Sales Strengths and Weaknesses Interview Questions

Sales Strengths and Weaknesses Interview QuestionsSales Strengths and Weaknesses Interview QuestionsPerhaps the fruchtwein dreaded questions asked in abverkauf interviews are ones aboutstrengths and weaknesses. Theres a fine line to walk when answering questions that ask you to list them. How do you talk about your strengths without sounding like you are bragging? And how do youlist your weaknesseswithout raising red flags with interviewers? Get advice on how to navigate these sticky questions and howtoprovide a strong answer that will further your candidacy. What the Interviewer Really Wants to Know Interviewers get a lot out of your response to this question, including Your self-awarenessHow well do you know yourself as a worker? Your answer reveals whetherornotlage you understand where you need to improve, as well as anawarenessofyour particularly strong qualities.Your understanding of the role and thecompanyYour answer can also reveal whether you know what the company is look ing for in a candidate. The most powerful responses will mention a strength thats core to the role.Your ability to improveThe most tactical way to talk about a weakness in an interview is in terms of improvement. For instance, if youre not skilled at hitting deadlines, you can talk about how you now break projects up into tasks with milestones to avoid procrastination. How to Answer What Are Your Strengths and Weaknesses? The trick in answering these questions is really to understand how ones strengths and weaknesses often arise from a single character trait ones weaknesses are the shadow side of ones strengths. If you can confidently label the personal characteristic responsible for both your successes and failures- be it perfectionism or optimism or determination or competitiveness- you will be able to demonstrate aself-awareness and maturity that will impress your interviewers. Similarly, highlight weaknesses that are not dealbreakers. Do not disqualify yourself from the pos ition. You should be honest- but strategic- in your response. If you dread late-night emails but the role requires them, do not list this as your weakness. When you share a weakness, make sure to discuss how youre working to improve it. Examples of Best Answers Here are sample sales interview answers about strengths and weaknesses. My greatest strength is my organizational ability. I like to plan out the sales cycle to the letter and follow it through. My greatest weakness is related to my greatest strengthbecause when my plan needs to change, I can be a little bit inflexible. ExpandWhy It Works This does a nice job at pointing out an important strength (organization) while noting its flipside weakness (lack of spontaneity). If the role does not require a lot of flexibility and itprioritizes consistency and follow-through, this is a strong answer. My greatest strength as a rainmaker is my competitiveness, which is why I also excelled as an athlete in high school and college. Not hing invigorates me like a race to the finish I love the challenge of trying to consistently earn an annual ranking in a companys Presidents Circle. Ive learned, though, that no one becomes a top achiever without the help of the rest of the kollektiv. My weakness is that Ive sometimes judged other team members when weve fallen short of a goal, so now I try to focus on motivating and supporting my team rather than just expecting them to follow my lead. ExpandWhy It Works Note that this response talks about working to improve a weakness. Thats a good strategy when you have to point out a flaw. This answer also makes it clear that this strength is part of the candidates core personality. I would say that my greatest strength is my ability to follow through. In sales, I have found that I am most successful when I pay attention to every piece of the sales cycle, from the first contact to the thank-you at the completion of the sale. The shadow side of this strong detail orientation is my tendency to overthink a situation, which is probably my most serious weakness. I sometimes take too much time to strategize on a sale and find, in the end, that my initial plan was the one that was the best. ExpandWhy It Works This answer does a nice job of relating the strength back to the work involved in sales. And, again, the candidate mentions the negative side to the strength, but in a brief way. Tips for Giving the Best Answer Dont be afraid to sell yourselfAs a salesperson, selling is your skillWhen youre asking about strengths,donot shy away from talking about why youd be an asset in the role. Make sure you mention relevant strengths, too (the job description offers clues about what the employer will value). Avoid boastingThat said, bragging isnt very appealing or likable. Make sure you do not sell too aggressively or cross the line into bragging. Be honestDo not say thatyou dont have any weaknesses. Everyone has weaknesses. And dont go too far in describing a strength as a weakness (e.g.,Im just too much of a perfectionist.) That can come off as disingenuous. Be specificDont just use a string of adjectives. Give an example of a time when this strength was helpful. Or, talk about why youre so motivated to turnaround a weakness. Specificity makes answers sound meaningful instead of clichd. Talk about improvement strategiesWhen youre answering a question about weaknesses, it can be helpful to talk in terms of how youre working to improve this area. What Not to Say Dont disqualify yourselfIf there is a core skill needed for the role, do not list it as a weakness. Similarly, do not say, Im always late or Im not very responsible or I dont work well with others. These responses paint you in a poor light regardless of the position. Dont fail to answerYou do have to give an answer, even though this question can be tricky. If youre struggling to respond, just keep it simple and short. Unless you state a disqualifying weakness, mentioning one less-than- stellar attribute wont make the difference between you landing the job- or not. Possible Follow-Up Questions Tell me about something you would have done differently at work. Best AnswersWhat do people most often criticize about you? Best AnswersWhat do you find are the most difficult decisions to make? Best AnswersWhat is the biggest criticism you received from your boss? Best AnswersHow will your greatest strength help you perform? Best AnswersWhat strength of yours will help you most to succeed in this job? Best AnswersWhat can we expect from you in the first 60 days on the job? Best Answers More Tips on How to Ace Your Sales Interview Be aware that the interviewer will be observing yourcommunication skillsto determine if youre the kind of person who will be able to close deals with the companys customers. At the same time, the interviewer will beasking questionsto learn more about your sales track record and professional accomplishments. Most sales interviews also rely h eavily onbehavioralinterview questions, and this meansthat the hiring manager will want to explore your ability in the key areas needed for success in a sales job, such as yourability to persuade, your presentation skills, andyour persistence, etc.. Remember that a sales interview is a golden opportunities to bothsell your skills and talentsand also to learn more about the company you have approached for a job. With theright interview preparationand follow-through, you will be ready to rise above your competition and land the job that is perfect for you. Key Takeaways BE HONESTEveryone has some weaknesses. Go ahead and mention one of yours, but dont dwell on it.DONT DISQUALIFY YOURSELF AS A CANDIDATEMake sure the weakness you mention wouldnt prevent you from performing the role at hand.GIVE EXAMPLESIf youre not sure how to respond to a question about your strengths without boasting, try giving an example of a time this strength was important in a previous role.