Give Yourself Interview Confidence with Good Questions to Ask in a Sales Interview
The excitement of landing an interview with a job you applied to quickly turns into nerves for the upcoming interview. After all, you want to do a great job! Likely, you are thinking about the best way to articulate your previous positions, brainstorming questions the interviewer may ask you, and so many other thoughts about what the interview may prompt you to discuss. Don’t forget to spend time creating your own discussion topics for the interview. That’s done through good questions to ask in a sales interview.
Putting the interviewer hat on yourself is something many candidates forget to appreciate. You aren’t the only person in an interview. Take full advantage of that. It will only serve you well in the long run. When you ask the right questions, you can uncover qualities about the job or company that could impact whether or not you want to work there. Beyond that, interviewers will appreciate how seriously you are considering the position. Thoughtful questions are positive in multiple ways.
Don’t let the idea of developing questions add to your already existing nerves. We want you to feel empowered ahead of your interview. First and foremost, start by conducting research into the company and position you applied to. Research may present questions you want to clarify. Beyond that, we have curated a list of 14 good questions to ask in a sales interview to help you get a clear picture of the job and company before being asked to make an offer decision.
List of Good Questions to Ask in a Sales Interview
Each of the questions we included in the following list will lead you to an answer that is unique to the job and company you applied to. Every question is also applicable to any sales job. Use the questions you find most applicable across multiple sales interviews. They are transferrable across industries. Of course, some questions may be more pressing for you than others. Because of that, we recommend listing the questions you would like to ask in order of priority for you.
- What is your company’s vision for the next 5-10 years?
- How would you define your company’s culture? Your sales culture?
- What is your favorite thing about your company?
- What does the onboarding process look like in this position?
- What are the unique qualities of your top salespeople?
- Can you give an overview of what a typical day would look like for me?
- What does the support for employee development look like?
- What obstacles is your salesforce currently facing?
- What does leadership support look like for salespeople?
- Can you describe the lead generation process?
- What are the different success measures I will be evaluated on?
- Can you give an overview of the commission structure in this role?
- How is your company unique in your industry?
- What is the average conversion rate of your leads?
It is likely easy to see why each of the above questions could make good discussion points. That said, it’s important to us that you know what you should be able to understand with each question. Equipped with precisely why we deem the questions good questions to ask in a sales interview, you will know if a follow-up question is necessary.
What Makes These Good Questions to Ask in a Sales Interview?
Let’s dive into why each and every one of the questions we shared has a unique value. Each has the ability to help you decide if you want to take the job you applied to. Remember: you are also interviewing your interviewer! Here’s what makes these good questions to ask in a sales interview:
What is your company’s vision for the next 5-10 years?
Not only does this question give you a line item to add to your sales arsenal, but you are able to sense how aligned the company is with what you are looking for in the future. It also highlights how well a company communicates its goals to employees. Because of that, we suggest asking each interviewer this question to see if you get differing responses.
How would you define your company’s culture? Your sales culture?
Company culture has a large influence on your job – regardless of whether you are an in-office or remote employee. It’s important to understand what a company’s unique culture is like. Is it a culture you would enjoy being a part of? There could also be a distinct sales culture, which is also helpful to understand. Friendly competition is always nice, but that isn’t a balance all sales divisions have perfected. This question leads you to get insight into where the company’s sales group is on the spectrum.
What is your favorite thing about your company?
This makes our list of good questions to ask in a sales interview for a couple of reasons. It is a “feel good” question for both you and your interviewer (so your interviewer will enjoy answering it – hopefully). In addition, you get to evaluate whether the attribute your interviewer shares is something you also find noteworthy. Ideally, you hear something that gets you even more excited about joining the salesforce.
What does the onboarding process look like in this position?
The answer to this question will impact you differently depending on where you are in your sales career. If you are just starting out, you may want a more thorough onboarding experience. If you have more experience, your opinion could vary. Regardless of what you’re looking for, this question allows you to see if what the company offers aligns with that.
What are the unique qualities of your top salespeople?
Let’s be honest: your goal is likely to be the next top salesperson at the company you’re interviewing with. Ask about the qualities of the people currently at the top. It will show you what you need to emulate (or do even better) in order to reach your goal.
Can you give an overview of what a typical day would look like for me?
There are likely specific points you saw in the job description that you liked more than others. Ask for an overview of a typical day. It will highlight what parts of the job description you will get to do more or less frequently. For instance, you could learn you get to spend a majority of your day on tasks you’re particularly excited about. That will help reinforce it’s the right role for you.
What does the support for employee development look like?
Next on our list of good questions to ask in a sales interview has a lot to do with your engagement in the long-term. We feel the most excited about our jobs when we can feel ourselves growing and evolving as professionals. That comes from development. It’s important to see how much intention a company does or does not put into their employee development.
What obstacles is your salesforce currently facing?
Said different, “what are some of the biggest objections salespeople are having to overcome?” This question allows you to get ahead of the curve. It gives you direct insight into a hurdle you will need to strategically work through in your role. You have more time to identify how to overcome the hurdle the earlier you learn what it is.
What does leadership support look like for salespeople?
Some sales leaders are more active and involved than others – and you may have a preference. By asking about leadership involvement in your interview, you can see how that aligns with what you are looking for. Just keep in mind that leadership involvement is typically quite specific to the person in the seat. This may also lead to a follow up question to learn more. As an example: how long your leader has been in their role. That question gives you a sense of how long you could be working with them.
Can you describe the lead generation process?
It’s important you proactively set your expectations regarding leads. There are many different types of leads you could work with in the sales world. Of course, some leads convert much better than others. The answer to this question will also give you insight into how challenging it will be to work toward your commissions. If you are cold calling people you find yourself (or reaching out to people that have never heard of the company), your conversion rate will look much different than if you are reaching out to leads that are already interested.
What are the different success measures I will be evaluated on?
Previously, in our list of good questions to ask in a sales interview, we shared a question about performance. The intention behind this question is similar to that one. You can align your work in the role with what you need to do to succeed. The earlier you do that, the faster you can be successful.
Can you give an overview of the commission structure in this role?
At the surface, this question seems like common sense. Where the underappreciated opportunity lies is in the follow-up question: does the commission structure change over time? Some companies have different structures when you are in the onboarding phase, others will reward you when you are successful. It’s important to not only know how you’re paid when you’re hired but also how that evolves.
How is your company unique in your industry?
When you are in a sales interview, many of the answers you get to your questions help you get excited (or not) about the role. They also show you what the potential customers you would be working with might be excited about. After all, the more passionate you are about what you’re selling, the more successful you will be.
What is the average conversion rate of your leads?
Last on our list of good questions to ask in a sales interview allows you to see how in-tune the company is with its potential customers. If their conversion rate is low, that could be a signal there is a problem with their sales strategy. Of course, if that were the case, it’s a great idea to ask what they are doing about that. If it’s on their radar and they are actively doing something about it, you may not be as concerned. Nonetheless, this is an important data point to understand because it will directly impact your commissions.
Empowered, You Can Interview with Confidence
Now that you are empowered, knowing you also get to interview your interviewer using our list of good questions to ask in a sales interview, you can step into your interview with newfound confidence. You certainly want to impress them, but they also need to impress you.
If you are still on your journey to find the perfect Chicago sales job, leverage the resources and expert support we offer at Sales Recruiters Chicago. We not only help you find roles that would be a great fit, but we can walk with you every step of your career search journey. With your interview confidence and our guided expertise, you’ll have the opportunity to land the sales job of your dreams.
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