Four key questions to ask when interviewing a new wine/spirits salesperson

As an experienced recruiter, I am always getting asked what questions I recommend when interviewing a candidate for a sales role.

To put things in context, I’m strictly talking about a “street level” role where the person is expected to go out and make sales to on or off-premise accounts.?

Here are four great questions to ask!

1) How do you see the distributor's role in today’s selling environment?

I want to really get the person talking about this. I don’t want to “lead” the discussion or provide prompts. I want to know what they think. I might ask, “What percentage of their sales success will come from the distributor sales reps versus their own personal interaction with accounts.”

This line of questioning will tell me several things. First, it will tell me how well they have kept up with the current selling environment. Secondly, it will tell me how much personal responsibility they would take for their own outcomes.?

If you’ve been following my content for any length of time, you can see where I’m going with this…

2) What is your selling style? Your selling “approach?”

This is another area where I want to get the candidate talking as much as possible. Some candidates will answer based on what they think I want to hear. So like a professional poker player, I will make myself impossible to read.

Their response is going to make or break the interview!

Do they tend to sell using a “features and benefits” approach? Do they believe presentation skills, overcoming objections, and closing techniques are critical to sales success?

Or do they use a more “modern” approach whereby the sale is merely a byproduct of a much larger relationship built upon service, dependability, and trust?

3) It’s 2023. How “tech savvy” are you?

This is another make-or-break question for me. It’s 2023, after all. It is impossible to succeed in a sales role without being tech-savvy.

And what I mean by this is that you must be able to “scale” your sales efforts. Anything that requires a salesperson’s physical presence is not scalable.?

I'll be sure to ask about their use of CRM. Not just how to use it but why.?

I will inquire about their professional social media presence on Linkedin, Instagram, and Facebook. I will ask them to tell me what “social selling” looks like and demonstrate their use.

I expect them to show me how they leverage several modern tools such as email service providers (i.e., MailChimp, ConvertKit, Hubspot, Klavio, or similar tools).

4) How do you stay organized and manage your time?

In my experience, it is impossible to be successful in a sales role without being highly organized and consistently leveraging the 80/20 rule.

But the key here is to have them talk about it and demonstrate it! I want them to open their phone or laptop (or both) and SHOW ME how they stay organized. I want to see their calendar, how they manage their to-do list, and how they ensure flawless follow-up.?

I will ask them to show me their key account list, how they built it, and how they stay focused on it.

Hiring a great salesperson is not easy and should be taken very seriously!

And anyone who thinks it is doesn’t know what they are talking about. Personality traits and sales experience will not tell you the whole story.?

Salespeople are the key drivers of revenue, and a good one pays for themselves many times over!

These pro tips will go a long way towards screening out the bad candidates and zeroing in on the strongest candidates.?

Do you have any tips you suggest? Please share your comments below!

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