Regional Sales Manager

I've always loved shopping, but my interest in retail marketing really started when I worked at a neighborhood boutique. I knew our clothes were amazing, but that we weren't marketing them properly. So I worked with management to come up with a marketing strategy that increased our sales by 25% in a year. It was great to be able to contribute positively to an industry I feel so passionate about, and to help promote a product I really believed in.

Not everyone can handle sales. You need to have the right attitude and abilities. At your job interview, the interviewer will be looking for your sales skills, and the aspects of the process that help close deals. An example of a good answer includes "The ability to recognize both verbal and non-verbal cues to adapt the sales strategies you implement to impress the prospective buyer."

When hiring someone for a sales manager role, I always ask them to start with their graduation from college and explain the rationale behind each of their career moves. Their answer to this question helps me determine if they are a strategic thinker who executes effectively on well-planned goals.

The best approach is to work on softening them up. Extend the small talk before talking about the product. Be subtle while always steering the conversation to the product and why the customer needs it. There always comes a time, however, when you have to admit defeat and move on.

Over my career I've not only met all minimum quotas but I've set several sales records. Between 2007 and 2008, when many sales professionals in my industry were seeking non-sales related jobs due to the recession, I was able to increase my production by 10% over the previous year. Even though market conditions weren't ideal, I was able to find new sales strategies and techniques to help me maintain my momentum.

Assess your company culture and the perceptions of your organization. Then, ask questions that tell you whether or not the employee is aligned with your culture. There are plenty of talented people out there, however; the key to success is finding the best cultural fits.

I worked for four years as a door-to-door salemen selling pest control contracts in Atlanta, Georgia. Rejection was the name of the game in that industry. Salesmen that let the rejection get to them were ineffective, and often quit. Successful door-to-door salesmen recognized that rejection was just the nature of the job--it was nothing personal. Loosing a sale isn't fun. But I look at rejection as an opportunity to learn and improve my sales technique.

Say that being good at sales requires a broad set of skills, but the most important skills are an understanding of the product you are selling, and knowing the market and customers. Confidence and excellent communication skills are vital.

Without a purpose behind the pitch, it's impossible to lead and inspire a sales team. This question helps identify the journey and their sense of the situation from the get go. The gems are usually the ones that answer with a desire to be a part of what you're doing.

Say that although you have not worked as a manager you have had the opportunity to stand in when managers are absent to run a team. You always enjoyed these opportunities and from this realised that management is the course you wish to take.

Rejections are common within sales jobs, and one of the primary reasons that most personalities could not handle sales roles. Try to downplay how hard you take rejections, but feel free and be honest about a technique you use to handle rejection or answer with something like, "I simply move on to the next prospect, because a rejection is simply a sign that the individual was not yet ready for our solution."

Asking a question about communication skills is a must. If someone's going to lead the sales efforts or my organization, they'll have to effectively communicate with customers, their colleagues, and direct reports.

Say that you thrive on target-based work and explain how it helps to motivate you and build healthy team competition.

Say that you would provide them with some closer mentoring and provide them with encouragement, and tell them that they are a capable salesperson. Also you would ensure that they had the tools needed to do their job well.

Say that you would set up some internal competitions with prizes based on sales targets. The prizes would be given at group events, such as a monthly team meal.

The ideal outcome of a sales call is always to make a sale. Failing that, it is for the customer to agree to a meeting or follow up call.

I've learned a lot from my current role, but now I'm looking for a new challenge, to broaden my horizons and to gain a new skill-set - all of which, I see the potential for in this job.

A good friend of mine informed me of a brilliant question that is asked by Google hiring managers. The candidate is asked some iteration of, "teach me something I don't already know." The candidate then has to quickly think of something unique on the spot to teach that will effectively portray how well they can sell.

My last boss taught me the importance of time management - he didn't pull any punches, and was extremely deadline-driven. His no-nonsense attitude pushed me to work harder, and to meet deadlines I never even thought were possible.

Say that you enjoy the challenge of speaking to new customers and closing a deal. For you, the best thing about sales is the knowledge that you can turn people who are interested in a product into buyers.