5 Essentials Soft Skills Sales Applicants Interview

1. Motivation
Mengetahui keselarasan goals karir kandidat dengan objektif perusahaan dapat
mempengaruhi performa perusahaan. Sales yang motivasinya selaras dengan
perusahaan akan lebih bahagia, kreatif dan produktif.

Q: "Apa motivasi Anda untuk berkarir di Sales Applicant?"

Jawaban yang baik:

"Saya melihat bahwa customers tidak semuanya sadar akan masalah-masalah

yang membuat mereka tidak meraih goalsnya. Oleh karena itu kuncinya adalah
membantu mereka dalam mengidentifikasi dan menyelesaikan masalah mereka.
Motivasi saya dengan demikian adalah bukan hanya menjual produk tetapi lebih
kepada menjadi pemberi solusi atas permasalahan bisnis mereka.”

Good notes:

•    Ketertarikan yang tulus dalam membantu customers dalam menyelesaikan

tantangan bisnis.

•    Kemampuan untuk mengemas kompleksitas produk menjadi lebih ringkas,

edukatif, dan menarik.

•    Memprioritaskan dalam membangun kepercayaan demi meraih long-term

opportunities.

Jawaban yang berpotensi buruk:

"Sensasi dari closing a deal membuat saya selalu ingin meraih lagi dan lagi.
Saya terdorong untuk memaksimalkan pendapatan saya. Saya memiliki skill
 penjualan yang baik dan akan melakukan apa saja untuk meraih customers
sebanyak mungkin. Saya tidak menerima kata ‘tidak’ dari para customers.

Notes yang harus diperhatikan:

•    Terfokus pada satu definisi sukses yaitu keuntungan diri daripada melihat sisi
customers.

•    Konsentrasi hanya pada kemenangan jangka pendek daripada membangun

relasi jangka panjang berbasis kepercayaan yang dibangun dari segi komunikasi
relasional bukan transaksional.

2. Jujur

Menjadi pribadi yang dapat dipercaya, tulus dan jujur akan membangun
hubungan jangka panjang dengan customers.

Q: "Berdasarkan pengalaman Anda, ketika Anda dihadapkan masalah yang

menguji Anda dalam hal etika. Apa yang Anda lakukan?”

Jawaban yang baik:

"Ketika saya sedang menelepon customers. Saya mendengar bahwa seorang

kolega saya membuat janji tentang pengemasan produk dan tarif diskon yang
tidak dapat dipenuhi. Saya berbicara dengan kolega saya setelah panggilan
telepon dan menghubungi manajer penjualan kami untuk mendapatkan
pendapatnya, hanya untuk memastikan tim menetapkan ekspektasi yang realistis
dan tidak membahayakan reputasi perusahaan. Pada akhirnya kami merasa
tidak nyaman untuk melanjutkan ke ruang lingkup kontrak awal, tetapi pada
akhirnya menghasilkan kesepakatan yang lebih baik. "

Good notes:

•   Kemampuan untuk menyelesaikan masalah kompleks.

•   Keinginan untuk melihat perspektif orang lain demi tercapainya solusi

bersama.

•   Pribadi kandidat cenderung berterusterang, menghormati etika dan dipercaya.

 Jawaban yang berpotensi buruk:

" Saya menjual ke perusahaan tempat teman saya bekerja dan setelah
mereferensikan hubungan saya dengan rekannya, kontak saya bertanya apakah
saya dapat menawarkan “lima kursi” kepadanya untuk menutup kesepakatan.
Tim saya hampir gagal pada kuartal itu dan kami hampir mencapai tujuan kami.
Saya bertanya kepada tim saya apa yang mereka lakukan dalam situasi serupa
dan akhirnya memutuskan untuk menerima tawaran itu. Kami mencapai angka
kami, dan saya yakin saya akan menjualnya di kuartal berikutnya. "

Notes yang harus diperhatikan:

•    Kecenderungan untuk memprioritaskan keberhasilan jangka pendek daripada

keberhasilan jangka panjang yang berkelanjutan.

•    Pengambilan keputusan sangat bias dan pertimbangan pro-kontranya tidak

seimbang.

•    Kepercayaan yang tidak berdasar dan kemampuan penyelesaian masalah

yang kurang baik berpotensi menimbulkan masalah di masa depan.

Adaptability

Versatile critical thinkers respond well to change and have a propensity for empathy.
Adaptable candidates can excel in ever-changing work environments and are able to
form meaningful, authentic relationships.
A good answer:

"Before reaching out to my contact, I met with our team to thoroughly understand the
changes and their potential impact on my client's goals. I prepared three different
options in anticipation of their questions and concerns. Flagging the change early,
foreseeing possible pushback, and working with the customer to find a resolution helped
to maintain trust in our company and, despite the changes, we secured the deal."

What works:

•    The identification of work-arounds to solve unforeseen problems

•    A creative approach to critical thinking, problem-solving, and overcoming challenges

•    A willingness to take responsibility and not place blame on others

A potential red flag:

"Well, I met with our product team to tell them out how the recent updates hurt my ability
to sell, and I made sure they dealt with it. I had them hop on the phone with the
prospect to share details of the new product's functionality, and also gave feedback to
my manager that this was disruptive to the process. Hopefully that won't happen again."

What to watch out for:

•    Shifting blame and responsibility to another team, rather than taking the initiative to
learn and understand the changes

•    Bringing another team into the discussion before identifying self-sufficient solutions

•    Bad-mouthing internal company decisions to an external audience

Customer Oriented

Prioritizing clients' needs manifests in how candidates navigate sales scenarios,

understand customers' pain points, and offer thoughtful solutions. Thinking of the
customer first fosters an engaging, positive experience that keeps your business top of
mind.

A good answer:

"The first step is understanding our product. The deeper my knowledge is, the more
thoughtful my conversations with customers will be. I let customers take the lead at the
start of a call so I can tailor the conversation around what they need. Then, based on
what they've told me, I can communicate our offerings and prescribe solutions to
address their needs."
What works:

•    A clear interest in learning about and improving the customer experience

•    A determination to solve business problems rather than sell a product

•    A recognition of the value of cross-functional collaboration in providing streamlined

support

A potential red flag:

"I start off by reaching out to people who I think would be a good fit. Then I send them
an email and set up a couple follow-ups until they engage with my email, like opening
the message or clicking a link. Once they've responded to me, I set up time to talk and
learn more about what they're looking for. In closing a contract, we always give the
customer the best deal."

What to watch out for:

•    The lack of detail on methodology for qualifying and engaging with prospects

•    The inability to effectively articulate their process for negotiating a contract

•    Positions the sales cycle as a seller's market that disregards the buyer's needs

Tenacity

Candidates who are open to feedback demonstrate high emotional intelligence,

versatility, and aspiration for professional growth. People with highly developed tenacity
see challenges as opportunities to refine, improve, and thrive.

"Describe a time when you received criticism or feedback from your sales manager or
client. How did you react?"
A good answer:

"In my first sales role, I struggled with my talk track, especially when I got pushback.
Because of that, my lead-to-conversion rate was low and I was struggling to hit my
quota. So I asked my manager for help. We worked together to identify the issue, and I
set up meetings with other sales reps to role-play phone conversations and to shadow
their calls so I could understand how they fielded tough questions. Over time, I got
comfortable answering questions and actually began to build rapport with my prospects,
which helped me close my first deal."

What works:

•    Openness to learning how to improve work ethic

•    Humility in admitting accountability for mistakes and taking the initiative to remedy
difficult situations

•    Curiousity in taking on responsibilities within and beyond role to grow professionally 

A potential red flag:

"While I know what customers need in order to be successful, there was a time a
customer called my sales approach 'pushy and aggressive.' To be candid, that
comment caught me off guard because I couldn't think of any reasons why they would
feel that way. I explained my sales process, my proven track record of success, and
even mentioned some of the big-name companies I closed by being 'pushy and
aggressive.' We sorted out the misunderstanding."

What to watch out for:

•    An unwillingness to own up to the offense or to empathize with the client's feedback

•    The placement of the onus on another's misconception and a supposed unwarranted

opinion

•    The assumption that past success is the utmost indicator of being inarguably right