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Personal Interview Questions for Sales Managers
Operational Interview Questions for Sales Managers
Leadership-Style Interview Questions for Sales Managers
Role-Based Interview Questions for Sales Managers
Behavioral Interview Questions for Sales Managers
The face-to-face job interview is the most vital part of the decision-making phase of the talent acquisition process. Whether you’re a hiring manager interviewing sales manager candidates or applying for a leadership position yourself, this guide will prepare you with questions so that you can find the best candidates. The types of questions you need to ask before hiring a Sales Manager:
Personal Interview Questions for Sales ManagersPersonal interview questions are designed to get to
know a candidate and whether he or she will fit in at the organization’s culture. These interview questions ask for details about the interviewee’s personality and how that translates into a work personality. Work process and work ethic are two other areas addressed by personal interview questions.
The answer to this question reveals a lot about an interviewee. First, they want to know the information a person shares, i.e., work experience, goals, and past job history. Second, they look for indications from the content that can be signs of a match for the position—or not. HubSpot suggests
that an excellent answer to this question is broad enough to hit all the high points on your resume but not so general it overshares. It should demonstrate forethought about what would be appropriate information to match the candidate for the position, as well as a positive take on past experiences.
Responses to this question can help an interviewer uncover the motivation behind the move to management. In many cases, the applicant has been in the field for the company, and successful at it. Since the sales management position often is not compensated as highly as a successful salesperson nor does it require the same set of skills, it is essential to understand why the candidate would want to make a move to management. Per
HubSpot, there are several appropriate responses. One could be a passion for the company’s mission and a desire to effect more impact upon its success. Another is wanting to serve as a leader in the organization to help shape the future of the company.
This question takes many forms, including “What motivates you?” However, by including experience, the interviewee must not only share insight into what drives their work ethic but also add a real-life example from a his or her work history to support it. Motivation is a vital factor in successful sales management.
A two-part question like this one helps determine if the candidate knows the difference between the two jobs. The interviewer wants to
ensure that someone who is a fantastic sales rep can also be an excellent sales manager, as the two positions require different skill sets. This question requires the interviewee to demonstrate his or her work process for a potential employer. The challenge is significant, but how they overcame it is the most pertinent part of the answer. The hiring manager wants to understand how the potential manager problem-solves and ascertain whether that skill can translate to problem-solving for his or her team. Answering this question can be unnerving for an interviewee that wants to highlight their successes rather than discuss their difficulties. However, a willingness to share a past problem and its outcome is key to communicating the insight gained. Moreover, the best managerial candidates can explain how their work process translates to overcoming other challenges, as well as how to systemize it as a team. Operational Interview Questions for Sales ManagersOperational questions drill down on specific skill sets candidates have. These sales manager interview questions are specific by nature and reveal the qualifications of a candidate. From ideas on how to hire and train new salespeople to how you would manage those that are struggling, these questions are designed to find out if the candidate can do the job.
Identifying and acquiring new talent is a critical skill for a successful sales manager. Sales manager candidates should be able to describe their ideal salesperson’s attributes for the interviewer. Candidates will shine even brighter if they can also identify red flags for potential hires and qualities the
candidate would avoid in their talent identification process. Candidates would be wise to highlight how these qualities would further the mission of the company and fit within the established culture.
The interviewing manager wants to know that candidates have a detailed, organized, and engaging plan to bring on new team members. The amount of detail and thought put into this process indicates that the candidate understands the importance of helping others achieve their potential as quickly as possible. Sales Drive, LLC, a sales
ability test organization, recommends that the best plans will include many factors. The training plans should include setting goals for new team members to be proficient in an area by a specific date. Programs should also have dedicated training on the technology employed by the company as well as access to any resources available to the new team member.
Talent development is another crucial area for sales manager’s success. When a hiring manager asks this question, he or she wants to know that the candidate has a proven method that they can repeat with new hires, much like the onboarding process. It is not feasible to oversee every activity by the new sales rep, so knowing how the sales manager sets a foundation for his or her team is key. When answering this question, candidates should be specific about what they do and give examples of how their training method has worked in the past. For those candidates that haven’t yet trained new salespeople, calling upon past training experiences they will emulate would convey the information a hiring manager needs.
A significant part of a sales manager’s role is to set achievable and desirable goals for their team. Any hiring manager wants to know that a candidate has a robust system for establishing goals that motivate the team members while maximizing their performance. This skill is crucial to a sales manager’s success as a leader and as
a rainmaker for the organization.
This question requires a candidate to give more information on their management style, but using a real-world example and outcome. Handshake suggests these questions are
a powerful way to get insight into the candidate’s ability. Moreover, the candidate’s answer ensures how they handle failing performance is in-line with the company’s standards and philosophy. The best answers to this question, per Handshake, are those that identify how the candidate pinpointed the problem with the rep’s process, how the candidate proposed to fix it, and whether or not it worked. Leadership-Style Interview Questions for Sales ManagersLeadership-style questions seek to uncover the candidate’s management method. These should address particular tasks and situations a sales manager candidate would face in the position, including areas like motivation, meeting goals, recognition of performance, and conflict management. Some examples of leadership-style sales manager interview questions and answers include:
A significant part of managing salespeople is keeping them inspired and enthusiastic about their work. A sales manager candidate should always know his or her team members well, and how to get their best work out of them. Hiring managers want to know that the sales manager they hire realizes the significance of this area, as well as the nuances it can have as it applies to individuals.
Hiring managers often want to hear candidates describe their leadership style in their own words.
Word choices and the examples given reveal the tendencies of potential sales manager candidates to behave in specific ways, and not all of them are the proper fit for an organization. Hiring managers should be as open-ended as possible with their questions and refrain from leading the candidates’ answers in any way to get the most candid and accurate responses here.
Setting goals is a significant part of a sales manager’s job, and it is vital to have a process for it. However, setting goals is not enough; a sales manager should also have a
method for tracking goals, too. Measuring performance toward goals is a vital motivator for most salespeople. Hiring managers want to see how the sales manager candidate’s process translates into the team culture.
Motivation and recognition often go hand-in-hand in a sales manager’s daily efforts. Also, it takes more than money. Few things are more encouraging for salespeople than feeling they are admired and
appreciated. Hiring managers want to see the variety and creativity a candidate has for valuing his or her team members’ hard work.
Sales management requires a person who can bring out the best in their employees, and someone who can manage employees when they are at their worst. However, hiring managers need to know that the person they put in the sales manager role can handle conflict within company-approved methods and techniques. An excellent response to this question would be an example of well-executed conflict management in the past. If the candidate has sales management experience, it could be a story about exactly what the hiring manager wants to know based on past events with teams. However, the sales manager candidate who has never settled a fight between direct reports could share a story outside of work that fits the bill. The important thing about the answer is that it demonstrates a leadership-style that complements the company’s culture. Role-Based Interview Questions for Sales ManagersRole-based questions are looking for information about how the job demands will work with the candidate’s personality, as well as the resources they need to do their jobs well. Like the leadership-style questions, these sales manager interview questions address specific parts of the position and situations a sales manager candidate would face day-to-day. Sometimes role-based questions explore how a candidate feels about the duties of a sales manager and how he or she balances the responsibilities involved. Some examples of role-based sales manager interview questions and answers include: Like the other questions in this category, how a candidate prepares performance reports and the data they use shows a hiring manager how the candidate intends to manage the salespeople on their team. The methods they use and the data they require also communicates a level of the candidates’ technical skill and proficiency. The best answers here are detailed but brief and perhaps best illustrated with a real-life example. Candidates that walk the hiring manager through an analysis done in the past will demonstrate the candidate’s experience and expertise in this area. Hiring managers should look for a repeatable process and a solid understanding of data analysis from the candidate’s answer and example, if presented.
Accurate sales forecasting is crucial for any organization. The leadership team depends on these numbers for many long-term strategy and expansion plans. Interviewers need to know whether the candidate is equipped to provide this crucial information to the team.
The ability to answer this question shows an interviewer a few different things. First, it shows that the candidate understands the company’s mission (or that they researched the company before the interview). Second, it shows how they communicate ideas to
others. Finally, it demonstrates their command of the company’s offer and value proposition.
The strengths and weaknesses question is another query with two levels. Interviewers want to know what the candidate thinks are areas where he or she excels and what areas need improvement. However, since this question
is tricky to answer, the interviewer is likely also analyzing how a candidate reacts under pressure.
Sales managers have multiple priorities and tasks associated with them, making
time management an essential skill. Employers want to know a candidate can use his or her time wisely, prioritize appropriately, and avoid effectively the distractions that occur throughout the week. Behavioral Interview Questions for Sales ManagersBehavioral questions want to know how the potential candidate will react to situations on the job. These sales manager interview questions usually ask the interviewee to describe a situation and his or her actions within it. Per Top Echelon, a recruiting software company, there is no “right answer” and will depend on the candidates’ experiences. Some examples of behavioral sales manager interview questions and answers include:
Missing sales quota is a standard area sales managers have to address with their teams. Interviewers are looking for leadership behavior when they ask this question. They want to hear about what happened and the candidate’s reaction to it. The response is, in many
ways, the critical part of the answer.
Handshake suggests that this question
wants first and foremost to know how a candidate deals with a team member who is underperforming. As with all behavioral questions, asking this question could also be working to discover whether the potential sales manager is an appropriate fit for the organization. The interviewer is looking for concrete examples from the past to confirm the candidate’s personality will work for the company.
This question is seeking an example of the type of behavior the hiring manager wants in their new sales manager. When an organization values decision processes, they will ask about a potential new employee’s method
to look for similar values. On the flip side, the organization could also use these questions to eliminate candidates as well.
Presenting is a crucial skill for any management position. The word prepare indicates that the interviewer is concerned about the development procedure before the presentation, meaning how the candidate qualifies the audience’s needs and adapts content to meet them. Also, organizations often ask potential employees to make a presentation to see the candidate’s behavior in action.
Per Salesdrive, sales managers should be able to analyze data and make conclusions from that analysis. People who do not solve problems using data will rely on emotions, which are not as dependable. The interviewer seeks to understand if the candidate has this vital skill, and also whether they employ data analysis in his or her
problem-solving process. Tips for Interviewing Sales Manager CandidatesInterviewing sales manager candidates is a key responsibility for senior management and other hiring managers. It requires exchanging relevant information about the organization and the candidate’s work history, ethics, and personality to find a match. However, time is limited, so staying on task is critical, too. While anything you learn about a candidate in an interview is essential, here are some sales manager interview tips that will help in the conversation. A director should focus on five main areas when hiring a sales manager, which include:
Tips for Getting Hired as a Sales ManagerThe interview is a crucial point in the hiring process. A candidate that seeks to land a new position would be wise to prepare a lot and research even more for the interview. When preparing, however, some areas might need more attention than others. Here are some interview tips that can help: Preparing succinct but comprehensive answers to common open-ended questions for interviews Gathering many real-world work experience examples to share along with explanations for the hiring manager’s consideration Organizing any samples of work method, including step-by-step plans, spreadsheets or presentations to share with hiring managers to illustrate his or her process Finding ways to positively spin negative past work experiences and discuss areas of work experience that create inappropriate emotional responses Researching the company culture and mission to align answers with the organization’s philosophy Demonstrating command of the differences between sales skills and management skills Cultivating self-awareness for what strengths the candidate brings to the position, as well as preparing a plan to overcome weaknesses that could impede his or her success The interview provides an opportunity for both interviewer and interviewee to learn as much as they can about each other to see if it is a fit for both. Hiring managers want the best candidate to make their job’s easy; candidates want to get the job to make their lives easy. With so much on the line for both sides, preparation is critical. By preparing for each sales manager interview question category and ensuring the purpose behind the answers, hiring managers and sales manager candidates will be as prepared as possible to find a match that works for both. ______ Questions or comments? Contact SPOTIO at [email protected] or comment below. SPOTIO is the #1 field sales enablement platform designed specifically for outside sales managers and reps to squeeze every drop out of their field sales efforts. Want to see a product demonstration? Click here to see how SPOTIO can take your sales game to the next level. ________________________________________________________________________________________ Sources: Brudner, Emma. “15 Job Interview Questions to Ask a Sales Manager Candidate in 2018.” Blog.hubspot.com. Web. 18 April 2018. Web. 9 July 2018. <https://blog.hubspot.com/sales/interview-questions-to-ask-a-sales-manager-candidate>. Gracey, Brandon. “5 Sales Manager Interview Questions.” Handshake.com. 2 April 2018. Web. 9 July 2018. https://www.handshake.com/blog/sales-manager-interview-questions/. “10 Questions to Ask When Interviewing a Potential Sales Manager.” Salesdrive.info. 22 March 2016. Web. 9 July 2018. <https://salesdrive.info/interviewing-potential-sales-manager/ >. Doyle, Alison. “Sales Interview Answers About Strengths and Weaknesses.” www.thebalancecareers.com. 16 April 2018. Web. 10 July 2018. < https://www.thebalancecareers.com/sales-interview-questions-about-strengths-and-weaknesses-2063465> Doyle, Alison. “How to Handle Interview Questions on Time Management.” www.thebalancecareers.com. 12 May 2018. Web. 10 July 2018. < https://www.thebalancecareers.com/time-management-interview-questions-2061286>. DeWitt, Kaylee. “100 Behavioral Interview Questions to Help You Find the Best Candidates.” www.topechelon.com. 21 June 2018. Web. 11 July 2018. < https://www.topechelon.com/blog/placement-process/top-behavioral-interview-questions-list-examples/>. https://www.talentsorter.com/70-interview-questions-can-ask-hiring-sales-managers/ https://www.topechelon.com/blog/recruiter-training/how-to-sales-manager-interview-questions-ask/ ________________________________________________________________________________________ What questions should I ask in a sales director interview?Top 5 Interview Questions & Answers for Sales Directors. Question 1: From experience, what sales techniques are most effective? ... . Question 2: What Would You Change About Our Sales Process? ... . Question 3: What Mistake Did You Make in Your Last Role, and What Did You Learn From It?. What are some good questions to ask a director?8 Questions to Ask a Potential Director in an Interview. What are your long term goals, did you achieve them, and how? ... . What has been your biggest challenge, and how did you overcome it? ... . How important is company culture to you and what measures do you take to maintain your desired culture?. What are some good questions to ask during a sales interview?Sample questions to ask during your sales interview. In what areas is your company growing or looking to grow?. How does your company overcome challenges?. What sales quotas do you expect from this position?. How do team leaders support sales staff?. What are some challenges your current sales team faces?. What questions should I ask at the end of a sales interview?6. Do you have any questions or concerns about my fit at this company that I could address? It's usually a good idea to present this question at the end of your interview. It will allow you to get an idea of your current standing and address any reservations that the interviewer might have.
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