Field Sales Representative interview questions and answers

10 good field sales representative interview questions

1. Describe the sales techniques you’re most familiar with. Which ones do you find the most, and least, effective?
2. How do you source potential clients?
3. Who do you think our clients are and what would you suggest to increase our market share?
4. When do you stop pursuing a client?
5. What do you do after you close a sale?
6. Describe the customer decision buying process. What’s your role in each phase?
7. Have you worked with Salesforce.com? What other CRM software do you know?
8. What keeps you motivated in this job?
9. Walk me through a successful cold call.
10. How do you identify customer needs?

Here are 10 essential interview questions and sample answers to help identify the best candidates for this role.

Describe the sales techniques you’re most familiar with. Which ones do you find the most, and least, effective?

This question aims to gauge the candidate’s familiarity with various sales techniques and their effectiveness.

Sample answer:

“I’m most familiar with consultative selling and solution selling. I find consultative selling to be the most effective as it focuses on customer needs. Hard selling is the least effective in my experience, as it can be off-putting to potential clients.”

How do you source potential clients?

This question seeks to understand the candidate’s strategies for identifying and reaching out to potential clients.

Sample answer:

“I usually source potential clients through networking events, LinkedIn, and industry-specific databases. I also get referrals from existing clients, which often lead to warm leads.”

Who do you think our clients are and what would you suggest to increase our market share?

This question assesses the candidate’s understanding of the target market and their strategic thinking.

Sample answer:

“Based on my research, your primary clients seem to be small to medium-sized businesses in the tech sector. To increase market share, I’d suggest targeting emerging tech hubs where competition might be lower.”

When do you stop pursuing a client?

This question aims to understand the candidate’s persistence and ability to assess when a lead is no longer worth pursuing.

Sample answer:

“I stop pursuing a client when it’s clear that our solution doesn’t meet their needs or if they’ve explicitly asked not to be contacted again. Time is valuable, and it’s important to focus on more promising leads.”

What do you do after you close a sale?

This question evaluates the candidate’s ability to manage customer relationships post-sale.

Sample answer:

“After closing a sale, I make sure to send a thank-you note and schedule a follow-up meeting to discuss implementation and any additional needs the client may have.”

Describe the customer decision buying process. What’s your role in each phase?

This question assesses the candidate’s understanding of the customer buying process and their role at each stage.

Sample answer:

“The customer decision process usually involves awareness, consideration, and decision stages. My role is to provide information in the awareness stage, offer solutions in the consideration stage, and close the deal in the decision stage.”

Have you worked with Salesforce.com? What other CRM software do you know?

This question aims to gauge the candidate’s familiarity with CRM software tools.

Sample answer:

“Yes, I’ve extensively used Salesforce.com. I’m also familiar with HubSpot and Zoho CRM, which I’ve used in previous roles.”

What keeps you motivated in this job?

This question seeks to understand what drives the candidate in a sales role, which can be demanding.

Sample answer:

“Meeting and exceeding sales targets and forming lasting relationships with clients are my main motivators. The thrill of closing a deal keeps me going.”

Walk me through a successful cold call.

This question aims to assess the candidate’s communication and sales skills.

Sample answer:

“I start by introducing myself and the company I represent. I then ask a probing question to gauge their needs before offering a tailored solution. I aim to end the call by setting up a follow-up meeting.”

How do you identify customer needs?

This question evaluates the candidate’s ability to understand and meet customer needs.

Sample answer:

“I identify customer needs by asking open-ended questions and actively listening to their responses. I also analyze their current solutions to find gaps that our product can fill.”

What does a good field sales representative candidate look like?

A strong candidate for a Field Sales Representative position should have excellent communication skills, a deep understanding of sales processes, and the ability to adapt to different customer needs and market conditions.

Red flags

Be cautious of candidates who lack a structured approach to sales, have limited experience with CRM software, or show poor communication skills.