Congratulations on securing an interview with our client! In order to have a successful interview, we highly recommend you follow the 5 steps listed below to make your best first impression.

1. Research the Company & Industry Company Website Review their basic information (company size, location, history) What are their lines of business/expertise? What is their

competitive advantage? Who are their clients?

LinkedIn Review the Company LinkedIn page for their latest news and

updates. Review Individual profiles of those you will be interviewing with

as well as those that hold similar positions to the one you are interviewing for.

Google Searches/Industry Groups: Read up on the industry. What’s happening in the marketplace?

2. Understand the Job Review the Position Summary. What skills/experiences is the

company looking for? How does your background align? If there are areas you have less experience in, how can you overcome this or add value in another way?

Make a list of any questions/concerns you may have about the responsibilities.

This document is proprietary and confidential and is provided for the sole use of

Sales Talent Group Candidates.

1. Research Company &

Industry

2. Understand the Job

3. Know Yourself and Your

Experiences

4. Questions for the Company

5. Final Important Details

The Sales Interview Preparing for Your “Million Dollar Prospect”

3. Know Yourself and Your Experiences Know your story! Be able to walk people through

your resume succinctly. Be prepared to cover the following points for each role, as appropriate:

What you were Paid To Do (responsibilities) Specific highlights (awards won, big successes,

emphasize skills that align with the current job opportunity)

Strengths/Weaknesses: What are you really good at? What areas do you struggle in? How do you overcome these weaknesses?

Examples, Examples, Examples! Past performance may not guarantee future performance, but it sure is a great indicator! A well prepared interviewer will ask you for examples of when you exhibited certain behaviors or skills, so have MANY examples in your pocket. Use the STAR technique to tell your story. When using this approach, remember to speak in specific rather than general terms and quantify your success.

Situation: Set the context for your story. (e.g. “My team was

responsible for delivering a presentation to a group of 30 interested industry players on our new product and Bob, my colleague charged with delivering it, got stuck on the train.”

Task: What was required of you? (e.g. “It was my responsibility to find

an alternative so it didn’t reflect badly on the company and we didn’t waste the opportunity.”)

Activity: What did you do? (e.g. I spoke to the event organizers to find

out if they could change the running order. They agreed so we bought ourselves some time. I contacted Susan, another member of the team, who could step in. She agreed to drop what she was doing and head to the event.”

Result: How did the situation play out? (e.g. “Bob didn’t make the

meeting on time but we explained the problem to the delegates and Susan’s presentation went well. Bob managed to get there for the last 15 minutes to answer questions. As a result we gained some good contacts, at least two of which we converted into paying clients.”

INTERVIEW QUESTIONS: The more questions you can read and think through, the more prepared and calm you will be during an interview. **(See practice questions at the end of this document.) Seek out a trusted friend to role-play with when possible.

4. Questions for the Company Remember that an interview is a two way process. A company is getting

to know you, AND you are getting to know them. What do you need to learn about this company/job to know whether it is the right fit for you?

Prepare 5-6 questions for the employer prior to your interview. See insert (left) for Top 10 Questions for an Employer.

1. What skills and experiences make up the ideal candidate? (If you

haven’t touched on one of

these yet, now is your

opportunity to let the

interviewer know you have

that experience.)

2. What does a typical day/week look like in this role?

3. What are the greatest

challenges of this position?

4. Why is this position open? If turnover, why did they leave? How long was

s/he in the role?

5. What constitutes success in this role? How is it measured? What are your expectations in 30-

60-90 days to 1 year?

6. What is your onboarding process? What kind of on-going training do you offer?

7. What is the career path for this role? How many individuals have been promoted from this role?

8. Tell me about the team

I will be working with.

9. How would you describe the company culture?

10. Do you have any hesitations about my

qualifications? What are the next steps?

5. Final Important Details Phone Interview: Location: Find a quiet and private location where you can have

your documents laid out in front of you. Technology: Use a hard-wired phone when you can. If using a cell

phone, make sure your physical location has excellent reception PRIOR to your call. (Test it if it is not a normal location for you.) Ensure your battery is fully charged. Use a proven functioning head set if available (allows you to use your hands freely when taking notes.)

Stand up during the call! This provides better energy, enthusiasm, and flow to the call.

Face-to-Face Interview: Dress appropriately per recruiter’s instructions on the workplace

environment. Be early. Bring your resume, written questions for the interviewer, and

pen/paper to take notes. Be positive, professional, and energetic!

Follow-up: Send a thank you email to the interviewer(s)

within 12 hours of the interview. Send a Connection invite via LinkedIn.

We highly recommend you also send a handwritten note to the hiring manager within one day of the interview.

DO

Prepare & practice prior to your interview.

Update your LinkedIn profile, including a professional photo.

Dress appropriately, arrive early, and bring your resume.

Answer the question as specifically and succinctly as possible.

Act in a positive, energetic, and professional manner at all times!

DON’T Have inappropriate

pictures/updates on social media.

Talk negative about past employers.

Ramble and go down “bunny trails” that lead nowhere.

Don’t talk compensation too early. Prove you are the best candidate first!

General

Walk me through your resume from the beginning to current day (with a greater focus on your last 2 positions). Tell me what you were paid to do and any specific highlights you think are important for me to know.

What do you like best about your current job? If you could change anything about your current role, what would it be? Why are you looking to leave your current position?

What interests you about the position I have open?

Where do you see yourself in 2-4 years?

What do you think are your two greatest strengths? Give me examples of how these have helped you in your career.

How would your current boss (co-worker, client, subordinate, friend) describe you? In what areas would they say you could improve in?

Tell me about a time when you…showed initiative? were resilient? thought creatively? were resourceful?

Are you more of a big picture thinker or detail oriented?

Tell me about how you manage your daily, weekly, monthly schedule? What technology tools do you actively use to help you stay organized?

Tell me about a time when you were asked to do something outside your job description. What was it and how did you feel about doing it?

Tell me about the onboarding process at your past company. What went well? What would have made it easier for you to learn the business?

On a scale of 1-10, how would you describe your…Written communication skills? Presentation skills? Use of Microsoft Office products?

Interpersonal Skills

How do you build trust with your prospects/clients? What do you find are the 3 keys to building a successful relationship?

How do you keep your network active? What specific things do you do to grow your network?

Tell me about a specific time when a client was not satisfied with your product/service. Walk me through how you handled it. How would that client describe you?

Tell me about a long-standing relationship you have with a client. What has made it successful? How would they describe you?

Tell me about your previous bosses. Which one did you enjoy working the most with/least with and why. What are you looking for now in a boss?

Do you prefer to work independently or on a team?

Tell me about a time you created a team (i.e. for a project, specific pitch). How did you choose the team members? What worked well? What would you have done differently?

Tell me about a specific time when you did not get along with a colleague? Describe what happened and how you handled it.

The harder I practice, the luckier I get.- Gary Player

Sales Process

Walk me through the steps of your sales process from start to close? What is the typical length of your sales cycle? Average revenue per deal?

What SFA/CRM tools have you used in the past? Do you have other personal methods/strategies for tracking your business?

How many cold calls have you done a week on average? Pretend you just called me, role-play what you would say.

Tell me what specific kind of ‘pains’ you uncover from your prospects and how your product or service helps them.

Give me 2 examples of questions you use when talking to your prospects/clients to help you better understand their needs.

What kind of presentations have you given? Who is typically your audience? What is the largest audience you have had? What tools do you use? (e.g. Power Point, GoTo Meeting)

What is your favorite closing technique?

What type of objections do you currently hear often? What is your preferred technique to handle these objections?

Tell me about the largest account that you lost. What happened and what did you learn?

Tell me about the most difficult piece of business that you have ever won?

Tell me about a time you had to go outside of your normal sales process to close a deal.

Have you ever walked away from a sale and why?

What do you consider the single most important sales skill?

Tell me about the current industries you are selling into. What are the trends you see? What are the challenges?

Tell me about a time you had to learn a new product. What training were you given?

What internal resources do you use if you have questions regarding your product. Tell me how you have used these in the past.

What is the biggest learning curve that you have worked through during your career?

The only way to do great work is to love what you

do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t

settle.

- Steve Jobs