Salespeople are trained to sell and this includes themselves. Since great salespeople are rare, here are seven interview tips to see if you have found a winner.

1. 7 TIPS
TO SPOT A
SALES SUPERSTAR
A

2. INTERVIEWING
SALES CANDIDATES
CAN BE
EXTREMELY
DIFFICULT…
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3. THEY ARE
TRAINED TO TELL
YOU WHAT YOU
WANT TO HEAR
G
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4. YET BAD HIRES
CAN REALLY
CUT INTO YOUR
BOTTOM
LINE
x
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5. YOU NEED TO
LOOK BEYOND
THE RESUME…
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6. …AND TEST FOR
PARTICULAR
PERSONALITY
TRAITS.
!EF
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7. PE RSO N A LIT Y TR A IT | SUCCESS DRIVEN
GREAT SALESPEOPLE
HAVE A PATTERN OF
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
ACROSS ALL AREAS
OF THEIR LIFE...
NOT JUST AT WORK!
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8. NO ONE
WILL ASSESS
THEMSELVES AS
UNAMBITIOUS,
YOU MUST
DELVE DEEPER!
,
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9. I NTE RV I E W TI P | 1
PROBE WHAT THE
CANDIDATE IS MOST
PROUD OF.
8
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10. START WITH ACHIEVEMENTS
AT WORK… BUT ASK ABOUT
OTHER AREAS WHERE
THEY DEMONSTRATE
BEING GOAL-ORIENTED.
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11. PE RSO N A LIT Y TR A IT | FALSE BRAVADO
WHEN THE BEST
SALESPEOPLE ARE TOLD
“NO”, THEY ARE NOT
DEFEATED, THEY ARE
INVIGORATED.
gf
CONFIDENCE VS
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12. I NTE RV I E W TI P | 2
ASK FOR
TIMES WHEN
THEY SHOWED
EXTRAORDINARY
DETERMINATION.
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13. PE RSO N A LIT Y TR A IT | COMPETITIVE FIRE
THIS IS THE FUEL THAT
POWERS SALESPEOPLE
TO HUNT NEW BUSINESS
OPPORTUNITIES, COLD
CALL, GET IN FRONT OF
KEY DECISION MAKERS,
AND CLOSE DEALS.
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14. I NTE RV I E W TI P | 3
ASK THE CANDIDATE TO
DESCRIBE HOW THEY
STRIVE TO BE THE BEST
SALESPERSON POSSIBLE...
Z
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15. …IF THEY TALK ABOUT USING THEIR
CO-WORKER’S RECENT BIG DEAL AS
MOTIVATION, OR EXPRESS A DESIRE
TO SURPASS THEIR OWN BEST SALES
NUMBERS, THIS IS A KEY INDICATOR
THEY ARE A TOP PERFORMER.
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16. PE RSO N A LIT Y TR A IT | SENSE OF URGENCY
THE CREED THAT
‘TIME KILLS DEALS’
DEFINES THE TOP
PERFORMING
SALESPEOPLE
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17. I NTE RV I E W TI P | 4
ASK THE CANDIDATE TO
PROVIDE EXAMPLES OF
HOW THEY USED TIME
TO THEIR ADVANTAGE.
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18. I NTE RV I E W TI P | 5
ASK THEM HOW MUCH
TIME IS SPLIT BETWEEN
PROSPECTING, WORKING
THE FUNNEL, AND CLOSING.
DO THEY UNDERSTAND
THAT TIME IS MONEY?
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19. PEOPLE LIKE TO BUY
FROM PEOPLE THEY
LIKE. TOP SELLERS HAVE
AN INNATE ABILITY TO
DEVELOP RELATIONSHIPS.
9
PRIMAL NEED TO
PE RSO N A LIT Y TR A IT | INFLUENCE OTHERS
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20. I NTE RV I E W TI P | 6
SEE IF THEY APPEAR
RELAXED, IF THEIR SMILE AND
HANDSHAKE ARE GENUINE.
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21. IF THEY ROUTINELY BOND
WITH CLIENTS, OR ARTICULATE
HOW THEY RAPPORT TO
OVERCOME PRICE OBJECTIONS,
YOU MAY HAVE A WINNER.
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22. PE RSO N A LIT Y TR A IT | CREATIVITY
NOT A WORD THAT IS
ALWAYS ASSOCIATED
WITH SALES PEOPLE BUT...
THE BEST ARE BY
OVERCOMING
OBSTACLES &
SOLVING
PROBLEMS.
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23. I NTE RV I E W TI P | 7
ASK THE CANDIDATE
ABOUT TIMES THEY HAD
TO DEVELOP ALTERNATIVE
WAYS OF DOING THINGS
IN ORDER TO SUCCEED.
H
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24. GIVE THEM DIFFICULT
SCENARIOS
INVOLVING
GATEKEEPERS, PRICE,
AND BUDGETING
ISSUES AND ASK THEM
TO BRAINSTORM
SOLUTIONS.
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25. PE RSO N A LIT Y TR A IT | PERSEVERANCE
GREAT SALES PEOPLE
DO NOT LET REJECTION
PREVENT THEM FROM
ACHIEVING SUCCESS.
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26. THEY NEVER
GIVE UP ON A
DEAL UNTIL IT IS
DEFINITELY DEAD,
THEN THEY WILL
FIND ANOTHER TO
CLOSE IN ITS PLACE
B
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27. REMEMBER:
MANY LOOK
GREAT ON PAPER…
…ONLY TO TURN IN
LACKLUSTER RESULTS LATER.
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28. BY LOOKING FOR THESE
TRAITS, YOU CAN BEST
DETERMINE WHICH
CANDIDATE WILL BECOME
A LONG-TERM ASSET.
NOT A COSTLY
HIRING MISTAKE.
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29. FEEL FREE TO SHARE THIS PRESENTATION!
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