Inside Sales Representative interview questions and answers
This Inside Sales Representative interview profile brings together a snapshot of what to look for in candidates with a balanced sample of suitable interview questions.
10 good inside sales representative interview questions
- How would you describe the product and customers of your last company?
- Describe your customer’s buying decision process.
- What was your sales quota?
- How do you stay updated on your target market?
- What kinds of questions do you ask your customer to find out what they need?
- At what point do you stop pursuing a potential customer?
- Describe a time you turned a negative situation with a customer into a positive one.
- A customer points out a known problem with your product. How do you handle it?
- Describe a recent sale that you lost. What did you learn from this experience?
- How were leads generated at your last company?
Here are 10 essential interview questions and sample answers to help identify the best candidates for this role.
1. How would you describe the product and customers of your last company?
This question aims to assess the candidate’s ability to understand both the product they are selling and the target customer base.
Sample answer:
“At my last company, we sold cloud-based CRM solutions primarily to small and medium-sized businesses in the healthcare sector.”
2. Describe your customer’s buying decision process.
This question evaluates the candidate’s understanding of the customer journey and how decisions are made within an organization.
Sample answer:
“Typically, the IT manager would initiate the buying process, but the final approval usually comes from the CFO. To close the sale, I’d need to align with both.”
3. What was your sales quota?
This question gauges the candidate’s experience with sales targets and their ability to meet them.
Sample answer:
“My quarterly sales quota was $200,000, and I consistently met or exceeded it.”
4. How do you stay updated on your target market?
This question assesses how proactive the candidate is in understanding market trends and customer needs.
Sample answer:
“I regularly read industry blogs, follow key influencers on social media, and attend webinars to stay updated.”
5. What kinds of questions do you ask your customer to find out what they need?
This question tests the candidate’s consultative selling skills.
Sample answer:
“I usually start by asking about their current challenges and what they’re looking to achieve with our solution.”
6. At what point do you stop pursuing a potential customer?
This question evaluates the candidate’s judgment and understanding of when to focus efforts elsewhere.
Sample answer:
“If after multiple follow-ups and offers of additional value, there’s still no engagement, I would consider stopping the pursuit.”
7. Describe a time you turned a negative situation with a customer into a positive one.
This question assesses problem-solving and customer service skills.
Sample answer:
“A customer was unhappy with a delayed delivery. I expedited a replacement and offered a discount on their next purchase, turning their frustration into loyalty.”
8. A customer points out a known problem with your product. How do you handle it?
This question tests the candidate’s ability to handle objections and provide solutions.
Sample answer:
“I would acknowledge the issue, explain any steps being taken to resolve it, and offer an alternative solution in the meantime.”
9. Describe a recent sale that you lost. What did you learn from this experience?
This question gauges the candidate’s ability to learn from failures and setbacks.
Sample answer:
“I lost a sale due to price objections. I learned the importance of building value before discussing price.”
10. How were leads generated at your last company?
This question assesses the candidate’s understanding of lead generation methods.
Sample answer:
“Leads were generated through a mix of inbound marketing, cold calling, and customer referrals.”
What does a good inside sales representative candidate look like?
A strong candidate for an Inside Sales Representative role should have excellent communication skills, a deep understanding of the sales process, and the ability to adapt to different customer needs and scenarios.
Red flags
Watch out for candidates who lack enthusiasm, have poor listening skills, or are unable to articulate their sales process clearly. These could be indicators of a poor fit for an Inside Sales role.
Inside Sales Representative Interview Questions
Great sales representatives are motivated by great products. They will do well at your company if they are passionate about your product and believe in the solution that it provides. Any experienced inside sales representative should have some knowledge of your product and customers. In addition, they should be experts on any product they have previously sold and be able to confidently speak about the factors involved in customers’ buying decisions.
You can hire and train great candidates with no inside sales experience at all. If you are looking for entry level inside sales reps, look for candidates who are talkative and genuinely enjoy helping people. The most promising candidates for an entry level sales role will have an innate “people pleaser” quality. To hire this type of candidate, feel free to add some situational questions based about any previous customer service experience.
Related: How to attract and hire entry-level employees
The following interview questions are written to help you evaluate how thoroughly your candidates understand the inside sales process. Candidates with the best responses will have proven inside sales experience, as opposed to theoretical experience. They’ll be able to demonstrate that their desire to exceed expectations is tempered by a desire to have happy customers. And they’ll likely treat this interview the way they treat a sales call. They’ll be curious about your pain points and talk about ways to fix them.
Let’s summarize some of the questions and add a few more divided into specific types.
Role-specific questions
- How would you describe the product and customers of your last company?
- Describe your customer’s buying decision process. Who approves or blocks the buying decision? What do you need to line up to close the sale?
- What was your sales quota?
- How do you stay updated on your target market?
- What kinds of questions do you ask your customer to find out what they need?
- At what point do you stop pursuing a potential customer?
- Describe a time you turned a negative situation with a customer into a positive one.
- A customer points out a known problem with your product. How do you handle it?
- Describe a recent sale that you lost. What did you learn from this experience?
- How were leads generated at your last company?
- What’s difficult about working with a short sales cycle?
- What would make you passionate about selling our product?