3 Winning Interview Questions
By Brenda Abdilla
| Let these questions help you peek more successfully into a candidate’s work history and unveil hidden flaws and assets.
We all know that hiring managers need to talk less and ask more-revealing questions during interviews. This task is easier when you prepare very specific and well-designed questions and know what you want to uncover with the answers. The following questions are a good place to start when recruiting sales personnel. |
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1. Tell me about a difficult sale you made and what went into it. Explain specifically how you won the sale.
This question tests the candidate’s level of experience. If you are interviewing for a vice-president of sales and the candidate cannot quickly come up with an answer, this is a problem. Or, if the candidate answers in a very general way (“I’ve made so many sales, it’s hard to choose!”) the person may be less qualified than he or she is letting on.
This question also gives the recruiter a chance to observe verbal skills and to see how boastful and r egotistical the candidate may or may not be.
2. Tell me about a sale you lost and why you feel you lost the sale.
The first red flag for this question is, “Well, I lose very few sales!” This tells the recruiter that the candidate has little experience or is full of bunk. Good sales reps lose sales! The best job candidates can articulate exactly what happened, where they went wrong and how they learned from their mistakes.
If the answer is that a competing club’s price was lower, beware! If you are looking for a rep who does not sell on price, this is another red flag.
3. What is the worst criticism you have received from a supervisor? Did you agree with the criticism?
The goal of this question is to see if candidates can reveal something unflattering about themselves and articulate it in a professional and non-angry manner. The average candidate will try and wiggle out of this question. Others will misinterpret it and think you are asking the “list five negative things about yourself” question, and perhaps lie. An exceptional candidate is able to articulate the criticism and discuss it without a great deal of emotion. This is an opportunity for a recruiter to learn about a candidate’s level of maturity and integrity.
Brenda Abdilla is the president of Management Momentum. After a 15-year career as an author, speaker and editor, Brenda founded Management Momentum to allow her to focus on fewer companies and utilize her intense passion for improving sales and management performance. She now does specialty recruitment projects and performance coaching for managers. Contact her at 303-456-1210 or www.managementmomentum.net.
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