How to pass an interview for an active sales specialist. Interview for the position of sales manager - how to conduct, how it goes. Remuneration Negotiations

Too aggressive or vice versa not persistent. It is better to weed out such people at the interview stage. We have prepared a list of 25 questions that will help you check the applicant for "lice".

1. How do you assess the role of training in the sales process?

If the applicant is confused or thoughtful, then before answering the question, then, most likely, he is not ready for constant self-development.

2. How do you track changes in your sales segment?

Even target segment the candidate’s previous job does not match yours, you will still be able to assess the applicant’s ability to search and analyze information. Ideally, he will tell you that he monitors changes in legislation, visits industry sites, subscribes to specialized blogs, mailing lists, and so on.

3. Explain to me…

Such a request will help you evaluate. The question is best asked casually so that it does not look like part of the interview.

4. Which is worse: an unfulfilled plan or unhappy customers?

Depending on the goals of your company, both answers may be correct. However, you should be wary of candidates for whom the implementation of the plan is more important than the needs of customers.

5. Tell us about your approach to short and long sales? What differences can you identify between them?

Short sales require the seller to quickly “close” deals, while long sales, on the contrary, require a more thorough and elaborated approach. The candidate must have a clear understanding of the cardinal difference between them. Look for it in his answers.

6. When should you back off?

The correct answer to this question depends on the sales process in your company, but in general, the more persistent and tenacious the salesperson, the better. Trish Bertuzzi, founder of The Bridge Group considers it wrong to give up before six or eight attempts.

7. What clients do you enjoy working with and why?

The candidate may clearly describe or generalize demographics that are not related to the sales process. Depending on the response you receive, you will be able to assess how well he knows his client. The clearer and more detailed the description, the better.

8. What is your least favorite part of the sales process?

If the announced stage is fundamentally important for your sales process, then this is most likely a red card for the applicant. This question helps to identify the weaknesses of the applicant.

9. What motivates you?

Money, high results, helping clients, the desire to be the first in everything - the answers are varied. Which of them will be considered successful or unsuccessful depends on the culture of the company. For example, if teamwork is paramount for you, then an applicant who certainly wants to be the first in everything is not the best choice.

10. What are your career expectations?

According to a study by the American company Glassdoor, the lack of growth prospects is one of the three reasons why sales managers are looking for new job. If a candidate's career aspirations run counter to your company's capabilities, then you're probably off the track.

11. What three adjectives would past clients describe you with?

Try to recognize in the answer the synonyms of the words "responsive" and "helpful", as advisory sales are becoming relevant today.

12. Why do you want to work in sales?

Financial motivation is a perfectly acceptable answer, but still not the best.

13. Can you keep a positive attitude despite a hard day at work?

This question helps gauge attitudes towards rejection. Study the response to the question more than the answer. Does it take a long time for a candidate to recover from an unpleasant conversation, or is he immediately ready to move on?

14. Tell us about black streaks in your work? How did you deal with the difficulties?

Everyone goes through periods of recession, so be careful with those who say they have never experienced it. There is nothing wrong with a temporary crisis if the right lessons are learned from it.

15. How would you improve sales efficiency in our company?

This question reveals several important aspects at once.

• First, it becomes clear how well the candidate prepared for the interview.
• Secondly, you can assess the level of theoretical training in sales matters.
• Thirdly, in competent answers, systematic thinking is manifested, as well as creative and entrepreneurial abilities.

16. How much time do you spend building relationships with clients and finding new ones? Why exactly?

As a rule, each company is looking for an employee with a certain approach. It can be a hunter seller (effective in finding new customers and interacting with them) or a farmer seller (effective in building relationships with existing customers). It is good if the applicant has the skills of two approaches at once. This is a valuable combination for effective work. Avoid those for whom they are mutually exclusive.

The position of a sales manager is extremely wide range possible responsibilities, but is always key to maintaining economic activity companies - and therefore the interview with the candidate should be held according to special principles. How to conduct an interview with a sales manager will be useful for every specialist responsible for selecting suitable personnel for an organization. At the same time, one should understand how the sales manager interview goes and for the applicants themselves, especially in competitive positions, for example, in the field of managing a sales department or selling expensive objects, such as real estate or cars.

Sales manager interview - basic principles

Before considering the basic principles of conducting an interview with a sales manager, it is necessary to understand that this area is extremely wide and different specialists may require completely different skills and abilities. personal qualities. Therefore, you first need to decide on a number of nuances and features of the activities of sales managers:

• Sales channels. Sales managers can have completely different channels, according to which the sale of goods or services of the employer is carried out. So, employees in this position can be consultants in a trading or showroom and have direct contact with customers, or they can contact them mainly by phone or using other information networks. Accordingly, the requirements for personnel will also differ significantly.
• Sales methodology. The nature of the enterprise, the type of products sold in the form of goods or services can also seriously affect the sales methodology. In particular, the main tasks of a sales manager can be both the fastest and most efficient sale of the company's goods or services through short sales, and long-term support for each client as part of a long sale.
• Area of ​​responsibility. A sales manager can be called as a direct employee trading floor in large network, and a specialist who provides work with strategic clients of a large corporation and draws up multi-year contracts. Naturally, the requirements for the applicant and the methods of his interview will differ dramatically depending on the specific range of duties and level of responsibility.
• Client type. As part of sales, all customers can be divided into "cold" - that is, those that were not interested in purchasing a product, and "hot" - already interested in buying a certain product or service, but not having decided on their supplier. Accordingly, the methods of working with each type of client also require different approach and a variety of skills, as well as the personal qualities of a sales manager.

When selecting a specialist and conducting an interview with a sales manager, of course, the field of activity and principles of operation of each particular enterprise are of the greatest importance. Therefore, it is first necessary to develop general principles selection of specialists and take into account their compliance with the requirements of the company.

How to interview a sales manager

Given the above features and possible differences in the job responsibilities of a sales manager, it must be understood that the specific duration of the interview, the number of stages, the depth of verification of the information provided by the applicant, the number of personnel involved in the interview can differ dramatically. However, there are general principles that will be relevant when interviewing a sales manager in general. So, the interviewer should pay attention to:

The main task of the interviewer when conducting an interview with a sales manager is to carefully study the answers of the applicant and his behavior in general. This position is characterized by the fact that it is easiest to assess practically sales skills directly during the interview - after all, in fact, the applicant essentially presents himself to the employer, which in principle is no different from the presentation of goods to customers. And if he does it convincingly and successfully, then he will most likely work well with clients. And vice versa - the presence of the most clear formal data and one hundred percent correspondence of the resume to the position with a negative impression of communication with the candidate is almost always a guarantee of his inefficiency in the vacant workplace.

Sales manager interview questions and answers

The easiest way for companies and HR employees, when the position of sales manager is not a key one, is to use the most common standard questions asked of candidates for this position. This will significantly save the company's time and resources and will allow interviews to be conducted without delay, especially with relatively high staff turnover and low value of an individual employee for the company. So, below are ten of the most common questions that allow you to assess how effective a candidate will be as a sales manager:

Summing up, you can give recommendations to the applicants themselves. Knowing how a sales manager interview goes, you can prepare for the interview in advance and avoid common mistakes. So, in a conversation one should not lie and exaggerate one's own achievements. But also, you should not allow lack of initiative and belittling your skills and abilities in front of a potential employer.

Need to use as much as possible specific information, and answer all questions of the employer or his representative as fully as possible. Also, it is recommended to keep positive attitude and ask about the outcome of the interview at the end.

For a successful interview, it is not enough for a sales manager to write a resume and come to the office of the organization on the appointed day. It is necessary to correctly answer questions, be able to correctly highlight your merits, and also possess secrets that allow you to make an excellent impression on the employer.

Questions when applying for a job

There are a number of questions that are asked during interviews to sales managers in almost every company, from small to large.

These questions include:

1. Why are you interested in working for this organization? It is worth avoiding hackneyed phrases, for example, concerning career development. It can be noted that there is a desire to acquire new skills and experience.
2. Rate your knowledge on a scale of 1 to 10. A big mistake is the desire to embellish real knowledge, and give an independent assessment of 9 or 10 points. It is better to stop at around 7 or 8, but unobtrusively summarize that there is a great desire to constantly study new information and improve yourself.
3. On what wages claim? The question is tricky, since too high an amount voiced by a potential manager can scare off the employer. On the other hand, to say that enough is enough to have enough for food and communal payments stupid and indicates low ambition or insufficient experience to claim more. It is better to dwell on the golden mean, without mentioning specific figures, but emphasizing that wages should guarantee a normal standard of living.
4. What salary would you like to receive in a year or after several years? Also, it is not necessary to give specific numbers, but to say that reasonable increases are desirable if achievements are demonstrated, full dedication to work and continuous improvement in the level of knowledge.
5. What should a typical work day be like? Most often, a potential employer wants to hear that an ordinary day begins with a timely arrival at work and an active performance of duties.
6. What are the plans to attract potential clients? It is important for many employers to hear that a potential manager is ready to look for new buyers everywhere, from making simple calls to personal visits to third-party companies.
7. What is your most successful trade in the past? It is not worth deceiving the employer and painting non-existent transactions in the past. When applying for a job, they can immediately entrust a large buyer, then in case of failure, the management is very likely to terminate labor contract and will give negative characteristics.
8. What to do in a situation where the client flatly refuses the offered goods? This question belongs to one of the provocative ones, since it tests the level of ability to cope with non-standard situations. It is worth emphasizing in the answer that this has not been observed in practice, but if such a client were caught, then the work would be built in a different direction. For example, maximum effort would be put into persuasion, as well as an analysis of his true needs in order to sell a similar or other product.
9. Are you following the approved plans? It is noted that approximately 80% of employers are not enough for sales managers to simply fit into their plans. It is better to emphasize in your answer that the focus on greater results and its constant increase is an integral part of your working position.
10. How to build a working day if there is an increased workload? It is worth noting that in such situations one should not panic and do not grab everything at once. You just need to make the distribution of priorities for solving problems and work on them with maximum efficiency.
11. Do you have a client base? Here you need to be careful, not all employers will like the answer that there are many customers, and there is a desire to lure everyone away. With this answer, it can be assumed that when you leave this company, you will do the same. It is better to say that finding new customers is not a problem and it is possible that old customers will voluntarily pass on to you.
12. What will you wear to a business meeting? The best answer is that your preferred style of clothing is versatile, without bright colors and frilly elements.
13. Which transaction was the most difficult in practice? Even if a complex transaction did not end successfully, you must definitely talk about it with enthusiasm. The employer must see that this does not scare, but rather arouses interest.
14. What is the most important factor influencing a successful sale? The universal answer is to make a great impression and inspire confidence in a potential buyer.
15. Why did you have to leave your current position? Many leaders of organizations know each other, so it’s better not to lie to this question. It can be said that the reason for the search lies in the desire to master and comprehend new things.
16. Highlight your strengths. It is not necessary to answer in detail, it is enough to make an acceptance on such qualities as sociability, ease of perception of new material and excellent organization.
17. Tell us about the weaknesses. You should not evaluate yourself too critically and say that there are such negative aspects as lack of punctuality, impudence or irritability. It is advisable to answer that workaholism is a weak feature, this will advantageously emphasize a potential manager in the eyes of the employer.
18. How would former employees describe you? You must answer honestly, most importantly, mention the strengths that no one can dispute, for example, an active position or the desire to always improve.
19. Why should an employer choose your candidacy? It is worth mentioning with restraint that the experience gained can be of great use to the company and will bring an increase in sales in the near future.
20. If the decision is positive, where will you start your working day? The best answer is getting to know colleagues and getting involved in the organizational process as much as possible.

How to prepare for an interview

For any interview, you need to prepare in advance, this will allow you to confidently stay during the questions asked and increase the chances of getting a position.

Preparation comes down to the main stages:

1. Getting information about the organization. It is worth knowing where you were invited for an interview, what the company does, how long it has been on the market, and so on.
2. Analysis appearance. You should not go to an interview in a tracksuit, jeans, short skirts or with bright accessories. Important: if the organization has a dress code, it is better to give preference to a business image.
3. Analysis of your resume. Such an analysis will allow you to quickly answer any question regarding its content.

Tip: it’s better to mentally simulate a future interview and scroll through your head what questions they might ask.

Rules for a successful interview

Even if a person is endowed with many professional qualities, this does not guarantee a vacant position.

You need to know a few rules for a successful interview:

1. Don't be late and don't come too early. Optimally, if you appear in the office for 15 minutes, so that there is time to take off your outerwear and look around a bit.
2. Don't show that you are very interested in getting this job.
3. It is unacceptable to flatter or crumble in compliments to potential leadership. Tip: Be friendly and welcoming, but keep your distance.
4. Do not be embarrassed during provocative questions. You need to be mentally prepared that a potential employer may try to baffle a difficult issue. This is done in order to test the reaction of the future manager. Tip: do not show your confusion, move to raised voices or start to be silent. It is required to speak calmly and avoid specifics in such matters.
5. To ask questions.

Tip: this is a mandatory rule, the main thing is that all questions relate to the daily routine, organization of the work process and official duties.

You can't ask:

• about the personal life of potential employers;
• is it allowed to leave the workplace earlier;
• how to deal with delays, etc.

Such questions can be asked already in the process of performing official duties and as delicately as possible.

How to get?

During the interview some questions or external factors may interfere with its success.

To prevent this you need:

1. Turn off phones. Tip: do it before you arrive at the office, not when mobile phone began to burst from calls.
2. Do not show impatience or irritation if asked to wait.
3. Find out in advance or ask before the interview the name and patronymic of the person with whom the conversation is to be. Important: during the dialogue, address him by name and patronymic, this will show respect on your part, and will also quickly locate a potential leader.
4. Try to be honest with your prospective employer. Tip: do not exaggerate achievements or deceive about your experience and knowledge.
5. You can’t speak negatively about former colleagues or criticize the organization of work processes in the same place.

To successfully pass the interview, you need to have a positive attitude, confidence, as well as openness and honesty during the dialogue.

The result of the interview

When communicating with potential employers, you need to mentally tune in to any final meeting.

In general, there are several options for the outcome of the interview:

1. Please wait for a call or other notification of your answer. With such a result, you need to politely say goodbye, thank you for your time and not extort when the call should approximately follow.
2. Promise a vacancy. Tip: try not to show emotional delight, keep a low profile, but also thank and promise to approach the work responsibly.
3. Refused. Such a ending also happens, you should not despair, but you just need to continue searching for a suitable workplace.

Tip: the refusal must be accepted with dignity, so that no one guesses the true feelings of resentment or disappointment.

• set yourself up for success before each interview;
• try to anticipate what questions might be asked and think about the answers to them;
• communicate confidently and politely;
• at any outcome of the meeting, remain restrained, be sure to politely say goodbye and leave the office.

It all starts with a resume. Summary - business card the applicant, which will enable the employer to form a first opinion about him.

A well-written resume is a guarantee that the employer will call and invite you to.

General rules a good resume or what the employer is looking for:

1. Are there any mistakes? Their presence is evidence of inattention, haste and, ultimately, negligence.
2. Is there a photo on the resume? Her absence is suspicious and may suggest that the applicant for the position is not a self-confident person.
3. Place of residence, age, knowledge foreign languages, own car and willingness to travel.
4. Are there many previous jobs, how often did they change?
5. Does education match work experience? Does the work experience of the applicant meet the requirements of the employer?

Features of a sales manager resume:

1. Properly placed accents are very important. In the resume of a sales manager, emphasis should be placed on the qualities of a leader, on communication skills. After all, this is work with people, requiring the ability to find mutual language with representatives of different ages, different social groups.
2. Must indicate willingness to travel. This will show the seriousness of the attitude towards future work and the willingness to do a lot for it.
3. Focus on results. The employer appreciates such sales managers who want and strive to earn money, that is, they are able to bring income to the company.

In the column " Functional responsibilities» sales manager should pay attention to:

• registration of calculations and maintenance of cash documentation;
• the expansion of the customer base;
• document management;
• search for new suppliers.

Questions when applying for a job

And now a little about what are the interview questions for a sales manager job, as well as for a sales manager interview?
The resume was noticed - its owner was called and invited to an interview with a sales manager or head of sales.

The interview is the next and very important stage for both parties.

At the interview, the employer and his potential employee meet face to face. They watch and listen to each other. They ask each other questions. What questions to ask in a sales manager interview? And what do they ask at a sales manager interview? Whether there is a finished script sales manager interviews?

Top 5 questions for sales managers:

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

It is a question of purpose and aspirations. Experts advise: no need for unbridled fantasies! Look at things realistically and formulate affordable plans for the next five years.

It is important that the target flies away from the teeth, so that the applicant does not think or mumble when answering this question.

What are your best and worst features?

They do not advise the applicant to turn inside out when answering this question, demonstrating crystal honesty.

Usually, the positive features of a sales manager are responsibility, organization and communication skills. The negative ones include: arrogance and honesty, and also a tendency to deep analysis. Experts believe that all this spoils good manager by sales.

It is good if, answering this question, the candidate argues, specifying what exactly is expressed, for example, his organization and responsibility.

Smart candidates, when answering this question, manage to present negative qualities in such a way that in the eyes of the employer they look like positive ones. For example, listing their shortcomings, they can say: “I don’t know how to relax at all. A terrible workaholic, a fan of work. I am very demanding of myself and others.”

Can you cheat?

Trick question. Whatever the answer to it was not given - everything is bad.

The applicant admits that he can deceive, he will be considered a liar. He will say that he is always honest and truthful, they will be suspected of lying.

How to be? It is advised to laugh it off and avoid answering this question.

What's your best deal?

If the best deal in a sales manager's professional life hasn't happened yet, it's worth inventing it. For reliability, it can be embellished with details about difficulties in negotiations and other business moments.

If the conscience does not allow the applicant to “embellish”, then the profession of a sales manager is not for him.

Are you stress resistant?

The sales manager must be stress-resistant. He must be friendly and smiling and not lose these qualities even when he is “run into” right during the interview. This is a test by the employer for stress resistance and it is necessary to demonstrate a playful reaction in response.

There are a number of other questions that are popular with the employer:

1. What exactly draws you to this job?

   The answer “growth prospects” and “solid firm” is a formula. It would be better if something more individual sounds. For example, “the desire to gain new skills in a team of professionals.”

2. Why do you think this position is yours?

   This question is a good opportunity for the candidate to name the best that he has. What matters is how he does it. Emotionally, forcefully? Good. Not convincingly, in general terms? Badly.

3. Why did you change your previous job?

   It is bad if the conflict with the leadership is called the reason for leaving. Well, if - the desire to go further, open up new professional horizons, get a big salary.

5 the right questions future sales managers

1. What are the responsibilities of a sales manager?
2. What reports should a sales manager fill out?
3. What is the objective quality of the company's product itself?
4. How are clients assigned to managers?
5. What is the motivation system?

Questions may also be asked, such as: “Is there a division of managers into farmers and hunters? Who will I be? The employer needs to be prepared for this kind of competence of the applicant.

Watch the video: Sales Manager Interview Questions.

About what general questions can be asked at any interview, how to properly prepare for them and how to answer them, we tell in detail.

Rules for a successful interview

So, how to successfully pass a sales manager interview? It is known that both sides are focused on the result. Employer - get what he is looking for. A candidate is to become what the employer is looking for. Therefore, he must show his best side.

It means:

• be punctual. Do not be late for an appointment;
• look good. This is the same case when they are greeted by clothes;
• smile. A smile and kindness are very endearing to people;
• confidence. Not arrogance, but rather calm self-confidence. It is necessary for the sales manager to look convincing;
• activity. Modesty decorates, but not in this case. The sales manager is expected to be proactive;

To better understand who is sitting in front of him, Employers will also have to make an effort:

• create a friendly environment; This will help the candidate to relax and open up better. You can, of course, immediately arrange a stress interview, but this method does not work in the first minutes of the interview. Such a "trump card" is better to save "for later."
• calculate the meeting time; 30 minutes per candidate is enough. Short interviews annoy people just as much as long ones.

Even if you have already formed your opinion about the candidate, but the time has not yet come, ask the planned questions.

In this case, you are already doing this not in order to understand the applicant, but in order for the applicant to compose positive opinion about company. After all, it is important for you that, after leaving the office, he spreads positive information about the company. " word of mouth"- a powerful, both advertising and anti-advertising resource.

Ask questions, prepare in advance, tests, cases with specific workflows, situations. Everything should be aimed at assessing the experience, personal qualities and professional skills of the candidate. Take notes during the interview. The system of pluses and minuses works well. She is very visual.

Putting together a case

How to interview for a sales manager job? And what are the cases at the sales manager interview? Let's try to figure it out.
Interview assignments and tests are important and useful.

They will help to reveal the personal qualities, professional skills and experience of the candidate. They are very effective because they are very revealing.

There are many testing options. Select the appropriate one depending on the type of vacancy.

For the position of a sales manager, communication skills, logical thinking, teamwork and stress resistance are important.

In order to make sure that the candidate has or does not have them, as well as the availability of practical skills, the type of situational interview is selected.

To do this, it is necessary to prepare cases in advance - various working situations - and invite the candidate to find their solution. You can put in front of him, for example: “Is it possible to tear a thick reference book in half with your hands?”

Depending on the answer, it will be clear whether the applicant is able to analyze, whether he has developed creative thinking, whether he has communication skills, whether he is aware of the strength of the team spirit.

Case options:

1. You have received several lucrative job offers. How will you do it?
2. What will you do if you are offered to do work that is not covered by the contract?
3. What will you do if you find out that your colleagues are complaining about you?

It is very popular for candidates for sales managers to arrange. The goal of the employer is to piss off the applicant. There are many ways and they are sometimes very hard.

For example, they ask questions very quickly, without giving the candidate the opportunity to recover and focus on the answer. And then they charge him with the fact that he is passive in conversation and does not know how to communicate.

In the presence of the candidate, the interviewer may yell at one of his employees to see how the future sales manager will react. After all, in his work with this you have to deal often.

There is an option to check the speed of decision-making - to offer the applicant to make a call to the client regarding the purchase right at the interview. No more than 10-15 minutes are given to study the price list of the company. Also very popular is the technique called: "".

How to get?

There are several mandatory rules for a successful interview.

But from a sales manager, in addition to smiling, neat appearance and punctuality, a number of other properties and qualities are expected.

Competence. Before applying for this position, you need to read at least a couple of professional sales books.

In them, by the way, there may be answers to those questions that you will be asked at the interview.

Activity. You have to ask questions yourself. Questions and answers will give an idea about the company. Questions at the interview when hiring a sales manager will help clarify the working conditions, show your interest. And one more thing - the more you ask, the less they ask you and the less likely it is to screw up.

Believe in yourself. It will give a positive attitude - to sell yourself, your knowledge and skills, as profitably as possible. May this be the best sale of your life!

When it comes to salary, do not immediately declare your desire to receive a large salary. Focus on the percentage of sales. So the employer will appreciate your desire to earn money by actively looking for buyers. Moreover, new buyers, and not only from the company's ready-made client base.

When the decision on the candidacy is made, it will need to be communicated to the applicant, whatever it may be - positive or negative.

You can't take too long to answer. It will look like disrespect, which is not respectable and not decent for a decent company.

There is also no need to rush to a decision. This is suspicious.

The normal time for making a decision is 1-2 days.

If you did everything right, then, in the end, you are doomed to success, and such a welcome phrase will sound: “We take you. You suit us."

We hope that now you know how to successfully interview for a sales manager or head of sales department. Taking into account all the information received, you will certainly get the desired position.

Watch below: sales manager interview video

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The correct work of the department of active external sales in the printing industry begins with the fact that you need to find people who are suitable for this work. One of the most important stages in the selection of candidates is the first interview. We offer you a plan for such an interview.

1. How do you imagine your typical working day?

In order to achieve a result, a sales employee needs to know a lot. He must know printing technologies, must have information about his market, must be proficient in sales techniques and understand the peculiarities of doing business in his company. However, it is important to understand that no amount of knowledge will lead to success if the employee does not have the desire to work hard. The answer I want to hear in asking this question involves an early start and a late end of the work day, and a large set of activities during that day. If I don't get that response, I put the questions aside and explain to the candidate exactly what I expect from them during a typical work day. And I conclude my explanations with the phrase: "If this is not what you expected, or you do not like this schedule, let's do each other a favor and stop our conversation right now."

2. How would you rate your printing knowledge on a scale from 1 to 10 points?

After making sure that you have the right attitude towards the candidate's work, you should move on to assessing his knowledge necessary for this job. Obviously, if knowledge is not enough, then a person will need to be taught. Remember that a resume speaks about practical experience, but not about the level of knowledge. Also, do not forget that the applicant, wanting to get a job, may exaggerate the level of his knowledge and experience. Once I was talking with a man who rated his level of printing knowledge at 9 points, to which I was not slow to ask the following question: “Could you tell me how the ink gets on the paper?” And he quite tolerably described the process, starting with the withdrawal of the films and the exposure of the forms, the transfer of ink from the form to the offset sheet and from it to paper. I was quite satisfied with his technological knowledge at this stage.

3. How would you rate your knowledge of the theory and practice of sales on a scale from 1 to 10 points?

In this question, you use the same approach in the evaluation of the next section. necessary knowledge. A low score on this question is not necessarily a disqualifying factor. Of course, all of us would like to hire specialists with 9- and 10-point grades. But many small printers are forced, for economic reasons, to offer sales employees not the best high conditions payment, which means not the most high level knowledge and experience. In addition, I understand that if you are in a small city, you may simply not have candidates with marks above five on this (and the previous) question. Remember that the lack of knowledge must be filled with appropriate training. Your goal during the interview is to understand how much effort (money, time, - underline as necessary) will need to be spent on training each of the candidates.

4. How much do you need to earn from the first day of work?

Most candidates answering this question will talk about how much they would like to receive, but this is not the answer you need. At this stage, the decisive information for you will be the amount that this person needs for food, clothing, housing, etc. At the very beginning of an employee's work, you do not have to provide what he would like, you just need to give him a real opportunity to achieve this level of payment. But you must provide him with the necessary income - what he needs to live acceptablely while he earns his client base and build relationships with customers. Therefore, you need to find out immediately the size of this required amount. And if you don't want to pay what this candidate requires, don't hire him! We will talk in more detail about the remuneration of sales employees in one of the following issues of the magazine.

5. How much money do you want to earn by the end of your first year with us? In the third year of work?

With this question, you find out what the “desired” level of payment for this person is. If his desires for both the first and third years of work seem reasonable to you, you can continue the interview. But if this is not the case, then you should stop and right now, immediately, explain to the candidate that he may not be able to earn so much from you in these terms. After all, if you do not agree on money, then you should not agree on everything else. And besides, the first interview is a "two-way traffic." You are trying to make the right hiring decision, and the candidate is trying to make the right job decision. Both parties need to know the truth so that a fair agreement can be reached.

6. Please name your strongest personal qualities.

With this question, you move on to that part of the interview, during which you should get to know the person better. Remember that you will only get an opinion in response to this question - the opinion of a sales employee. This opinion will (at least) slightly embellish its owner. Your task is to listen carefully to this opinion, and then compare it with everything else that the candidate says and does in the interview. For example, if he says that his strength is the ability to work hard, look for examples of hard work in his answers to the following questions.

7. What are your strengths as a sales person?

This question gives you the opportunity to assess how much the candidate knows about sales. Positive personal qualities largely correspond to the qualities good seller, but there are some characteristics that are especially important for sales success. These are organization, ability and desire to listen, self-discipline, perseverance.

8. What shortcomings do you know about yourself?

Everyone has flaws. For a manager hiring a person, they are important in three aspects: 1) identify these shortcomings at an early stage and decide how important they are for this job; 2) start the process of correcting the deficiencies; 3) decide not to hire this candidate. Eliminating deficiencies is primarily about learning - as well as deficiencies in the necessary knowledge or skills. Note that some human weaknesses can be turned into strengths in a sales person. Some time ago I interviewed a man who said that his biggest flaw was impatience. I replied that there is a very fine line between impatience as a flaw and impatience as a strong motivating factor. “If you want to work on finding the right balance,” I said, “we can use that to make you a better professional. But if you expect success and big money to come to you in sales right away, then hiring you would be a mistake for both of us.”

9. What do you think my next question will be?

The answer - and I hope it is obvious to you! is: “What are your weaknesses as a sales person?” So why not ask this question directly? Because this is a good opportunity to evaluate both the ability to listen to the interlocutor, and the ingenuity of the candidate. It seems to me that anyone who hasn't grasped the sequence of the previous three questions is either not good at listening - which is a very serious handicap for a sales job - or not smart enough for the job you're offering. With candidates who have caught consistency, you look at their shortcomings in the three ways we talked about in the previous question. And by the way, in all four questions about strong and weaknesses look for answers that feel like an honest, objective conversation, not a sales presentation by a “beloved” candidate!

10. What is the most important reason for your current desire for change?

The interest of the candidate in your work means a desire to change something, unless you are interviewing a person for his first job in his life. The reasons that push a person to these changes are very important when he is ready to leave another job in order to come to you. I believe that only two situations can lead him to this: either something is wrong with his current job, or something is wrong with this person! Soon one of my clients will be interviewing an employee who is looking for a job because her husband is moving to work in this city, and the only downside to her current job is that this job is 1,000 kilometers away from her new place of residence. Another interview is a young man who also just moved, but his resume shows a consistent desire for change. Not only from job to job, but also from city to city. See what I'm getting at?

Some candidates will give you a whole list of the most important reasons. I recommend focusing the conversation on the single most important one so you can see if your candidate can pick out the main points.

11. If I called your last supervisor right now, what would he tell me about you?

At this stage of the interview, we give the candidate the opportunity to tell the story of his departure from his side. This question puts him in a somewhat contradictory position - after all, he must give himself a recommendation. Would you accept this recommendation? In no case! After the interview (if you are still interested in this candidate) call his former boss and ask for a recommendation. Of course, not always on the other end of the wire you will meet a desire to talk a lot about your former employee but even that will give you some idea of ​​their relationship, right? The important thing is that you do your best to learn more about the job candidate for you and carefully evaluate their suitability for the job. By the way, the first time I heard this question, I participated in an interview "on the other side" - I was interviewing for a job that I really wanted to get. My future boss listened carefully to my answer, then picked up the phone and called my former employer while I was sitting across from him. The former boss wasn't there, but this trick gave me something to think about if I was going to spruce up the remaining interview answers!

12. If I called several of your colleagues who have worked with you in recent years, what would they tell me about you?

This question allows you to look at the candidate from a different point of view, different from the manager's. Within companies, personal conflicts between managers and subordinates occur quite often. Probably, you too have ever worked under a person whom you considered a manager worse than yourself. However, here, too, you should check the real opinion of former colleagues - take a few names and phone numbers, and call them. Trust but check!

13. How are you going to look for new clients?

The next few questions are meant to develop a "conversation" about the essence of the work itself. The quotation marks are here because I want to emphasize the change in the course of the interview at this point. So far, you have asked questions and the candidate has answered them, and you have sought to get detailed answers. Starting with this question, you should take a more active part in the conversation. Let's say the candidate replies that he will (a) buy business directories and (b) make use of his connections in the local "association of industrialists and merchants." But you rely more on the strategy of "visits from the street": visits from the street to identify crucial people, followed by an introductory letter, followed by a call and a request for a meeting. “I'm thinking of a slightly different approach,” you tell your candidate, and talk about your path to finding clients. "What do you think about doing it this way?" Remember we said a little earlier: You are trying to make the right hiring decision, and the candidate is trying to make the right job decision. Discussing possible disagreements at the first interview stage will increase the likelihood of a positive outcome.

14. What do you think is the most important thing you will need to convince a person to become a client?

Again, listen to what they say in response, and then explain your point of view. It inspires me when a candidate says something like, "I have to sell myself" or "I have to inspire confidence in myself and confidence in me."

15. How, in your opinion, to convince potential customers of this?

You will, of course, say something about your approach, but first you have the opportunity to assess the candidate's previous experience and/or intuition. Note that "I have no idea, and I hope you can teach me" might be an acceptable response from a sales novice. If you received such an answer, then you know that all the missing knowledge will require training. And if you are not ready to train newly recruited people, do not accept such a candidate!

16. What are your thoughts on learning what you need to know for this job?

With this question, you gradually return the conversation to the “question-answer” mode. You will find out the candidate's thoughts on this matter, and state your views on the training program. I think you should explain in advance that you will have to deal with limited time and resources for training. And make it clear to the candidate that he will be required, among other things, to self-study. You can end this part of the conversation by telling how this should happen.

17. How do you plan to become part of our team?

This is a very important topic. For a small team, the arrival of a new sales employee is especially sensitive. He works “somewhere” most of the day (at least you hope so!) but still serves as a constant source of questions, problems and errors that everyone else has to deal with. The candidate's opinion, of course, is interesting, but, frankly, it's more important for now to just raise this problem and give the candidate a reason to think about the relationship in the company in advance.

18. What will make you leave the office and work hard every day?

You can plan your salary and commissions as you like, but in the end, money will remain just one of many motivating factors for most people. And, perhaps, money will be the least effective motivation in the early stages, when the daily efforts of an employee - finding new customers and trying to establish relationships - will not lead to immediate material rewards. To succeed in external sales, you need to understand the whole set of motivations. Don't guess what's right for this particular person... ask them!

19. Okay, we've come to the point where you need to complete the sale. Why should I hire you?

Now you just listen. This question will give you a great opportunity to evaluate his ability to sell. The most important sale a candidate has to make is to "sell" you the idea that he is the right person for the job.

20. If you were me, what would you be most worried about in terms of investing my time and money in you?

With this question, you are asking the candidate to be the devil's advocate (which, by the way, is important to be good at sales). I am very alarmed by the person who replied that there was nothing to worry about. The same will happen with a candidate who answers honestly and stops there. The best option would be an answer that defines the problem and then offers a solution. “I think I would be worried if I were you that I am quite young and not very experienced,” you can hear in response, “but the other side of this coin is that I am energetic, I am very attracted to the prospect of working for you , and my previous experience confirms that investing in me pays off. And, again, this question is another way to evaluate sales skills (or instinct to do so if you are a beginner).

21. What other questions should I ask you?

This way you give the candidate the opportunity to bring up topics that he considers important. This question also serves as a good transition for your candidate to ask you some questions. I'm always impressed by people who take the opportunity to ask questions without waiting to be asked. The ability to ask questions, after all, is another component of salesmanship. As I see it, the main purpose of the first personal interview is to get to know the person in detail. A resume or application will tell you something—or even a lot—of what you need to know about previous experience and seniority. But you hire not just previous experience and seniority. You are hiring someone who will hopefully be honest in reflecting their experience and seniority and will be able to take some of that with them on their way to work with you.

If you look at an interview like that, you'll realize how little you can learn by limiting the first meeting to a quick resume discussion. Being able to identify the successes and failures associated with each job and with each applicant will provide the best start to your work together. I hope 21 Questions will help you with this.

Alexey Biork, David Fellman. unitcon.ru