missing anything important

Sunbunny31

Politicker

1

Sr Sales Executive 🐰

It helps to have things you want to discuss written down and in front of you so you don't forget.

I like the questions you have, and honestly it's a good starting list. More questions may naturally arise as you go through the process, so add/remove as you go.

As Pachacuti mentioned, be prepared to answer the "tell me about yourself" question - it's surprising how that simple question can stump people!

And yes, close the conversation(s). Maybe not with "when do I start?" but "what is your start date for the position?"

SADNESSLieutenant

Politicker

1

Officer of ♥️

I have some threads on sales questions- https://bravado.co/war-room/posts/what-are-some-good-questions-to-ask-in-an-sdr-interview

jefe

Arsonist

1

🍁

Can't hurt to ask about attainment, or what a rep would say about working there.

Or just find one on LI and reach out

The_Sales_Badger

Notorious Answer

0

Account Executive

You will not have that much time to ask that many questions. Before we help you out, which five mean the most to YOU?

Once you pick those, tell us why you did. Then we can help you with the framework of the question.

Questions are powerful if they have purpose - if you're just reading off a list, there is no thoughtfulness behind it.

What are the most important things to you about your next company and/or job.

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