Written by Sean McPheat |
Do you prepare for your telesales interviews, or do you just wing it? And I’m talking about interviewers as well as the candidates here. I hear and see examples of both every single week. This guide will act as a short cut for you no matter whether you are looking for telesales interview questions to ask a candidate because you are recruiting or conversely, if you are the candidate and you want to prepare yourself on the telesales interview questions that you might get asked.
Moreover, it will contain some answers as well. Not word for word answers but they will give you some guidance so you can answer them in your own style.
We’ve created previous guides just like these for other roles. Our Sales Director Interview Questions and Sales Manager Interview Questions are very popular guides for interviewers and candidates a like.
One other thing that may help you is our ISM certified Telesales Training programme which may bolster and look good on your CV.
With that out of the way, let’s get to the telesales interview questions and answers.
Some job interview questions are relevant for any position, including telesales positions. Here are some general questions you might ask at the beginning of the interview to break the ice and get to know each candidate a bit better:
This is the candidate’s elevator pitch. It should include critical facts like their name, background, career achievements and what their current situation is.
Did the candidate learn about the job from a current or previous employee? Have they been fans of the company for a long time?
What draws the candidate to the company and the Telesales Role, specifically?
What strengths does the candidate bring to the table? Are they relevant to telesales?
What weaknesses does the candidate share? How are they working on improving them?
What does the candidate’s last job say about their experience? What does their reason for leaving say about their work ethic or character?
Is it feasible to meet or get close to meeting the candidate’s salary requirements? Do they specify a payment type (hourly, salary, Sales Commission, etc.)?
What stands out about the candidate’s reason for finding a new job? Do they seem committed to growth, or do they struggle to stay at a company long-term?
What does the candidate’s achievement say about them? Is it relevant to a telesales job?
Does the candidate’s preferred work environment align with the environment at this specific company?
Do the candidate’s career goals seem relevant to this telesales job? Will a career in telesales help them grow?
The candidate should have at least a couple of relevant questions. They might not be genuinely interested in the job if they have nothing to ask.
Along with general Sales Interview questions, it’s also a good idea to ask about a candidate’s experience — both with sales more broadly and with telesales specifically:
Does the candidate have prior sales experience? Do they have other experience that carries over to sales?
Does the candidate have telesales experience? Do they have experience that carries over to telesales?
Does the candidate’s response seem genuine? Do they seem passionate about sales?
Are the candidate’s dislikes understandable? Do they seem incompatible with the job?
How do the candidate’s strategies align with the techniques used at the company?
What skills or training contribute to the candidate’s ability to do this job?
How significant is the candidate’s best sale? How does it match up against current employees’ sales?
How does the candidate handle disappointment? Can they bounce back quickly?
Does the candidate understand the value of relationship-building in sales?
How does the candidate handle mistakes? Do they address them right away? Hide them?
Does the candidate’s sales strategy align with the company’s preferred approach?
How much sales experience does the candidate have? Are they familiar with different types of sales? B2B Sales and B2C.
What strategies does the candidate use to stay motivated and achieve their goals?
Does the candidate make excuses for not meeting goals? Do they learn from their mistakes?
In addition to getting to know each candidate and learning about their experience, you also need to find out what they know about your company and the sales world. The following questions can help you figure this out:
Has the candidate done their homework? Have they taken the time to learn about the business?
How much research has the candidate done? Do they know what the company sells?
Does the candidate know whom they’re trying to reach when they place sales calls?
Does the candidate know if they will be making B2B or B2C sales calls?
Does the candidate seem capable of working alone?
Does the candidate seem like a team player who knows how to work with a group?
How well does the candidate handle the pressure of a telesales job?
Does the candidate seem to embrace healthy competition or shun it?
Is the candidate committed to learning about the telesales world? Do they go above and beyond to stay informed?
Does the candidate understand telesales techniques and how they’ve changed or improved?
Does the candidate seem to understand the strengths telesales reps need to develop?
How well does the candidate understand the latest sales trends and their effectiveness?
Does the candidate grasp different trends and their benefits/drawbacks?
Of course, you must ensure the person you hire has at least some knowledge of the telesales industry. These telesales-specific questions can help you assess each person’s understanding of the job and what it entails:
What interests the candidate about the telesales field? Do they seem invested in this industry?
Does the candidate know that telesales is about closing a deal and telemarketing is about building brand awareness?
Does the candidate have telesales-specific strengths and skills?
Does the candidate have telesales-specific strengths they admire or want to develop?
Does the candidate know enough about telesales to know what they like about the field?
Does the candidate know enough about telesales to know what they don’t like about the field?
Is the candidate committed to continuous learning and development?
Does the candidate know how to connect with a prospective client and convert them to a paying customer?
Does the candidate know how to make a sale even in a difficult situation?
How well does the candidate respond to rejection? Do they take things too personally?
Can the candidate follow the rules and stick to the assigned script, or are they tempted to deviate?
Does the candidate know that B2B stands for business to business and B2C stands for business to consumer?
Is the candidate comfortable with cold calling? Does it matter if they’re not? What’s the best Cold Calling Tips that they use?
Situation-based questions give you valuable insight into how a candidate will handle issues that often come up in Telesales. You can run a Sales Role Play and here are also some of the best questions to ask during the interview:
How strong are the candidate’s sales skills? Do they have potential?
How persuasive is the candidate? Do they seem equipped to handle reticent prospects?
Is the candidate capable of handling repetitive work?
Does the candidate have a solid strategy for gracefully handling rejection?
Can the candidate manage an angry prospect or customer without losing their cool?
How well does the candidate respond to criticism? Do they take it personally?
Is the candidate capable of buckling down in high-pressure situations?
Does the candidate know how to handle various types of people, including those who are suspicious?
Does the candidate know what makes a strong sales script?
How well does the candidate win people over and encourage them to try a particular product or service?
Can the candidate catch people’s attention and interest them in a product or service?
How strong are the candidate’s verbal communication skills? Do they know the value of voice inflection, appropriate pauses, etc.?
Before hiring a new telesales rep, you must ensure they fit in with your company culture. These culture fit questions can help you choose the best candidate:
Does the candidate seem like a motivated, positive professional? Will they improve the environment at the company?
What motivates the candidate? Do they seem capable of staying positive even during challenging times?
Does the candidate know what they need from others to do their job well?
Is the candidate familiar with the concept of company culture? Can they describe a company’s culture adequately?
Does the candidate know what makes a positive or negative company culture?
How familiar is the candidate with the company and its values?
Does the candidate value organisation? Is it vital that they do to be part of this company?
Does the candidate value goal-setting and achievement?
Does the candidate know their strengths and weaknesses? Is introversion or extroversion more valued at the company?
Does the candidate value being challenged? Are they aware of where they have room to grow?
Does the candidate value continuing education? Do they strive to improve in their chosen field? What Sales Training Courses have they taken in the past?
Is the candidate capable of self-reflection? Have they taken any Sales Competency Assessments in the past to diagnose issues.
Can the candidate take things a step further and work to change the issues they notice?
Will the candidate’s preference influence their ability to do the job?
When creating a list of telesales executive interview questions, be sure to include communication-related questions like these:
Does the candidate capable seem capable of handling conflict maturely?
Is the candidate good at building relationships with colleagues and customers?
Can the candidate be persuasive without being manipulative?
Does the candidate know how to be discreet when needed?
Can the candidate work with people who struggle to communicate?
Is the candidate self-aware?
Is the candidate able to manage difficult emotions?
When asking interview questions for a telesales role, you should also consider laws and ethics. Here are some specific legal and ethical questions to ask:
Is the candidate familiar with the regulations regarding telesales? Is their information accurate and up-to-date?
Does the candidate know to do basic things like finding out who has consented to receive calls and identifying themselves right away?
Is the candidate familiar with organisations like the ICO, Ofcom, and CTPS?
Does the candidate have a good sense of right and wrong?
Is the candidate willing to speak up when they see something illegal or unethical happening?
Deciding which telesales interview questions to ask can be tricky at first. If you use this list of interview questions and answers for inspiration, though, you’ll have a much easier time figuring out what to ask your candidates and how to choose the best person for the role.
Check out our Online Sales Training for more help and guidance or take a Sales Apprenticeship.
Happy Selling!
Sean
Sean McPheat
Managing Director
Updated on: 14 December, 2022
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