How to Interview Salespeople

How to Interview Salespeople How to Interview Salespeople When youre hiring a new salesperson, a little due diligence on your part can help you to secure a highly-skilled team member. The candidates answers to your interview questions are important, but theyre only one possible source of information about that person. Examine Background Information While resumes are always helpful in gauging a candidates skills and qualifications, there are certain career areas where skill in preparing a resume translates directly into skill in doing the job itself. Writers, for example, had better have well-written, literate resumes. For salespeople, the resume â€" a candidates primary marketing tool â€" is a great indicator of his or her sales skills. How well does he sell his skills and qualifications on his resume? Does he give specific examples of his successes in past jobs? Are his experiences described in a way that presents him as a good fit for your firm? A poorly crafted resume should definitely raise some red flags in your mind. Test Their Research Skills A good salesperson should always do his or her homework. Before you tell the candidate about your company or the position, ask why they applied for this particular job. The salespersons answer will demonstrate how much research they did for you and your company before the interview. A candidates attitude and behavior can be telling. Did she arrive either on time or slightly early? Was she courteous and pleasant to the people she encountered (receptionist, secretaries, etc.)? Was she dressed and groomed professionally? (Remember, the way someone looks on an interview is probably the best they will ever look on the job!) Did she look you in the eye, shake your hand firmly (but not bone-crackingly), greet you warmly and demonstrate open, receptive body language? Did she communicate well and speak clearly? Did she talk too much and too fast, or barely speak at all? The way salespeople sell themselves is the way you can expect them to sell your product or service. Some specific interview questions to ask salespeople include: What are some specific examples of previous sales experiences? What would you do the same? What would you do differently?What is your understanding of this companys sales cycle and how does it compare to what youve done in the past?Whats your process for making a sale in your current or most recent sales position, from getting the lead all the way through to closing the deal? (Note what if anything they have to say about following up with the prospect after the close; this is critical to building repeat business.) What kind of compensation structure do you prefer? (The possibilities are usually base salary, base plus commission, or pure commission. A salesperson who prefers a pure commission job has considerable confidence in their own skills!)What are your sales goals and how do your actual results compare to those goals?What do you see as this companys strengths and what changes do you think would improve sales and productivity? How do you feel you could contribute to this improvement?What new markets could we address and how would you suggest we develop these markets? Don't forget to include a few of the classic interview questions: How do you feel your experience would fit this jobs needs?Whats an example of a great success from a past job and how did you accomplish it?Whats a significant mistake that you made, how did you correct it and what did you learn from it?What are your greatest strengths and weaknesses and what do you do to alleviate your weaknesses?How do you see your career developing in the next few years and how will you accomplish that in this company?What do you see as the greatest contributions you can make to improve the companys success? If there is a lag or a silence, see how they handle it; this is something that can occur in a sales call and a salesperson who rushes to plug every silence by babbling or who does nothing at all will not be successful. Raise any issues or concerns that you have, either from their resumes or in response to things they are telling you; in addition to providing the information you need, this will also demonstrate how they will handle similar objections that arise during a sales call. Do they attempt to form bridges and build rapport with you (notice the picture of your sailboat, children, etc. and share their common interest, for example)? Do they do it well? Making people feel comfortable with you makes them look for reasons to do business with you, another critical sales skill. Toward the end of the interview, give them an overview of what you see as the companys goals, what they can expect in terms of compensation (structure and a general range), benefits, travel expectations, etc. and what the next step in the interview process would be (including time frame). Ask if they have any questions or concerns. If they ask at least one or two intelligent, relevant questions its an excellent sign. A candidate who has no questions for you didnt bother to research your company and/or is too overwhelmed to think of anything clever to say â€" neither of which is a good quality in a salesperson. Finally, make a note whether they follow up with a thank-you note/email to you. And if for some reason the hiring time frame changes, let the candidates know. Its simple courtesy and shows them that youd be a good employer, and it also helps keep potential “star” salespeople from taking offers elsewhere while youre still slogging through the hiring process.