How to conduct an interview for a salesperson. Questions for conducting interviews with candidates for the position of “sales consultant” (sample list)
Firstly, you should find out in advance more information about the company or enterprise where you are going to go for an interview. To do this, you can study the organization’s home page and see if it was mentioned in the media.
“When a person comes for an interview and does not have the slightest idea of what the company does, this immediately reduces his chances of getting a job to zero,” comments Irina Kozyrenko, director of BMA Estonia.
The above, of course, applies more to those who apply for the position of “office rat”. But those who have a more “folk” profession should not neglect preparing for an interview.
For example, you apply for the position of sales assistant or cashier in a store. A couple of days before the interview, go to this store and observe the staff at work. This will help you determine the desired behavior style during the interview.
Study the range of products and prices, then at the interview you will be able to show your knowledge.
Be sure to think about your clothing style in advance. Appearance and demeanor when meeting an employer often play a key role. Just as in life one “meets people by their clothes,” so during an interview, in 70 percent of cases, an opinion about the applicant is formed even before he has time to say anything.
Even if the company does not have a specific dress code, it is better to choose a strict formal dress code for the interview.
Of course, you can’t be late, it immediately leaves a negative impression. But you shouldn’t come too early to drink tea in the reception area either.
Don't chew chewing gum, speak clearly, avoid slang. Be confident, but do not demonstrate your superiority or interrupt your interlocutor.
“The candidate should not be too active and show that he knows more than the employer. But at the same time, he should not agree with everything, but be able to express his opinion, says Irina Kozyrenko. – Of course, everyone is nervous during an interview, and that’s normal. Only those who already have a lot of life experience, or those who have gone through many interviews, do not worry.
And this, in turn, means that a person does not stay in one place for long.”
Irina also notes that first- and second-year university students who want to get a job are often afraid to say that they need time to study. “It’s not clear to me. A good employer is only happy that his employee is developing. Therefore, I don’t see anything wrong if a student, for example, says that in the evenings he needs to leave for school earlier,” she states.
There is an already established list of questions that are asked to all candidates during interviews. The answers to them can be thought out in advance.
First question: tell us about yourself.
You are not expected to give a detailed summary of your entire biography. Therefore, you need to tell some fact about yourself that will raise your “worth” as a potential employee in the eyes of the employer. The most important thing is to mention your practical experience, your knowledge and skills that can be useful to the employer, as well as your attitude towards work and interest in it. For example: “Over several years of working as a salesperson, I have developed the skills to provide quality customer service at a professional level. I think this experience will be useful in a new place of work.”
Second question: why did you decide to change your job or why did you leave your previous one?
When answering, you should not talk about the conflict, even if there was one. Don't blame yourself former boss and generally speaking negatively about him or his colleagues. It’s best to say that you didn’t see any prospects for development in your previous place. If the conversation does come up about a conflict, refer to the fact that it was a unique case associated with special circumstances. For example: “I really liked the previous team. I appreciate the work skills I learned there. However, I felt that I did not have the opportunity to further development, but at the same time I think that my knowledge can be implemented elsewhere.” You can also say that your previous place of work is too far away, and you, for example, want to work closer to home.
Third question: why do you want to work for us?
It's possible here different variants answers. You can say that the job requirements fully match your knowledge and experience, or that you want to become part of a company with great development prospects. But don’t say something like “you need an employee, but I need a job.”
Question four: what are your strengths and weaknesses?
This confuses many people. Everything is clear about the advantages: first of all, emphasize your best qualities, useful for this job - for example, computer skills, knowledge of foreign languages, or the ability to work with technology. But what about the shortcomings? Here it is best to name one that will be a logical overcoming of your advantages. Avoid mentioning personal qualities and focus more on professional characteristics. You can say this: “As for my shortcomings, I am not yet very good at foreign languages, but right now I’m improving my English.”
Fifth question: what salary are you expecting?
Career consultant Diana Udalova believes that you should not ask the question about salary first, it is better to wait for it from the employer. “You always need to realistically assess your abilities. It’s better to study wages in advance in the sector where you want to get a job and determine for yourself the scope of your desired salary,” she advises. It is better to name a specific figure when the employer has already become seriously interested in you and has explicitly or indirectly offered you a job. Until this point, it is best to avoid giving a direct answer. Say something like: “The issue of payment is certainly important, but first I would like to clarify the details of the work.” In this way, you will emphasize your image as a “man of action” and show that you are interested in more than just money.
If the employer continues to insist on a specific amount, then name a reasonable figure and be prepared to justify it. Let’s put it this way: “I would consider 800 euros a good salary that corresponds to my qualifications and experience.” Experienced director Irina Kozyrenko believes that a person should know how much he wants to receive. “It can set boundaries so that the employer also knows what the person is expecting,” she says. - They often say “oh, I didn’t think about that!” or “how much do you give?”, but such an answer is not suitable.”
At the end of the interview, as a rule, the candidate is asked to ask questions that interest him.
Here it would be appropriate to ask about the details of the work, the schedule, and clarify whether the company provides additional training or provides any benefits.
“You shouldn’t ask too many questions and repeat yourself if the topic has already been touched upon in the conversation,” clarifies Diana Udalova. “But even if you say, ‘I have no questions,’ you will immediately fail.”
The entire article is in the weekly.
Retail store: where to start, how to succeed Bocharova Anna Aleksandrovna
Questions for conducting interviews with candidates for the position of “sales consultant” (sample list)
1. Did you easily get to our office?
2. Have you been to our store before?
3. What do you think about the product?
4. Can you sell such a product?
5. I'm interested in learning about you as a sales professional. Please tell us what your responsibilities were at your previous place of work. (What did you do at your last job?)
6. What goods did you trade?
7. Did you like the product you worked with? Why?
8. What was in greatest demand?
9. How did you become a sales consultant? (Why did you choose this type of activity?)
10. Tell us about your work day. (Describe in detail in chronological order, what activities filled your working day?)
11. What did you enjoy most about your job?
12. How did you use free time At work?
13. Tell us how you worked with visitors.
14. Tell me about some product from the store.
15. What to do if the buyer does not have enough money for the product he liked?
16. Did you express your opinion to the buyer about the product he chose? (Did you give advice to visitors?)
17. What did you do if you thought the buyer was making the wrong choice?
18. How many regular customers came to you?
19. What was the average purchase amount in the store?
20. How many returns have customers made?
21. For what reasons were the goods returned?
22. Describe how you interacted with a customer who came to return a purchase.
23. What legal subtleties did you learn about the procedure for returning goods in that store?
24. What did you do if several visitors came in at once and each demanded a consultant?
25. Is it possible appearance assess the visitor's solvency?
26. On average, how long did it take you to communicate with one client?
27. What to do if one visitor asks you too many questions, you spend time on him that you could devote to other clients, but the inquisitive visitor intends to ask you many more questions and it is not a fact that in the end he will make a purchase?
28. What complaints and claims have been received from customers?
29. What could you do for an unhappy customer?
30. What words did you use to end a conversation with a store visitor?
31. How many people worked in the store?
32. Which employees (in what positions) did you interact with while performing your duties?
33. Did you spend time in the company of colleagues after work?
34. Who was your immediate supervisor?
35. Describe your manager, what kind of person is he?
36. You found it right away mutual language with your boss?
37. How did you receive assignments (written, orally)?
38. Have you ever had any unpleasant situations at work? (Did you have normal relationships with all your colleagues?)
39– What reports did you present after your work?
40. What information was in the reports?
41. Were the reports written or oral?
42. How often did you report on the work done?
43. What kind of job are you looking for? (Describe what you want from your new job.)
44. What would you like to do?
45. What do you not want to do? (What don't you like to do?)
46. What are your hobbies?
47. Do you live in your own apartment or rent a house?
48. Are you planning any major purchases this year? Which?
49– Will you buy on credit or save?
50. How much do you plan to earn from new job? (What amount of earnings are you willing to consider job offers from?)
51. Ask me questions. (Ask me three questions.)
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From the book Business Training: How It's Done author Grigoriev Dmitry A. From the book Work Easy. Individual approach to increasing productivity by Tate Carson From the book Management Practice by human resourses author Armstrong MichaelSales consultant - how to pass an interview
You have to go through interview for the position of sales consultant. Before you go for an interview, you need to prepare and figure out whether you are really ready for this job.
Work as a sales consultant Only at first glance it seems simple and does not require special skills. In fact, this is far from the case. Here you need to take into account your professional skills and personal characteristics. If you like to communicate with people, are active, energetic and you like helping people, then let’s continue.
Interview for a sales consultant, usually takes place in two stages. The first is with a recruiter. Here you need to answer the following questions:
- Biographical data (age, place of birth, residence, marital status, etc.);
- Education;
- Work experience (if any);
- It is possible to undergo psychological tests.
Second phase interviews for the position of sales consultant, as a rule, is carried out by the immediate supervisor or director of the store. At this stage the most important role plays a personal aspect. You need to please the manager, prove that you are the employee the store needs. Discuss the possibility of an internship for a few days. This way you can understand how suitable the job of a sales assistant in this store is for you.
You don't have to agree to all the terms at once. Ask questions that interest you, tell about yourself honestly. Before the interview, prepare in advance a list of questions that are important to you.
It's important to ask the right questions about your future job. Moreover, their sequence (which question to ask first, and which one at the end of the interview) also matters.
Interview for a sales consultant. Asked questions.
1. About the content of the work.
Of course, during the conversation you have probably already discussed what your responsibilities will be. Therefore, in your question, clarify only what remains unclear in the functionality. For example, you have already been informed that your responsibilities will include consulting clients, working with the cash register and displaying goods. You can clarify how exactly it is customary to advise buyers in trading floor- expect their questions or provide information about various products yourself.
Questions about functionality must be asked, even if everything is clear to you: this will emphasize your high motivation, interest in the new job, your responsibility and professionalism.
2. About tasks.
Be sure to ask a question about the strategic objectives of your future work. What does the employer expect from you? For example, you might ask what the sales plan is for next year. Thus, you will show that you know how to plan your activities and think strategically.
3. Teamwork.
Find out what your first working days will be like. Will you have probation and what are the criteria by which the success of its completion will be assessed? Will you have a mentor who you can turn to for any question? Is there any induction or training planned?
4. Why did this vacancy appear?
Asking a question like this may reveal some interesting information that is worth thinking about. If it turns out that the vacancy is new, you will need to draw up a work schedule yourself and discuss strategic goals and responsibilities in detail with management.
If the position is not new, pay attention to the reasons for the dismissal of the previous employee. Of course, they can be very different and the HR manager may not provide you with reliable information on such a delicate issue, but it’s still worth asking. If the position you are interested in is constantly changing employees, it is worth looking for additional information about the company and its team.
5. Salary, vacation, lunch...
These questions are best asked at the very end of the interview.
For example:
- Level wages(specify general level salary, with bonus and additional payments, and not just salary);
- How are salaries paid, once or twice a month?
- What are the conditions for paying the shortage (the cost of stolen or damaged goods is paid by the company, or is deducted from the sellers’ salary).
- Conditions for granting sick leave, vacation, etc.
March 17, 2017
How to pass an interview for a sales assistant job
The sales profession has been a leader in demand for many years. The popularity of this profession can be explained by the fact that they perform key business tasks - making money. Therefore, employers are ready to fight for specialists who know their job well. And personnel selection in this area has its own specific characteristics.
The algorithm for interviewing an applicant for the position of sales consultant, as a rule, is standard scheme: introduction, job description, interview, counter questions and decision making.
When selecting personnel for an elite boutique or active sales employees, in addition to the standard interview form, there may be situational tests, psychological testing and various cases.
What is asked during a sales consultant interview?
A recruiter may use a variety of interview questions. Let’s look at the main ones that will help you pass an interview to become a sales consultant.
tell us about yourself
Traditionally, the recruiter’s first question after he voices . Your answer will assess your presentation, logic and presentation skills.
Advice: Don’t start your story with the phrase “What should I tell you?” And if you have sales experience, you shouldn’t talk about your achievements during your college years. Talk only about successful sales.
Try to express your thoughts correctly and consistently, be confident, look straight into the eyes, your voice should be firm.
How do you see your typical workday?
By asking this question, the recruiter wants to understand how willing you are to work hard. After all, this profession involves a lot of activity.
Advice: The correct answer to this question is that you are willing to start your work day early, understand the importance of being active during the day, and will not leave unfinished tasks at the end of the day.
For a positive result, an employee must have a good understanding of the product, have information about the market in which he works, master sales techniques, and much more. However, all this does not guarantee success if a person lacks the motivation to work actively.
How well did you understand the products you were selling?
In answering this question, it is important for the recruiter to hear your story about the advantages of the products with which he had to work, about the competition in this area, about the market segment as a whole, and who the key consumers are.
Advice: The way you talk about it will also give a positive reaction to this question. Enthusiasm in the voice and passion are the key to success in this matter.
Tell us about your responsibilities at your previous place of work.
Each company has a different sales process, and responsibilities may vary significantly. Some work only with clients, others prepare contracts and issue invoices.
Advice: When answering this question, it is important to convey to the listener what exactly you did and what you were responsible for.
List the main stages of sales.
A good seller should know that at the first stage the client’s needs are identified, and only after that comes the presentation of the product. The diagram looks like this:
Compiling a customer base;
Search for clients;
Greeting the client;
Identifying needs;
Product presentation;
Working with objections and argumentation;
Cost negotiations;
Maintenance business connections with the client for the future.
Advice: How exactly you voice your answer, whether you learn it by heart or tell it in your own words, does not play a special role. It is important to convey to the recruiter that you understand the pattern of interaction with the client and have successfully applied this in practice.
Tell us about yourself successful experience sales
Your answer may contain a story about either one successful transaction or a productive period in a company in which you were directly involved.
Advice: Look beyond the simple narrative of success. Provide specific numbers and describe the sales process in detail. Finish your answer with a story about how success affected you and perhaps the team. And that this became motivation for new successes.
Tell me about a time when a deal fell through despite your best efforts.
Even the most effective salespeople have had similar incidents, so don’t be afraid to talk about it. And even more so to claim that this did not happen to you. The recruiter wants to know your ability to analyze mistakes, whether you have an understanding of how to correct them and prevent them from happening in the future.
Advice: There is an opinion that if a salesperson masters cold selling techniques, then his work with “warm” clients will be more effective. Be prepared to be asked to make several cold calls to evaluate your skills.
The client asks for a discount that you cannot provide. Your actions?
A salesperson who knows his business well should have in his arsenal at least 3, and preferably 5, options for developing a conversation. For example:
What can we offer instead of a discount?
This discount is available when purchasing the following products..., and in the amount of....
We can provide you with additional services, bonuses, and loyalty cards.
I would be happy to provide you with such a discount, but the company has certain rules that I am obligated to follow.
This discount is provided when goods are shipped with prepayment.
We work according to the same scheme with all our partners, and this would be unfair to the others. And we would not like to spoil the reputation of our company.
Advice: In any matter, compromise is important. And your task is to show the recruiter that you know how to achieve it, remembering the principle “The client is always right.”
When you first meet, how do you determine if a client is a prospect?
The main trick of this question is that there is no clear answer to it.
Advice: When answering, it is worth noting that it is impossible to evaluate this and it is easy to make a mistake based on a first impression. However, if you make assumptions, you can determine prospects based on:
Direct negative or positive comments from the buyer.
Based on the buyer's reaction to the cost of the product.
Based on the client's appearance.
Based on previously collected data about the client or company.
To identify the applicant’s motivation, additional questions may be asked, for example:
What work situation is the most and least camphorous for you?
What did you do when you were most happy and dissatisfied with your job?
Why was this or that moment unpleasant for him?
Advice: Good specialist and an expert in his field, always strives to grow and develop in his field. And you must show that you enjoy your work and that it brings you satisfaction. And even if unpleasant moments arise, and they arise in any work, this will not make you lose heart and give up everything, but will give you an incentive to improve yourself.
During the interview, the recruiter also evaluates your recruitment personal characteristics, flexibility and honesty. Therefore, you should not immediately declare that you have your own client base. The recruiter may regard this as dishonesty towards past employers and wonder if you will do the same to him.
Usually, when interviewing a sales candidate, I ask five to six questions, and I give preference to role-playing games and cases. I am publishing a list of the most frequently asked questions with some comments. These are general questions and can be successfully applied at an initial interview not only to candidates in trade, but also in other areas of activity. In addition, the questions can also be useful for applicants when preparing for an interview.
- Questions on personal data: marital status, education, previous places of work, indicating the reasons for dismissal.
- Why did you choose this particular profession/position?
- Are you successfully joining a new team? Why do you think so?
- What do you think a good team should be like?
- What should an ideal leader be like?
- What is important to you in your work? Rank them in order of importance into 1st, 2nd and 3rd place. (With this question you can analyze the leading motives of activity: money, stability, team, interesting job etc.)
- How much do you need to earn starting from the first day of work? or
What is the minimum wage level below which you will not work? (The answer to this question plus marital status also helps assess the motive for making money, which is extremely important for trading companies. Thus, a twenty-year-old student living with his parents, but dreaming of financial independence, may be no less motivated than a father of two children paying off a mortgage. Unfortunately, there are quite a lot of infantile people of any age who are ready to be content with little just to stress less.) - Where do you see yourself in five (ten) years?
- Please name your three strongest personal qualities.
- How do they help you in life and work?
- What shortcomings do you know about yourself? Name at least three.
- Have you ever made mistakes at work? (If you answer this question honestly, the candidate will not appear in a favorable light; if the answer is “no,” this means that he is trying to look better than he is)
- Does it happen that you are sometimes late? (Same as previous)
- What thoughts do you have about learning what you need to know for this job?
- What do you think motivates people to work more effectively?
- Why do you think people steal in some companies and not in others?
(This is a question to assess honesty. Answer options:
- because in one case people work as if for themselves, they are interested in the success of the common cause (for example, reporting without shortages), there is a team, but in the other there is none of this.
Positive motivation of honesty, a common cause, a team, is important for a person.
- you have to pay enough.
Justifying dishonesty with the desire to earn more. When receiving such an answer, you should carefully evaluate the candidate’s honesty and try to “probe” him in other ways. In fact, the candidate fully admits that if the payment does not satisfy the employee, then he can steal or work wrongly.
- somewhere there is simply nothing to steal.
Similar to the previous situation: dishonesty is allowed if it is possible with practical point vision. The candidate's honesty requires additional verification.
- it depends on the selection of people: there are honest people, and they should be hired.
A positive answer if honesty is cultivated in the organization and personnel selection is carried out, in particular, according to this criterion. There are no subjective excuses for dishonesty in this answer: it all depends on what kind of person.) - What kind of people do you think are more honest or liars?
- How do you explain this situation: the manager is on vacation, but the staff works just as hard as in his presence?
(Also a question to assess honesty. Answer options:
- people are interested in the result.
We receive additional information about a person’s motivation, and also receive a positive model of a responsible attitude towards business - interest in the result.
— the goals are set correctly, people know what needs to be done.
Similar to the previous one, in managing this person it is worth taking into account the importance of clarity of goals.
— even without a manager, there is someone to exercise control (there is a deputy for the duration of the vacation), the manager will still find out.
The answer requires further testing of the candidate's ability to work without pressure and control, because... in this case, the only explanation is that there is still control; even the idea that people can work without control is not allowed.) -
Tell us about your biggest achievement in the past, something you are proud of. (As you analyze the answer to this question, consider the following:
- does the candidate talk about the opportunities they have had;
- does the response include change, innovation, creativity, and the ability to try different options;
- does the candidate talk about the work system, the rules established once and for all, the Standards;
- is stability, constancy, immutability assessed positively;
- the activities themselves and how the candidate describes them).
- As a salesperson, you need to be a good judge of people. Are you good at reading people? (Most likely, we will receive an answer of at least “satisfactory” or “not bad”).
- Then describe me as a buyer? (You can suggest the option role playing game"Seller buyer". It makes sense to ask this question towards the end of the interview. Stress resistance and the ability to quickly make the right first impression about the buyer are tested).
- If I called your last manager right now, what would he tell me about you?
- If I called several of your colleagues who worked with you in last years What would they tell me about you?
