• Give me an example of the approach you would take to explain the features of a product or service to a customer who has trouble understanding them.

• Describe a selling situation where it was important to obtain good information. What happened?

• You've probably had an occasion when you realized your initial approach wasn't working and you had to try a different method. What did you do?

• Describe the primary types of people to whom you sell. What approach do you use for each group?

• Many salespeople work without close supervision. How does this affect you?

• What's the best method you've found to obtain new prospects?

• How do your selling techniques differ from those of others you know?

• Have you ever been in a position where you felt you could clinch a sale if you oversold the product just a little? What did you do?

• How far do you feel the average salesperson in your field would go to make a sale? How far have you gone?

• How did you gain the technical knowledge you needed to sell your previous employer's product line?

• What did you find easiest to learn about the product? Hardest?

• Have you ever found it difficult to make a sale because you had trouble understanding the customer's requirements? Why do you think this happened? What did you do about it?

• What were your sales goals for the last year? How did you achieve them?

• Describe a typical sales trip. How do you decide which prospects to contact?

• How does it affect you when someone turns you down?

• How does it affect you when an unusual number of people turn you down?

• Describe the biggest sale you ever lost. How did you react?

• Describe one of your toughest sales experiences. How did you deal with that problem? Did you make the sale?

• What do you think has been the biggest improvement in your sales ability during the last year?

• Describe a typical sales encounter. Exactly what would you say to convince a customer to buy?

• What are the two most common objections you face, and how do you deal with them?

• Role-play with me, if you will, presenting yourself to me over the phone as if you were a headhunter. Convince me that this "product" you're selling is worth my time.

• How do you define your closing style?

• Tell me the last time you failed to meet your quota. How many times did that happen over the past year and what plan of action did you take to get back on track?

• With no undue flattery, if you grade me on how well I'm conducting this interview, what can you tell me about my sales and management style on the basis of the questions I'm asking you?

• Tell me about your quality ratios. How many prospects do you typically see before closing a sale?