1. Explain what do you consider your most significant sales achievement to date?
People remember richly detailed stories of success. When fleshing out your crowning achievement, talk about the time, the specific situation or problem, the people involved, the steps you took to achieve the end result, and what happened afterwards. Everyone loves a good sales story, so the more you can amp up the drama, the better.
2. Tell me what made you decide to apply for this position/company?
This question can be tricky, and should teach you to listen carefully to the question being asked. While running down the list of reasons you're suited the position may get a good point across and can help the interviewer assess whether you qualify for the position, it isn't exactly what they were looking for. Your interviewer wants to determine the reason/s you want the job in order to determine whether you are the right person for it. Being capable of doing the job and wanting it are different things, and these factors can affect your performance and how long you will stay in the company.
They will want to view an actual presentation. If you have experience in sales, you will have a few of these available; select the most interesting, unusual or successful.
It would be best to research the areas within the industry you are applying, so that you can speak intelligently about their products and potential client base. It would be wise to know as much as possible about the particular industry.
Other questions could be:
☛ How do you prepare for a sale?
☛ Can you describe your most difficult client? How did you handle this client and were you able to make the sale?
☛ If you do not sell to a particular prospective client, would you plan to try to sell to them again? How do you change your approach?
Keep in mind that selling is a positive and outgoing, self-motivating field of employment. Conveying that one has these attitudes will bring success.
At the same time, you may wish to express this point. Your time is valuable yet limited. Time spent on convincing an uninterested client could be perhaps better invested in a new potential client.
4. Tell me how do you generate, develop, and close sales opportunities?
Core sales skills remain the same regardless of industry or company. This job interview question seeks to uncover the maturity and suitability of your sales process. With this in mind, talk very specifically about how you execute your sales role from start to finish. Address planning, preparation, targeting, engaging, discovering needs, providing solutions, resolving objections, and gaining agreement. Lay out how you tackle each of these tasks step by step.
The employer would like to know - what is your former sales experience?
What industries or institutions have you worked for in the past? What is your technical experience? What type of products have you sold? Do you meet your customers? How often?
It is good practice to supply any existing documentation not otherwise supplied with your resume. Any forms, newsletters, presentations, online marketing material, graphs or infomercials you have created, or any letters from satisfied clients will be well received.
6. What is the job description of a Sales Girl?
Sales ladies are often found in malls or shopping areas and make transactions with customers. A sales lady helps a customer find his right size, style and color of merchandise, and she can help fit the merchandise for him. An important goal of a sales lady is to sell as much merchandise as possible for her company.
A good attitude must always be apparent in a sales lady, as she cheerfully assists customers. She must be able to answer questions or concerns and demonstrate good knowledge of the product she is selling. Any complaints must be handled professionally. She must be able to record her sales and communicate properly. Sometimes, traveling or phone calls by the sales lady are required to sell or represent a product.
Best-Job-Interview explains that to become a sales lady, a woman needs her high school diploma or an equivalent level of education. She must have knowledge of customer service and sales. Experience in retail is an important skill to have, as well as experience in business administration.
Never relay that this challenge was easy. It is fine to state perhaps that you would believe their product might sell itself - complimenting its quality or marketability; remember they want to see that sales drive potential. Detail your most successful and challenging sale, giving honest but short details. Keep the story upbeat and positive.
8. Tell me what is your expected salary?
In most cases, especially if you are a fresh grad or are applying for a job in a new industry, you might be clueless as to the standard rates in your industry. Unlike job descriptions, this may not be as easy to research since this may be based on a number of factors. Try to do some research on similar positions in the same company and other companies in the same industry.
Be realistic. If you're applying for an entry level position, don't assume you'll receive a salary significantly over minimum wage. If you're really unsure, consider how much you need, because at the very least, you should be able to afford to support yourself with any job. Although you may not want to name your price, an interviewer may ask for it point blank. In this case, you should give your higher salary expectation (as long as this is not unreasonably high-a distinction you may need some trial and error to make) but add that this is negotiable. Try not to give your "last price" because this is almost always what the company will take.
Hopefully, your reaction to lost sales has been to analyze what went wrong, and how you might have succeeded. Perhaps you have studied motivational material, or consulted with colleagues to plan a better approach in the future. Discuss how you have grown in skills you're your losses, including the lessons you have learned.
Salespeople need to be able to deal with failure by critically analyzing failed attempts and learning from them. Knowing how you handle failure is as important as understanding how you succeed, and in fact, the two are interdependent. Be honest here, and clearly spell out one of your failures. Start with the goal you were pursuing, and then elaborate on why it was important to you, what did you do to achieve it, why you failed, who was involved, what you learned, and what you would have done differently. Far from damaging your reputation, the hiring manager will appreciate your candor.
Review your sales history carefully, with an eye to answering these types of queries. Prepare your answers, and consult with colleagues. If you have any paperwork to show, such as product description, potential earning power of product, thank you letters, bring them to the interview.
12. Explain what are your short- to mid-term career goals?
Job candidates who set goals are perceived to be clear thinkers and motivated workers. Before your interview, talk to a few people who are where you would like to be and ask if your stated goals strike a healthy balance between realistic and achievable. Then, when you talk to the hiring manager, briefly describe your goals and hone in on why you want to achieve them -- your driving motivations and where you think achieving these goals could take you in the next few years.
You want to reply with the utmost confidence and integrity. Eagerness and motivation are good qualities to display, with replies such as:
"I love a good challenge and each prospective buyer creates a challenge in their unique way.
I like to be able to offer a quality product I can believe in and can truly serve the client."
"Your product is unique and offers good value."
"I take pleasure in offering a client goods or services that can truly enrich his life or grow his business."
Sandwich dislikes, if any, in between positive aspects of the job. Replying, "I have no specific dislikes" is fine.
14. Common Sales Girl Interview Questions:
☛ Sell me this pen.
☛ How do you handle objections?
☛ How do you handle rejection?
☛ What do you consider the most important skills in sales?
☛ What do you dislike about sales?
☛ Is there any aspect of the sales process that you are particularly uncomfortable with?
☛ How comfortable are you making phone calls?
☛ Is there anyone you struggle to sell to?
☛ What are some examples of your sales experience?
☛ Describe the most difficult sales call you have made?
☛ Describe what your sales cycle was like in your last job?
☛ How often did you achieve your sales objectives?
☛ Describe a time that you had to change your sales approach.
☛ How do you handle the negotiation phase?
☛ When do you decide that it is time to let a potential client go?
15. Situational Sales girl interview questions:
☛ How did you handle meeting a tight deadline?
☛ How do you evaluate your ability to handle conflict?
☛ What parts of your education do you see as relevant to this position?
☛ Describe a time you were faced with stresses which tested your skills.
☛ What three character traits would your friends use to describe you?
Think of at least two reasons this job is a good match for your skills, strengths, experience and background. These Saleslady interview questions are asked to see if potential employees have critical thinking skills and self-awareness. Answer Saleslady interview questions with confidence and maintain proper eye contact with the interviewer.
16. Strengths and Weaknesses based Sales girl interview questions:
☛ What do you feel is the best educational preparation for this career?
☛ What has been your biggest professional disappointment?
☛ List five words that describe your character.
☛ Who else have you applied to/got interviews with?
☛ What are your salary requirements.
17. Communication skills based Sales girl interview questions:
☛ What have you been doing since your last job?
☛ What quality of yours or personal trait matters the most in your career?
☛ What is a typical career path in this job function?
☛ What type of work environment do you prefer?
☛ What's most important to you in a new position?
18. Behavioral Sales girl interview questions:
☛ Do you work well under pressure?
☛ Do you have any questions for me?
☛ What have you learned from mistakes on the job?
☛ Has anything ever irritated you about people you've worked with?
☛ What kind of events cause you stress on the job?
19. Video based sales girl interview questions:
☛ How have you changed in the last five years?
☛ Situation in which you had to arrive at a compromise.
☛ Where do you see yourself in five years time?
☛ What was the most complex assignment you have had?
☛ Tell me about a difficult experience you had in working.
20. Phone based Sales girl interview questions:
☛ When were you most satisfied in your job?
☛ Tell me about yourself.
☛ How well did your college experience prepare you for this job?
☛ Time when you made a suggestion to improve the work.
☛ What has been your most successful experience in speech making?
A short positive response is best.
It is meant to see whether or not you'll speak poorly of an employer. Have a good questions ready about the position, opportunities for training or skill improvement, and other questions related to the job.
21. Competency Based Sales girl interview questions:
☛ Give me an example that best describes your organizational skills.
☛ What would you say are your strong points?
☛ What techniques and tools do you use to keep yourself organized?
☛ When given an important assignment, how do you approach it?
☛ Did you feel you progressed satisfactorily in your last job?
22. Basic Sales girl interview questions:
☛ Do you think you are overqualified for this position?
☛ Have you done this kind of work before?
☛ Have you ever had to deal with conflicting deadlines?
☛ What steps do you follow to study a problem before making a decision?
☛ Describe a situation where you had to plan or organise something.
The most important thing you should do is make sure to relate your answer to your long-term career goals. Be clear in understanding the responses. Make sure you're well prepared for this Saleslady interview questions as you won't likely get a second chance to really shine.
It is most impressive to have a solid forecast on paper.
Just speculating in regards to any of these questions is not advised. The sounder your presentation is, the more confident your prospective employer will be in giving you this opportunity. Review your presentation with colleagues who will critique and improve your rendition.
24. Do you know what are the Most Important Sales Skills?
Not everyone can handle sales. You need to have the right attitude and abilities. At your job interview, the interviewer will be looking for your sales skills, and the aspects of the process that help close deals. An example of a good answer includes "The ability to recognize both verbal and non-verbal cues to adapt the sales strategies you implement to impress the prospective buyer."
25. Tell me a bit more about yourself?
This job interview question demonstrates your ability to communicate and balance appropriate personal and professional information. Start with an interesting personal tidbit and then talk about why you are pursuing a sales career in general and at this particular company.
It is best to prepare answers you can easily and briefly relate.
Detail your capability to handle a tough situation. Your confidence in problem solving should be narrated as well, with a suitable anecdote portray yourself in a positive light, without arrogance.
Give details of a sales related challenge, explain why you proceeded as you did, and end with the successful result.
27. Explain me an overview of your career to date?
A career retrospective highlights your ability to communicate in addition to bearing testament to the logic and rationale of your career choices. Start with your first professional job (note: not your very first job ever) and talk briefly about what you learned from each successive role. Don't forget to touch on what attracted you to each new opportunity, culminating in the one you are currently interviewing for. Frame each job change in terms of striving for something greater, not in terms of running away from a crummy manager or company.
28. Please Explain Are You Uncomfortable Making Cold Calls?
Any interview questions about your discomfort in sales should always be responded to with a "no" without any elaboration. If you are uncomfortable, reevaluate whether the position is right for you.
29. Explain what are your reasons for leaving your previous employment?
Let's face it, nothing is perfect. There will always be gripes or issues about previous companies, bosses, co-workers, team members, and most everyone you will encounter. While these complaints may strongly factor into your job hunt, they will most probably not be the only reasons. Also, you may be tempted to use these complaints and negative incidents as examples for situational questions, but resist the urge and take a more objective approach. The interviewer may be assessing how you are able to deal with other people or may be thinking of how you would represent the company if you are hired.
Badmouthing is a sign of immaturity; if your previous experience was not a good one, there are better outlets and instances to gripe about it than a job interview. Focus on your positive reasons for leaving and downplay the negative ones: for instance, instead of saying the pay was terrible and you were being overworked in your previous company, say that you felt ready to take on greater challenges and grow professionally.
30. Explain what are your career plans?
When discussing your career, remember that it is your chosen profession or occupation and not merely a job. Also, at this point, it is assumed that you already have at least an idea of the direction you want to take with your professional life. Telling an interviewer your plans for your career is "to find a job" is pretty obvious since you're at a job interview; it's also annoying and is really not answering the question-and it's a far more common answer than you might think.
Focus more on your professional goals: Do you see yourself in the same company several years down the road? Do you see this as a stepping stone toward other things, or do you plan to stay in this field or industry? Do you want to pursue further studies? If so, how does this fit into your work schedule? Do you see yourself working abroad?
31. Explain what do you dislike about working in the sales arena?
Having to walk away from a prospective sale due to company protocols is something that I have yet to be able to come to terms with. I understand that it is necessary to do this at times but I do not like it very much.
32. Tell me are you willing to do overtime?
People argue that this can be a difficult question to answer, because you obviously can't say no, and saying yes may appear as an invitation for the company to exploit you. But if you think about it, you're bound to do overtime at one point or another. Also, depending on the nature of the work, overtime may be inapplicable because the work itself involves rendering long hours. Moreover, if you're applying for a managerial position or a position that is focused more on projects than operations, note that there may be no overtime pay, and overtime may simply be a given.
If you do not feel comfortable saying yes outright, you can sidestep by expressing your agreement or determination to deliver what is asked or needed of you. This has the additional benefit of showing you as being goal-driven rather than a clock-watcher.
33. Please Tell Me How Do You Move On From a Rejection?
Rejections are common within sales jobs, and one of the primary reasons that most personalities could not handle sales roles. Try to downplay how hard you take rejections, but feel free and be honest about a technique you use to handle rejection or answer with something like, "I simply move on to the next prospect, because a rejection is simply a sign that the individual was not yet ready for our solution."
34. Can you explain what are your strengths and weaknesses?
☛ Strengths are skills or values you feel are an asset. Rather than just listing these down, be more specific. Values are relative, therefore tricky. You can be patient, but patient to what extent and in what context? Are you able to endure instructing someone who can't seem to understand you, or are you uncomplaining of people who are late? You can also give brief examples to be better understood.
☛ Weaknesses are skills or values you feel can be a liability and need to improve on. Since these may seem like points against you, turn the negative into a positive. Give weaknesses that, when looking on the bright side, can also be a strength, and highlight that fact. You can also give a weakness that you've created alternative solutions to or are currently working to correct. This article on About.com has some great suggestions and examples.
Never refuse to answer these questions or give vague and non-committal answers since this will give the impression that you either do not know yourself well or are not confident enough in your abilities to recognize what you're best at and what you need to work on.
35. Explain how do you handle rejection?
Not making a sale when you really want to is all in a day's work for a sales girl. It is no big deal. I do not dwell on a failure. I look forward to the next opportunity.
