5 essential traits of successful sales candidates

A good answer:

"I've found customers don't always realize the issues keeping them from reaching their goals. The key is to help them identify and solve those problems. I want to be a strategic partner rather than a salesperson. My motivation isn't to sell products, it's to offer solutions."

What works:

•    A genuine interest in helping customers solve business challenges

•    The ability to articulate product complexities in a concise, engaging, and educational way

•    An emphasis on building trust with long-term opportunities

 

A potential red flag:

"The thrill of closing a deal keeps me coming back for more. I'm driven to come out in first place every quarter and to really maximize my earnings. I know I'm good at selling, and I'll do whatever it takes to grow our customer base. I won't take 'no' for an answer!"

What to watch out for:

•    A focus on the sole definition of success as making a personal profit, rather than on perceiving success in the context of the team dynamic

•    An unshakable conviction that their product is the solution, no matter the circumstances of the customer's needs

•    A concentration on short-term wins over building lasting relationships predicated on trust

A good answer:

"I remember listening in on a prospective-client call. I heard a colleague making promises on product packaging and discount rates that simply couldn't be met. I talked with him after the call and looped in our sales manager for a second opinion, just to be sure the team was setting realistic expectations and not putting our reputation at risk. It was uncomfortable to backtrack on the original scope of the contract, but ultimately it resulted in a better deal."

What works:

•    An ability to solve complex problems, navigate adversity, and influence decisions

•    A willingness to push back on shared beliefs for the benefit of the business

•    A commitment to ethics, candor, and the establishment of trust over short-term profit

A potential red flag:

"I was selling into a company my friend worked at and, after referencing my relationship with her colleague, my point of contact asked if I could offer her five pro bono seats to close the deal. My team was coming down to the wire that quarter and we were near our goal. I asked my team what they did in similar situations and decided to go through with the offer. We hit our numbers, and I'm confident I'll upsell them next quarter."

What to watch out for:

•    A preference for momentary success over long-term impact

•    An unfounded, vague trust in the ability to mitigate the situation in the future

•    Decision-making based on confirmation bias, rather than balancing pros and cons
 

A good answer:

"Before reaching out to my contact, I met with our team to thoroughly understand the changes and their potential impact on my client's goals. I prepared three different options in anticipation of their questions and concerns. Flagging the change early, foreseeing possible pushback, and working with the customer to find a resolution helped to maintain trust in our company and, despite the changes, we secured the deal."

What works:

•    The identification of work-arounds to solve unforeseen problems

•    A creative approach to critical thinking, problem-solving, and overcoming challenges

•    A willingness to take responsibility and not place blame on others

A potential red flag:

"Well, I met with our product team to tell them out how the recent updates hurt my ability to sell, and I made sure they dealt with it. I had them hop on the phone with the prospect to share details of the new product's functionality, and also gave feedback to my manager that this was disruptive to the process. Hopefully that won't happen again."

What to watch out for:

•    Shifting blame and responsibility to another team, rather than taking the initiative to learn and understand the changes

•    Bringing another team into the discussion before identifying self-sufficient solutions

•    Bad-mouthing internal company decisions to an external audience
 

A good answer:

"The first step is understanding our product. The deeper my knowledge is, the more thoughtful my conversations with customers will be. I let customers take the lead at the start of a call so I can tailor the conversation around what they need. Then, based on what they've told me, I can communicate our offerings and prescribe solutions to address their needs."

What works:

•    A clear interest in learning about and improving the customer experience

•    A determination to solve business problems rather than sell a product

•    A recognition of the value of cross-functional collaboration in providing streamlined support

A potential red flag:

"I start off by reaching out to people who I think would be a good fit. Then I send them an email and set up a couple follow-ups until they engage with my email, like opening the message or clicking a link. Once they've responded to me, I set up time to talk and learn more about what they're looking for. In closing a contract, we always give the customer the best deal."

What to watch out for:

•    The lack of detail on methodology for qualifying and engaging with prospects

•    The inability to effectively articulate their process for negotiating a contract

•    Positions the sales cycle as a seller's market that disregards the buyer's needs
 

A good answer:

"In my first sales role, I struggled with my talk track, especially when I got pushback. Because of that, my lead-to-conversion rate was low and I was struggling to hit my quota. So I asked my manager for help. We worked together to identify the issue, and I set up meetings with other sales reps to role-play phone conversations and to shadow their calls so I could understand how they fielded tough questions. Over time, I got comfortable answering questions and actually began to build rapport with my prospects, which helped me close my first deal."

What works:

•    Openness to learning how to improve work ethic

•    Humility in admitting accountability for mistakes and taking the initiative to remedy difficult situations

•    Curiousity in taking on responsibilities within and beyond role to grow professionally 

A potential red flag:

"While I know what customers need in order to be successful, there was a time a customer called my sales approach 'pushy and aggressive.' To be candid, that comment caught me off guard because I couldn't think of any reasons why they would feel that way. I explained my sales process, my proven track record of success, and even mentioned some of the big-name companies I closed by being 'pushy and aggressive.' We sorted out the misunderstanding."

What to watch out for:

•    An unwillingness to own up to the offense or to empathize with the client's feedback

•    The placement of the onus on another's misconception and a supposed unwarranted opinion

•    The assumption that past success is the utmost indicator of being inarguably right