“Tell me about your sales process” question.

I am in the throes of multiple interviews and I am dreading the question "Tell me about your sales process".

I get in my head about trying to answer the question the way they want to hear it instead of how I go about my business. I also have some PTSD from an interview I had where after I answered the question the hiring manager all but ended the convo.

I feel like I read an amazing post someone wrote on here but now I can't find it and foolishly didn't save it.

So the question for the room, how are people answering this question and what's your advice?

🧠 Advice

📢 Communication

🤝 Interviewing/Offer

11 comments

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oldcloser

Arsonist

💀

Which sales process? If I only had one, I’d be a failure both as a salesperson and as a candidate for this role. I’m trained in multiple methodologies. I have deep experience in {X} vertical markets and {Y} personas. I major in Enterprise {X}. I have a minor in MM {X}. If there were such thing as a pedigree in Room Reading, I’d have that too. Which part would you like me to walk you through? Bitch.

Maybe hold the “bitch” part.

jefe

Arsonist

🍁

But the 'bitch' is the cherry on top of one hell of an advice sundae!!

FlyingHellfish

Good Citizen

Director of Business Development

This is excellent! I don’t know, I may through in the Bitch part. It’s spicy and sure to make me stand out.

Justatitle

Big Shot

Account Executive

I’d ask if they are speaking about sales methodologies or sales process, it’s a trap question usually to see how you respond and what direction you take it.

FlyingHellfish

Good Citizen

Director of Business Development

Love it! I vaguely remember in the post one person recommended telling them a high overview, but also letting them know you are happy to go deeper into any of the steps.

NoToBANT

Catalyst

Senior Account Executive

Answer this with a question
“What part of the process are you trying to understand?”

Then get some clarification, then answer

As Justatitle mentioned, it’s a bit of a trick question - because it could mean multiple things

FlyingHellfish

Good Citizen

Director of Business Development

This is fantastic. I can now see how/why I have been bombing this. My responses are just guessing what they want to hear instead of just asking.

CRAG112

Valued Contributor

Account Executive

You need to have it written down in a doc so you can easily walk people through It.

Do the same exact thing for 3-5 deals you won so you can easily explain how you won them, the total amounts, and etc.

Don’t rely on your memory, have this stuff prepared so you can talk about it.

FlyingHellfish

Good Citizen

Director of Business Development

Doing this now!

FlyingHellfish

Good Citizen

Director of Business Development

Just found the post I was referencing!

https://bravado.co/war-room/posts/in-interviews-what-is-your-response-to-walk-me-through-your-sales-process

AnchorPoint

Politicker

Business Coach

I would flip it. "It is not my sales process. I execute the proven repeatable process that the organization has established. Do you have a sales process and is it documented?" 90% have no sales process that is documented and followed.