21个工作面试问题，要求2021年询问销售经理候选人

Usually when individual contributors get promoted to management, they teach their direct reports their secrets for success, use many of the same skills they did in their previous jobs, and get a salary bump.

Sales manager might be one of the only promotions where the job differs dramatically from the individual contributor role and necessitates an entirely different skill set.

Not to mention those chosen to lead the sales team actually take a pay cut — often earning less than their direct reports.

Sales Manager Interview Questions

Behavioral Interview Questions for Sales Managers

With this in mind, sales leaders need unique sales manager interview questions. Sales directors looking to identify the reps who would thrive as sales managers would be wise to incorporate the following questions into their interviews.

1. Tell me about yourself.

这是一个漂亮的香草问题。但是答案可以阐明。丹·特尔（Dan Tire）是一名30年的销售资深人士兼HUBSPOT销售总监，他说：“如果他们花了整整25分钟的时间谈论他们的经历或抱怨过去的团队，那就告诉您您需要了解的一切。”

寻找简洁的积极答案，这些答案涉及他们的经验以及导致他们申请这个职位的原因。

2. Why do you want to work in sales?

If the candidate simply replies with, "It's something I enjoy" or "I like it", this doesn't tell the interviewer anything about the candidate's actual interest in sales.

激励或激发它们的销售是什么？

您应该寻找提供一个榜样或现实生活中的候选人，以了解他们对销售的兴趣的开始。他们是否是首次销售代表并创造成功的悠久记录？还是他们一生中发现了他们对销售的热情时的关键时刻？此类问题的答案将为面试官提供有关候选人对销售行业的奉献精神的更多详细信息。

3.您对数据分析有多舒适？

Reps generally only care about one number: their quota. Keeping on top of pipeline and win rate is also important ... as these metrics pertain to their quota. It's all quota, all the time.

But when a rep is promoted to management, they must produce forecasts and reports that analyze a variety of metrics across the entire team.

虽然销售经理不需要成为数据分析专业人士，但他们确实需要熟悉并倾向于处理数字和发现趋势。当心候选人表达积极反对以进行数据分析。

4. What do you think it takes in terms of skills and qualifications to be a successful sales rep in this organization?

A large part of a sales manager's job is keeping the team fully staffed with high performers. This question gives the interviewer a peek into the candidate's stance on hiring.

The skills and qualifications they deem to be important are those they'll look for when interviewing for open positions. Do the attributes they value line up with the company's standards? If so, it's a good sign. If not, this could be a red flag.

5.为什么要成为销售经理？

As mentioned above, sales managers often make less money than sales reps and perform a drastically different job. Tease out the candidate's motivations behind seeking this promotion.

Do they want to be a manager because they crave a larger role within the company as a whole, and a chance to influence strategic decisions? Or have they gotten bored with their jobs, and management seems like a step up? The latter motivation is a recipe for dissatisfaction and a disengaged sales manager.

6. What do you think motivates reps the most?

This is a bit of a trick question, but it's an important one. The best sales managers know that motivation is personal. While money might drive one rep to go the extra mile, another might be inspired by a development opportunity or creative contest.

The candidate who can navigate the trick and get to the right answer — in this case, "it depends on the rep" — possesses the motivational ability to lead a sales team to success.

7. What made you successful as a sales rep? How will your processes inform how you manage your team?

正如成功的销售经理了解每个代表都受到不同事物的动机一样，他们也了解到每个代表都具有实现目标的独特优势。对于一名销售人员来说，“正确”的方式是不可能适合整个团队的。

Be wary of candidates who hint that they plan to force their methods on their direct reports. Instead, look for candidates who want to identify and develop the specific talents of each team member.

8. How important is money to you?

是的，钱对每个人都很重要。但是，正如Hubspot的培训和发展总监Andrew Quinn指出的那样，金钱与某些销售人员的自我价值密不可分 - 没关系。这种态度仅意味着代表不适合销售管理。

最好将主要动机的销售人员转向个人贡献者层面的新领土或另一个机会，而不是将其推广到管理层。

9. What do you think makes for a successful rep coaching session?

The candidate doesn't have to give a sample agenda of what their one-on-ones would look like. However, it's important that their conception of a coaching session includes actual coaching — not just a dry discussion of the numbers.

Listen for responses that include mentions of career development, goals, skill building, and problem solving in addition to data review.

10. What do you like and dislike about the sales process? How comfortable are you with upholding it?

Every rep has an opinion about the sales process, and some ignore it entirely. But it's the manager's role to uphold the sales process in the name of organizational consistency and forecasting accuracy.

确保候选人愿意承担警察的销售过程，并询问他们制定代表遵守该方案的策略。

11.您对技术有多舒适？

Sales managers also act asCRM警长，确保所有代表都正确使用该系统。除了CRM，销售经理还参与了新销售工具的审查，选择和部署。

While sales manager candidates don't need to be computer whizzes, some technological savvy is necessary.

12. What training method is most effective for new reps?

It would be nice if a sales manager could do ride alongs and listen in on each and every call a new rep makes, but this model is impractical at scale.

确保候选人承认可重复的培训过程的重要性，该过程不会围绕非正式的知识传递。

13.您认为成为好领导者需要什么？

The jobs title might be "sales manager," but that doesn't mean leadership skills fall by the wayside. Sales managers need to be able to lead through example and inspire others to action.

Although this question is last on the list, it's probably the most important of all.

14. What does a good manager need to do within this organization?

The goal of this question is twofold. First, you want to find out their management style and goals for their employees. They should touch on metrics for success, staff development, and executive communication.

You also want to understand how much research they’ve done about your company and the sales organization. If they make sweeping statements about attracting more enterprise business — when your website clearly states your mission is to help SMBs grow — it’s probably a sign this candidate hasn’t done their homework.

15. How would you explain what [company name] does to a person unfamiliar with what we do?

这个候选人可以将复杂的想法分解成简单，易于理解的消息吗？这就是这个问题会发现的。

Part of a sales manager's job is to regularly translate executive directives and news to their sales staff in clear, digestible ways. Ensure they can do this concisely and without a patronizing tone, before moving forward.

Now, let's review some behavioral questions to get a better understanding of how the candidate may perform on the job.

1. Pretend I'm a sales rep who has missed quota three months in a row and I'm here for a one-on-one. What would you say during the meeting?

Sales managers have to have uncomfortable conversations with their direct reports. Especially if the candidate is a rep on the team that they might be promoted to lead, sales directors must ensure they can maneuver tough situations and deliver bad news in a positive manner.

However, a candidate who's overly harsh on their hypothetical stumbling rep is just as bad as one who's too soft. Look for an innate coaching sensibility and a motivational flair.

2. Tell me about a time conflict arose among a team you managed. How did you handle the situation?

Although not ideal, conflict among team members happens. When it does, managers are often tasked with helping diffuse the situation. This question is designed to help you understand the candidate’s conflict resolution style.

尽管解决冲突的坚果和螺栓可以根据情况有所不同，但理想情况下，您希望愿意听到情况双方并促进公平解决方案的候选人。

3. Can you describe a time your team was working under a lot of pressure to meet a quota or a tight deadline? How did you keep morale up?

Experiencingburnoutwhile working in sales is very common. Between shooting for ambitious quotas and working under tight deadlines, sales teams are often under a lot of pressure to perform.

这个问题旨在使您了解候选人在压力或苛刻的时间内如何支持他们的团队。最终他们的工作是确保公司达到其销售目标，但员工的福祉应该是重中之重。bob全站app寻找一个主张确保代表感到支持的候选人，并在压力启动时拥有成功所需的成功。

4.描述您有史以来最尴尬或最具挑战性的销售电话。为什么这么困难？您是如何管理它的？

No matter how seasoned of a sales pro someone is, we have all had those calls or conversations that have thrown us for a loop. Successful sales managers know how to navigate tricky situations and land on their feet, and are able to coach their reps on how to do the same.

Listen for responses that indicate the candidate’s ability to think quickly on their feet while representing their company well.

5. Tell me about a time you set a goal for yourself and achieved it. What did you do to ensure you reached your goal?

Ideally, you want your new sales manager to demonstrate the ability to set a goal and follow-through with it. When seeking a candidate to fill a sales manager role, you’ll want someone who has had success setting and reaching goals — even if they are small goals.

当你听他们的反应,注意美联社proach they took to reach their goal. This will give you a feel for how they will lead their team to reach their goals.

6. Give me an example of a time you had to implement an unpopular or difficult change for your team.

销售经理通常负责为其团队的变革代理。无论是实施新的系统或流程，还是促进组织变革，有效的销售经理都需要能够通过变更管理领导团队。

In their response, listen for mentions of how they communicate changes to a team and ask how they would handle pushback to a change they were tasked with implementing.

Hiring a sales manager is a big step for any company. Don't rush the process. Instead, be clear about the role and the attributes the right hire will possess. Then, don't settle until that right person walks in the door and blows you away.

Want to learn more about sales interviews? Check out the最佳销售发展代表面试问题next.