Outside Sales Representative Interview Questions

The goal for a successful interview for an Outside Sales Representative is to assess the candidate’s experience in the sales industry, ability to build and nurture relationships with clients, and their approach to achieving and exceeding sales targets.

Situational interview questions

• Situation: One of your potential clients is hesitant about signing a contract with your company because they are not convinced of your product’s quality. What steps would you take to convince them to move forward with the purchase?
• Situation: Your biggest competitor has just introduced a new product that is very similar to yours but is priced much lower. How would you position your product to still appeal to potential clients who are more price-sensitive?
• Situation: A long-term client is unhappy with your product’s features and is considering switching to a competitor. What specific steps would you take to address their concerns and retain their business?
• Situation: You are given a sales target that is twice as much as what you achieved the previous quarter. How would you go about identifying new prospects, building relationships, and increasing sales to meet this new target?
• Situation: One of your clients has just canceled a big order, citing a negative experience with your customer service team. What steps would you take to regain their trust and prevent similar issues from happening in the future?

Soft skills interview questions

• How have you used your communication skills to build strong client relationships in your previous sales roles?
• Can you give an example of a time when you had to work collaboratively with your team to overcome a sales obstacle?
• How do you balance your own goals with the needs and priorities of your clients when making sales pitches?
• How do you handle rejection or difficult conversations with potential clients, and what strategies have you found most effective in these situations?
• Can you walk me through a time when you had to adapt your sales approach to better connect with a particular client’s personality or communication style?

Role-specific interview questions

• Can you describe a sales cycle that you have managed from start to finish, and the techniques that you employed to close a deal?
• What metrics do you use to track and measure the success of your sales efforts, and how do you analyze and act on the resulting data?
• How do you manage your time and prioritize goals when given multiple competing objectives and deadlines, and how do you ensure that you are maximizing your efforts towards your most important objectives?
• Can you walk me through how you identify and target potential clients, and how you tailor your pitch to their needs and interests?
• How do you differentiate yourself from competitors in the marketplace, and what strategies do you employ to stay current and ahead of industry trends and changes?

STAR interview questions

1. Can you describe a situation in which you faced a challenging sales opportunity as an Outside Sales Representative?

2. What was the task you had to complete when you were faced with a difficult sales scenario as an Outside Sales Representative?

3. What actions did you take to overcome the challenges in your Outside Sales Representative role in your previous job?

4. Can you share a specific example of how you met or exceeded your sales goals as an Outside Sales Representative?

5. What was the result of a particular sales strategy that you implemented as an Outside Sales Representative in your previous role?