1. Tell me how do you remain motivated when things aren't going your way?
Say that you remember that it is always about the overall score. If on average you are hitting your sales targets, then it does not matter if you have a bad patch. Understanding that this is normal helps to prevent you becoming despondent; staying positive always results in success.
2. Why do you think you'd be the best person to work in this territory?
Do some research and say that you understand the territory well and feel that it is a great opportunity to make an effective contribution to the business by operating in a new territory.
3. Tell me what made you a good sales representative? What makes you a good manager?
Most sales managers have worked their way up from a sales rep position, and this question gets at the heart of a very important truth: many great sales reps turn out to be terrible managers.
While a sales rep turned manager can certainly put themselves in a sales rep's shoes and therefore understand their motivations, an ideal candidate will know that the skills of a sales rep are very different from the skills of a great manager.
While sales reps are often responsible solely for their own goals and accounts, a manager must think about his or her team as a collective entity. Rather than being competitive and hands-on, they must be able to step back from the limelight and concentrate on helping others succeed.
An ideal candidate will be able to give specific examples of their motivations and skills as a sales rep, and understand that those skills and motivations will have changed when they became a manager.
4. Tell me why are you interested in this position as Regional Sales Manager?
The first thing hiring managers and interviewers want to know is that you're really interested in a position in sales. While this isn't the hardest question to answer, it's important you can provide a compelling answer that demonstrates you're interested in the position and good at selling.
Not only do you want to demonstrate to the interviewer that you're interested in selling, you also want to let the interviewer know that that you're very interested in selling the company's specific products and/or services. Communicating that you like selling tells an interviewer you may be a good fit for the position. Demonstrating to the interviewer that you'reinterested in selling the company's products, and that you've done your research, tells the interviewer that you're ready to hit the ground running if you're hired. Make sure you come to the interview having thoroughly researched the company's products, services, and sales strategies. Explain how your sales ability and past experience make you the best candidate for the position.
5. Tell me what do you find rewarding about working with people?
Say that you enjoy being part of a team working towards a unified goal and you love to see team members develop and flourish. Talk about how you enjoy the camaraderie and banter of working with others in a sales team.
6. Tell us 3 Likes and 3 Dislikes you have at a current or past job?
Do they start their answer with their likes or dislikes? One of the important sales manager qualities is to be positive. You can tell a great deal about someone's workplace personality if they immediately start answering with all of their dislikes and the list goes way beyond three! If their dislikes seem petty or personal it's a red flag that they may not gel with company culture.
This is for a management role, so you must say that developing new strategies to improve the sales funnel is your passion, but you will monitor the progress that your sales team makes and this will provide you with exposure to frontline activities. Explain that you will always be willing to step in and provide assistance if required.
8. Please tell me in your own words what we do?
This question quickly separates individuals who are committed and passionate to our vision from those who are simply looking for a job. We find that our best hires have thoroughly researched us, determined the general and specific impact(s) they could have on the organization, and expressed this to us confidently in their first interview.
9. Tell us why do you enjoy sales?
You need a well-prepared answer for this. An interview is the ultimate sales test. Some interviewers believe that if you cannot sell yourself you cannot sell a product. Be very positive about sales; say it is your passion and that you love the challenge of closing deals.
10. Explain me what do you think I could do better as the CEO of my company?
There is no better way to test the guts, authenticity and smarts of a potential sales manager for your company than to ask them to look you in the eye and tell you what they think you- the CEO- should or could be doing better. If they falter and have no answer- it is a deal breaker for me. If they come right back at me with feedback and ideas- they get big points!
11. Tell me what do you think it is that separates a good salesperson from a great one?
A great salesperson has the ability to sooner identify when a conversation is most likely to lead to a success deal and when it will fall on deaf ears. A good salesperson may be great at closing deals but they often waste time chasing customers that will never buy.
We ask candidates interviewing for sales manager positions how they predict the company will be different in two years, and how they see themselves shaping that change. We want to hire a sales manager who is thinking about ways to help our company grow and evolve every day, not candidates who are comfortable with the status quo.
I love to ask this question to find out how much they've thought about our sales process. The answer isn't that important. What is important is that they've done the research on our process.
14. Explain me what do you know about our target audiences? How would you sell to them?
Here you need to do some research on the company before the interview. Read their annual reports, their website and advertising material. This should provide details of who they are targeting. Make it clear that you have done your research and suggest a brief sales strategy.
15. Explain how do you feel you would handle the extra demands placed upon you as a manager?
Say that you are confident that given the opportunity you will thrive in this environment. You are eager to show what you can bring to the team and to pass on your experience and knowledge to the younger members of the sales team.
16. Tell me who is the smartest person you know?
This may seem like an odd question, but it can give you great insight into what traits the candidate values. By asking them to describe someone they know personally, you'll be more likely to get a genuine answer. Ask for specificity. Answers to this will vary, but you are looking for a candidate who values the same traits you and your company value.
Questions like this (i.e. ones that require a candidate to provide a real world example of how they dealt with a challenging situation) are some of the most powerful questions you can ask in a hiring interview. Rather than asking them a leading question that "coaches" them into saying what they think you want to hear, these questions require a concrete answer.
Ultimately, you want to learn how the candidate deals with a team or a rep that isn't meeting company standards. A great answer to this question will be one that demonstrates how the candidate indentified the specific reason the rep was failing to meet their quota, how s/he addressed that issue, and whether or not it was ultimately rectified. A good follow-up to this question is, "Have you ever terminated a sales rep for any reason? Under what circumstances?"
18. Tell me what has been the highlight of your sales career so far?
An honest answer is required here; if you are going for a sales manager role it is expected that you have an outstanding track record in sales. Mention a couple of highlights as this makes you appear even more experienced.
A great sales manager is a natural leader and teacher, with genuine enthusiasm to help others succeed. If they're only driven by meeting quota or closing deals, they may be better suited for a sales rep position. This question will help you see what kind of mentor the candidate will be, and how they will help your team grow and evolve.
Look for a candidate who has a desire to help others, not someone who gives you a generic answer. Look for personal stories--the candidate should be able to demonstrate her ability to connect with people on a personal level.
20. Can you tell me about a time you had to devise a successful strategy and implement it?
Ideally you will be able to answer this honestly based on experience. If not, say that you kept a log of questions, answers and success rates in one of your first roles and streamlined the questions asked to increase success rates.
21. Tell me what are your goals?
I find this question helps me understand what motivates a potential hire and sheds light as to whether they would be a good fit. I am a big believer in 'fit' and this question goes a long way. People draw motivation from different sources, and understanding that from the outset is very helpful in building a successful relationship.
22. Explain me what is it about territorial sales that particularly interest you?
Say that you enjoy the challenge of learning about new territories and enjoy the opportunity to travel on business.
23. Explain me how do you keep up-to-date and abreast of your customers' changing wants and needs?
This is done by monitoring buying habits and carrying out market research. Say that every new sales strategy must start with some market research and analysis to ensure that it is a relevant strategy.
24. Basic Common Regional Sales Manager Job Interview Questions:
☛ Please tell us briefly about yourself ( To make him comfortable)
☛ Why did you chose sales (profession for which the interview is being conducted) as your profession. ( Answer to this question will give an idea about his motivations,his personality traits )
☛ What aspects of your job you like the most?
☛ (Answer to this question will highlight his areas of concern as these aspects of job can act as de-motivators for him)
☛ What aspects of your job you do not like?
☛ (Answer to this question will highlight his areas of liking as these aspects of job can act as motivators for him)
☛ Which habits of your previous Boss you liked.?
☛ Which habits of your previous Boss you did not like.?
☛ Please tell us about the three mistakes that you have made in your career so far.?
☛ ( Everyone makes mistakes, and only those people do mistakes who act )
☛ What have been your learning from these mistakes?
☛ How do you motivate your team members?
☛ Please explain your working day in detail.
☛ What do you think are expectations of your boss from you?
☛ What are your expectations from your subordinates?
☛ What are expectations of your team members from you?
☛ How do you supervise your team.
☛ What is your way of achieving month targets.?
☛ (Answer to this question will give an inkling about his job knowledge and his planning and supervision skills. Answers to question no. 14 and 15 should match)
☛ How do you motivate your distributors?
☛ (Again it will test his job knowledge )
☛ How many of your team members achieve targets? ( This will show his team handling, team supervision and team motivation abilities )
☛ How you deal with those team members who achieve targets.?
☛ (It will showcase his motivational skills )
☛ How you deal with those team members who do not achieve targets.?
☛ (It will showcase his problem identification skills, people skills and problem solving skills.
☛ How you deal with those Distributors who achieve targets.?
☛ (It will showcase his relationship skills)
☛ How you deal with those Distributors who do not achieve targets.?
☛ ( It will showcase his problem identification skills, analytical skills, & decision making skills)
☛ Strong points of your personality. ( will showcase his self-awareness)
☛ Weak points of your personality. (will showcase his self-awareness)
☛ Why you decide to leave an organization. ( This will give an idea about his deep rooted reasons and his motivations)
25. Warm-up Regional Sales Manager Job Interview Questions:
☛ Tell me about yourself.
☛ Where are you currently working?
☛ What are some of your largest accomplishments?
☛ What do you bring to the companies you have worked for?
☛ How many times in the last eight years have you met or exceeded quota?
