Sale Boy Interview Preparation Guide

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This another very probable question for freshers appearing for an interview. The interviewers wish to know whether you have well set dreams and ambitions for yourself. They try to analyse whether you are an ideal choice for the career. Your dreams and goals explain a lot regarding your knowledge and confidence in your field. Individuals who are not sure what they want to do with their lives are unable to have a clear goal or ambition.

The old school guys always have a bad impression about youngsters. They think the present generation is less patriotic and lack maturity. They wish to understand how much you care for your nation or think about it when they ask you questions like these. It would be great to have a clear answer with statistics ready for questions like these. If you mention poverty, illiteracy, lack of proper leadership or any other point, have facts and figures to support what you say.

I am pretty easy going, and I usually get along with everyone. That being said, at my last job, there was a co-worker that I didn't care for. They were pretty negative towards my new ideas in meetings and publicly put my ideas down on a pretty regular basis. I was the new guy and didn't have much credibility." His name was Jake and everyone knew that Jake was a huge sports fan. I am pretty into baseball, so when everyone went to lunch, I made it a point to pick his brain on what he thought about different players and different teams. I never contradicted his opinions, just got him talking to me, and getting to know me. It was just a matter of us finding something in common. I believe that when people get to know you, they tend be nicer to you. I have found that when I am not getting along with someone, we don't know each other enough and we need to find common ground.

I'm driven by competition--competition with others and competition with myself. Not only am I motivated to be the best at what I do, but I'm motivated to out do myself whenever I get the chance. I'm also motivated by the thrill of the chase, challenge of the hunt and satisfaction of the kill. I enjoy prospecting for new clients, learning everything I can about a prospective client, developing the perfect pitch, and then closing the deal.

This is a direct but very pertinent interview question designed to assess your mind-set and level of selling skills. In your answer show your awareness of the various techniques for selling and how these vary depending on the type of product involved, the kind of business, and the way in which you interact with the customer. For example, it is recognised that telephone selling is different from the face to face situation, since with the former there are no body language clues available; it is all down to interpretation of the customer's voice response and careful choice of words. In your interview answer include examples of all techniques you have used and the results achieved.

Describe a situation where you were correct, and the (polite) arguments you made to bring the boss to your side. Make sure the result was a win-win.

Mention some incidents where you had to work in a team, perhaps a drama performance, or a sporting event where you had to come together with your teammates.
For me, for unsupervised I would probably talk about writing my university dissertation and not really having any contact hours with my tutor for guidance; while for team work I'd mention when I was in year 11 and as part of a group we had to make a scale model of the small estate where our school was located for a local anniversary. - JR

There are many people who select their profession after assessing their likes, dislikes and knowledge in different fields. But this is not the case with all students. There are youngsters who lack direction in life. These are individuals who are unable to identify their strengths early. They may choose a field just because it appears better than the rest. Questions regarding choice of a field can be challenging to such individuals.

Do your values align with mine? If you are working for a company that values the same things as you (for example, greener technology, pro bono work) then you may enjoy working for a place like that better.

This is one of the common questions posed in interviews. The interviewers are always curious to know your career goal and your dream career. They try to analyse from your replies whether you are a good choice for the particular job. Different questions they pose try to understand your liking for the industry you have chosen.

Translates to: Is this the sort of company I want to work for, 8 hours a day, 5 days a week? If you're a very laid back person, a very strict work place might not be for you (and vice versa).

When the interviewer asks you about your strength, he is trying to gauge your confidence in your skills and abilities. You should be able to reveal through your words what your true strength is. This question should be carefully phrased. Interviewers are always eager to trap you with your answers. Frame your answer in such a fashion that they cannot counter question you. The interviewers are always looking for loopholes in your answers. Individuals who have experience working in the industry are aware of these tricks. They know how to tackle tricky questions. You must make sure you are confident and prepared for challenges.

Why should I work here? It would be nice to know the little perks and bonuses you might be entitled to, to help you make up your mind about whether you'd want to work there.

Youngsters often fail to realize the significance of questions like this and blurt out replies that are totally irrelevant. When someone asks you regarding your hobbies and interests, you need to speak of the hobbies that could be relevant to your trade. If you are appearing for a sales job, even shopping could count as a good hobby.
If you are in for a creative role like an interior designer or an advertising agency creative head, you may speak of hobbies like writing poetry or painting. These are industries where creativity truly counts.

Either "yes, I play cards" or "no, I do not play cards".

The interviewer wants to understand you as an individual. He wishes to understand whom you respect or take as a mentor. The interviewer tries to identify the ideology you stand for by asking this question. Prepare your answer in a fashion that does not give a hint of extremist ideology as it may act against you in the interview.

Translates to: What sort of chance do I have of getting this job? At least knowing it is a highly competitive position will make it less disappointing if you hear nothing back.

Many times freshers tend to answers such questions in the affirmative. You must remember that your first job work culture impacts your entire job life. If you opt to work in the weekends, you must never expect free time even during weekends. It is best to set a reasonable expectation in the very beginning. There is no harm in honestly stating that you do not hope to work during weekends as you wish to have sometime with your family too. A good company is sure to accept this answer in the right spirit.

There are a couple of directions you can take here, any version of the below is cool with me as long as you don't have any resentment in your answer.

I have been at this company for 3, 5, 15 years and am looking for a change. I like the company a lot, and I like my manager, but I have gotten to the top of my discipline there and the company / department is of the size that I am not learning any more. This is a company that specializes in "your discipline here" or is larger so there would be more opportunity to grow my skill set.

The company just had a lay off and I am still employed and am confident that they will have another lay off within 3 months, so I just want to see what other options are out there. I am talking with my manager to see if there is anything I can do to expand my skill set and make myself more valuable to the company, but even my manager is suggesting that we all look for new jobs.

I was just laid off from my company and took a break for the last few months. I figured I wouldn't have a chance to take a long break till I retire so I made it a conscious decision to spend more time with my family, remodel the kitchen, learn a new skill set, do something you always wanted to do and have a passion for.

☛ Which is greater: 17% of 34 or 34% of 17?
☛ What's going on in the economy?
☛ If [x data] was announced, which five trades would you make?
☛ Do you think Apple is a good buy?
☛ If I handed you $1 million and asked you to generate some alpha over the next six to 12 months, what would you do/how would you trade?
☛ What can a firm accomplish in Chapter 11 that it can't accomplish out of court?
☛ What could be the reasons for two companies operating in the same industry trading at different EBITDA multiples?
☛ Why would a creditor elect to receive equity via a restructuring process as opposed to debt?
☛ Walk me around the world and tell me about the markets as you go.
☛ Four asset classes: gold, oil, U.S. 10-year interest rates, and the S&P. Pick one, tell me where it has been, where it is now, and where you see it going in the next six months and why.
☛ Tell us about a deal that we've done that interests you and why it interests you.
☛ Explain quantitative easing to me.
☛ Talk to me about the shape of the yield curve.
☛ How do you value a mining company? What multiples are most appropriate?
☛ Where is the world headed?
☛ Describe a few instances where you have failed.
☛ Describe the major transactions that have happened this year in the X industry.
☛ Assume you're an investor and you come across a family-owned business for sale. What are the first things you'd do or want to know in order to determine what you're willing to pay for the business? How would you think about valuing the business?
☛ Sell me this water bottle.
☛ Tell me about something you recently read in the news that you think will have a positive or negative implication for the U.S. or global equity markets.
☛ Once you receive offers from a number of firms, what will be the most important factors to you as you think through which one to accept?
☛ I want to sell you a hot dog stand. How much are you willing to pay for it? Why?
☛ Describe a macroeconomic trend you're observing and an investment thesis grounded in this development.
☛ Tell me about a time when you had to make a difficult decision for an organization (company, school, etc.) and there was a possibility that the decision was in breach of policy. How did you manage the situation?
☛ If you walk in tomorrow morning and the U.S. has defaulted, walk me through what's happening in all the major markets (stocks, credit, rates, FX, etc.) and why.
☛ In under four minutes, explain to me what's happened in the economy and markets in the past five years.
☛ Tell me a joke

☛ Why do you wish to take up a career in sales?
☛ Do you get a buzz from selling, and what is your favourite aspect of the job?
☛ How do you overcome customer rejection of a product?
☛ Tell me about some of your previous customers and your relationships with them.
☛ Have you lost a client, and if so do you know why?
☛ What is the largest audience you have personally addressed?
☛ Tell me about the most recent contract you have won.
☛ Tell me about your considered best sales pitch and examples where it has worked well.

There was a co-worker at my last job who was an ass to everyone. Not just me. He was always negative, came in smelling like smoke, and I am sure he drank during lunch. He was always telling what to do and how to do it. Nothing was good enough for him.

Everybody knows that it is the nature of sales to experience fluctuating results due to all sorts of factors beyond one's control, such as seasonal issues, economic or market drifts, or changes with a product formula. The interviewer is looking for a degree of sales consistency, but also is interested in how you have faced problems and acted to improve your performance where necessary.
If you simply answer, "No" to this question in your interview, it is not likely to gain favour or be convincing, and it is better to show that you understand that a period of low sales can occur and is a challenge to accept and deal with. In your answer show the interviewer that you have the ability to constantly learn from experience and are ready to change tactics to overcome difficult challenges.

it is actually rare when I am really happy with my performance. I feel like I am always trying to improve. In my personal life I really like to golf / bowl / fish /knit/ you fill in the blank. When I first started 4 years ago, I shot a 100. I knew that this wasn't going to be acceptable so initially I just made it a point to practice at the golf range 3 times a week. As I progressed and watched others, I got videos, read magazines and asked my friends for help. About a year in, I signed up for some lessons. They were expensive but they were the best investment I could make. I now have a much better score and am really proud of what I have accomplished. At my last job, I wasn't very good at running the forklift. I cleared it with the manager if I could get my good friend to work with me after work and just practice lifting pallets. For about a week, we worked on different things. Backing around a corner, stacking pallets so they are straight. Moving one pile to another spot backwards for an hour a day after work. It paid off. I am now one of the most efficient operators of the forklift and my shift supervisor has me train everyone. I am proud of this.

Answering objections is a common challenge to sales people and one you should be familiar with. Potential customers may say they don't need a product or they already have a supplier. These are general objections to which you will have a ready answer in terms of the quality and price of the product you're selling, for example.
When giving your answer the key is not to admit to inadequacies, but to focus on meeting, and surmounting challenges which form a regular part of the salesperson's job. An example of a skill, or lesson learned as a result of overcoming a difficulty is seen as indicative of a positive and determined attitude.