Today's realities of the labor market, on the one hand, inspire us that there are more than enough specialists in the field of sales who are looking for work, on the other hand, a considerable proportion of these specialists, unfortunately, are not effective “salespeople”. How to assess the competencies of a sales manager at the interview stage so as not to make a mistake when hiring a key specialist?

Let's look at the main criteria that should be carefully evaluated when deciding whether to hire a sales specialist.

The logic of building a career

Even at the stage of evaluating a resume, it is necessary to analyze the professional experience of the candidate. If the candidate moved from sales to process activities ( financial management, engineering, technical support etc.), it is quite possible that his “salesman” competencies are very lame, or he is not sufficiently motivated to work in the field of sales, or, perhaps, he is process-oriented, which is unacceptable for a successful sales manager. It is necessary to find out the reasons for such a dramatic change in his career and draw the right conclusions.

It is also necessary to evaluate the dynamics of the candidate's career growth in accordance with age. If a candidate is over 40, and in his professional experience there are only positions of specialist managers, without managerial functions, it is worth considering: why the candidate did not achieve a higher career level? Or he didn't want to career growth due to fear of responsibility, either his professional achievements were not noted by the management, or he did not have enough managerial qualities. It cannot be ruled out that the candidate is only interested in sales, and he deliberately did not switch to more high level. The last reason should not be confused with the rigidity of the candidate, the fear of leaving the "comfort zone" - these are already negative signals when evaluating a candidate.

Frequency of transfers from Company to Company

For a sales manager, in my opinion, a discount should be made when assessing his stability in terms of choosing an employer. As a rule, a good "salesperson" is motivated by money, but, unfortunately, the motivation system for the sales department is not always transparent, understandable and fair. In conditions of inadequate motivation, the sales manager “burns out”, as a rule, after a year of work. There may be other objective reasons for changing employers, so it is important to thoroughly find out why the candidate changed jobs.

It happens that candidates are cunning, not voicing the real reasons for leaving, it is quite difficult to check this. Therefore, it is important to create a trusting atmosphere during the interview. It is not a fact that even after that the candidate will talk about everything in good faith, but the chances that he will be more open will increase significantly.

Presentation Skills

This issue requires careful and comprehensive consideration. On the one hand, if a candidate can correctly position himself, of course, it is a plus. But you need to understand that the candidate could simply carefully prepare for the interview, or visit a sufficient number of them before coming to you. In this case, an experienced recruiter will hear “learned phrases”, they, as a rule, are difficult to integrate into the structure of the narrative if the recruiter conducts an interview competently.

On the other hand, we must not forget that an interview is usually stressful for a candidate, in this regard, he cannot always show off a bright self-presentation.

Therefore, in the process of the candidate's answers, to a greater extent, attention should be paid to the structure and sequence of the narrative.

Numerous digressions, avoidance of answers, the manner of answering a question with a question, an overly long story full of numerous details should be considered as negative factors.

Company Level

This evaluation criterion should be considered in three directions:

• The number of the Company.

If the candidate worked in small organizations, it will be difficult for him to integrate into a large structure, since the level of communications, approvals and time frames in solving certain problems differ significantly.

• client level.

Decision makers (decision makers) at different levels are different. If a manager concludes a deal for a million rubles, one circle of people communicates with him, if for 30 million - a circle of people, firstly, it expands, and secondly, the level of negotiations becomes more complicated. Usually, large organizations focused on tangible financial results and attracting major key clients, so the “salespeople” are stronger and more experienced there.

Of course, there are exceptions, in which case it is necessary to analyze the sales volume of a candidate within a particular Company.

• Company mentality.

Yes, there is such a concept, it includes corporate culture, Company policy, leadership style, organization of workplaces.

For example, if a previous employer had an “office” system, it will be difficult for a candidate to adapt to the “open-space” format. Or, for example, if the candidate previously had a democratic leader, take authoritarian style leadership will be almost impossible for him.

I recently interviewed a candidate who had left a major construction company due to the fact that profanity was constantly present in communication between colleagues.

Here it is important to provide an opportunity for the candidate to assess his strength: whether he will be able to reorganize and accept the "rules of the game" of the new employer. The main thing is to announce all the nuances to the candidate “at the entrance” so that there are no unpleasant surprises for him after he becomes an employee of the Company.

Adequate self-esteem

Basically, this criterion is expressed in the cost of the candidate, in the level of his salary expectations. If a sales manager wants to earn 35 thousand rubles, then this is not a sales manager. If the sales manager expects a monthly financial reward of 300 thousand rubles, it is either good manager in sales, or an inadequate person.

How do you know if a candidate's self-assessment is adequate? It is important to find out two things:

1. How much the candidate earned at the previous job.

Perhaps his income was close to the amount indicated in his resume, then there are no questions, everything is quite understandable. Again: if the candidate does not embellish reality.

2. Whatever "fix" would be comfortable for him.

If a candidate names a salary that is close to his expected income level, this is a bad indicator. Any sales manager wants to earn, so he will tie his income to a percentage of sales. Of course, a low level of a fixed amount is not good, but in the interview process it is important to understand whether the candidate is salary-oriented or ready to tie his financial reward to the results achieved.

It is worth noting the following negative factor when evaluating a candidate: if a candidate announces the amount of his monthly expenses, this may indicate his infantilism and passive life position.

Confidence in your strength

A successful "salesperson" is full of self-confidence. He sold, sells and will continue to sell, as a rule, he does not have a negative sales experience, he is ready to cope with any unusual situation, in his luggage there is everything that is necessary for effective sales.

A real "salesperson" will never prepare for failure in advance. This can be understood from the questions he asks. If they are of an organizational nature or relate to the specifics of the product, you can breathe freely: the candidate does not feel fear of the sales process itself.

An insecure candidate asks "guaranteeing" questions. He asks you if the customer base is provided, is it necessary to make “cold calls”, what will happen if he does not sell, who will teach him the specifics of selling this product - this means that he is either not quite competent or has a negative sales experience, and more precisely, "non-sales".

In short, if the candidate's questions boil down to external factors and possible failures - it is unlikely that a true seller is sitting in front of you.

Professional passion

Ask the candidate to talk about the most difficult transaction in his professional experience. He will talk about it in an interesting, “delicious” way, his eyes will burn, remembering the recent victory.

Even a gambling seller, with a competent construction of a conversation on the part of a recruiter, he himself will begin to voice possible options for finding clients, potential markets, and ask about competitors.

Mixed reference

As we all know, internal reference is important for managers, external - for performers. For a sales manager, a “skew” in one direction or another threatens with negative consequences for sales. If the reference is internal, he may not have enough flexibility when interacting with the client, it will not always be easy for him to make management decisions. If an external reference prevails, he will not be able to "squeeze" the client, he will follow his lead, he will not be able to express his position or enter into a constructive discussion.

We need a golden mean. If, nevertheless, a “skew” is traced, it is allowed towards the internal reference. People with an internal reference tend to have leadership qualities, the ability to defend their own position, they are charismatic, stubborn and efficient. All of the above qualities for a successful sales manager are decisive.

Sales specifics

It should be clarified to what extent the candidate's professional experience will fit into the specifics of the new Company.

If a candidate worked in consulting, it is not certain that he will be able to effectively sell engineering equipment. And vice versa. A product and a service are psychologically different things. Both for the client and for the sales manager. Quite often in the summary of candidates there are organizations with different areas of activity. In this case, the risks of inefficient work in a new place are significantly reduced.

Or, if the candidate built distribution, it will be difficult for him to carry out direct sales, since the specifics are significantly different.

You can also note candidates with experience in FMCG (sales representatives working in the "fields"): the level of negotiations in this market is usually quite low.

B2B and B2C sales should not be strictly divided into levels of complexity: interaction with customers is at a decent level, in both areas there is an active search for customers, in addition, B2C sales have a relatively recent history, so the share of work in B2C sales in candidates’ resumes is usually , is small.

Cycle, dynamics and sales volumes

There is a different sales cycle, different sales dynamics and, of course, different sales volumes. All these indicators should be clarified and analyzed at the interview.

For example, in companies providing certification services, the sales cycle can be from 1 to 3 years, from negotiation to payment by the client.

A manager who knows how to lead a long sales cycle will easily cope with a short cycle, but on the contrary, it can be more difficult.

AT transport companies The dynamics of sales for the first six months is not high: the client “tests” the contractor to meet the deadlines, the safety of goods, and only after that begins full-fledged cooperation and gives tangible volumes.

The dynamics of sales should be taken into account to a greater extent during the period of adaptation of the sales manager: you should not set ambitious sales plans from the first month. Sales dynamics have little effect on professional experience.

Sales volumes need no explanation, I think, but it's important to understand that if your Company has millions in transactions, the decision to hire an employee with experience in selling low-value products and services is ill-advised.

Firstly, it is psychologically difficult to operate with large sums out of habit.

Secondly, Let me remind you once again about the level of negotiations: depending on how much the client is ready to part with, the circle of decision-makers changes dramatically and the level of negotiations, respectively, too.

Motivators

The main motivator of a good “salesperson” is money.

We can talk as much as we want about interesting tasks, career prospects, etc.: the sales manager wants to make money.

He is ready to give all the best, stay after work, go on business trips, bring results, but for this he will expect a decent financial reward.

Therefore, it is very important that the Company has an adequate, transparent and understandable motivation system for sales managers.

There are examples when key sales people left the Company because they reached the financial "ceiling": they bring large clients, and their level of payment remains the same, because the motivation system has a number of conscious or unconscious flaws.

On the other hand, there are examples of financial managers reaching a "comfort zone" - a certain psychological "maximum", which is enough for them to have a completely comfortable existence. Such managers, consciously or unconsciously, reduce their activity, switch to process actions and become less effective.

The "ceiling" prevents strong "salespeople", "comfort zones" reach the "average".

Analyze the situation in the sales department and decide what motivation will work for you.

Result Oriented

There is nothing scarier than a process-oriented salesperson. They are guided by the principle “if something is done, something will happen”.

They cold-call honestly, often more so than high-performance managers; send commercial offers, analyze the customer base, monitor competitors, write reports.

Such managers, as a rule, have a sufficient number of intermediate results: the client ordered a trial batch, the client requested a commercial offer, etc. But, most likely, intermediate results will remain intermediate. The effectiveness of such a specialist will be spontaneous, he will lose customers and disrupt deals, and all because he is not focused on results.

How to identify a successful manager?

Result-oriented sales managers communicate results in measurable terms. They name numbers, terms, perfectly remember their clients, sometimes they know more about them than necessary: ​​what kind of cognac Ivan Ivanovich likes, what breed is Svetlana Petrovna's favorite dog, when is the birthday of Serafima Sergeevna's daughter.

Process-oriented specialists, respectively, will describe the process: “walked, called, sent”, etc.

Decency

If a candidate for a "sales manager" vacancy solemnly declares to you that he has a customer base - do not rush to rejoice. This speaks primarily of his dishonesty in relation to past employers. Was he selling the Company's services, not his own? And when he left, he “captured” a portfolio of clients with him. We all have a certain pattern of behavior in certain situations. Think about it: are you facing the same fate that befell his past employer?

Transitions from competitors to competitors should also not be assessed positively. Such an employee is a risk factor for your Company in terms of maintaining confidential information and customer base.

A number of Companies have already abandoned the practice of "poaching" sales specialists, primarily for security reasons, but also for the purpose of observing business ethics.

Effective use of sales tools

• Managers with the position of "aspiration".
• Managers with a position of "avoidance".

How to find the position of a sales manager?

Ask them one simple question: “Do you think cold calling works?”

Managers with an attitude of "aspiration" will always answer that "cold" calls work.

They will ask clarifying questions about delivery times, terms for agreeing contracts - in a word, they will focus on quality, efficiency and the level of interaction between selling and providing departments so that nothing prevents them from selling and there are no problems with customer satisfaction. They will also be interested in whether they will need to deal with the subsequent management of the attracted client.

They save their time and work for the result, without referring to external circumstances.

Managers with the “avoidance” position will say that “cold calls” are the last century, they will ask in detail about discounts, installments, possible problems in interaction with the client.

It is important to be able to determine the position of "avoidance" in the candidate. For such managers, difficulties are demotivating. Prices for products have risen, negotiations have failed, the client has become rude, and his hands are already falling, the manager sighs and complains about injustice, while often taking an accusatory position.

The position of avoidance is manifested in the candidate's concentration on negative experience, in voicing external circumstances that prevented him from performing certain tasks.

Thank you for your attention,

Good luck to you and the right people!

About the features of the interview for the position of manager

Manager is one of the most popular vacancies on modern market labor. A sales manager may work with both wholesale and retail clients, but the interview questions for a manager position are almost always the same. We will look at the basic questions that will help you prepare for an interview for this position. Of course, there are specific questions in such an interview. You will learn how to successfully pass an interview for a manager and get acquainted with the most popular questions at such an interview.

How to interview for a manager

You can get acquainted with the main questions at the interview. We will analyze some questions that are aimed at identifying the level of knowledge and competence of the manager. When interviewing for a manager's vacancy, case situations are very often used.

1. How are you going to look for clients for our company?
This is a standard question for a manager who will be looking for and attracting clients. In this case, a win-win option would be if you name all the ways you know to find and attract customers, including cold calls, training commercial offers for clients.

2. How well do you know the stages of sales, which, in your opinion, is the most difficult and why?
At the stages of sales, we will not dwell in detail. But in sales, the most difficult stage is working with objections and, according to some opinions, identifying needs, because if you make a mistake at this stage, then further dialogue with the client may not work.

The stage of identifying needs deserves special attention, you should ask the client as many questions as possible in order to offer the client exactly what he needs.

3. What will you do if the client says "Thank you, I'll think about it" after the presentation.
Many sales manager interview candidates make the mistake of answering this question by answering "Okay, think about when I can call you back and find out your decision?".

In fact, you should ask the client "What confuses you?" "What exactly makes you think (what do you need to think about), do you have any questions that I can answer?

It is absolutely impossible to let a client go just like that in this case. You simply skip the work with objections and transfer the initiative to the client, that is, you are no longer the leading link in the dialogue.

You can build your answer in another way, for example,

"Of course, I understand that in order to make a decision, you need to think about how to weigh all the pros and cons. I can help you make your choice. I am ready to drive up to you as soon as possible to discuss our proposal with you ".

4. What is the product presentation based on?
After identifying the needs, when all the desires of the client are already known to us, we proceed to the presentation of the product. So, the presentation of the product should be based on the formula "Properties - Benefits". That is, when presenting a product or service, we often use a combination of the phrases "This will allow you", "With the help of it you can". It is important not just to sell a product, but to show the client a clear benefit that he will receive when buying. this product or services.

5. Sell me .... (pencil, umbrella in the desert, etc.)

This question is a classic sales interview question. The purpose of this question is to reveal your level of professional competence as a sales specialist. This question is not as simple as it seems at first glance, you will hear many objections in response.

Your task is not to get lost, but to respond correctly to them, bringing more and more arguments in favor of the product or service being sold.

Ask as many counter questions as possible potential buyer, gradually lead to the fact that a pencil is simply necessary.

An example of such a dialogue for retail sales.

Good afternoon! Thank you for stopping by our store, we have a wide range of pencils for all occasions.
I see that you need a pencil, right? (Yes)
Okay, what kind of pencil do you need? (color, shape, features)
What would you like to use this pencil for? (goal)
What budget are you looking for?
After you have received all the answers, make a presentation of the product. For example: "We have a great red small square-shaped pencil, its compact size will allow you to carry it with you and have it at hand at any moment, the original shape is very convenient to use and will allow the pencil to break less and your hand to get less tired. In addition on the other hand, this form will attract the eyes of others, while its cost is only 49.90 ".

Are we making a purchase?

6. What personal qualities do you think a successful sales manager should have?
You can name countless different qualities that you only know, but without confidence, purposefulness and persuasiveness, a sales manager is unlikely to be effective and successful.

These qualities are exactly what employers want to hear. Remember these 3 important qualities!

7. The situation is a case.
The client says that he has a supplier, he is completely satisfied with him, what are your actions?

An answer to such a case question may be as follows: "We would also very much like to become your regular supplier. What is needed for this?"

Or like this: "Are you ready to consider an alternative proposal?" or like this: "I understand that a company like yours most likely already has a permanent and reliable supplier, but our offer may be a good alternative for you."

Sales manager interview questions can, of course, change according to the company's skill needs and the skill level of the person required. You can use these questions and answer options as preparation for additional interview questions.
We have analyzed the main questions in the article interview questions and answers. We really hope that the questions and case situations that employers most often use in interviews will not only allow you to learn how to pass an interview for a manager, but also get the desired job offer. Good luck with your interview!

Instruction

Before the interview, formulate questions that will help you assess. For example: “Have you previously had to look for new clients, or have you already worked with regular ones?”, “How many people can you meet in one day?”, “Has there ever been a situation that you could not cope with, or on the contrary, overfulfilled the sales plan?

At the first time with the manager, pay attention to its appearance. Style this employee should be business. The appearance should be pleasant, the voice should be attractive. Also focus on the correctness of speech, demeanor, presentation of thoughts. The manager must speak clearly, competently, directly in the eyes, be confident, there must be firmness in the voice.

To make sure of his professionalism, play a little scene. Become a client for a while. The manager should try to persuade you to buy products, and do it very competently and not intrusively, because in official duties such an employee includes the ability to offer a product so that the buyer wants to buy it.

Offer him to take a test task, for example, to assess consumer demand. Some personnel officers resort to psychological issues, but for this, consult a psychologist. Well, if he will be present at the interview.

Carefully read the resume of the future employee, pay attention to the skills and abilities. See also the Education section. It is very good if the candidate has previously taken various trainings, participated in conferences and seminars.

In the event that the candidate does not inspire confidence in you or you understand that he does not suit you, tell him about it right away. It is not necessary to reassure a person by saying: "We will have you in mind."

Sources:

• How is the sale of a manager going?

Working in a car dealership gives you the opportunity to touch the world of freedom and speed. High workload and hassle compensate for high incomes. And purposeful people, and not just the elite, can get a job in a car dealership.

Instruction

Work in attracts many young people and high incomes, prestige and the opportunity to take advantage of preferential conditions for buying a car. But behind the shiny doors of the show-room hides quite a lot of hard work. Working with people is always characterized by a high degree of responsibility. Each buyer in a car dealership, even if he buys a Lada Kalina in the minimum configuration, considers himself right and requires personal attention and respect. There is logic in this: a person came to spend a large amount of money and requires a corresponding attitude towards himself. And there are at least 300-500 such clients per month. And they are all different, and they all want the most best car at the lowest price and a bunch of . And the sales manager must provide them with all this so that the buyer does not understand where they deceived.

Requirements for sales managers are strict. The candidate must have a presentable appearance, well-groomed appearance, absence of speech defects. The manager must own the set office programs, 1C accounting, special internal programs. Knowledge foreign languages will be needed when communicating with foreign branches of automakers. Must be high speed printing, telephone etiquette, perfect knowledge specifications sold cars. The salesperson must be somewhat of a psychologist. He must guess the wishes of the client or unobtrusively transfer the attention of the buyer from one brand of car to another. Everything is possible with excellent communication skills.

In the car dealership you can get and work in the specialty. If you have already tried yourself, you can count on the desired place. Graduates of technical universities in the automotive industry are also in demand in car dealerships. To begin with, you will be assigned to an experienced manager and make a small salary. The entire income of managers is based solely on the percentage of sales. The salary there is purely symbolic.

There are many positions in the car dealership that do not require special training. For girls there are places in the design department, the secretariat, at the reception. The technical center employs locksmiths, electricians, technical specialists. For this job, experience is key. Absolutely for all positions is set probation.

On the websites of large car dealerships there is a vacancy section where you can see the positions open to job seekers. There you can fill out a resume in a certain form. If within 2 weeks you have not received a call back, do not be too lazy to call the personnel department yourself and find out the results. There is such a turnover in the salons that the personnel department does not bother to actively search.

by the most in an efficient way there will be a conversation directly in the salon with the head of the sales department (NOP). You can immediately demonstrate your skills in business. If you want to get a job in a technical center, then you need a production manager.

New opening salons often hang banners on their future stores with information about finding employees. You can leave your application by phone. But keep in mind that the opening of the salon can be delayed for several months.

Related videos

Sources:

• how to work in a car dealership

Selling skills can be learned. But there must be such innate qualities like perseverance, self-confidence, vigor and purposefulness. The main task of any HR manager is to find out whether these character traits are present in the applicant for the position of a sales manager.

Instruction

In the position of a manager, everything is important to the smallest detail. First of all, the employee of the department should pay attention to the appearance of the interlocutor. In no case should the costume be defiant. It is best if a person comes dressed in office style. For this jacket, trousers, shirt and tie. For a woman, this is a business suit with a skirt. The interlocutor's hairstyle and manicure should also be in perfect order. This is very important since you are looking for a person who will travel with clients. He, to some extent, will become the face of your company.

Pay attention to how the person is talking. If he lowers his eyes to the floor, stutters, swallows the endings, it means that he is very worried or not very truthful. Neither will be a plus on his resume. An applicant for the position of a sales manager should not be shy of the interlocutor and show self-doubt. With such a manager is unlikely to sign a major contract.

Ask the interlocutor to show you how he builds a dialogue with the client. You can play both a telephone conversation and a personal meeting. Play the role of a recalcitrant buyer. See how the applicant will get out of difficult situations and whether he will be able to sell you a product.

Be sure to ask what responsibilities the person had at their previous job. Does he have experience active sales Have you dealt with financial statements? Indeed, the competence of a sales manager includes not only meetings with clients and communication with them by phone, but also the preparation of competent contracts and acts on the work done.

It will not be superfluous to ask for additional education in the field of sales. These can be all kinds of diplomas received at trainings in communication, communication, self-regulation, etc. In the course of these classes, a person learns to overcome the resistance of the interlocutor, correctly present the product, and work with objections.

If the applicant is definitely not suitable for you, you should not reassure him with the words "we will call you." It’s better to say right away that you are looking for a completely different person for the position of a sales manager, and the interlocutor’s work experience and his personal qualities do not quite suit you. This way you will be honest with your opponent, and he will not waste time waiting for your call.

Related videos

After receiving a diploma, a lot of opportunities open up before a person, and he begins to think about a promising and worthy job. The profession of a manager is considered quite profitable and in demand in the labor market. Even without a specific specialization, you can consider several acceptable options where you can get a job even without work experience.

Instruction

Manager of logistick

This specialist is responsible for planning and organizing the delivery of products, cooperating with suppliers and transport organizations and also draws up transportation routes. In companies, logistics managers are fully responsible for reducing business costs, this profession is especially relevant during a crisis. Moreover, professionals with good knowledge of English language, can count on a higher income than their counterparts who do not have such knowledge.

It should be noted that going to the interview, you need to carefully prepare for this moment. After all, the employer, most likely, will take an interest in what the work of a logistician is and why a person decided to devote himself to this particular area.

Manager trading floor

The duties of such a specialist include, first of all, control and management of the work activities of a group of sellers and cashiers. As a rule, the sales floor manager is also responsible for warehousing and accounting of goods, timely display of products on the sales floor and execution of certain documents.

With such a profession, you should be prepared for the fact that you will have to work tirelessly, since the shift work schedule of the manager is most often used. The advantage of this job may be the fact that over time the manager of the trading floor will be able to grow up to the deputy director of the store and even to the manager.

Restaurant manager (administrator)

The specialist of this position organizes the interaction of all departments of the restaurant, trains new employees and monitors equipment. It is worth noting that in order to obtain such a position, it is not at all necessary to start from the bottom. Many cafes and restaurants are ready to provide an opportunity for newcomers to prove themselves as managers.

When choosing a place of work, it is important to be guided by several rules. It is very important that there is no staff turnover in the company. If it is obviously known that managers are constantly required in this organization, then it is clear that nothing good can be expected from it.

It is advisable to give preference to a well-known and large company. Do not despair if you have to start from a lower position. Indeed, with a responsible and serious approach to such work, the promotion will not be long in coming. When applying for a job, it does not hurt to choose exactly the organization in which a familiar person already works. In this case, he will be able to talk about the nuances and pitfalls of this company.

It must be remembered that a manager is a hired manager who is fully responsible for the actions of his subordinates. Therefore, before entering the position of a manager, you need to think carefully about everything. After all, leadership work requires great willpower and the desire to achieve planned goals. It is also important that the job attracts initially, as this factor provides an internal incentive for career growth and a serious salary.

Tip 5: How does a sales manager interview work?

A sales manager is a person whose success in work directly depends on his ability to communicate, find mutual language with people and understand their needs. These are qualities that any "salesperson" should work on. Some manager interview questions are very common, but that also means that some of the answers to these questions are also common. Think about them in advance, if you do not find what to answer right away.

Instruction

Where do you see yourself in 5 years? This question is probably the most common, and it would not hurt to answer it not so much for the HR, but for yourself. Think about how you plan to develop. On the one hand, you need to plan impressive prospects for yourself, and on the other hand, you should not get too far off the ground either. Your goal should “ignite” you, then, by telling someone else about it, you will be able not only to impress, but also bring its achievement closer.

What are your worst and best character traits? Crystal honesty is not the main thing when answering these questions. Here is an interesting way to define your qualities, the answer for which will certainly not disappoint: write down your 10 best (yourself favorite) qualities in a column. Now divide them into 5 that others admire and 5 that people think are questionable or not suitable for your profession. The first are your best, and the second are your worst character traits.

Can you cheat? This is a difficult question, and it is better to come up with an answer to it in advance. You don't have to say "yes" or "no" directly, unless your unerring instinct tells you otherwise. It is necessary to give abstract reasoning, clear enough, but also rather vague at the same time. It is clear that the sales manager sometimes deceives customers, or at least, to a large extent, is cunning with them. But to say that yes, you can cheat is usually not best move at the interview. As well as answering “no”, this may indicate that you are simply an inexperienced idealist.

Your best deal. Invent it or embellish an existing one that you are proud of. Just do not overdo it, because in our time everything can be checked. If you tell by giving names and dates, then the truth must prevail. You can think about the complexity of the negotiations, about the additional points that prevented the deal.

Before conducting an interview with a manager, it is necessary to draw up a profile of the employee's position. The fact is that specializations have formed in this area.

And this, not to mention the fact that the staff of the commercial division has different levels subordination and functionality: ordinary salesperson, team leader/senior salesperson, department head, commercial director.

The good news is that there is a standard profile template that will work for any of them. We provide this template

1. Job title:

• hunter (cold dialing, call centers);
• closer (position to close primary deals);
• account specialist / farmer (specialist in working with the current database);
• shop assistant;
• Sales Representative etc.

1. Responsibilities:

• dialing on a cold base;
• dialing a warm base;
• dialing on the current base;
• processing applications from the site;
• entering information into 1C;
• work with the system;
• accepting incoming applications;
• drawing up reports;
• organization of training;
• holding meetings;
• data analysis;
• measuring indicators and development indices;
• work with the incoming flow of customers;
• display of goods, etc.

1. Requirements:

• age;
• competencies.
• an experience;
• education;

1. Terms:

• reward system;
• working conditions;
• working time.

How to conduct an interview with a sales manager: features of hiring

You will be interviewing different types specialists. One thing unites them - they either were, or will be, or are already sales managers.

Their admission is made taking into account the level of the position.

Commercial Director

We take a ready-made employee with experience in managing structures that include from 15-20 people. Look for it in competing companies, or in businesses with a similar scheme for closing deals.

Head of Sales Department (ROP)

Here, too, a mature specialist with good experience is required. You can hunt him down like a commercial director. But don't limit yourself to just this possibility. A professional ROP can be found not only “by acquaintance”, but also through a standard individual or competitive recruitment.

Senior Specialist / Team Leader (3-4 subordinates)

Here you will have to conduct an interview with an experienced manager that your HR finds. Then we put him in the position of an ordinary seller and, with due progress, we promote him to the position of a senior in 1-3 months. If you want faster, look also among your subordinates.

Telemarketer, hunter, sales representative, closer, farmer

Depending on the segment, look for a person with no experience, but with necessary competencies with experience and competence. The latter option is more preferable, since in this case, an adaptation training with a subsequent test covering all sections of the product manual is enough.

How to Interview a Sales Manager: Group Selection

If with appearance the seller is more or less clear, and it’s not worth focusing on this, then on his personal qualities should have stopped. It is the personality traits of subordinates that managers or business owners tend to pay least attention to. Meanwhile, it is misunderstandings between subordinates and customers that deprive a company that works with the premium segment of most of its revenue.

There is nothing for envious people to do in premium sales. Whenever a seller sees a buyer twice or three times, or even tens of times richer than himself, a buyer who is ready to spend on a trinket, he, the seller, is, to put it mildly, indignant about this. No matter how hard he tries to hide his feelings, he still can't do it. The buyer will read this both on the manager’s facial expression and in his manner of speaking and presenting the product – in this case, he is unlikely to be able to sell. Ready to continue sacrificing customers?

To give preference in the selection of personnel to employees who are better motivated for personal growth than those who are prone to complaining about universal injustice. This will come in handy when you are interviewing.

How to interview a sales manager: individual selection

How to Interview a Sales Manager: Specific Skills

It is necessary to conduct an interview with a sales manager, checking for specific professional skills. Basically, this will be needed when receiving a ROP or a senior specialist.

They must:

1. Be able to work with CRM;
2. Use a funnel;
3. Understand why indicators such as deal length are needed, average check, conversion in the funnel;
4. Be able to create reports, analyze and work with pipeline;
5. Monitor the execution of the business process and optimize it if necessary;
6. Understand what indicators are, LTV, ARC, CRR

If a future employee is confused in "testimonies" on these issues, then he is not professional enough.

How to Interview a Sales Manager: The Skill Model

You need to form a skill model for your company's employees, and during the interview, test candidates for compliance with this model. Different fields require different skills. Required - knowledge of the 5 stages of sales. In work with end consumers (B2C segment), this is the key to closing short deals.

Long trades in B2C are more high price, and therefore buyers need to think. The manager will need to prepare, show expertise, arrange a meeting (test drive, viewing the apartment, fitting) and negotiate.

When a company works with small and medium-sized businesses in the field of B2B, the transactions will be similar to the previous ones. Manager's skills in working with big companies expand - he must be able to negotiate with the decision maker.

We talked about how to interview a sales manager. Develop a position profile and take the specifics of the position into account when interviewing.

For several years, a sales manager has been leading two ratings at once - the most sought-after specialists and the most difficult vacancies, so finding a truly sensible salesperson is cherished dream any HR. How to assess the level of sales even at the entrance to the company? After all, the test with the sale of a pen has not been indicative for a long time.

Description of the situation. How to determine the level of a sales manager at an interview, what competencies and how to check in order to understand whether he will be successful?

A task. Develop a list of questions that will help identify the necessary skills and abilities for a salesperson/sales manager.

Tatyana Kopylova, independent HR consultant:

Since sales managers tend to fall into two categories (those who are looking for new clients and those who work with regular customers and clients who applied themselves), first of all, it is important to understand which of these categories the specialist belongs to. If the candidate was engaged in both, it is necessary to determine which sales prevailed and what is closer to him.
Standard questions of this block:
Describe your typical work day.
Why did you choose this profession?
Have you ever been looking for clients?
What percentage of the total time spent searching for clients?
How many calls/meetings do you make daily (weekly)?

An idea of ​​how developed a candidate is customer search and information handling skills, gives an answer to the following question:
The position of a sales manager in our company involves the search for new customers. Tell us how you will look for clients?

A good seller will determine who can be potential clients(based on the scope of the company and its products), list the sources from which it plans to obtain information, talk about the methods of processing this information and how it will determine decision makers, and also outline its plan for further actions in relation to these clients .

Knowledge
It is also important to understand whether the candidate sells intuitively or knows the technology of sales. To clarify this point, ask the applicant how he rates his knowledge of sales techniques, say, on a five-point scale? Ask him to talk about the stages of sales.

Observation: if a candidate talks about sales technology in his own words (not book or training) with comments based on his own experience, this means that the knowledge he received at the training or from the book has successfully turned into skills and abilities (and did not lie down “on the table” together With handouts training).

Ideally, when a candidate demonstrates mastery of technology during the interview process (because an interview is the same sale: greeting, identifying a need, presentation, working with objections, closing a deal).

An experience
Predicting the success (performance) of a candidate can largely be based on his previous experience, which is clarified by the following questions:
How often did you complete sales targets? And how often did they overdo it?
How did your results compare to those of others in the department?
Give examples of clients whose involvement in working with the company is precisely your merit.
Tell me about yourself big deal concluded by you.
Which deal was the most difficult? Why?

In addition, it is worth asking clarifying, concretizing questions: how this or that client appeared, with whom the candidate negotiated, what were the difficulties, etc. This helps to understand the real role of the applicant - only the one who conducted the transaction step by step remembers it to the smallest detail. Conversely, if the candidate says “I don’t remember anymore” or answers vaguely, his merit is probably not as great as he tries to make it out to be.

It is worth further expanding the question about the largest clients and transactions with them. After the candidate gave examples of such clients, select any of the listed ones and ask them to tell in more detail about what kind of project it was, where the client came from (how and by whom it was found), what exactly was sold to him and due to what (“merge” at the lowest price - does not mean to be good seller), what were the difficulties / features of this project, how they were solved, etc.

Observation: according to the answers (their depth and detail), it can be concluded whether this transaction is really the merit of the candidate. In the conversation, also be sure to ask who was the decision maker for the deal in the company. this client. As a rule, the candidate names the position of a specialist, to which in response you can arrange a small check-provocation: “Yes, yes! Alexei Ignatievich? He is a great professional!" (I choose the name at random, avoiding common combinations of first and middle names; if the candidate's client was a Western company, I name some not very common, but not exceptionally rare name). If the candidate really worked with this client, he will either ask who Alexey Ignatievich is, or say that he does not know this and worked with such and such. If he starts to actively agree (this also happens!) - draw the appropriate conclusions ...

Motivation
The desire to continue to pursue a career in sales and the direction of this career is clarified by questions like:
What do you like most about being a sales manager? Why?
What, in your opinion, is the most difficult and / or unpleasant thing in the work of a salesperson? Why?
What level of income would you like to reach in a year?
Where do you see yourself in one, three, five years?
Define the term " successful seller(Sales Manager)". If the candidate says that he is not very successful and / or has something to strive for, ask a clarifying question “What do you lack in order to confidently say that you are successful?”.

The answer to the first question allows you to understand how the candidate is result-oriented. The answer should contain words denoting results: “deal”, “sales volume”, “productive”, “achieving goals”, etc. The answer to the last question gives an idea of ​​how the candidate evaluates himself as a seller.