Even in times like these, with a glut of sales candidate in the market, hiring can be tough. Hiring and training a new sales person takes a lot of time and money, so you want to hire the best fit you can find.
In his Selling to Consumers blog, Skip Anderson lists 31 great sales interview questions. Like he says, not every question may fit for every type of sales, but there are plenty here to get you started and to get you thinking about other questions you should ask. And remember, a good interview should give you insight into the candidates work history, and a good idea of how well that person will fit into your sales team.
You can read Skip’s entire list here, but here are a few of my favorites:
- Tell me exactly how you found your last 5 prospects.
- What qualities do exceptional salespeople have that average salespeople don’t have?
- When was the last time you asked a customer for a referral? How did you do it?
- What customer personality type is the most challenging for you to work with? Why?
- Who has influenced you most in your sales career? How?
How do you hire great salespeople? What are your favorite questions to ask? Share your hiring secrets in the comments section!
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Michelle OBrien