Have you ever failed to meet your monthly targets and if so what actions did you take ?
What is the interviewer looking for ?
Because of the nature of selling there will always be fluctuation in sales. This can be due to seasonal issues. changeover in product types or a host of other issues which the sales person is dealing with. The interviewer is aware of this and is interested in seeing firstly if there was an extended period of low activity and if this ever recoverd and secondly how you acted to improve your performance.
This question is phrased so that a 'no' answer could be given, however this is not useful to either party. In the selling profession a period of low sales could be seen as a developmental and learning oppurtunity and this is how we suggest you deal with this question.
Top Answer
When I started selling mobile phones 2 years ago I did not reach my targets for first 3 months. I did not understand why this was happening so I asked my manager to send me on a training course. I learned soem great techniques to help me deal with customersboth face to face and over the phone and in the first three months after the course. I actually exceeded my targets. I was delighted and sice then I generally meet or go over my targets.
Losing answer
I never fail to meet my targets. Might be true but could also suggest an exaggeration or that the targets are too low.
What in your opinion is the most difficult aspect in a sales role ?
What is interviewer looking for ?
These negatively phrased questions are designed to uncover weaknesses or stress poits. The key here is that you do not admit to an inadequacy when answering and we suggest that you avoid the negative and talk about challenges which you face and overcome regularly as part of your job. You should also turn this into a lessons learned or skills developed oppurtunity.A good answer is one which shows that you understand the difficulties but are able to cope with them are successful in resolving them.
Top Answer
There is nothing I find difficult about the job itself however I do occasioanlly get frustrated if i am stuck on a jam on the motorway on my way to or from a client. Luckily this doesn't happen very often and when it does I use it to do a review of my clients needs or I will do some research on my next client. Overall selling is a role I enjoy immensely and get great satisfaction from.
Losing answer
Dealing with angry customers can be a challenge sometimes although this doesnt happen very often.As an interviewer I would persue why this happens at all as it could show some levelof incompetence on the candidates part.
Tell me about a time when you gave effective customer service.
What is the interviewer looking for ?
Not only is the interviewer looking for a clear understanding of what constitutes good customer service they also want to see that you have been able to give it in a customer facing environment.
Top Answer
For me effective customer service is understanding the customer needs and fulfilling them in a way that appears to teh customer as seamless and efforless. This is something I do everyday by ensuring that the customers receive the products they expect within the time frame agreed.
Losing answerI recall one very happy customer to whom i gave a refund when she returned a blouse she dint like. Normally we are only allowed to do exchanges but it was Christmas Eve and I decided to be generous.
While the company was happy, this candidate dind not receive the job Offer as he deliberately flouted company policy on refunds.
Describe the most difficult situation you encountered in customer services.
What is the Interviewer looking for ?
The challenge with this question is that by admitting to a difficulty could indicate that you had problems coping in the past and this may affect your performance in the future. The key here is not to admit to any weakness when answering.It is suggested to avoid the negatives and talk about challenges you faced at some earlier part of your career in customer services and which you overcame. Demonstrate that you understand teh difficulties which are involved and that you understand teh difficulties which are involved and that you learned as a result of the experience.
Top Answer
When I started workign for ______ as a junior accounts I had a very irate complain directly to me aboout a problem with a lost cheque book. He was actually shouting at me and initially I was very shocked and taken aback. I managed however to keep my cool and listened, amde sure he knew that i was listening and that i understood the problem. He calmed down a lot and I ordered him a new cheque book which he recieved teh next day. For me, it was a great lesson about tehimportance of listening to the customer and allowing them to speak.
Losing answer
I had a difficult customer once who would not listen to what I had to say. They kept interrupting when i was trying to explain company policy and it took me a long time to get my point across.This candidate did not show a clear understanding of good customer service. It appeared that their goal in this situation was simply to convey a message rather than take time to understand the customers' point of view.
How would you respond to a customer called in for a complaint?
What is the interviewer looking for ?
This question relates your ability to deal effectively with potentially difficult customers and ones where you may have an angry or irate person on the other end of the line. If you are being interviewd for a customer facing role this question or similar may come early on in the interview along with others which will be designed to assess your skills in this area. key words to use when dealing with complaints are:ListeningShowing empathyUnderstanding the customers needsreferring to company policyfulfilling the customer requirementsshowing initiativefollowing up on agrred actions
Top answer
Working in customer service, we often get customer complaint calls. Im aware taht the key is to understand the customers position and feelings without necessarily agreeing with them. We have a strict pre-designes company policy which I always follow which involves listening, recording, assessing, discussing and agreeing in action with the customer. Im pleased to sy that in 99% of cases I find that I can resolve teh situataion to the customers satisfaction without any manager intervention which is much higher than most of my colleagues.
Losing Answer
I dont like having to deal with customers who complain really. They are generally rude and I just pass them on to my manager to deal with.This candidate lacked the confidence to do their job effectively. Whiel training was available the employer preferred to make the offer to a candidate with a stronger skill base than this obne appeared to possess.
Tell me about the challenges you have staying withing your budget
What is theinterviewer looking for ?
Top Answer
I am aware of the importance of staying within my budget and reducing costs where possible. I make sure that every member of my team is aware of the budget limitations and that any unnecessary spending is eliminated. I have an ongoing programme of cost reduction whereby each member of the team can make suggestions to improve productivity and reduce costs. These are reviwed and if appropriately implemented with the team member getting credit fro the savings made. This helps to improve morale also.
Losing Answer
We do find it difficult to stay within budget, especially if some unplanned for event occurs. We would take funds from one area of the budget to cover this and then look at ways that we can save afterwards.
While this happnes very often, it might have been better to say that when theunplanned for event occured, the whole of the budget was revised and cost savings identified in advance rather than doing so retrospectively.
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