Resources
Post a Job

Sales Representative Interview Questions

Edited by Indeed Employer Content Team
Our mission

Indeed’s Employer Resource Library helps businesses grow and manage their workforce. With over 15,000 articles in 6 languages, we offer tactical advice, how-tos and best practices to help businesses hire and retain great employees.

Read our editorial guidelines

Whether you are preparing to interview a candidate or applying for a job, review our list of top Sales Representative interview questions and answers.

  1. Are you comfortable with cold calling? See answer
  2. How did you make your most successful sale? See answer
  3. Do you consistently meet your sales goals? See answer
  4. What qualities help make you an effective salesperson? See answer
  5. How do you connect with people, build relationships and create loyal customers? See answer
  6. What steps do you follow to make a sale, and how do you approach the customer to close the deal? See answer
  7. What actions have you taken to be successful in your previous roles? See answer
  8. What achievement are you most proud of? See answer
  9. How do you handle customer disagreements? See answer
  10. How do you stay up-to-date on the needs of your target market? See answer
  11. What do you know about the products we sell? See answer
  12. What’s your long-term career goal?
  13. Why should we hire you as a sales representative?
  14. If our sales were declining, what would you do to improve them?
  15. What do you find most interesting about this position?
Show more questions Show fewer questions

Hire your next Sales Representative today.

Post a job

Hire your next Sales Representative today.

Post a job
Our mission

Indeed’s Employer Resource Library helps businesses grow and manage their workforce. With over 15,000 articles in 6 languages, we offer tactical advice, how-tos and best practices to help businesses hire and retain great employees.

Read our editorial guidelines

15 Sales Representative Interview Questions and Answers

Are you comfortable with cold calling?

An ideal sales representative needs to make cold calls routinely, as they're a fundamental part of the sales team. The candidate needs a strategic plan for calling and a proven record of success with their approach. This question provides insight into the candidate's personality. What to look for in an answer:

  • Interpersonal skills, outgoing, and a positive attitude
  • Proven record of success in sales
  • Resourcefulness

Example:

“I'm comfortable with cold calling. Just picking up the phone to make a call is unpredictable, so I always research the companies and contact points I call on. That way, I feel more confident and sound more professional.”

How did you make your most successful sale?

This question reveals the candidate's strategy for closing deals. Look for them to walk you through a step-by-step scenario of a successful sale while emphasizing their best qualities. What to look for in an answer:

  • Persistence, relationship building
  • Professional communications
  • Sales and marketing skills

Example:

"My biggest sale so far involves a three-year contract for ABC enterprise software to XYZ hospital. On my first cold call to them, they identified a need for enterprise software. I assembled targeted presentations offering solution-oriented strategies and provided demos showing the client all the benefits. Relationship building helped close the deal.”

Do you consistently meet your sales goals?

Past behavioursoften predict the future, and this question gets to the core of the issue. You'll gain more information about how dedicated the candidate is to performance and meeting sales goals. What to look for in an answer:

  • Strategic planning capabilities
  • organisational and time-management skills
  • Sales and marketing skills

Example:

"For the past two years, I have exceeded goals for my district. Before that, I had a tough quarter but realised it was an opportunity to adjust my strategy. I reviewed personal goal setting and approaching each prospective sale as a project, making timelines and prioritizing tasks. It's been rewarding to see the changes have a positive payoff."

What qualities help make you an effective salesperson?

This question gives you a sense of what qualities the candidate thinks are essential for a successful sales career. You can then determine if the candidate suits what your company looks for in a sales representative and aligns with the company culture. What to look for in an answer:

  • Product and industry knowledge
  • Problem-solving abilities
  • Active listening skills

Example:

"I enjoy the personal connections with customers and prospects, but I excel at being organised. I use sales management software and am meticulous about responding to emails and phone calls. I enjoy building relationships with my clients, and some of those have been consistent for 10 years. I spend time using and understanding new products to learn them inside and out. I also study the competition and stay up to date with what they're working on."

How do you connect with people, build relationships and create loyal customers?

Look for candidates who have made connections in their previous jobs, maintained relationships and built customer loyalty. Their answers should reveal qualities such as asking for customer feedback, offering incentives for referrals, delivering excellent customer service, and measuring customer satisfaction. What to look for in an answer:

  • Communication and interpersonal skills
  • Understanding of the entyre industry
  • Customer service-centric

Example:

"My clients and prospects usually attend the same conferences and seminars. I go where they go. Maintaining a professional presence within their industry helps build relationships and makes sales calls easier. Having peer recommendations or feedback makes the prospect friendlier."

What steps do you follow to make a sale, and how do you approach the customer to close the deal?

Successful salespeople have a strategy and follow a specific process to make a sale. It includes approaching the customer, asking questions, and making recommendations based on product knowledge. They then need to overcome objections or customer uncertainties, then closing the deal.What to look for in an answer:

  • Confident, proven sales approach
  • Dedicated to providing excellent customer service
  • Focused strategy

Example:

“Once I identify a potential customer, I ask probing questions, explain how my product solves their problems or improves their situation. I make a recommendation to suit their needs and close the sale.”

What actions have you taken to be successful in your previous roles?

The candidate should use this opportunity to describe how they apply their skills to their assigned tasks. Their pitch should include critical aspects of their success and achievements during the time with their previous employers. What to look for in an answer:

  • The confidence and characteristics that helped them reach their goals
  • Transferrable skills and sales tactics they can bring to your company
  • Quantifiable accomplishments

Example:

“In my current position, I make 45 cold calls to prospective clients each day. I exceeded my target and closed four sales cycles in as many weeks and became salesperson of the month for my efforts and success. I've closed three sales every month ever since then. I contribute my success to problem-solving for prospective clients, active listening, and quick responses.”

What achievement are you most proud of?

The answer to this question can relate to a sale or any other aspect of their professional life. What you're looking for is identifying what the candidate values about their experiences. In this context, it could be the biggest sale, the most challenging sale, or company recognition. The candidate has an opportunity to talk about meaningful accomplishments. What to look for in an answer:

  • Motivation and ambition
  • Their idea of values and goals
  • Suitable for your company culture

Example:

“I value my five years at XYZ because I proved myself and gained a solid foundation in sales experience and made a big impact on the company's success."

How do you handle customer disagreements?

Often, in sales, objections are requests for more information and an explanation of benefits for a product or service. Asking this question allows the candidate to share their techniques to hold the customer's interest and use objections to create better sales. What to look for in an answer:

  • Setting expectations, follow-through
  • Product knowledge and negotiation skills
  • Active listening, empathy, and ability to overcome objections

Example:

"While I was at ABC Tech Services, a customer was interested in a home theatre set up but had some reservations. They thought the system would become outdated as the technology advanced. I listened to their points and told them I understood the concerns. I used my expertise to explain how our home theatre system is designed to keep up with changes in technology and highlighted our money-back guarantee. After our conversation, he was ready to make the purchase.”

How do you stay up-to-date on the needs of your target market?

Asking this question allows the candidate to describe a specific process they use for staying current with their target market. Expect a variety of resources that are targeted to your demographic. What to look for in an answer:

  • Websites, magazines, social media, and other publications
  • Industry knowledge
  • Ongoing research on the competition

Example:

“I use resources directed at my target market, but also resources that serve my target market. For instance, when I did event planning, I kept up to date on what the big companies were doing, and the venues and entertainment they used. I also kept track of the companies who served them, such as technology vendors, caterers, and convention floor modelling. That gave me a vertical view of the industry."

What's your long-term career goal?

An ideal candidate has a plan with the passion to accomplish it. Salespeople are goal-oriented, and you need a new hire with ambition. This question provides insight into the candidate's priorities and personal aspirations. If they can describe their long-term career goals, they may plan to stay with the company for several years. What to look for in an answer:

  • Setting priorities and personal goals
  • Questions about opportunities and career paths
  • Analytical thinking

Example:

"I'm eager to work with your company because it's so mission-driven. I'm always taking advantage of opportunities to improve my sales techniques. I'm looking forward to developing my leadership skills, and eventually want to take on a management role."

Why should we hire you as a Sales Representative?

The candidate should summarise their top three or four best reasons, each with memorable descriptions or examples. Use this question to assess their confidence and composure. They can restate their most impressive strengths and any unique combination of skills. What to look for in an answer:

  • Added value and relevant strengths
  • What they have that others don't
  • How they plan to enhance the team

Example:

“I read in your job description that you needed a professional, successful sales representative with proven results. Last year, I brought in over $150 million in new revenue for my company with short and long sales cycles. I have 12 years of experience in the industry. I'm detail-oriented and prioritise my work. I ensure I know everything there is to know about my product and its benefits over the competition. I've been responsible for a provincial sales team and have built long-term customer and peer relationships.”

 If our sales were declining, what would you do to improve them?

Sales can decline at certain times of the year, in various economic environments or a myriad of other factors. The candidate should use this question to explain their motivation and sales recovery tactics. Look for specific steps and a focused strategic plan to approach more prospects and other sales activities that turn things around. What to look for in an answer:

  • Motivation and ambition
  • Analytical skills
  • Problem-solving abilities

Example:

“First, I would need to identify what's causing the problem and stay highly focused and organised on the issue. I would create a strategic outreach plan focused on sales activities. For example, make 25 calls to high potential, previous clients, and prospects. Send 25 emails a day focused on growing new and existing business and secure more meetings and appointments.”

What do you know about the products we sell?

This question assesses whether a candidate is familiar with your products, or if they conducted research to prepare for the interview. An excellent candidate is prepared and knows a vast amount of information about your company. What to look for in an answer:

  • Preparation and existing product knowledge
  • Professionalism
  • Experience within the industry

Example:

"I see you've recently expanded into e-commerce. I agree that it's a strong fit and offers a lot of growth potential. In a recent Forbes article, it was interesting to read that you're expanding your distribution system as brick-and-mortar sites begin to disappear.”

What do you find the most interesting about this position?

Asking this question tells you if the candidate understands the role's requirements. Their answer should provide insight into the candidate's motivation. Determine whether they're interested because of the company culture, product line, growth opportunities, or other factors. What to look for in an answer:

  • Enthusiasm for the role
  • Analysis skills
  • Industry experience and knowledge

Example:

“I'm most impressed with XYZ Tech because of the leading-edge research and products. You've cornered the market in areas that are the future of technology. I want to work in a dynamic, innovative, and fast-paced environment like this one."

Three individuals are sitting at a table with a laptop, a disposable coffee cup, notebooks, and a phone visible. Two are facing each other, while the third’s back is to the camera. The setting appears to be a bright room with large windows.

Hire your next Sales Representative today

Post a Job

Explore Interview Questions by Title

No search results found

    Related Articles

    Best Practices for Virtual Interviews
    Read article
    12 Interview Questions Not to Ask to Avoid Getting in Hot Water
    Read article
    How to Conduct a Second Interview (with 5 Example Questions)
    Read article