Sales interview questions

'Sales jobs can be competitive, especially entry-level roles in high-demand industries,' says Neil Clough, co-founder and managing director of Prime, a sales recruitment agency. Neil explains that the reason for this includes:

• High earning potential - Most sales roles include commission, bonuses, or performance incentives, attracting more candidates.
• Transferable skills - Sales experience is valuable across industries, so more candidates apply.
• Skills requirement - Companies look for strong communication, persuasion, and resilience, which not every candidate naturally has.

However, if you can secure a sales job, along with high earning potential they often come with rapid career progression and the possibility of travel, both nationally and internationally.

To give yourself the best chance of success at a sales interview, try to gain as much related work experience as possible. This could be via work placements and internships, or through part-time work in a call centre or in retail. This will give you strong examples to use at the interview stage.

How do I prepare for a sales job interview?

Start with the basics - read the job description and person specification. Neil then suggests a structured approach of:

• Researching the company - its products/services, the market it operates in and its competitors. To learn more about the sales sector, see overview of the UK's sales industry.
• Understanding the role of a salesperson - be ready to discuss things like how you find and qualify leads along with different prospecting methods such as cold calling and email outreach.
• Practicing common questions - mock interviews with your careers service, recruiter, friends or mentors can boost confidence.

The questions you'll be asked will vary depending on the role and organisation, but you can practise your answers to general interview questions in advance. Discover how to prepare for a job interview.

'Remember, sales is about energy and drive so be prepared to show your enthusiasm,' adds Neil.

What are the most frequently asked sales interview questions?

The following sales-specific questions are often asked in job interviews as they help employers judge whether you possess the right attitude, skills and selling ability to thrive in a fast-paced, target-driven sales role.

Why do you want to work in sales?

This is a popular question, as it helps recruiters to discover if you have a genuine interest in - and enthusiasm for - a career in sales, while also revealing whether you're aware of what a job in the field actually involves.

To gain an insight into what sales roles entail:

• read job descriptions
• use industry-specific websites
• join professional associations (such as the Institute of Sales Professionals (ISP)) as a student or early career member
• follow organisations and salespeople of interest on social media.

Show that you have an understanding of what sales is all about by using relevant examples from your past work experience, highlighting the essential sales skills you possess.

To demonstrate your enthusiasm for working in sales, it isn't enough to say you're attracted by the high salaries or potential to earn commission. Before your interview, think about what specifically attracts you to a career in this area. Maybe you're a people person who is passionate about finding a career centred on making connections and relationship building. Or perhaps during the course of your studies or work experience you've discovered that you work best when aiming towards targets. Use examples to back up your reasoning.

Draw upon your interview preparation and wrap up this answer by touching on why in particular you want to work for the organisation.

Similar questions include:

• Why did you apply for this sales position?
• Why do you want to work for our company?

What makes you a successful salesperson?

The purpose of this question is two-fold. First, the interviewer is trying to identify whether you're aware of what skills a salesperson needs to succeed. Second, they're giving you an opportunity to really sell yourself by demonstrating that you have these vital skills.

This isn't the time to be modest. Using examples discuss relevant strengths that make you a strong candidate. For example, you could talk about a time when you:

• exhibited confidence
• gave a successful presentation
• networked your way to an opportunity
• worked until your determination and resilience paid off.

How would you sell…

A classic sales interview question. The interviewer may ask you to sell one of the organisation's products or services (testing your knowledge of what they offer) or they might ask you to sell something random like a pen, mug or piece of paper.

This question is designed to test your enthusiasm and selling tactics, as well as your outside-the-box thinking and creative approach to problem solving.

No matter what you're asked to sell your answer should consider:

• Its purpose and benefits. Why does the client/person you're selling the product to need it?
• The product's unique selling points (USP). Why is this particular product better than other similar products or competitor products?
• The quality and cost. Is the product the best you can buy or truly excellent value for money?

A gifted salesperson should be able to pitch and sell the most mundane of things, so be sure to practice your sales patter in advance.

What motivates you?

Giving recruiters a personal insight into what drives your passion for sales, this question will help them determine whether your character would be a good fit for the company.

Be genuine in your response and don't just tell them what you think they want to hear. If you're motivated by not only meeting, but exceeding targets, or by making customers happy, give an example of when you did this. If you're driven by a competitive streak, tell them about a time when this pushed you to outperform others.

If you can link your motivating factors to the organisation, even better. For example, if you're interviewing for a job within medical sales you might be passionate about bringing the latest medical advancements to market in order to help people.

How do you handle losing out on a sale?

As a salesperson, you need to be used to hearing the word 'no' as you won't be able to turn every lead into a sale. This question is asked to gauge how you deal with rejection and whether you'd let it knock your confidence or whether you'd see it as an opportunity to develop your skills.

If you can use an example of how you handled missing out on a sale in your previous work experience that would be handy. Try to put a positive spin on things by saying something like 'After working to close a sale the client changed their mind at the last minute. However, due to the positive rapport I'd built over the course of our communication they put me in touch with two more potential leads.'

It's important to show that you learned from the experience and explain what you did, or will do differently in the future.

If you can demonstrate your tenacious nature by giving an example of a time where you turned a 'no' into a 'yes' - that's even better.

Describe a time when you've organised your time to meet demanding targets.

Competency-based questions are common in all job interviews and require you to draw on past experiences to explain how you'd approach certain situations.

Hitting targets is of vital importance in sales roles and recruiters want to know that you're capable of achieving this, even when you're juggling multiple clients and competing priorities.

Alternative competency-based questions may include:

• Describe a time when you've demonstrated excellent teamwork skills.
• Tell me about a time when you've demonstrated leadership.
• Tell me about your most successful sales deal.
• Describe how you closed a challenging sale.
• Tell me about a time when you overcame an obstacle.

What other questions regularly feature in sales interviews?

Look out for other questions such as:

• What would be your ideal sales environment?
• Are you comfortable making cold calls?
• How do you build strong relationships with clients and customers?
• What does good customer service look like to you?
• How do you find, pitch and close sales opportunities?
• Are you familiar with any sales tools or CRM software?
• What would you do if sales were down?

What questions should I ask in a sales interview?

There will be a point in all job interviews when the recruiter asks if you have any questions for them - so don't be caught off guard. Following your research into the company and the role, prepare some questions in advance. These could include:

• According to you, what makes a good salesperson?
• What does your onboarding process look like?
• Can you talk me through the organisation's sales process?
• How does the company generate leads?
• What tools/software/systems do your sales teams use?
• How is the sales team structured?
• What targets/quotas will I be expected to meet in my first six months?
• How do you evaluate performance?
• What continuing professional development (CPD) opportunities are available at the organisation?

People usually like talking about themselves, so think about asking your interviewer a personal (but still professional) question. Neil suggests something like "When and why did you join the business?' This shows that you are interested in the interviewer, and helps further your relationship with them.'

Discover more questions to ask at a job interview.

Find out more

• Learn more about sales jobs.
• Read up on sales graduate schemes.
• Explore sales apprenticeships.
• Take a look at our interview tips.