Preparing for an interview as a sales manager. What is the most important reason for your current desire for change? Okay, we've come to the point where you need to close the sale. Why should I hire you?

To select personnel, the recruiter needs to conduct an interview. A meeting between a potential employee and a future employer is usually carried out through dialogue. The recruiter's task is to find out all your positive and negative qualities, determine professionalism and competence. After the interview, the recruiter will decide whether the candidate is suitable for the vacancy or not. In this article we will tell you how to pass an interview for a sales manager. Let's find out what questions a potential employee may face.

Sales Manager: who is he?

First of all, this is a seller who knows how to competently, beautifully and tasty talk about the product. While managers abroad can manage entire departments, in Russia the definition of a profession is slightly distorted. Initially, the employee not only sold, but also regularly performed analysis. He noted the increase or decrease in sales volume and controlled the shipment of material goods. Now this profession modified, and greater emphasis is placed on honing oratory skills.

A manager is a specialist who is entrusted with responsible work- Managing company sales. The employee’s main goal is to competently offer the product to the buyer, and then sell it profitably. Let's find out how to pass an interview for a sales manager.

What qualities should a specialist have?

To successfully pass an interview for a sales manager, you need to know what qualities a specialist should have. The key to success in the profession is the ability to surpass oneself, know the client’s psychology and strive for constant career growth. main feature"salesman" - unlimited earnings, which depends only on completed transactions.

• The sales manager is a speaker and a skilled speaker. He must be able to talk with any clients and competently convey information regarding the product.
• Desire and motivation. Many companies offer excellent working conditions: salary + percentage of each transaction. This means that a specialist can earn as much as he wants. One “but”: a manager must constantly develop his strengths, work on your shortcomings and analyze your failures.
• To be active. You will not pass an interview for a sales manager if you answer the recruiter's questions sluggishly. Every company requires active, cheerful specialists. The reason is simple: a “sales person” works directly with clients and often the financial growth of the company depends on his mood and positivity.
• Stress resistance. Clients are different, and accepting this fact is very important. Professional manager never dwells on the negative, knows how to easily discard conflict situations and resolve controversial issues.

How to prepare for an interview?

Questions and answers for a sales manager interview

• “Tell us about your experience in trade and education?” I graduated from a university with a degree in Accounting and Auditing, and today I am studying remotely and receiving a master’s degree. I have no experience in sales, but I am always ready to learn new things.
• “Where do you see yourself in 5-10-15 years?” I improved my trading skills, perhaps opening my own firm or becoming a head of finance.
• “A client came to you, clearly not in good spirits. He reacts extremely negatively and sharply to all your answers, and at the same time you feel tense. How will you behave?” First of all, I will smile, act lightly and calmly. I will not respond to anger with aggression, and I will not let all the negativity pass through me. Despite this, I will continue to advise the client. I know how to abstract myself in such situations - this is my main advantage.
• "Tell me about your positive and negative sides?" My best traits are determination, thirst for constant growth and activity. My worst traits are arrogance, stubbornness and introspection. Maybe negative sides in sales, on the contrary, they will become my advantages.

What questions should you ask a recruiter?

How to pass an interview for a sales manager? It's simple: ask counter questions, show interest. If the recruiter conducts a one-sided conversation, then your candidacy will definitely not suit the company. In this case, all questions should be relevant:

1. Responsibilities of a specialist. Important question, because it often happens that unscrupulous companies hire a specialist as a sales manager, and in the end the new employee does the work of both a secretary and a cleaner. Ask the recruiter to provide you with a list of responsibilities that are signed by the director and specialists.
2. Client base. Find out who is looking for clients. If there is a marketing department, it means that the company is successful and the manager will not have to waste time searching for buyers. In some offices, the specialist is given responsibility: he himself places advertisements and tries to attract a client base, while the salary does not increase.
3. Funnel and sales norms. Find out what the average cycle is for an ordinary manager. Ask the recruiter to provide you with an analysis in the form of a chart, which indicates the growth and decline of sales, as well as standards for specialists.
4. Bonus system and salary. In accordance with the law, the company is obliged to provide the specialist with a minimum salary. The rest wages based on completed sales. For this purpose, bonus schemes are being thought out. For example: an employee will receive 5% from each transaction, and when completing 10 sales, he receives an additional bonus of 3,000 rubles.

How does an interview for a sales manager go? As a rule, in small companies a recruiter will receive you at small office, where they don’t always pay attention to the dress code, but in large companies All the details are important:

• The date and time of the interview are set by the recruiter, so it is highly undesirable to be late. A company cannot rely on an irresponsible or unpunctual candidate.
• Watch your appearance: sneakers, greasy hair, bad breath or smeared mascara are a sign of untidiness. The sales manager is the face of the company.
• Bring your portfolio and resume, as well as diplomas and achievement list. The recruiter may not need a huge folder of documents, but it will be your trump card.
• A quiet voice, shaking hands, a twitching eye are a sign of uncertainty. If you cannot control yourself in front of a simple recruiter, then what can we say about how your behavior will change when you see a client. Pull yourself together and realize that a sales manager is a vacancy that requires maximum confidence from you.
• Answer questions competently, clearly and clearly. Don’t fuss, don’t avoid answering, speak as honestly and openly as possible. Yes, the recruiter may take you by surprise with questions about your personal life. This is why it is important to prepare before the interview using your treasured notepad.

What happens if you lie?

Many people ask the question: “How to pass an interview for a sales manager?” It's simple: don't embellish your answers, don't invent non-existent facts. If you say that you are a stress-resistant and non-conflict person, but in reality you throw your fists at everyone who looks in your direction, then you have no place in trading. Don’t waste yours, your recruiter’s, or your mentor’s time. Remember that before you are sent into the hall to work with clients, the company will conduct training that lasts several days. Therefore, it is recommended to be as honest as possible about your qualities, or to allow a truly worthy candidate to take your place.

This does not apply to all answers: some companies practice Western answers where questions regarding the candidate’s personal life are often used. If you don’t want to say that you are planning children in the next two years, then just let the recruiter hear what he wants.

How to learn to sell cars?

Let's find out how to pass an interview for a car sales manager. This vacancy is considered the most profitable, in addition, all specialists have the opportunity career growth. To do this, the recruiter must understand how well you know the product being offered. You must understand the models and characteristics of the car. the main task“sales person” - tell the client about all the advantages of the car, using all the eloquence and oratory skills.

Summing up

Now you know how to pass an interview for an active sales manager. Remember that the main thing in this profession is the ability to remain confident. Fear of the public, tightness or modesty are bad qualities that definitely will not help you achieve success in trading.

Before interviewing a manager, you need to create a job profile for the employee. The fact is that this area has developed its own specializations.

And this is not to mention the fact that the personnel of the commercial division have different levels of subordination and functionality: ordinary salesperson, group leader/senior salesperson, department head, commercial director.

The good news is that there is a standard profile template that will work for any of them. Here is this template

1. Job title:

• hunter (cold dialing, call centers);
• closer (position for closing primary transactions);
• account specialist/farmer (specialist in working with the current database);
• shop assistant;
• Sales Representative etc.

1. Responsibilities:

• cold dialing;
• dialing a warm base;
• dialing using the current database;
• processing applications from the site;
• entering information into 1C;
• working with the system;
• accepting incoming applications;
• drawing up reports;
• organization of training;
• holding meetings;
• data analysis;
• measurements of development indicators and indices;
• working with incoming clients;
• display of goods, etc.

1. Requirements:

• age;
• competencies.
• experience;
• education;

1. Conditions:

• reward system;
• working conditions;
• work time.

How to interview a sales manager: features of hiring

You will have an interview with different types specialists. They have one thing in common - they either were, will be, or are already sales managers.

Their admission is made taking into account the level of the position.

Commercial Director

We are hiring a ready-made employee with experience in managing structures that include 15-20 people. Look for it in competing companies, or in businesses with a similar pattern of closing deals.

Head of Sales Department (ROP)

Here you will also need a mature specialist with good experience. You can scan it like commercial director. But don't limit yourself to just this possibility. A professional ROP can be found not only through an acquaintance, but also through standard individual or competitive recruitment.

Senior specialist / group leader (subordinate to 3-4 employees)

Here you will have to interview an experienced manager who is found by your HR. Then we place him in the position of an ordinary salesperson and, with proper progress, promote him to the position of a senior salesperson in 1-3 months. If you want it faster, also look among your subordinates.

Telemarketer, hunter, sales representative, closeer, farmer

Depending on the segment, look for a person without experience, but with the necessary competencies, with experience and competencies. Last option more preferable, since in this case adaptation training followed by a test covering all sections of the product manual will be sufficient.

How to interview a sales manager: group selection

If everything is more or less clear with the seller’s appearance, and there is no point in focusing on this, then one should focus on his personal qualities. It is the personal traits of their subordinates that managers or business owners tend to pay the least attention to. Meanwhile, it is misunderstandings between subordinates and clients that deprive a company working with the premium segment of most of its revenue.

There's nothing to do in premium sales envious people. Whenever a seller sees a buyer twice or three times, or even tens of times richer than himself, a buyer who is ready to spend on a trinket, he, the seller, experiences, to put it mildly, indignation on this score. No matter how hard he tries to hide his feelings, he still cannot do it. The buyer will read this both in the manager’s facial expression and in his manner of speaking and presenting the product - in this case, he is unlikely to be able to sell. Are you ready to continue sacrificing your clients?

Give preference in choosing personnel to those who are better motivated to personal growth employees rather than those prone to complaining about universal injustice. This will come in handy when you conduct an interview.

How to interview a sales manager: individual selection

How to interview a sales manager: specific skills

How to Interview a Sales Manager: Salary Negotiations

When we're talking about about individual interviews rather than group recruitment, always act in a calculated and cool manner. Remember that the country is now in the days of an employer market, not an employee market. Therefore, follow a few recommendations.

1. Never negotiate your salary at the first meeting.
2. Based on the test results, identify weak spots candidate and point them out to him.
3. Explain the salary scheme, in accordance with which the applicant will be able to receive the required remuneration upon achieving certain results.

We talked about how to interview a sales manager. Develop a job profile and consider the specifics of the position when interviewing.

In this article we will give you advice on how to answer questions, and also tell you how to answer questions “correctly”. Information about the features of the interview will be of interest to both experienced specialists and novice sellers.

• you are looking for a suitable vacancy on the Internet;
• fill out and send your resume to the vacancy you like;
• you receive a call and are invited to an interview for the position of sales manager.

How to pass an interview for a sales manager?

First of all, during the interview they will evaluate appearance. To make the necessary impression, adhere to business style clothes, be confident and friendly - with your whole appearance you simply must win people over.

The recruiter's job during the interview is to assess your professional skills. You may be asked about what you did on previous place work, so think about in advance what you will say about your previous activities.

Your answers must correspond to what is written in your resume, otherwise you will not be able to successfully pass all stages of the interview for a sales manager.

Remember all your responsibilities, and then compare them with the requirements for the online job. Write down on a piece of paper and remember the answers to the question about job responsibilities, containing 2-3 phrases or expressions that the employer used in the requirements for the candidate.

If you are asked about personal qualities, you can mention initiative, communication skills, persuasion skills, stress resistance, and kindness. Preliminary preparation will help you pass the interview faster and more successfully.

They may ask about your labor productivity, namely how many clients you could visit in a week, how many sales you made daily or for what amount (if you worked in retail). It is best to answer this question truthfully or talk about stable average or slightly above average results (even if yours were significantly higher), so that later the employer does not have high expectations or demands regarding you (if you are applying for a similar position).

If you are asked about situations where you failed or made a serious mistake, it is better not to talk about mistakes. Say that “you can’t remember such cases now.” But it’s worth remembering about your luck and success in sales and telling about a couple of cases (but don’t overuse it, otherwise your “self-esteem” will look like bragging from the outside).

When asked how often you attend sales manager interviews or when you attended them last time, you can answer that “I was invited to another meeting.” However, in this case you may be asked where exactly. To this, you don’t have to mention the name of the company and say that “the company also sells household appliances"or that the second employer who invited you for an interview for a similar vacancy also represents " famous brand fashionable clothes."

Interview: sales manager. Recruiter Questions

• What do you like about sales? (in the work of a salesperson, in the profession) - they want to hear from you that you like to communicate with people;
• The client does not look you in the eye. Why do you think? — They test how well you understand people. You must give a reason: the client is hiding something, he is deceiving, he is tired, he is not interested in the conversation, etc.
• Why do some sellers sell significantly more than others? — check your level of responsibility and focus on results (success). You must tell the reasons for success in sales, mention the qualities (performance, customer focus, dedication, ability to build trusting relationships with clients, etc.) that help achieve it.
  

  In no case should we talk about the presence of a client base, good area or luck.

• How do you know if you are a successful salesperson? - they expect from you quantitative indicators success - sales volume, amount of revenue, percentage of quality, number of upsells, etc.

Often the candidate will be asked to sell a pen or some other item. The point of this simple task is to find out how familiar you are with the stages of sales and whether you know how to apply them. How to do this, watch the video:

Now you know how an interview for a sales manager goes, and you can charm any recruiter. If you doubt your knowledge in the field of sales, on our website you can familiarize yourself with them for free at.

It is known that they hire absolutely different people, without preferences based on age, nationality or gender.

On vacant place will accept an active person who wants to work, whose eyes “burn”, who knows how to produce pleasant impression, speaks coherently and smiles. If you can show all this with your appearance, you will definitely be hired.

We wish you to always successfully pass the interview and not only for the sales manager!

To get a job you need to successfully pass an interview, and this fact confuses many people. The worries and fears that we experience the day before can negatively affect the result. No employer would want to hire a neurotic person who cannot formulate and express his thoughts. In this case, even a diploma and work experience are unlikely to help.

The in-demand specialty of sales manager is no exception. To obtain a job, the applicant is asked to undergo an interview.

Why is an interview necessary?

A sales manager must be able to present a product in such a way that the client has a desire to purchase it. The interview in this case helps the employer see the necessary knowledge and experience.

Also, through personal communication, you can find out not only professional suitability, but also personal qualities person. This must be taken into account if you are working in a team.

What you need to know about the interview

The interview for the HR manager can be conducted by the manager himself or a representative of the HR department. It all depends on the company's rules. No matter who hosts the meeting, you need to be 100% prepared for it.

Preparation

Any victory loves preparation, and getting a job is no exception. You need to thoroughly work on your image, resume and style of behavior.

An important role is played by how the applicant behaves during the dialogue, how his speech is delivered, and the interlocutor pays attention to non-verbal signs. Crossing one leg over another speaks of mistrust and an attempt to hide from prying eyes. Touching the tip of the nose, earlobes and wrists reveals a liar.

You need to take your appearance seriously. If the company welcomes Office Style, then you should choose clothes according to this requirement. Even if there is no specific style, it would be inappropriate to go through an interview in jeans or a top.

Daytime makeup and tied hair are the right look for an interview

Before the event, you need to get a good night's sleep to be alert and fresh. If nervous tension does not allow you to relax, then you can take light hypnotics or sedatives.

Bosses love punctual and obligatory people. You can't be late for an interview, so you should get up an hour earlier than usual. It is necessary to take into account the possibility of force majeure in the form of traffic jams or a broken elevator. It is recommended to arrive 20-30 minutes before your scheduled time.

It is important to remember the following rules:

1. The resume is prepared in advance. It's better to take several copies of it just in case.
2. Regardless of the situation, you need to control yourself. It is possible that this is a test of stress resistance.
3. At home, you need to think through a story about yourself in advance.

Psychologists have developed many tests and questions to determine professional suitability. Most often this is an offer to sell something. It sounds quite strange: “Sell me this laptop/pencil/vase.” The peculiarity of this profession lies precisely in this ability.

Sometimes very strange tests are given. Only at first glance do they seem incomprehensible. A method that is often used is to determine a person's ability to work in a team. The applicant is asked to draw a cactus on a piece of paper, always with needles. If the strokes (needles) are located along the outer edge of the drawing, then the applicant is inclined to work together, but the needles at the inner edge indicate the opposite.

What might they ask you at an interview?

The most frightening thing is the unknown. Stress affects not only emotional state, but also on the physical.

There are basic questions that a boss can ask an applicant for the position of account manager:

• responsibilities of a manager and requirements for his work;
• knowledge about the product that the company sells;
• experience.

There may be much more of these questions. You can also ask questions of interest. If her representative is trying to hide some points, then it is better to refuse the offer.

Most people are confused when asked “Where do you see yourself in 5 years.” It is very difficult to take perspective. Shouldn't be voiced pipe dreams from childhood. Let it be a real desire.

Another tricky question that people like to ask during interviews is whether a person can deceive. Positive or negative answers will be incorrect. It's better to avoid this answer.

People are often interested in how effectively an employee can organize his or her time. This is important because it affects performance and the ability to set priorities correctly. If the applicant cannot organize his daily routine, then important projects will probably be done at the last moment.

Manage your time to improve efficiency

How to write a resume correctly

Resume for the vacancy Sales Manager is important detail employment. This is not just a story about yourself and your merits, it will be a decisive factor for the employer.

When writing your resume, you need to pay attention Special attention for spelling and punctuation errors.

The employer can also focus their attention on these points:

• availability of a foreign passport and personal transport (readiness to go on a business trip at any time);
• frequent changes of jobs (incompetence, conflict or other problems);
• work experience (depending on the requirements of a particular company, this can be either a plus or a minus);
• presence of family, children (frequent sick leave or responsibility, maturity);
• knowledge foreign languages(opportunity to increase the target audience of buyers among foreign clients);
• age (subjective criterion);
• availability of photos.

You can submit your resume electronically or send a paper version by mail. Don't expect a call on the same day.

Showcase your experience and work results

Conclusion

If the interview is not crowned with victory, do not give up. Sales manager is a sought-after position in the labor market.

You should not agree to a job if there are many things in its conditions that do not suit you.

The proper operation of an active outside sales department in the printing industry begins with the fact that you need to find people who are suitable for this job. One of the most important stages in selecting candidates is the first interview. We offer you a plan for such an interview.

1. How do you imagine your typical working day?

In order to achieve results, a sales employee needs to know a lot. He must know printing technologies, must have information about his market, must master sales techniques and understand the peculiarities of doing business in his company. However, it is important to understand that no amount of knowledge will lead to success if the employee does not have the desire to work hard. The answer I want to hear when I ask this question involves an early start and a late end to the workday, and a large range of active activities during that day. If I don't get that response, I put the questions aside and explain to the candidate exactly what I expect from them during a typical workday. And I end my explanation with the phrase: “If this is not what you expected, or you don’t like this schedule, let’s do each other a favor and stop our conversation right now.”

2. How would you rate your printing knowledge on a scale of 1 to 10?

Having made sure that the candidate has the right attitude towards the job, you should move on to assessing his knowledge necessary for this job. Obviously, if knowledge is not enough, then a person will need to be taught. Remember what a resume says practical experience, but not about the level of knowledge. Also, do not forget that an applicant, wanting to get a job, may exaggerate the level of his knowledge and experience. I once talked with a person who rated the level of his printing knowledge at 9 points, to which I immediately asked the following question: “Could you tell me how the paint gets on the paper?” And he described the process quite tolerably, starting with the output of films and exposure of forms, transfer of paint from the form to the offset canvas and from it to paper. I was quite satisfied with his technological knowledge at this stage.

3. How would you rate your knowledge in the theory and practice of sales on a scale from 1 to 10 points?

In this question you use the same approach in the assessment of the next section necessary knowledge. A low score on this question is not necessarily a disqualifying factor. We all, of course, would like to hire specialists with 9- and 10-point ratings. But many small printing houses are forced, for economic reasons, to offer sales staff less than the best high conditions payment, which means not the most high level knowledge and experience. In addition, I understand that if you are in a small city, you may simply not have candidates with scores higher than five on this (as well as the previous) question. Remember that lack of knowledge must be made up for by appropriate training. Your goal during the interview is to understand how much effort you will need to spend on training each of the candidates (money, time, underline what is necessary).

4. How much do you need to earn starting from the first day of work?

Most candidates will answer this question by talking about how much they would like to earn, but this is not the answer you are looking for. At this stage, the decisive information for you will be the amount that this person needs for food, clothing, housing, etc. At the very beginning of an employee's work, you do not have to provide what he would like, you just need to give him real opportunity reach this pay level. But you must provide him with the necessary income - what he needs to live comfortably while he builds his client base and builds relationships with customers. Therefore, you need to find out immediately the size of this required amount. And if you don't want to pay what this candidate requires, don't hire him! We will talk in more detail about the remuneration of sales employees in one of the following issues of the magazine.

5. How much money do you want to earn by the end of your first year with us? In the third year of work?

With this question you find out what the “desired” level of pay for this person is. If his wishes in both the first and third years of work seem reasonable to you, you can continue the interview. But if this is not the case, then you should stop and right now, right away, explain to the candidate that he may not be able to earn that much from you within this time frame. After all, if you don’t agree on money, then there’s no point in agreeing on everything else. And besides, the first interview is a two-way street. You are trying to make the right decision about hiring a specialist, and the candidate is trying to make the right decision about choosing a job. Both sides need to know the truth so that a fair agreement can be reached.

6. Please name your strongest personal qualities.

With this question, you move on to the part of the interview during which you need to get to know the person better. Remember that you will only receive an opinion in response to this question - the opinion of the sales employee. This opinion will (at least) slightly embellish its owner. Your job is to listen carefully to this opinion, and then compare it with everything else the candidate says and does in the interview. For example, if he says his strength is working hard, look for examples of hard work in his answers to the questions that follow.

7. What are your strengths as a sales employee?

This question gives you an opportunity to assess how much the candidate knows about sales. Positive personal qualities largely correspond to the qualities good seller, but there are some characteristics that are especially important for sales success. These are organization, the ability and desire to listen, self-discipline, perseverance.

8. What shortcomings do you know about yourself?

Everyone has shortcomings. For the manager hiring a person, they are important in three aspects: 1) identify these shortcomings at an early stage and decide how important they are for the job; 2) begin the process of eliminating deficiencies; 3) decide not to hire this candidate. Addressing deficiencies relates primarily to training—as well as deficiencies in required knowledge or skills. Note that some human weaknesses can be turned into a salesperson's strengths. Some time ago I interviewed a man who said his biggest weakness was impatience. I replied that there is a very fine line between impatience as a weakness and impatience as a strong motivating factor. “If you want to work on finding the right balance,” I said, “we can use this to make you more successful specialist. But if you expect success and big money to come to you in sales right away, then hiring you will be a mistake for both of us.”

9. What do you think my next question will be?

The answer, and I hope it is obvious to you! - this is: “What are your weaknesses as a sales employee?” So why not ask this question directly? Because it good opportunity evaluate both the ability to listen to the interlocutor and the candidate’s intelligence. It seems to me that anyone who doesn't follow the sequence of the previous three questions either isn't a good listener—a very serious handicap for a sales job—or isn't smart enough for the job you're offering. With candidates who have picked up the consistency, you look at their shortcomings in the three areas we talked about in the previous question. And, by the way, in all four questions about strong and weaknesses Look for answers that feel like an honest, objective conversation, rather than a sales pitch by the candidate “too much”!

10. What is the most important reason for your current desire for change?

A candidate's interest in your work means a desire to change something, unless you are interviewing a person for his first job in his life. The reasons that push a person to make these changes are very important when he is ready to leave another job in order to come to you. I believe that only two situations can lead him to this: either something is wrong with his current job, or something is wrong with this person! Soon, one of my clients will be interviewing an employee who is looking for a job because her husband is moving to work in this city, and the only drawback of her current job will be that this job remains 1000 kilometers from her new place of residence. Another interviewee is a young man who has also just moved, but his resume shows a consistent desire for change. Not only from job to job, but also from city to city. See where I'm going with this?

Some candidates will give you a whole list of the most important reasons. I recommend focusing the conversation on one, the most important one - this way you will see whether your candidate can highlight the main thing.

11. If I called your last manager right now, what would he tell me about you?

At this stage of the interview, we give the candidate the opportunity to tell the story of his departure from his side. This question puts him in a somewhat contradictory position - after all, he must give himself a recommendation. Will you take this recommendation on faith? In no case! After the interview (if you are still interested in this candidate) call him former boss and ask for a recommendation. Of course, you won’t always find the person on the other end of the line wanting to talk a lot about your former employee, but even this will give you some insight into their relationship, right? The important thing is that you do everything possible to find out more about the candidate for work with you, and carefully evaluate his suitability for the job. By the way, the first time I heard this question, I was participating in an interview “on the other side” - I was interviewing for a job that I really wanted to get. My future boss listened carefully to my answer, then picked up the phone and called my former employer while I was sitting opposite him. My former boss wasn't there, but this technique gave me something to think about if I was going to embellish the rest of my interview answers!

12. If I called several of your colleagues who have worked with you in recent years, what would they tell me about you?

This question allows you to look at the candidate from a different point of view than the managerial one. Within companies, personal conflicts between managers and subordinates occur quite often. Probably, you have also ever had to work under the supervision of a person whom you considered a worse manager than yourself. However, here too you should check the real opinion former colleagues- take a few names and phone numbers and call them. Trust but check!

13. How are you going to find new clients?

The next few questions are designed to develop a “conversation” about the nature of the work itself. The quotation marks are placed here because I want to emphasize the change in the course of the interview at this point. Until now, you asked questions, and the candidate answered them, and you sought to receive detailed answers. Starting with this question, you should take a more active part in the conversation. Let's say the candidate answers that he will a) buy business directories and b) use connections in the local “association of industrialists and merchants.” But you rely more on the strategy of “visits from the street”: visits from the street to determine decisive people, followed by an introductory letter, followed by a call and a request for a meeting. “I’m thinking of a slightly different approach,” you tell your candidate, and talk about your path to finding clients. "What do you think about doing it this way?" Remember, we said a little earlier: You are trying to make the right decision about hiring a specialist, and the candidate is trying to make the right decision about choosing a job. Discussing possible disagreements at the first interview stage will increase the likelihood of a positive outcome.

14. What do you think is the most important thing you will need to convince a person of in order for him to become a client?

Again, listen to what they say in response and then explain your point of view. I'm encouraged when a candidate says something like, “I have to sell myself,” or “I have to build credibility and confidence in me.”

15. How do you think you can convince potential clients of this?

You will, of course, have something to say about your approach, but first you have the opportunity to evaluate the candidate's previous experience and/or intuition. Note that the answer “I have no idea, and I hope you can teach me” may be an acceptable answer from a sales novice. If you received this answer, then you know that any missing knowledge will require training. And if you are not ready to train newly hired people, do not accept such a candidate!

16. What thoughts do you have about learning what you need to know for this job?

With this question you gradually return the conversation to question-and-answer mode. You will find out the candidate's thoughts on this matter and outline your view of the training program. I think you should explain in advance that you will have to deal with limited time and resources for training. And make it clear to the candidate what will be required of him, among other things, and selfeducation. You can end this part of the conversation by telling how this should happen.

17. How do you plan to become part of our team?

This is a very important topic. For a small team, the arrival of a new sales employee is especially sensitive. He works "somewhere" most of the day (or so you hope!) but is still a constant source of questions, problems and errors that everyone else has to deal with. The candidate’s opinion is, of course, interesting, but, frankly, it’s more important for now to simply raise this problem and give the candidate a reason to think about relationships in the company in advance.

18. What makes you want to leave the office and work hard every day?

You can plan your salary and commissions any way you want, but in the end, money will remain just one of many motivating factors for most people. And perhaps money will be the least effective motivation for early stages, when the employee's daily efforts - searching for new clients and trying to establish relationships - will not lead to immediate financial rewards. To succeed in outside sales, you need to understand the entire set of motivations. Don't guess what's right for that particular person...ask them!

19. Okay, we've come to the point where you need to complete the sale. Why should I hire you?

Now you just listen. This question will give you an excellent opportunity to evaluate his sales skills. The most important sale a candidate must make is to “sell” you the idea that he is the most the right person for this work.

20. If you were me, what would you be most concerned about in terms of investing my time and money in you?

With this question you are asking the candidate to play the devil's advocate (which, by the way, is important to be able to do in sales). I would be very wary of the person who answered that there was nothing to worry about. The same will happen to the candidate who answers honestly and stops there. The best option there will be an answer that will identify the problem and then offer a solution to it. “I think what would worry me if I were you is that I am quite young and not very experienced,” you may hear in response, “but the other side of this coin is that I am energetic, I am very attracted by the prospect of working for you , and my previous experience confirms that investing in me pays off.” And, again, this question is another way to evaluate sales skills (or instinct for this, if you are a beginner).

21. What questions should I ask you more?

This way you give the candidate the opportunity to raise topics that he considers important. This question also serves as a good segue for your candidate to ask you a few questions. I'm always impressed by people who take the opportunity to ask questions without waiting to be asked. Asking questions, after all, is another part of sales excellence. The way I look at it, the main purpose of the first personal interview is to get to know the person in detail. A resume or application will tell you something - or even a lot - of what you need to know about the specialist's previous experience and length of service. But you're not just hiring past experience and seniority. You're hiring someone who, hopefully, has been honest about their experience and seniority and can take some of that with them when they come to work for you.

If you look at an interview this way, you will realize how little you can learn if you limit the first meeting to a cursory discussion of your resume. Being able to identify the successes and failures associated with each job and each applicant will help best start yours working together. I hope “21 Questions” will help you with this.

Alexey Biork, David Fellman. Unitcon.ru