1. Can you tell us about your background in sales and some of your key accomplishments?

What the interviewer is looking for: A proven track record and measurable outcomes.

How to answer: Talk about past roles, targets achieved, awards won, and quantify your impact (e.g., revenue growth or account expansion).

Alternate ways they may ask:

• “What are your major wins in previous sales roles?”
• “Share a standout sales success and what led to it.”

2. What’s your approach to selling?

What they want to assess: Compatibility with company sales strategy and methods.

How to answer: Walk through your process from lead generation to closing. Mention adaptability and logic in scenarios like “Sell me this pen.”

• “Walk us through your usual sales routine.”
• “How do you adjust your strategy depending on the industry or client?”

3. How do you create strong relationships with prospective clients?

What the interviewer wants to know: Your ability to build trust and rapport.

How to answer: Personalize communication, show empathy, and consistently follow up. Share turnaround stories if possible.

• “How do you earn client trust?”
• “Give an example of building rapport with a difficult client.”

4. Walk us through your full sales cycle—from first contact to closing.

Why they’re asking: To assess your understanding of the sales process.

How to answer: Explain each stage: prospecting, qualifying, pitching, handling objections, closing. Include tools and organization strategies.

• “How do you manage your pipeline?”
• “Describe your process for turning a cold lead into a closed deal.”

5. How do you deal with rejection and objections?

What they want to see: Emotional resilience and adaptability.

How to answer: Mention how you anticipate objections, dig into the client’s concerns, and adjust your pitch. Focus on learning and persistence.

• “What do you say when a customer is hesitant?”
• “Have you ever turned a ‘no’ into a ‘yes’? How?”

6. What motivates you to work in sales?

What they’re really asking: Whether you have the internal drive to succeed.

How to answer: Talk about what excites you—closing deals, solving problems, financial incentives, or relationship-building.

• “Why did you choose sales as a career path?”
• “What keeps you energized when things get tough?”

7. How do you manage your time and prioritize your leads?

Purpose of the question: Assess time management and focus skills.

How to answer: Describe your use of CRMs, lead scoring, and daily/weekly planning to focus on high-value tasks.

• “How do you balance different sales tasks?”
• “How do you make sure you're focused on high-value opportunities?”

8. What experience do you have with prospecting and cold calling?

What they want to learn: Comfort and success in initiating contact with leads.

How to answer: Share your prospecting methods, success metrics, and tools/scripts used. Mention any standout stories.

• “What’s your approach to reaching out to new leads?”
• “Tell me about a cold call that turned into a sale.”

9. Can you walk us through a successful sales pitch you delivered?

What they’re seeking: Persuasive communication skills and ability to solve client problems.

How to answer: Describe the client, their pain points, your tailored pitch, and the final outcome.

• “What makes your pitch effective?”
• “How do you adapt your pitch for different clients?”

10. How do you perform under pressure and hit sales targets?

Why it’s important: Sales is results-driven and deadline-oriented.

How to answer: Talk about a high-pressure scenario, how you prioritized, stayed focused, and delivered results.

• “Tell me about a time you worked under pressure.”
• “How do you manage competing priorities and still hit your numbers?”

11. What’s your experience with CRM tools?

What this tells them: Whether you’re organized and tech-savvy.

How to answer: List tools used (Salesforce, Zoho, etc.), tasks managed with them, and how they boosted productivity. Mention tech learning ability if relevant.

• “Have you ever used a CRM to close a deal?”
• “How do you use CRMs to manage follow-ups and pipelines?”