Question: Describe the main types of prospects whom you sell to. What approach do you use for each group?

Alternative Question Phrasing:

Follow-up questions:

What preparations do you make?

Question Details:

Question Type:

Knowledge/Skill Based

Knowledge:

Sales and Marketing

Skills:

Basic – Monitoring (Making observations of self and environment),Social – Coordination (Adjusting one’s own actions in relation to others),Social – Persuasion,Social – Social Perceptiveness

Abilities:

Cognitive – Category Flexibility (Mental Flexibility)

Other Factors:

Direct Job Experience,Personality-Job Fit

Work Activity (Task):

Information Input – Estimating Characteristics of Objects, Events, or Information,Mental Processes – Judging the Value of Things, Services, or People,Mental Processes – Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work,Mental Processes – Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge

Work Context (Person-Job/Team/Org Fit):

Interpersonal Relationships – Deal With External Customers

Work Style (Person-Job Fit):

Achievement/Effort (Action/Result Orientation),Adaptability/Flexibility,Analytical Thinking,Patience,Persistence/Perseverance

Question Frequency

Question Difficulty

What to look for in an answer:

The candidate’s analytical skills.
The candidate’s organization skills.
The candidate’s prospecting and selling skills.

Red Flags to Watch For:

The candidate’s poor analytical skills.
The candidate’s poor organization skills.
The candidate’s poor prospecting and selling skills.

Sample Answer:

I normally scan possible clients based on their industry and needs. I do a lot of research. If I have time, I do cold calling to determine if my initial assessment is true for each client. It will really boil down to patience and persistence when you’re in this profession.

Question Source: Unknown