Car Dealership

Did you close a deal in the middle of a lake while on vacation -- in between waterski turns? Tell that story like you've probably told it a million times. You're a salesperson, and part of the job is being an outstanding storyteller. Demonstrate these skills to your interviewers by telling your all-time greatest sales stories.

This gives your interviewer another chance to see your strategic sales thinking in action. Breaking up with prospects is not for the faint of heart -- but it's a necessary part of sales. It shows you're confident in your ability to work other deals, cognizant of what's best for your customer, and fierce about protecting your company's resources.

This is a common question and ice breaker in interviews. And if you don't have a good answer for it -- why are you even here? While you're researching the company and role, make a list of what excites you about both.

Do you believe in the work the company does? Explain why. Are you interested in expanding your skillset to include the enterprise-level business they conduct? Tell them that. Does the role play to your strengths? Explain which strengths and how.

Even if your interviewer doesn't ask you this question, it's a strong way to begin or end your meeting.

Job candidates who set goals are perceived to be clear thinkers and motivated workers. Before your interview, talk to a few people who are where you would like to be and ask if your stated goals strike a healthy balance between realistic and achievable.

Then, when you talk to the hiring manager, briefly describe your goals and hone in on why you want to achieve them -- your driving motivations and where you think achieving these goals could take you in the next few years.

My job title was a sales representative. My primary duties was basically to sell cars, to close the deal on selling a car with a customer and to sell the car to the customer.

Salespeople are passionate people. It's a high-stress job and employers want to know you have self-awareness and the ability to work as part of a team.

Be honest with this answer, and give specific examples like, "In my last role, I worked closely with a BDR with a very different communication style than my own. We clashed early on because I'm an external thought processor and he was an internal processor. We were able to work together to find a way to communicate -- but we would probably still say I'm a little loud and impulsive."

At Toyota, learn about the product. Learn about the product. If you’re going in and you know about the product, you will get some … you will open some eyes. You go in and you tell them you already know about the Toyota product, you like the Toyota product. You can’t sell nothing that you don’t like. I think that’s one of the biggest things.

To succeed in sales, you must be able to persevere in the face of rejection. Even the best salesperson hears a lot of no’s. In some sales jobs, you’ll be hung up on and even cursed out by potential customers.

The interviewer will want to know that you’ll be able to put yourself out there again and again. This is especially true for those in the early days of a sales career without a long track record of sales success.

Avoid answering in a way that might make them think you’re too sensitive for sales, but be honest. Who likes rejection? Nobody! And saying it doesn’t bother you can come across as disingenuous and rehearsed.

☛ What country are you from originally?

☛ Do you have children? Or are you planning to?

☛ This job requires long hours, as well as nights and weekends—do you have reliable childcare arrangements?

☛ How old are you?

☛ (Speaking to a woman) Our sales team is 100% male right now. How do you feel about working with all men?

☛ How many sick days did you take last year?

☛ How tall are you?

☛ How much do you weigh?

Now's not the time to drag out the old, "I'm a perfectionist and it frustrated a prospect once," narrative. Dig deep and show your interviewers you have healthy self-awareness and the ability to learn and proactively move on from your mistakes.

Talk about a time you lost a client because you were so focused on closing a bigger fish, and mention how you've taken those lessons and avoided making the same mistake again.

We touched on this above, but it bears repeating. Take time to really think through this question, and deliver an answer that goes beyond, "You have such a great culture," or "I think it will be a really great fit."

Discuss why their product/service resonates with you, what it is about their business model that speaks to a specific skill you've honed, or how you think their sales team can help you grow in a certain area.

Salespeople need to be able to deal with failure by critically analyzing failed attempts and learning from them. Knowing how you handle failure is as important as understanding how you succeed, and in fact, the two are interdependent.

Be honest here, and clearly spell out one of your failures. Start with the goal you were pursuing, and then elaborate on why it was important to you, what did you do to achieve it, why you failed, who was involved, what you learned, and what you would have done differently. Far from damaging your reputation, the hiring manager will appreciate your candor.

Sometimes it’s very hectic. Sometimes is was more call center type work where we were calling customers on the phone. Most of the time, you have certain weekends where people come in, we have big sales. You have a crown and you don’t have enough sales person. Most of the time, they’re handing the people that’s on the lot, you know. Again, I’ll try to work one customer as quick but proficient as possible. Get the deal done and then go to the next one.

I’ve always admired your company’s reputation for customer service and I know that’s a big part of why your clients buy from you. I have a lot of experience selling to your key demographic and I know how to sell the overall product experience — including the customer service component. Let me tell you about a sales campaign I came up with last year that centered on the benefits of customer service….

Demonstrating a healthy understanding of their business and industry shows you've done your homework.

Your interviewers don't expect you to have followed every move they've made over the past five years, but learning about their largest competitors, what sets them apart in the market, and the accolades they've received will impress them and will distinguish you from other candidates.