“How do you plan to leverage the advantages of tech like AI in your sales strategy?” Adopting technological solutions such as AI is a highly relevant addition to a sales strategy in today's business environment. It is especially of consequence in a market where competitors are making the most of innovation. A sales manager who believes in new tech and innovation won't just be an asset to your company's sales team but will also encourage other teams across the organization to embrace a tech-first approach. A candidate who convinces you of their commitment to new tech solutions will be one of the best people for the job.
Ask a sales manager how they handle rejection from a customer. This is a common occurrence in sales and a manager needs to be able to help their team members when this happens. Did they take no for an answer or did they ask follow-up questions? Is there a strategy behind responding to rejection? Whatever it may be, they should demonstrate this in the interview so they can properly lead their team.
“How would you overcome the sales challenges that come with an economic downturn?” A highly relevant question, especially during the troubling economic uncertainty we are all experiencing, this one gets right to the point and demands a practical answer from your candidates. Every sales manager can put to work run-of-the-mill efforts and drive a team to meet targets in even a highly competitive market. When they have to face challenges ranging from the curbing of resources to a reduction in the spending capacity of clientele, their true grit and resilience are put to the test. A candidate who convincingly puts forth practical solutions to this problem is your ideal candidate.
It's important that a sales leader can be resilient, because it's likely they'll experience a bad sales period. It's good to ask a sales manager about a time when they didn't hit quota and how they responded. Look for signs of tenacity, teamwork, and creativity.
Every hiring manager should ask candidates about their experience with a difficult customer. Whether it ended on a positive note, such as a sale, or even a time where it ended poorly. This question can help managers determine an applicant's sales strategy and how they interact with consumers. In doing so, they can decide if they're a good fit for the role.
"What is your Sales philosophy?" This is a great opening question because it cannot be answered with a simple yes or no, and will absolutely open the door to follow-on questions, all of which are relevant to a sales rep interview. Remember, when interviewing, you have two objectives: 1) to help them understand if you are a good fit for them, and 2) to help you understand if they are a good fit for you. The responses and associated dialog about their Sales Philosophy will go a long way toward helping you understand the culture, and expectations you'd be getting yourself into. This applies to both the sales manager and to the company as well.
One traditional question could be: "Can you walk me through a specific example of a successful sales campaign you've managed in the past, and what were some of the key factors that contributed to its success?" This question allows the sales manager to provide a specific and detailed example of their experience and success in managing a sales campaign.
Asking questions about how a Sales manager handles their people is important. As a manager this persons responsibility will be to get the most out of their teams. If they only focus on the what and the how of the sales. they may end up forgetting about the who. This can lead to an inefficient use of your sales teams talent and a overly heavy focus on numerical results. Make sure that your hire is equal parts sales and management. This will ensure an easy and efficient transition for your hired professional into a role of management within your business.
Ask a sales manager what their leadership style is like. While this isn't sales focused, they're still leading a team of sales people. Do they take more of a hands on approach or allow employees to work independently and collaborate when needed? While sales experience is important, you want to be sure they can lead the team effectively as well.
How would you respond to your team underperforming for two straight quarters? Firstly, research shows that “situational” interview questions tend to outperform “historic” questions i.e. asking what they would do, is better than asking someone what they have already done. Past-orientated interviews are vulnerable to lying and deception, with deceitful candidates readily fabricating favourable scenarios. Asking how they would respond to underperformance removes any benefit of deception, becoming a purer measure of ability. Secondly, dealing with team underperformance represents a particularly challenging task, which separates poor managers from effective ones. If a sales manager cannot effectively act during crises, they cannot be relied upon during tough times, making them a weak link in the chain. Moreover, given the current economic outlook, managers must have clear contingency plans in response to turbulent market conditions, and must be realistic about their team’s performance.
One good interview question for a sales manager might be: "Can you give an example of a tough sales challenge you've faced and how you overcame it?" This question can help you understand how the sales manager approaches problem-solving and deals with obstacles in their sales process. It also gives you an insight into their strategies, creativity, and negotiation skills. A good sales manager should be able to provide a clear and detailed example of a difficult situation they faced and the specific steps they took to overcome it. By listening to the sales manager's example, you can gain a sense of their strategic thinking, creativity, and ability to adapt to different situations. It also might show a person interacts with potential customers. Additionally, you can also ask about the outcome and the results of the situation and how it impacted the company's revenue and growth.
When interviewing a sales manager, the best question is, "What contributed to your sales rep's success? How will your procedures influence the way you lead your group?" Successful sales managers are aware of the various factors that drive each rep's motivation and the individual talents each rep draws on to accomplish their objectives. It's unlikely that the team as a whole will agree on what the "correct" technique is for one salesman. Candidates that make it seem like they want to impose their ways on their subordinates should be avoided. Instead, seek applicants that wish to recognize and nurture each team member's unique talents.
"How would you manage a group of 10 - 15 salespeople?" Through this question, the employer wants to learn and evaluate your management skills. Looking for a job as a Sales Manager, you need to understand that your main task is to monitor the work of your subordinates and motivate them to work to achieve better results. When answering this question, don't forget to emphasize organizational skills, work management, and supervision of junior staff.
Tell me about a moment when you didn't reach your sales targets. What were your tactics? This is a behavioral interview question that evaluates how you would act in certain settings with coworkers. Consider a few instances while responding to this inquiry, then choose the one that best demonstrates your development as a leader. The STAR technique, which stands for circumstance, task, action, and result, can be used to formulate your response.
A lot of the companies out there tend to incentivize sales managers with lucrative benefits that reward proactivity, creativity, and performance. They are the ones who ultimately connect excellent service and a dedicated workforce with the actual money, so they are the ones who need to be highly motivated above all else. They know this, and they expect good incentives in return. However, what "good" means for sales managers isn't necessarily what the company is ready to offer. It's best to clear this up early on during an interview.
Asking a potential manager how they handle customer complaints shows you how good their people management and critical thinking skills are. An applicant with great potential will know how to handle each element of a difficult situation while also giving solutions to improve internal processes and prevent the same challenges from happening again. Every sales manager should have these vital skills at their disposal for a company to survive today's ever-competitive market while also growing continuously internally.
When interviewing, it is best to start off by asking a few personal questions. “What area of sales was the greatest difficulty to you, and how did you overcome it?” is a fantastic interview question for a sales manager. For a potential employer, the applicant must illustrate their workflow in response to this question. Although the difficulty was substantial, the most important aspect of the solution was how they overcome it. The hiring manager wants to know how the prospective manager approaches problems and determine whether that ability can be applied to solving problems for his or her team. An interviewee who prefers to showcase their accomplishments rather than talk about their challenges may find it difficult to respond to this question. To effectively convey the information obtained, it is important to be willing to discuss a previous issue and how it was resolved. The top managerial candidates can also describe how their work method translates to conquering other difficulties.
It goes beyond just asking about experience or qualifications - it reveals how much passion and enthusiasm the candidate has for this position. By understanding their motivations and goals, you can get a better sense of whether they will be successful as a sales manager or not. This is something that comes up all too often during interviews; people are so focused on ticking boxes that they forget to really get into what's important when it comes to selecting somebody for such an influential role within any organisation. A great sales manager doesn't just have knowledge of their industry but also knows how to motivate others, build relationships with customers and colleagues alike, create strategies that work...the list goes on!
The dynamic for selecting people for the sales manager’s role is based on specific interview questions that are related to the current challenges faced by the sales department. These interview questions are apt to know how promising the candidate is for the job role. For example, amid the current inflation and recession where businesses are struggling for sales, the following is a good interview question to ask a candidate for the sales manager’s role. “How do you manage sales in the recession?” This question is important to ask because sales techniques are no more traditional, and I believe in the current economic scenario where inflation is rising and we are facing a recession, people who manage sales operations must know about tactics to achieve sales targets during the recession.
A good interview question for a sales manager would be along the lines of how they lead and develop their team members when they are struggling. "Let's say your best sales performer for the last 12 months, suddenly starts performing badly for 2-3 months in a row. How would you address this to improve the employee's performance?"