Professional Logistics Services Salesperson Interview Preparation Guide

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I am constantly motivated by the challenge of the sale. The success of landing a new client is a thrill, and building a well-thought out pitch that will explain the product is very satisfying.

Lack of growth opportunities was one of the top three reasons that would cause a salesperson to look for a new job. If the candidate expresses a desire to pursue a career move your company can't provide, you might be interviewing again sooner than you'd like.

Losing a sale, or failing at landing one, is disappointing. But if you want to succeed in this business, you can't take it personally. I work hard to learn from rejection and continuously improve my sales techniques.

Appraise the person's attitude towards rejection. Do they need time to shake off an unpleasant conversation? Or do they bounce back immediately?

If their least favorite part is the most important part at your company, that's probably a red flag. This question can also alert you to weak areas.

This sales interview question serves two purposes: it shows how much research the candidate did before meeting with you, and it demonstrates their creative thinking and entrepreneurial capabilities.

Yes, I have always met or exceeded my sales goals over my ten-year career in the business. For example, last year I led my team to exceed our sales projections by 25% - and this was during a very difficult market when most of the other teams in our division came up short of goal.

The answer to this question doesn't have to blow you away. However, the candidate should have some sort of action plan to get up and running. No matter how much training you provide, it's still smart to hire a self-starter when you can.

Following up on deals to learn how to do better next time -- win or lose -- boosts the odds of winning in the future. A salesperson who takes the time to learn from both their successes and their failures will likely be a valuable addition to your team.

Should be enthusiastic about setting goals
Should be comfortable with a large share of compensation at risk (at least 50 per cent)

Certain companies and roles call for people better at farming or hunting, but look out for a person who performs one of these tasks to the exclusion of the other. Both are vital to selling well.

☛ Describe how you have leveraged your creativity to be successful in winning new customers.
☛ Describe a tough customer that you won over. How did you do it?
☛ If I worked with you in the past, would I have considered you competitive? Why?
☛ If I were to speak with your last sales manager how would they describe you?
☛ What kinds of sacrifices have you made to be successful? Please explain.
☛ Describe a typical day and week for you?
☛ How many cold calls do you make in a typical day?
☛ What is your ratio of calls to closes?
☛ How do you close tough customers? Please walk me through some examples.
☛ How do you develop relationships with tough customers?
☛ Can you please share an example of a time when you had a (challenging customer OR under performing team member - [depending on the role])? How did you approach the situation and what was the end result?
☛ Are you given leads or do you develop your own leads?
☛ What tactics have you employed in the past to build your pipeline? What were the results?
☛ How have you kept your spirits up in the face of rejection?
☛ Describe some of your biggest prospecting successes?
☛ Why have you been successful?
☛ Tell me about a time when your persistence paid rewards?
☛ Do you follow a sales system? Please describe.
☛ Describe your past 3 managers. What did you like or dislike about them?
☛ If your colleagues were to describe you in one word - what would that be? Why?
☛ How do you recover from making mistakes in front of customers? Provide examples?

☛ Tell me about yourself.
☛ Where are you currently working?
☛ What are some of your largest accomplishments?
☛ What do you bring to the companies you have worked for?
☛ How many times in the last eight years have you met or exceeded quota?

☛ What motivates you as a sales professional?
☛ How would you describe the corporate culture of your past company?
☛ What traits do you believe make up the most effective sales representatives?
☛ What sales quotas are you accustomed to?
☛ How comfortable are you with cold-calling?
☛ How long was the average sales cycle at your previous jobs?
☛ Who were your most profitable target markets at your previous jobs?
☛ How would you describe your sales technique?
☛ What are some common hurdles you're facing right now as a sales representative in your current position?
☛ Can you give me an example of a complex contract negotiation you've completed and how you did it?
☛ How did your past organization position itself in the market?
☛ How would you describe your ideal sales manager?
☛ What are some of the traits you look for in a leader?
☛ Give me an example of when you've prospected a lead creatively, and what are the steps you took to do so?
☛ Where would you like to see yourself improve in the area of sales?
☛ What does the term "consultative selling" mean to you?
☛ How much was an average sale at your previous position?
☛ Give me an example of how you handled a difficult client in order to get the sale, and what did you learn from the experience?
☛ What was a typical day like at your past position?
☛ What was your compensation package at your past position?
☛ Can you give me an example pitch of the product or service you were selling at your previous position?
☛ What types of managers do you learn best under?
☛ Why are you looking to leave your current position?
☛ How do you define success?
☛ How would you describe the selling style of your former manager?

Preparing to deal with objections instead of winging it is critical. Listen for evidence of a process.

Look for logical steps including building a relationship and asking about the prospect's needs as the first two steps
Average number of contacts should be 12
Ask for the different types of contacts they make to qualified prospects

See if they understand how to sell "solutions" as opposed to "products" or "services"

Short cycles call for reps that can close quickly, and long sales cycles require a much more careful, tailored approach. They're drastically different, and your candidate should recognize this.

Commission, while perhaps part of the motivation, is not a great response to this question.

This is probably one of the first - and most important - questions you'll be asked. The interviewer will obviously want to know that you are interested in and good at selling.
It's also important to demonstrate the research you've done on the company before the interview and talk about why you want to sell this particular company's products and/or services. Talk about your admiration for the company's sales strategies or product quality and explain how your past experience is relevant.

I've always admired your company's reputation for customer service and I know that's a big part of why your clients buy from you. I have a lot of experience selling to your key demographic and I know how to sell the overall product experience - including the customer service component. Let me tell you about a sales campaign I came up with last year that centered on the benefits of customer service….

The right answer here will depend on your company's process, but in general, the more tenacious and persistent a rep is willing to be, the better. Trish Bertuzzi, founder of The Bridge Group, recommends six to eight attempts before throwing in the towel.

Selling to everyone and anyone -- even if a salesperson knows it's not in the prospect's best interest -- is a recipe for disaster. Make sure your candidate is comfortable with turning business away if the potential customer isn't a good fit.

Depending on your company's goals, either answer could be the right one. But beware of reps who will prioritize quota over truly giving customers what they need -- or withholding from them what they don't.

Should have had concrete goals with metrics

Again, it's not necessarily a deal breaker if the salesperson doesn't actively share and engage with content on their social media accounts, but they should at least want to start doing so.