Area Sales Manager

The sales manager should also be a team person, who understands any differences that crop in his or her team and work towards solving them in an amicable and quick manner.

This is a bit of a trick question, but it's an important one. The best sales managers know that motivation is personal. While money might drive one rep to go the extra mile, another might be inspired by a development opportunity or creative contest. The candidate who can navigate the trick and get to the right answer -- in this case, "it depends on the rep" -- possesses the motivational ability to lead a sales team to success.

The sales manager is the team leader for the sales team and should possess all the qualities that a team leader should have.

In fact, the sales manager is the single point of contact for all the salesmen when it comes to any questions and queries about the product or the company.

Other than these internal qualities, the sales manager should have a strong sales background and should be able to lead his or team from the front utilizing their unique sales expertise and talents.

The golden rule here is never to criticize any previous employers.

There was no real room for growing my career.

The position you are advertising seems like a excellent match for my knowledge, abilities and qualifications.

This is also the same question as 'Where do you want to be in 4 years?' The recruiter does not want to know about your personal goals i.e. you want a house in the south of France etc. They are only interested in your career ambitions.

Try not to sound too ambitious, for instance saying you want to have been promoted to the head of your department. This can scare off some interviewers who may think your after their job! Instead sound ambitious but realistic.

In four years time I aim to have improved my abilities and to be a leader in my field. This will mean that I can contribute more to my employers and their business.

Remember not to directly criticize or be negative about the company, managers or supervisors. Instead find other general issues to focus on.

Sometimes it is difficult for me to get a sense of my own achievement in a big company like my present employer.

There are very few opportunities for advancement with my present employer who are a small company.

Don't mention:

☛ Overtime issues.

☛ Salary expectations.

Should be enthusiastic about setting goals

Should be comfortable with a large share of compensation at risk (at least 50 per cent)

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…

Yes, there are more companies today that put their reps on a salary. But the best reps still want the variability of compensation, because they want the upside. They will happily take the risk (and the occasional bad month or quarter) to earn a C-level paycheck when they hit it out of the park.

For starters, failure is an event and not a person and you only fail if you quit and I'm not a quitter. I may not complete a project on time or miss an important deadline, but that does not qualify as having failed in my book. If I complete a task, but miss a deadline, I still consider it a success because I finished, but without the desired result.

Before I make any kind of important decision, I first consider all the surrounding facts, possible outcomes and the desired goal. I won't hesitate to seek an outside opinion and I generally do, but I am the one who makes the ultimate decision.

Reps generally only care about one number: their quota. Keeping on top of pipeline and win rate is also important ... as these metrics pertain to their quota. It's all quota, all the time.

But when a rep is promoted to management, they must produce forecasts and reports that analyze a variety of metrics across the entire team. While a sales manager doesn't need to be a data analysis pro, they do need to have some familiarity with and inclination for crunching numbers and spotting trends. Beware of candidates that express active revulsion for data analysis.

I believe that taking risks is part of life but by mitigating the risk, I believe the best possible solution presents itself. I'm not afraid of taking risks; I just make sure that I have considered all the facts and possible outcomes my decision will have.

As mentioned above, sales managers often make less money than sales reps and perform a drastically different job. Tease out the candidate's motivations behind seeking this promotion. Do they want to be a manager because they crave a larger role within the company as a whole, and a chance to influence strategic decisions? Or have they gotten bored with their jobs, and management seems like a step up? The latter motivation is a recipe for dissatisfaction and a disengaged sales manager.

Sales managers also act as CRM sheriffs, ensuring all reps are using the system properly. CRM aside, sales managers are also involved in the vetting, selection, and deployment of new sales tools. While sales manager candidates don't need to be computer whizzes, some technological savvy is necessary.

Over the years, I have realized the power and usefulness of internal competition among sales reps. I have used my creativity to devise unique incentives in order to increase productivity and sales. It keeps the sales representatives engaged and motivated to set a new standard. As a result, in my last position my team set a record for the highest sales for three consecutive quarters.

This can be a tricky question to answer, especially if you have never held a supervisory / managerial position or had any form of responsibility. In your replies you need to display resourcefulness, an ability to solve problems, your decision making skills and be able to clearly explain the approach you used. No matter how little work experience you have you should always be able to lead and come up with creative solutions. Describe situations where you came up with an idea that increased efficiency in your office or cut costs after you discovered a cheaper supplier etc.

If possible highlight interests and hobbies that are related to the role you are applying for. Talk about any foreign languages you know or exotic places you have visited. Also give examples of activities that portray you as a responsible, sociable person who has a friendly personality and who can get along within a team. These type of responses will help set you apart from other candidates.

☛ Travelling.

☛ Foreign languages.

☛ Football.

☛ Winning any competitions i.e. chess, karate.

☛ Running marathons.

☛ A member of any societies or charities.