We know that you will need to hire talent for this role in the future. Therefore, we have developed a comprehensive manual to make your job easier. This is the fifth post in the series.
Here are the posts related to the topic of Sales Manager:
What is a Sales Manager?
The 5 skills that a Sales Manager must have.
The 5 tools you should consider in a Sales Manager.
The 5 KPIs you should consider in a Sales Manager.
The 4 questions you should ask in your interview with a Sales Manager. (This post)
In this post we will explain the questions you should ask a Sales Manager during a job interview.
1. What do you consider to design and implement an effective sales strategy?
This question will show you what elements the Sales Manager takes into account when designing and implementing a sales strategy. This will help you understand what he or she understands by effective and how he or she approaches the area's objectives.
Expected response:
Market analysis and segmentation: This is a market research that includes the identification and selection of potential customers who have similar needs and characteristics.
Definition of sales objectives: sales objectives are chosen for the area.
Sales strategy development: is the planning of all the activities and actions that can be carried out to meet the objective.
Implementation of strategies: consists of the allocation of resources and those responsible for each activity.
Monitoring and adjustment: monitoring sales performance. Based on this, necessary adjustments are made.
Using the elements mentioned above, a Sales Manager plans the sales strategy for the area. Thanks to this, he defines the work goals for each worker, allocates resources and determines the metrics to evaluate progress.
The candidate will explain the process they use to design and implement sales strategy. They will also mention what an effective strategy is and how it is executed. Finally, they will offer an example from their work to illustrate their point.
2. What has been the biggest chinese overseas australia phone number data challenge you have faced as a sales manager? What lessons did it teach you?
This question will allow you to find out what challenges the candidate has faced in his or her professional life. This will help you determine his or her ability to adjust objectives, his or her team management and coaching skills.
Expected response:
Readjustment of area objectives.
Problems with group management.
Errors in budget execution and sales forecast.
Handling hostile clients.
Complicated negotiations.
Inexperience as a leader.
Poorly planned training.
The candidate will go into more depth about one of the above options and explain the circumstances surrounding it. Then, he or she will emphasize how he or she dealt with those situations and what lessons he or she learned. This will allow you to identify his or her problem-solving skills and attitude toward challenges.
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3. When did your sales drop? How did you get back on track?
With this question you will learn about some of the situations in which the candidate had problems maintaining the appropriate sales pace for the company. In addition, you will learn what actions he or she took to regain the objectives of the area.
Expected response:
Changes in market demand.
Strengthening competition.
An economic recession.
Changes in marketing strategies.
Bad customer service.
A poor quality or poorly designed product.
Supply or supply chain issues.
Abrupt changes in market trends.
The candidate will mention one of these scenarios and describe how that period unfolded. Some possible solutions are:
Re-evaluating the value proposition: identifying new product features that will appeal to existing users.
Sales Team Training and Development: Implementation of intensive training programs for the development and improvement of skills for the sales team.
Diversification of products and services: creation of new offers that are aligned with market expectations.
Focus on customer retention: improving loyalty programs and increasing communication with regular customers.
This response indicates the candidate's coping, strategy, negotiation, and frustration tolerance skills. It also highlights how the candidate approached the situation and the steps he or she took to resolve it effectively and appropriately.
4. What projects have you participated in? What results did you achieve?
This question will help you understand the type of projects the candidate has led and the type of results they achieved. You will also learn about their leadership style and teamwork skills through concrete examples.
Expected response:
Market expansion.
Increase in strategic alliances.
Optimization of sales processes.
Improved team productivity.
New customer management systems.
Projects based on data analysis.
New product launches.
New customer loyalty and retention programs.
Alternative distribution channels.
The candidate will delve into one of the situations mentioned above and explain what the project was about, how successful it was, and how they managed to meet the goals. In doing so, you will identify the candidate's attitude to challenges and verify their experience with different work metrics.
Conclusion
Now you know the most important things about the Sales Manager position. Keep this in mind when you begin your next recruitment process. Remember, the important thing is to know the main characteristics of the position you are interested in.
Here are the posts related to the topic of Sales Manager:
What is a Sales Manager?
The 5 skills that a Sales Manager must have.
The 5 tools you should consider in a Sales Manager.
The 5 KPIs you should consider in a Sales Manager.
The 4 questions you should ask in your interview with a Sales Manager. (This post)
If you are looking to recruit your next Sales Manager 100% online, now is the best time to start a free pilot with Aira and update your recruiting tools. Schedule a call with us!
