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Interview questions were hard in the past, but now hiring personnel are increasingly asking questions that really have no right answer.

Questions like “How would you run this company?” are designed to get a sense of your values and motivations. The interviewer wants to see if you are the type of person they want for the job and if you might fit into the company’s culture.

Use these examples to prepare for success in your next sales interview.

“Why sales?”

This question is designed to identify your positive qualities as a sales representative. It can be tough to describe exactly what inspires you to do your job. Avoid giving a standard or “canned” response. Use this opportunity to offer insight into who you are. Are you motivated by career ambitions, pleasing your company, or being the best at what you do? This lets the hiring manager know if you can easily fit into the business, and how to keep you motivated.

“How do you deal with a difficult person?”

The purpose of this question is to determine how you communicate with people unlike yourself. Again, there’s no perfect answer here. Some people take a proactive approach to the situation, while others do their best to ignore what they dislike in someone – or the person entirely.

Also, a potential employer must determine what kind of potential client or customer you find it difficult to communicate with, and if you know how to effectively deal with that situation. A hiring manager needs to know you can get along with all kinds of people, even folks who don’t think the same way as you.

“Are you the best person for this job? Why?”

A sales representative must be able to balance confidence with humility, and this question is designed to see just where you strike that balance. Instead of trying to make the case that you are somehow better than all the other candidates up for the job, explain how you are different and how those differences will benefit the company.

“What are your weaknesses?”

If you can’t talk about where you need to improve as a professional, then you aren’t self-aware enough to grow in a new role. Also, if you aren’t currently working on your weak points, you’ll be at a disadvantage to those who are constantly looking to better themselves as a professional.

Try to give a genuine response in your sales interview about your personal weakness and follow up with a well-thought-out answer on how you are taking active steps to improve.

“What was wrong with your last employer?”

First and foremost, this question is designed to see if you hold a grudge. Do not use this as an excuse to gripe about your last employer or complain about how poorly you were treated – that’s a sure-fire way to lose your chance at this new career.

The best answer lays out how you and your last employer ended up going on diverging paths, and how you’re looking for a career that better suits your personal and professional aspirations. Explain how you don’t think a similar situation should arise if you are hired at their company.

At Cornerstone, we work with our job candidates to help them master every part of the interview process. If you need assistance landing your next job, please contact us here.

 

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