TOP 200 sales interview questions for candidate screening in 2025

The Real Impact of Getting Sales Interview Questions Right

Let's be honest – hiring the wrong salesperson can cost your company significantly, and we've all been there. You sit across from a candidate who talks a good game, but three months later, they're struggling to hit even 50% of their quota. The truth is, effective sales interview questions are your first line of defense against costly hiring mistakes. When you nail the interview process, you're not just filling a position – you're potentially adding someone who could drive millions in revenue for your organization.

Sales teams are the driving force for a company's growth and revenue, yet many hiring managers still rely on generic interview approaches that miss the mark entirely. With 13 million salespeople in the United States as of 2022, the competition for top talent is fierce. What's particularly interesting is that women often won't apply for a role unless they meet 100% of the requirements, while many qualified candidates slip through the cracks because interviews don't dig deep enough into real sales capabilities.

The numbers don't lie when it comes to sales realities. Cold calls have notoriously low conversion rates – we're talking about 35 calls a day with just a 2% conversion rate. The majority of sales are actually closed after a few missed calls or rejections, and it can easily take anywhere from five to seven touchpoints to close a sale. As little as one in 50 deals are made in the first meeting. These facts should fundamentally shape how you structure your sales interview questions, because you need someone who understands persistence, rejection, and the long game of relationship building.

Your interview process should reflect these realities. Initial interviews often last between 30 and 60 minutes, and sales managers typically conduct a few rounds of interviews where candidates meet different team members. Here's where strategic sales interview questions become crucial – you need to identify candidates who won't just survive but thrive in an environment where 61% of sellers believe their jobs will never be the same after COVID-19, and where two-thirds of full-time workers experience burnout at some point in their careers.

Now that we understand why getting this right matters so much, let's dive into the 200 best practice sales interview questions for 2024 that will help you identify the candidates who won't just meet quota – they'll exceed it.

Because you're reading this article, you might be interested in the following article as well: One Way Video Interview: Basics and Features.

🏆 The list of TOP 200 sales interview questions in 2025

Why Are You Looking for a New Role?

This question is a key part of candidate screening because it reveals motivation, mindset, and whether the move is proactive or reactive. A well-thought-out answer reflects career focus, growth mindset, and good judgment.

What to look for in a strong answer:

The candidate talks about growth, challenges, or career alignment.
They avoid negativity or badmouthing past employers.
Their reason matches what your role offers.

Example comment on candidate’s response:

“My current role was a great fit as a college graduate, but the expectations haven't evolved to keep pace with my expertise. I look forward to the opportunity to refine my skill set through new challenges as a sales representative on your team.”

This is a strong, thoughtful answer. It shows the candidate has gained experience and is self-aware about outgrowing their current role. They’re seeking growth and challenge—something your sales position likely offers.

Pro tip: The best candidates usually frame their job search around moving forward, not escaping a bad situation. Always listen for intent and fit with your company's direction.

Can You Sell Me This Pen?

This question is a classic when you're hiring for sales roles, but it's effective for any position that requires persuasion, communication, or strategic thinking. It's not just about selling a pen — it's about how a candidate understands customer needs, presents value, and closes a deal. You're looking for how well they think on their feet and how confident and natural they sound.

What to look for in the answer:

Do they ask clarifying questions first? (This shows a consultative approach rather than a hard sell.)
Do they focus on features or benefits? (Great sellers always lead with benefits.)
Do they tie the pen to a real-life need, usage, or value?
Can they handle objections smoothly and close with a call to action?

Best practices: Encourage candidates to walk you through their thought process. You want to see how they connect with your needs — even in a hypothetical setting.

Red flags:

Jumping straight into the pitch with no context.
Listing technical features without linking them to benefits.
Sounding rehearsed rather than conversational.

Pro Tip: You can switch up the object — use your product or service to make the test more relevant.

What Does Your Current Sales Process Look Like?

This question helps you understand how a candidate approaches selling, builds relationships, and handles objections. You're also learning how well they know their role in the full sales cycle.

The best responses show a clear, repeatable process and an understanding of each sales stage. Ideally, you're looking for candidates who can explain their strategy confidently, including how they handle follow-ups, generate leads, and close deals.

Best Practice: Look for candidates who can break down their sales process into clear steps, such as:

Initial prospecting or lead qualification
Understanding prospects' pain points
Customizing a solution or presentation
Handling objections and closing
Post-sale follow-up

Comment: "I typically connect with prospects after they've made contact with a customer service representative or outreach coordinator in the prospecting phase. At this point, I get to know the prospect and their needs to prepare solutions for their team, anticipate their next questions and develop a presentation to showcase how our services can save them time and money. We then chat through their concerns, address any objections and make our closing offer. Follow-ups are a huge part of our winning sales strategy, too, so I like to schedule those out in advance."

Why this works: This candidate shows they understand the importance of collaboration between roles, client needs analysis, tailored presentations, and the value of strategic follow-up. It also tells you they're organized and proactive—key qualities in a top-performing sales rep.

What Do You Know About Our Company and Product/Service?

Asking this question helps you find out if the candidate took time to research your company—and if they understand what you actually do. It’s a quick way to see their level of interest and how well they prepared for the interview.

Look for answers that show:

They’ve visited your website or LinkedIn page
They understand what your product or service does
They have some sense of your customer base or core market
They’re connecting your mission or offering to their interest in the job

How to evaluate the response: If their answer is vague or sounds like they copied it from your homepage, you might be dealing with someone who hasn’t done their homework. On the other hand, a candidate who says something like:

“I understand you offer a human resources software solution for hiring and onboarding, time management and payroll services. I checked out a few of your client reviews and saw that hourly employers are especially happy with the ability for teams to communicate and reschedule shifts, and that they're a significant portion of your client portfolio. Would you say these accounts are your core audience?”

is showing genuine interest, attention to detail, and some proactive thinking. That’s a great sign.

Best practice: Always ask a follow-up. If they’ve done their research, use it as a way to start a deeper conversation about how their skills could add value to your team.

Describe a Time You Lost a Deal and How You Followed Up

This question helps uncover how a candidate handles setbacks and responds when things don’t go as planned. You're not just looking for a failure story—you want to hear how they stayed professional, learned from the situation, and maintained relationships afterward.

In the example, the candidate worked with a local coffee shop interested in a new POS system. They handled the client's concern about price by suggesting alternative options. Even though the deal didn’t close, they left the door open for the future by sending a feedback survey and setting reminders to follow up. That’s a great sign of someone who understands long-term relationship management.

What to listen for in a strong answer:

Clear explanation of the situation and why the deal didn’t go through
Professionalism and empathy in handling rejection
Concrete follow-up steps (like checking back post-sale, offering value, or surveying feedback)
Focus on learning and improving from that experience

Best practice: Follow-ups should be purposeful and personalized. A simple thank-you and a well-timed check-in can turn a “no” into a future “yes.” Candidates who naturally think this way tend to thrive in client-facing roles.

What Advice Would You Give to a Salesperson Just Beginning Their Career?

This is a great question to ask when you're hiring for entry-level or junior sales roles. It reveals how well a candidate understands the foundational elements of successful selling and whether they’ve reflected on common pitfalls early in a sales career.

Look for responses that include:

Understanding the customer's journey
Listening more than talking
Identifying true customer needs before pitching
Building trust through empathy

Best practice tip: A strong candidate will emphasize relationship-building over just "making the sale." They’ll show awareness of pacing themselves through the sales process and not jumping ahead by pitching too soon.

Watch out for: Answers that focus too heavily on aggressive selling or vague clichés like “always be closing”—these could indicate a lack of depth or over-confidence.

Red flag: If they don’t mention understanding the buyer’s needs or journey, they may be too product-focused and likely to push solutions that don’t fit, leading to mismatches and lost trust.

In short, good advice for a new salesperson should center around listening first, aligning with the prospect’s goals, and understanding that sales is about solving problems—not just pushing products.

Describe a Time You Fell Short of a Sales Goal

This is a powerful question to assess self-awareness, accountability, and problem-solving skills. When a candidate talks about missing a sales goal, you’re listening for more than just the failure—you want to hear how they handled it, what they learned, and what actions they took moving forward.

Best practice: Look for candidates who take ownership of the outcome, analyze what went wrong, and show practical steps they took to pivot.

What to Listen For:

Clear explanation of the situation and the sales goal
Understanding of why things didn’t go as planned
Evidence of adaptability and collaboration
Willingness to share lessons learned

Strong Example Response:

> "A year ago we were pitching a simplified version of our marketing software to high-end freelancers and small businesses that didn't need all of the bells and whistles. We were hoping this would fill in client churn gaps during an economic downturn. Instead, we found that our product wasn't flexible for smaller businesses without dedicated marketing roles. After a few months of lost sales, we sent our customer insights to product development to reconsider our solutions for individual businesses."

Why it Works: This answer shows the candidate can evaluate market fit and recognize when an approach isn’t working. They didn't just accept the loss—they translated the experience into product feedback and helped shape future strategy. That’s exactly what you want from a results-driven, team-oriented candidate.

Tell Me About Your Most Successful Sale

This is a vital question to ask candidates applying for sales-related roles because it reveals not just what they consider a success, but how they achieved it. The way a candidate explains their win shows their strategy, communication style, persistence, and ability to understand client needs.

In the example shared, the candidate showcased several top-notch traits:

Problem-solving mindset: Instead of pushing a full redesign, they found a realistic solution that matched the client’s pain points and budget.
Consultative selling: They weren’t just selling a service; they were offering valuable advice that helped the client trust them.
Long-term thinking: Rather than focusing on a quick win, they built a foundation for a lasting relationship.

Best practice tip: Listen for a story that highlights resourcefulness, clear communication, and the ability to build trust. Strong salespeople don’t just close deals—they create solutions and partnerships. Make sure they walk you through how they identified the opportunity, what actions they took, and why it led to success.

Are You Comfortable Making Cold Calls?

Asking this question helps you identify candidates who are not only familiar with sales outreach but also confident in practicing one of the most challenging aspects of sales—cold calling.

Ideal answers should reflect both experience and comfort level. Look for candidates who mention daily volume, conversion goals, and techniques they use to improve with each call. Better yet, if a candidate tracks performance and shows a data-driven mindset, that's a big plus.

Best practice approach: Always follow up this question with an example request. Ask them to walk you through a cold call they remember—what worked, what didn’t? This gives deeper insight into their communication and adaptability skills.

Sample strong response: "Yes, cold calling has been a core component of my sales strategy since the beginning of my career. I typically aim to complete 35 calls a day and average a 2% conversion rate."

This answer shows consistency, an understanding of metrics, and confidence—all signs of a capable and experienced candidate in outbound sales.

What Sales Software and Technology Are You Familiar With?

Comment: I've worked with a few different CRMs and have the most experience working with Salesforce and Pipedrive. Salesforce is my personal favorite since it is so robust and I really like the added Sales Cloud feature with in-time customer data.

This is a great example of a strong response. The candidate mentions specific, industry-standard tools like Salesforce and Pipedrive, which shows direct relevance to modern sales processes. Ideally, you're looking for candidates who not only list tools but also explain how they've used them.

Best Practice Tip: Look for candidates who speak from experience, not just name-drop tools. Strong candidates usually:

Mention 2-3 sales platforms or CRM tools
Explain their level of proficiency or length of experience
Mention any advanced features they’ve used (like Sales Cloud)
Share how the tech helped improve results or productivity

This kind of technical insight highlights both their familiarity with sales tools and how well they can adapt to your company’s current tech stack.

What Excites You About the Future of Sales?

This question helps uncover a candidate’s passion, forward-thinking mindset, and how well they stay updated with sales trends. A strong candidate will light up when talking about new developments—whether it's AI-driven CRM tools, data analytics, or how consultative selling is evolving. You're looking for genuine curiosity and interest in continuous growth.

When someone says they're excited about tech innovations like automation or personalization, it's a good indicator they’re proactive and open to change. Better still, if they mention how these tools will help improve customer relationships, that’s gold. It shows they care about the buyer's journey, not just closing the deal.

Best Practice: Ask follow-up questions to dig deeper. For example:

“How do you see these changes impacting your role in the next few years?”
“Can you give an example of how you’ve adapted to a new sales tool recently?”

The goal is to see if they’re just repeating buzzwords—or if they truly embrace the future of sales.

What Do You Like Least About Sales?

It's a common question and a smart one to ask during a sales interview. You're not looking for someone who hates a major part of their job, but someone with self-awareness and strategies to handle challenges. The best candidates are honest about their dislikes but show how they work through them professionally.

In this response, the candidate highlights that persistent follow-ups after multiple missed connections aren't enjoyable. That’s very relatable in sales roles where rejection and delays are part of the process. However, they successfully turn this into a positive by:

Recognizing the importance of persistence in the sales cycle.
Implementing a structured system for follow-ups—using calendar blocks and adjusting times.
Showing resilience and time-management, which are key qualities for a sales professional.

Best practice tip: Listen for candidates who acknowledge the tough parts of sales but stay focused on productivity and goals. It's less about avoiding the hard stuff and more about how they handle it. This is a great answer that shows maturity and practical problem-solving.

How Would You Handle a Challenging or Demanding Client?

This question reveals a candidate’s emotional intelligence, patience, and customer service skills. Look for those who listen well, ask the right questions, and stay professional under pressure — all signs of great client management.

Here’s a strong example response:

> "Last year, I was three months into working with a qualified lead who seemed to become less interested every day. It got harder to contact her. Calls went unanswered, and when we did connect, she sounded disengaged. I was confused because she was initially very receptive. I took the initiative to dig deeper — I researched her industry and business but didn’t find any clear reasons. So on our next call, I made it about the relationship instead of the sale. I asked more about her, and we bonded over our favorite TV show. She opened up about a busy personal life, and we agreed to reconnect in a month. I sent her a handwritten card and followed up later with a note about some good news I saw about her company. She appreciated the thoughtfulness and actually initiated our next meeting."

What this tells you:

The candidate didn’t give up when faced with silence.
They shifted their approach to meet the client where they were emotionally.
They focused on building trust, not just clinching a sale — a best practice in high-touch client roles.

Best Practice Tip: You're looking for stories that show patience, adaptability, empathy, and creative problem solving. Challenging clients aren’t going away — pick someone who knows how to manage them with care.

How Do You Determine a Prospect Is a Good Fit?

When interviewing sales or business development candidates, this question helps you understand their approach to qualifying leads and their ability to create meaningful client relationships.

What to look for:

A structured approach to researching prospects
The ability to read client behavior and adapt accordingly
Confidence in initiating outreach and understanding client needs
Strong communication skills and follow-up strategies

Best practice tip: A great candidate doesn’t rely solely on instinct. They use research, active listening, and engagement tracking to decide whether it’s worth investing time in a prospect. Look for responses that demonstrate a mix of analytical thinking and proactive customer service.

In this case, the candidate does a great job outlining a step-by-step process. They begin with research, build the relationship through communication, and observe behavior patterns. The mention of actively watching trends and engagement levels shows they're thinking beyond the initial contact. Plus, proposing a specific pitch and asking directly about interest is a solid method to qualify or disqualify a lead—a big plus!

This kind of answer shows they’re thoughtful, proactive, and focused on building lasting client relationships.

Would You Close a Guaranteed $15,000 Deal or Attempt a $115,000 Deal?

This is a great question to gauge a candidate's sales mindset, risk tolerance, and strategic thinking. You're not just asking them to pick a number—you're watching how they make decisions under uncertainty.

A strong response will show:

Situational awareness – taking into account current pipeline, company goals, and personal targets
Critical thinking – weighing opportunity cost, fit of the deal, and likelihood of closing
Business acumen – thinking beyond commission and looking at long-term customer value

Best practice is to listen for answers like: "It depends on what else I have in the pipeline and how likely each deal is to close. If my quarter needs a lock-in, I’ll grab the $15K. But if I’ve built trust and the $115K deal is promising, I'd go for the bigger long-term win."

That shows the candidate understands balancing short-term wins with long-term growth—a valuable trait in any sales role.

Which Do You Think Is More Important: Sales Goals or Customer Satisfaction?

This question helps you understand how candidates balance short-term achievements with long-term business health. You're looking for a balanced, thoughtful answer—not someone who blindly picks one over the other.

Best practice: Look for candidates who understand that sales targets and customer satisfaction work together. The smartest responses will explain how strong relationships lead to repeat business, referrals, and long-term revenue—while still hitting immediate sales goals.

A great response might note that while hitting sales numbers is crucial for growth, delighting customers creates trust, which results in future sales and brand loyalty. Candidates who say, “They go hand in hand” and give a real example from their past are likely to have the right mindset.

What to listen for:

A focus on relationship-building
An appreciation for delivering value beyond the sale
Understanding of how customer feedback informs sales strategy
Willingness to play the long game while still meeting goals

Avoid candidates who lean too hard in one direction without recognizing the importance of the other. A one-sided view could lead to burned bridges or poor sales performance down the road.

Would You Be Able to Jump on a Sales Call Now?

This question helps assess a candidate’s confidence, readiness, and practical sales experience. It’s a great way to understand if they're the type to take initiative or if they need heavy ramp-up time.

Strong candidates won’t just say "yes" or "no." Instead, they’ll explain their approach, potential gaps, and ask smart follow-up questions. For example:

> "I'm a confident salesperson and am always happy to cold call, but I don't have the understanding of your business goals or product capabilities that I'd need to effectively make a sale. I'd be interested to learn more about your onboarding and training schedule for when you do expect new hires to begin owning sales calls."

This is a great answer. It shows self-awareness, initiative, and professionalism. They’re ready to work, but also want to be set up for success. That’s the kind of mindset you want in a sales hire.

Best practice tip: Look for candidates who balance enthusiasm with realism. If they’re too eager without understanding your product or goals, you may find problems later.

Tell Me About a Time That You Turned a 'No' Into a 'Yes'

This question helps identify a candidate's resilience, strategic thinking, and problem-solving skills. It's not just about persistence—it's about whether they can analyze a situation, adapt their approach, and ultimately influence an outcome.

What to look for in a strong answer:

A clear understanding of why they originally received a "no"
Steps taken to reassess the situation
Creative or strategic adjustments they implemented
A successful outcome—and what they learned from it

Comment: "I'm not a stranger to a 'no.' Just last month I was following up with a qualified lead who had rejected our proposal last summer. They were seeing heavy client churn and couldn't validate the extra expense. I knew they were preparing their budgets for the next year, so I first reached out around October to touch base before the holidays. I shared some of the new features we were rolling out in February and how they'd help the team maintain client relations, and he was eager to continue discussing the deal. Within a month, we were able to find other applications that would improve their outreach efficiency by 5% and clear the expense with their shareholders."

Why this works: This is a strong response. The candidate showed patience, timing, and awareness of the client’s business cycles. They offered tailored value and kept the door open without pushing. This is textbook business development thinking—showcasing not just persistence, but strategic follow-up. A best practice here is demonstrating how you adapt the message based on updated needs.

What Would You Do if You Weren't in Sales?

This question helps hiring managers uncover a candidate’s true motivations, transferable skills, and how well they understand their strengths. It also shows how passionate they are about sales or if they see it as just a stepping stone.

A strong candidate response will highlight relevant skills that overlap with sales, such as communication, persuasion, or client engagement. For example, this candidate mentioned public relations as an alternative path. That speaks well to their understanding of relationship-building, outreach, and presentation—core parts of successful sales careers.

Best practice: Look for candidates who connect their alternative career choice with their current sales skills. It shows self-awareness and that they value personal growth in related areas. Candidates who can explain how their strengths apply across roles often show flexibility and long-term potential.

How Do You Keep Up With Your Target Audience?

This question helps assess how proactive a candidate is in staying informed about their industry, clients, or specific market. It reveals their research habits, commitment to learning, and ability to adapt to changing needs within their role.

A strong answer usually includes:

Specific strategies or tools they use to stay current
Examples of thought leaders, communities, or content they follow
A regular routine or habit that shows consistency
A focus on relevance to their niche or audience

In this case, the candidate gives a solid response by highlighting their step-by-step approach:

They recognized a lack of experience in the technology space and chose to start small by focusing on their niche in IT solutions.
They sought out career communities on social media, which is a modern, effective way to engage with industry peers.
Identifying and following thought leaders and subscribing to industry newsletters shows commitment to learning and awareness.
Their consistency—setting a biweekly schedule for webinars and dedicating Fridays to review trends—is a best practice approach that hiring managers should look for.

This kind of answer demonstrates initiative, self-discipline, and a thoughtful strategy for becoming an expert in their field. Candidates who take ownership of their development like this are often great hires.

What Makes You a Good Salesperson?

This question helps uncover a candidate’s true strengths and natural instincts in a sales role. Great salespeople typically show a mix of relationship-building, data-driven thinking, and goal orientation. Listen for specific qualities, examples, and how their personal style connects to proven sales success.

Best practice tip: Look for candidates who highlight both soft skills (like active listening and adaptability) and hard skills (like using CRM tools or interpreting sales metrics).

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Candidate Example Response:

"I think my interest in analytics is my greatest asset as a salesperson. I love to connect with prospects and build those relationships as a people person, and I have no problem reaching my activity metrics. But my favorite part is digging into customer research and high-level metrics that can help me strategize the perfect presentation or find creative solutions to improve my conversion rates, then share those experimental insights with my larger team."

Recruiter’s Insight:

This is a strong and well-rounded answer. The candidate demonstrates a balance between traditional relationship-selling and performance-led strategies. Saying they meet activity metrics shows discipline, while digging into analytics signals a modern, data-driven approach. Their desire to share learnings with the team also suggests good collaboration skills, which is a big plus in a sales organization. If your sales team is metrics-heavy or leans on A/B testing and CRM optimization, this type of candidate would likely thrive.

Follow-up question idea: “How have your data-driven strategies improved conversion rates in past roles?”

Explain a Time You Were Especially Creative To Make a Sale

This question tests problem-solving, creativity, and how candidates think outside-the-box when under pressure. It’s especially useful for sales, marketing, or customer-facing roles where challenges come up quickly and need practical solutions.

In the example given, the candidate not only listened to the client’s main concern (the lack of automatic vacation tracking), but also proactively collaborated with the development team to find a workaround. That’s a green flag. They didn’t just accept “no” as the final answer—they investigated and brought back a valuable insight. Offering a small discount and using future product updates as a selling tool showed smart negotiation tactics without underselling the value.

What to listen for:

Did they clearly understand what the client really wanted?
Did they use their internal resources (product, tech, support)?
Did the outcome lead to a win — not just a sale, but a relationship?
Do they show initiative and critical thinking, or just throw discounts around?

Best practice: Look for candidates who balance creativity with customer focus. Great salespeople make their company look stronger without overselling.

Which Sales Metrics Do You Believe Are Most Valuable?

This question helps you understand what a candidate really values when it comes to measuring success in a sales role. A strong candidate should mention key activity metrics like number of calls, meetings, or demos—but they should go deeper.

Best practice: Look for candidates who tie metrics to impact, not just volume.

What do you know about our company?

This question helps interviewers figure out how much homework a candidate did before the interview. It’s not just about whether they visited your website — it's about whether they truly understand your business, culture, values, and what makes your company different.

What to look for in good answers:

A clear understanding of the company’s products or services
Knowledge of the industry or market position
Mention of the company’s mission, vision, or values
Comments about the company culture
Specifics on why the candidate is interested in this company vs. others
A link between the company’s goals and the candidate’s skills or experience

Best practice: Strong candidates will bring in subtle hints that show they’ve aligned themselves with your company’s mission. They’ll speak your language and connect their personal or professional goals with what your team is working towards.

Red flags to watch out for:

Vague or generic responses
Confusing your company with another
Only mentioning surface-level facts like your size or location

This is a great question to open with in early interviews. It shows how well a candidate prepares, how interested they are, and whether they’re likely to align culturally with your team.

Can you tell me about your sales experience?

This question helps hiring managers understand how well a candidate’s background fits the sales role they’re applying for. A strong answer will focus on the last 5–10 years of relevant experience. The candidate should highlight their biggest wins, talk about the types of clients or products they sold, and explain the impact they made—like exceeding quotas, growing accounts, or improving closing rates.

Look for responses that include:

Specific results (e.g., “Increased regional sales by 25% in one year”)
Type of sales (inside, outside, B2B, B2C)
Industry relevance
Any tools or CRM systems they used

Best practice: Even candidates with limited experience should connect past roles or projects to sales skills—like persuasion, communication, or goal-setting. Pay attention to how they explain their approach to building relationships or handling objections. Their answer will also show how confidently and clearly they speak about their own performance—an important trait in a strong sales hire.

A thoughtful, tailored response here tells you a lot about the candidate's self-awareness, enthusiasm, and storytelling ability—key ingredients to sales success.

What kind of sales environment motivates you?

This question helps hiring managers understand what type of workplace brings out the best in a candidate. Not all salespeople work well in every setting, so it’s important to get a sense of whether their preferences match your company culture.

A strong response will show self-awareness and align personal motivation with your work environment. For example:

If your company runs on individual drive, look for answers that highlight self-motivation, autonomy, and strong time management.
If your team is collaborative, the candidate should talk about working well with others, brainstorming ideas, and shared success.

Best practice tip: Encourage candidates to be honest but mindful. If you're a startup or smaller outfit, it's helpful when they mention being versatile, wearing multiple hats, or taking initiative in a lean setup. Look for clarity about what keeps them focused—whether it’s healthy competition, incentives, personal goals, or being part of a mission-driven team.

Ultimately, you're checking whether this candidate will feel energized or drained by the day-to-day in your sales environment.

What kind of sales cycles are you used to?

This question helps you understand how well a candidate’s experience aligns with your sales process. Sales cycles can vary a lot—B2B sales often involve longer, more complex cycles, while B2C sales tend to be quicker and more transactional.

Best practice: Look for candidates who not only describe the type of sales cycles they’ve worked in but also explain how they navigated them successfully.

What to look for:

Clarity on the average deal length they’ve handled
If they’ve worked with multiple decision-makers in complex sales
Ability to adjust their strategy based on the sales cycle length
How they nurture leads and close over time

A strong answer might sound like: "I’ve primarily worked in B2B environments with sales cycles ranging from three to nine months. I’m confident managing long-term relationships, creating proposals, and working with multiple stakeholders. This aligns well with your consultative sales approach."

On the flip side, if your sales process is faster and volume-based, a candidate who thrives in short B2C cycles might be a better fit. Just make sure their background lines up.

Pro tip: If their background is in a different type of cycle than yours, ask follow-up questions to see how adaptable they are.

What does a normal sales day look like for you?

Asking this question gives insight into how the candidate structures their sales day, how they work under pressure, and how they handle changes or unexpected challenges. You're also learning how they balance prospecting, meetings, follow-ups, and admin tasks.

Comment:

A strong candidate should clearly describe their daily workflow — from planning their day, prioritizing leads, setting up calls or meetings, to updating CRM systems. Look for someone who:

Shows strong time management skills
Explains how they prioritize tasks and stay focused
Mentions how they adapt when things change, like appointment cancellations or an urgent client need
Talks about how they stay productive in different environments (remote or in-office)

Best practice: Look for responses that reflect realistic, actionable routines — not just idealized schedules. Details like blocking time for cold calls, following up on warm leads, or preparing custom pitches show they know what a successful sales day looks like.

How do you deal with rejection?

Rejection is an inevitable part of any sales job. It’s not about avoiding it — it’s about how you bounce back. When asking this question, you’re looking for candidates who show emotional resilience and a growth mindset.

A strong response might include:

Specific coping strategies: Do they step back and reflect? Do they seek feedback? How do they move forward?
Maintaining motivation: Do they keep their energy up even after a “no”? This kind of drive is key in performance roles.
Learning from failure: Do they view rejection as a learning opportunity rather than a personal failure?

Watch for answers that are too vague or overly dramatic. You want someone who can keep their cool, refocus quickly, and stay solution-oriented. The best candidates will highlight how rejection helps them improve their pitch or approach — not just brush it off.

Tell me about a recent sale you won and your role in it.

This question helps you dig into a candidate’s real-world sales experience and understand how they contribute to success. A strong answer should highlight strategy, execution, communication, and problem-solving.

Look for candidates who can break down:

The customer need or problem
Their role in identifying or developing the opportunity
How they navigated challenges
The steps they took to guide the sale to a close
Specific outcomes like revenue generated, client won, or quota exceeded

Best practice: Pay attention not just to the win, but how they achieved it. Were they leading the deal, supporting it, or collaborating with a team? Did they take coordinated action or show independent thinking? Great salespeople can balance both.

Red flags: Vague answers, overcrediting the team without detailing personal contribution, or skipping over the actual sales process might be a sign the candidate isn’t owning their wins.

This question gives you a clear view of how a candidate performs under pressure, their ability to think strategically, and how well they can reflect on and explain their wins — all critical traits in a top sales hire.

💡 Remaining 170 questions...

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Case Studies: Real Success Stories with Sales Interview Questions

Sujan Patel, founder of Mailshake, has transformed how sales professionals approach interviews. With his sales engagement software now used by 38,000 sales and marketing professionals, Patel brings over 15 years of marketing experience from leading companies like Salesforce, Mint, and Intuit. His approach to sales interview questions focuses on practical scenarios that mirror real-world challenges.

Sales Assembly has revolutionized the screening process by creating a membership platform that provides access to vetted, qualified sales talent. Their success in scaling fast comes from using targeted sales interview questions that build trust between departments and unite different teams with common goals.

Patrick Dang has created a massive impact in the sales community with his YouTube channel boasting 331,000 subscribers. His content on sales interview questions has generated incredible success stories from viewers. User @ezra9243 landed an SDR tech sales role, @MaxRepel1212 got a job using Patrick's advice, @Jt_envisions credited Patrick with helping them secure employment, and @RheaTalreja-eu7cy mentioned cracking 2 rounds of interviews using Patrick's lessons.

Chili Piper's Instant Booker demonstrates how technology can streamline the interview process. By integrating with Salesforce to create leads, contacts, events, and opportunities, they've shown how proper tracking of interviews leads to better pipeline management.

The team at Big Interview collaborated with numerous sales professionals across different roles, seniority levels, and industries to create comprehensive guides. Special thanks to Summer, Jelisaveta, Antonio, Itai, Igor, and Manny for sharing their valuable sales interview experiences.

Tuning your sales screens? Round out your process with the best interview questions to ask and pressure‑test finalists using final interview questions.

Why Video Screening Software is Taking Over Recruitment

The recruitment landscape is rapidly evolving, and video screening software is leading the charge. More companies are discovering that traditional phone screenings and lengthy in-person interviews aren't the most efficient way to evaluate candidates for sales positions.

Here's why video screening is becoming the go-to solution for modern recruiters:

Time efficiency - Screen multiple candidates simultaneously
Better candidate assessment - Observe body language and communication skills
Consistent evaluation - Standardized questions ensure fair comparison
Cost reduction - Eliminate travel expenses and scheduling conflicts
Improved candidate experience - Flexible scheduling and convenient format

Sales roles require strong communication skills, confidence, and the ability to build rapport quickly. Video screening allows recruiters to assess these crucial qualities before investing time in lengthy interview processes.

The technology has become so sophisticated that companies can now evaluate everything from presentation skills to problem-solving abilities through carefully crafted sales interview questions delivered via video format.

Ready to revolutionize your sales hiring process?

Discover how CandidateScreenings.com can transform your recruitment strategy today →

Don't let top sales talent slip away due to outdated screening methods. Join the growing community of recruiters who are already seeing better results with video screening technology.