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How to Pass a Sales Interview?

Michaelangelo

Michaelangelo

That doesn't work for me, brother
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I'm sure there are plenty of current and former salesman on this board.

I have a phone interview for a Junior Sales Engineer position coming up. What questions should I expect? And what answers do employers like to hear? I'm expecting they want to see how my personality is over the phone.

The actual hiring manager is busy so the Senior Sales Engineer will be doing the interview. Coincindentally he will be the one training me if I get the job.

After the phone interview, if they choose me, they will bring me on site for a Caliper test. Does anyone have experience in that?

Any advice on how to approach this is welcome.

Job description:
-> Responsible for sales, forecasting and sales growth, by maintaining current customer base while identifying new opportunities in designated sales territory.
-> Main points of contact will be engineers, designers, or other professional and technical personnel at commercial and industrial customers
-> Reviews customer drawings, plans, and other customer documents to develop and prepare cost estimates and properly engineered products.
-> Prepares and presents customer quotations, training, seminars, call reports, and special reports as directed.
-> Opportunity to participate in special marketing projects, tradeshows and other corporate promotional programs.
 
Last edited:
Just be as sleazy as possible. That way, they know you'll fit right in.
 
Know the product you are going to be selling. Read up on it as much as you can. Know your cilent too. Tell your boss who you want to sell to and how you plan to do it.
 
Expect "what if" scenarios when dealing with customers. Like how do you deal with difficult customers, etc. Usually you don't get those "3 best attributes" and "3worst attributes" type questions. If you have sales experience, expect to be asked about how you sold, your approach, etc.

And a sales engineer is not a sales person, at least not in my industry or others that I know. An engineer helps with installations, some training, troubleshooting, etc. but not sales itself unless the rep brings you in for technical assistance.
 
MASShole said:
Expect "what if" scenarios when dealing with customers. Like how do you deal with difficult customers, etc. Usually you don't get those "3 best attributes" and "3worst attributes" type questions. If you have sales experience, expect to be asked about how you sold, your approach, etc.

And a sales engineer is not a sales person, at least not in my industry or others that I know. An engineer helps with installations, some training, troubleshooting, etc. but not sales itself unless the rep brings you in for technical assistance.
Click to expand...

I added the job description to the OP. It seems the engineering part is because the products are electronics.
 
TexasDrugAddict said:
Know the product you are going to be selling. Read up on it as much as you can. Know your cilent too. Tell your boss who you want to sell to and how you plan to do it.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I've been doing research on the company. Got to make sure my enthusiasm is shown through the interview.
 
Times are changing, sales people use to be cool. Working at abc warehouse for a couple years I realized that a lot of those guys invented phrases and crap that society later adopted. But anyways, back in the day when you didn't have to act either a forced a*****e or like a f*****t to be liked at work, you could just say things like "I know how to make it happen" and "I know I'll do better than most of the people that have worked here" and "you will see my name near the top of the board" etc.. Now it's a bunch of dorks running sales departments like everywhere else, and if you show true confidence (and are white) they will think you don't understand the game where white people aren't suppose to have confidence anymore, and they will judge you for it and be threatened.


But if the guy you are talking to is old school, try to just be confident that you will be able to sell what they have.
 
Michaelangelo said:
I'm sure there are plenty of current and former salesman on this board.

I have a phone interview for a Junior Sales Engineer position coming up. What questions should I expect? And what answers do employers like to hear? I'm expecting they want to see how my personality is over the phone.

The actual hiring manager is busy so the Senior Sales Engineer will be doing the interview. Coincindentally he will be the one training me if I get the job.

After the phone interview, if they choose me, they will bring me on site for a Caliper test. Does anyone have experience in that?

Any advice on how to approach this is welcome.

Job description:
-> Responsible for sales, forecasting and sales growth, by maintaining current customer base while identifying new opportunities in designated sales territory.
-> Main points of contact will be engineers, designers, or other professional and technical personnel at commercial and industrial customers
-> Reviews customer drawings, plans, and other customer documents to develop and prepare cost estimates and properly engineered products.
-> Prepares and presents customer quotations, training, seminars, call reports, and special reports as directed.
-> Opportunity to participate in special marketing projects, tradeshows and other corporate promotional programs.
Click to expand...

This is more than likely a support position for sales. Know how to make coffee proper, mayun...
 
I've been in sales or marketing the majority of my adult life. Be personable. Make them like you. That is the #1 rule in sales. No one will ever buy anything from someone they do not like. Everything else can be taught, but if you're a grumpy douche by nature, you're destined to fail.
 
eBank said:
This is more than likely a support position for sales. Know how to make coffee proper, mayun...
Click to expand...

Better apply to Starbucks for an internship in the meantime then.


KILL KILL said:
I've been in sales or marketing the majority of my adult life. Be personable. Make them like you. That is the #1 rule in sales. No one will ever buy anything from someone they do not like. Everything else can be taught, but if you're a grumpy douche by nature, you're destined to fail.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I think the phone interview is more to gauge my character than anything else.
 
Can't believe this hasn't been posted yet.

TS...watch this and then walk in there like Alec Baldwin -all confidence.

Piece of cake.

 
I came in to say, if you can't sell yourself in an interview how do you expect to be good in sales?

But then I felt bad. So good luck :)
 
Amerikuracana said:
Times are changing, sales people use to be cool. Working at abc warehouse for a couple years I realized that a lot of those guys invented phrases and crap that society later adopted. But anyways, back in the day when you didn't have to act either a forced a*****e or like a f*****t to be liked at work, you could just say things like "I know how to make it happen" and "I know I'll do better than most of the people that have worked here" and "you will see my name near the top of the board" etc.. Now it's a bunch of dorks running sales departments like everywhere else, and if you show true confidence (and are white) they will think you don't understand the game where white people aren't suppose to have confidence anymore, and they will judge you for it and be threatened.


But if the guy you are talking to is old school, try to just be confident that you will be able to sell what they have.
Click to expand...

You don't know what you are talking about
 
I been doing sales for more than half a decade. Usually positive energy and smooth talking does the trick. Also implement any scenarios that occurred in past sales jobs into the interview that relate.


GOOD LUCK BRO!
 
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