Hiring the right salespeople is crucial for the success of any sales team. But how do you evaluate the skills, personality, and fit of potential candidates during interviews? In this article, we will share some effective ways to assess sales applicants and avoid common pitfalls.
Before you start interviewing sales applicants, you need to have a clear idea of what you are looking for. What are the specific sales goals, challenges, and processes of your organization? What are the key competencies and behaviors that you expect from your salespeople? How do you measure and reward performance? Based on these criteria, prepare a list of relevant questions that will help you assess the applicants' knowledge, experience, and skills. For example, you can ask them to describe their sales process, how they handle objections, how they close deals, how they prospect new leads, how they use CRM tools, etc.
One of the most important aspects is creating questions that assess key sales competencies, such as closing deals, prospecting new leads, and handling objections. These questions not only reveal a candidate’s experience but also help determine how effectively they can apply their skills to real-world scenarios within our business environment. Real time Problem-solving is a crucial trait in sales, and asking candidates how they have dealt with specific challenges in the past offers insights into their creativity and adaptability. Understanding how candidates measure and reward their own performance provides clarity on whether their approach matches our organization’s expectations. It helps assess if they are motivated or not.
One of the best ways to assess sales applicants is to use behavioral and situational questions. Behavioral questions ask the applicants to provide specific examples of how they handled past situations related to sales. For example, you can ask them to tell you about a time when they overcame a difficult customer, when they exceeded their quota, when they collaborated with other salespeople, etc. Situational questions ask the applicants to imagine how they would respond to hypothetical scenarios related to sales. For example, you can ask them how they would approach a new market, how they would deal with a price-sensitive prospect, how they would handle a competitor's offer, etc. These types of questions allow you to evaluate the applicants' problem-solving, decision-making, and communication skills, as well as their attitude and motivation.
A great way to gain meaningful insights is not to as "what would you do..." but rather "tell me about a time when you..." The key is to listen for STARs. That is: -What was the Situation or Task (S/T) -What Action was taken (A) -What was the Result (R) Be sure you get a clear response that includes each component. Create behavioral-based questions around each key qualification you previously identified as critical or desirable.
Behavioral questions allow candidates to share specific examples of how they have handled sales situations in the past. For eg, asking about a time when they overcame a difficult dealer or tough crack a deal conversation helps reveal how they operate under pressure and how they leverage their skills. Situational questions allow you to assess a candidate’s problem-solving ability and strategic thinking in such scenarios. By asking how they would handle a price-sensitive prospect or approach a new market, you can gauge their creativity, adaptability, and decision-making process. These questions are especially useful when evaluating how well the candidate can think on their feet and handle unfamiliar or challenging circumstances.
Another effective way to assess sales applicants is to conduct role-playing exercises. Role-playing exercises simulate real-life sales situations and allow you to observe the applicants' performance in action. For example, you can ask the applicants to play the role of a salesperson who is trying to sell your product or service to you or another interviewer who is playing the role of a potential customer. You can also ask the applicants to play the role of a sales manager who is coaching or mentoring a junior salesperson. Role-playing exercises enable you to assess the applicants' sales techniques, persuasion skills, rapport-building skills, objection-handling skills, closing skills, and feedback skills.
I had candidates sell me their cell phone. I explained that I was evaluating iPhones and Android phones for my team and that I would eventually choose one platform only. I gave enough (but not all) of the background so that the candidate knew a little, but still needed to probe to learn all that they should to be effective. I would give them 5 minutes to prepare and explain when I returned we would be in full role-play mode. It was amazing to see a candidate who otherwise seemed strong fumble and stumble and use poor sales techniques, while others did a great job of selling me their phone. Only my top 2 or 3 candidates did the role play as part of the last interview. Many times it was a deciding factor in who received the offer.
Another way to assess sales applicants is to ask for references and testimonials from their previous employers, managers, colleagues, or customers. References and testimonials can provide you with valuable insights into the applicants' work ethic, performance, achievements, strengths, and weaknesses. You can also verify the accuracy and consistency of the information that the applicants provided during the interview. When asking for references and testimonials, make sure to ask specific and open-ended questions that will elicit honest and detailed responses. For example, you can ask how the applicants performed in terms of sales results, customer satisfaction, teamwork, leadership, etc.
I believe that asking for references and testimonials is a crucial step in assessing sales applicants. These provide a more complete view of a candidate’s performance, work ethic, and capabilities, beyond what they share during the interview. By speaking with former employers, managers, colleagues, or even customers, we gain valuable insights into their strengths, weaknesses, and actual achievements. References and testimonials offer a more rounded view of the applicant, helping us make a more informed hiring decision. They provide a layer of external validation that’s critical in evaluating whether the candidate is a good fit for the role and the organization.
Finally, you can use assessment tools to complement your interviews and evaluate the applicants' sales aptitude, personality, and fit. Assessment tools are standardized tests or surveys that measure various aspects of the applicants' sales potential, such as their cognitive abilities, sales skills, sales styles, sales motivation, sales values, sales culture, etc. Assessment tools can help you identify the applicants' strengths and areas for improvement, as well as their compatibility with your organization and team. However, you should use assessment tools with caution and in conjunction with other methods, as they may not capture the full picture of the applicants' sales capabilities and potential.
It is important for sales interviewers to frame their questions in a way that encourages open and honest responses from candidates, without making them feel defensive or criticized. Frame questions in a way that emphasizes learning from experiences, rather than focusing on what went wrong. Asking questions that promote self-reflection can help candidates provide more thoughtful responses. By asking questions in this thoughtful and balanced way, sales interviewers can create a more comfortable atmosphere where candidates feel encouraged to share meaningful responses. This not only helps interviewers gain better insights into the candidate’s abilities but also ensures the conversation stays constructive and positive.