Top Sales Engineer Interview Questions with Example Answers [2022]

Prepare for your Sales Engineer interview by going through these most asked Sales Engineer interview questions. Additionally, get access to sample answers and interviewer's expectations.

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  • Question: Why are you interested in working as a sales engineer?
  • Question Overview: This is a good question to ask because it helps you to understand the candidate's motivations for working in the sales engineering field. If they are interested in the position because of the money, you may want to reconsider hiring them. If they are interested in the position because of the challenge, you know that they will be able to work well with you.

    Sample Answer: I like working with customers and helping them find solutions to their problems.

      What the interviewer is looking for:
    • - Desire to work in a challenging environment
    • - Desire to work with a professional team
    • - Desire to work with a professional team

  • Question: What would be your biggest strength and weakness as told by your last manager?
  • Question Overview: You want to get a feel for the candidate's professional character. Though you want to know what they think their biggest strengths and weaknesses are, you also want to know how they are perceived by others. If their last manager thought that they were a hard worker, but that they needed to improve on their time management, you can see how they will fit in with your company.

    Sample Answer: My biggest strength is my ability to work well with others and my biggest weakness is my inability to manage my time effectively.

      What the interviewer is looking for:
    • - Self-awareness of strengths and weaknesses
    • - Ability to work well with others
    • - Willingness to improve on weaknesses

  • Question: Would you rather be right or win?
  • Question Overview: This is a question for the sales engineer to answer based on their own personal values. You want to know that the candidate will be able to work with you and the rest of the team in a way that will allow them to work together in a cohesive manner. If the candidate is more concerned with being right than winning, they may not be the best fit for your company.

    Sample Answer: I would rather be right because it shows that I am dedicated to my work and that I am willing to go the extra mile to ensure that my clients are satisfied.

      What the interviewer is looking for:
    • - Understanding of the importance of winning
    • - Willingness to compromise when necessary
    • - Ability to work with others

  • Question: What are your strengths?
  • Question Overview: This is a general question that gives you a chance to learn more about the candidate's professional character. The answer you receive will help you understand what the sales engineer is good at and what they are not. This will help you determine if they are a good fit for your company.

    Sample Answer: I am very confident in my ability to communicate with customers and work well with them. I also like to try new things and learn from my mistakes.

      What the interviewer is looking for:
    • - Confidence in their abilities
    • - Willingness to take on new challenges
    • - Willingness to learn from their mistakes

  • Question: Tell me about your self.
  • Question Overview: This is a simple question that can reveal a lot about the candidate. The answer you receive will help you to understand their personality and how they will fit into your company.

    Sample Answer: I am a very dedicated worker who is always looking for ways to improve my performance. I am also very personable and enjoy working with people.

      What the interviewer is looking for:
    • - Overall professionalism
    • - Ability to work in a team
    • - Ability to work independently

  • Question: Why do you want to work with us?
  • Question Overview: This is a great question to ask because it allows you to see what the candidate knows about your company. Though they may have researched your business, they may not have had the chance to learn about the company culture. This is a great opportunity to see how well they know your business and whether or not they are a good fit for it.

    Sample Answer: I am interested in working with you because of your reputation for being one of the most innovative companies in the industry.

      What the interviewer is looking for:
    • - Knowledge of the company's history
    • - In-depth knowledge of the company's products and services
    • - Overall fit for your company

  • Question: Why should we hire you?
  • Question Overview: This is a great question to ask the candidate because it allows you to get a feel for their confidence in their abilities. The answer you receive will give you insight into how they view their own skills and what they think makes them the best candidate for your position.

    Sample Answer: I have a lot of experience in sales engineering, and I have been successful in my previous positions. I know that I can help your company grow and succeed.

      What the interviewer is looking for:
    • - Confidence in their own abilities
    • - Ability to explain why they are the best candidate

  • Question: How has your education prepared you for this position?
  • Question Overview: This is a question that you want to ask to see how well the sales engineer understands the role of education in their professional life. The answer you receive will give you a good idea of how they view their own education and how they view the importance of education in general.

    Sample Answer: My education has prepared me for this position by teaching me how to work with people and how to understand what they need.

      What the interviewer is looking for:
    • - Understanding of the role of education in their professional life
    • - Understanding of the role of education in the sales industry

  • Question: How has your past experience helped you prepare for a role of sales engineer at Google?
  • Question Overview: This question is designed to see how well the candidate can adapt to a new environment. You want to see how well they can take their past experience and apply it to a new situation. If they can do this, you know that they will be able to work well in your company.

    Sample Answer: I have worked in a variety of different environments, and I am used to adapting my communication style and approach to fit the needs of my customers.

      What the interviewer is looking for:
    • - Ability to adapt to new environments
    • - Ability to take past experience and apply it to a new situation

  • Question: What is something that you look for in a company?
  • Question Overview: This is a question that you want to ask to see if the sales engineer is a good fit for your company. If they are looking for something that you don't provide, then it is best to move on. However, if they are looking for the same things that you are, then you can feel more confident in their ability to work with you.

    Sample Answer: I like to work with companies that have a strong reputation and are growing in their field.

      What the interviewer is looking for:
    • - Ability to work with a company that is growing
    • - Willingness to work with a company that offers a lot of opportunity
    • - Desire to work with a company that has a strong reputation

  • Question: Why do you think you're a good fit for the role?
  • Question Overview: This is a chance for the candidate to show you why they are a good fit for the role. This is your chance to see how they can sell themselves and how they can convince you that they are the right person for the job.

    Sample Answer: I am a great fit for this role because I have a lot of experience working with clients and I am very familiar with the products we offer.

      What the interviewer is looking for:
    • - Ability to sell themselves
    • - Confidence in their abilities
    • - Willingness to go above and beyond

  • Question: How do you plan and organize your goals?
  • Question Overview: This is an important question to ask because it will help you understand how the sales engineer plans their work. You want someone who is organized and knows how to plan their workload. If they are disorganized, it could be a sign that they are not a good fit for your business.

    Sample Answer: I like to plan my goals by first writing them down and then breaking them down into smaller tasks that I can accomplish in a day.

      What the interviewer is looking for:
    • - Method of planning goals
    • - Ability to prioritize goals
    • - Ability to meet goals

  • Question: What motivates you?
  • Question Overview: The answer you receive here will help you understand how the sales engineer will work in your company. If they are motivated by money, they will be more likely to push for a sale. If they are motivated by the challenge of a sale, they will be more likely to work hard to close the deal.

    Sample Answer: I am motivated by the challenge of a sale. I like to learn more about the product and help customers make the right decision.

      What the interviewer is looking for:
    • - Desire to make a sale
    • - Desire to learn more about the product
    • - Desire to help customers

  • Question: How do we scale to serve the largest financial institutions?
  • Question Overview: This is a question that will help you learn more about the candidate's knowledge of the sales industry. You want to find someone who can help you scale your business to the largest financial institutions in the world. You want to make sure that the sales engineer understands how to do this, and you want to know that they are capable of doing so.

    Sample Answer: I have experience with working with large financial institutions, and I know that it is important to keep the customer's needs in mind when scaling a business.

      What the interviewer is looking for:
    • - Understanding of how to scale a business
    • - Knowledge of the sales industry
    • - Ability to work with large financial institutions

  • Question: How would you convince a client to buy the much higher products?
  • Question Overview: You want the candidate to show that they understand the value of your products and that they know how to convince a client to buy them. This is a great question to see how well the sales engineer can sell themselves and their products.

    Sample Answer: I would explain the benefits of the higher-end product and show them how it will help them in the long run.

      What the interviewer is looking for:
    • - Ability to convince clients to buy more expensive products
    • - Understanding of the value of your products
    • - Ability to sell the product's benefits

  • Question: What is your hobby?
  • Question Overview: This is a question that you can ask to learn more about the candidate's personality. You can use this to get a feel for how they spend their free time and what they do when they are not working. This can also give you an idea of how they will fit into your company's culture.

    Sample Answer: I like to go fishing because it allows me to relax and unwind after a long day at work.

      What the interviewer is looking for:
    • - A hobby that is in line with your company's culture
    • - A hobby that shows the candidate's personality
    • - A hobby that shows the candidate's dedication to their work

  • Question: What would you do on a typical day in this role?
  • Question Overview: The answer you receive here will help you to understand what the candidate expects from the position and what they are used to in their previous positions. If you find that there is overlap between their expectations and your workplace, you know that they will be able to settle into the position with ease.

    Sample Answer: I would typically spend my day talking with customers about their needs and how I could help them optimize their sales.

      What the interviewer is looking for:
    • - Detailed description of a typical day
    • - Ability to adapt to your company's culture

  • Question: When can you join us?
  • Question Overview: This is a question that you will want to ask at the end of the interview. It gives you an idea of how quickly the candidate can get started with you. If they are already employed, you will want to ask about their notice period and how long it will take for them to join you.

    Sample Answer: I can start as soon as possible. I have a month's notice period, but I can start in two weeks.

      What the interviewer is looking for:
    • - When they can start
    • - How long it will take for them to start

  • Question: Who has been a good resource to you?
  • Question Overview: This is a great question to ask because it allows you to learn more about the candidate's professional network. You can also get a feel for how they work with others and how they can be a resource to you in the future.

    Sample Answer: I have been helped by my manager, and I would like to work with him in the future.

      What the interviewer is looking for:
    • - People who have helped them in the past
    • - People who they would like to work with in the future
    • - People they would like to avoid

  • Question: How would you handle a situation where the client raises an objection?
  • Question Overview: This is a great question to see how the candidate will handle a situation that might arise in the future. You want to see how they handle objections and how they can overcome them. You also want to see how they can handle a situation where they have no idea what the objection is.

    Sample Answer: I would ask the client what their objection is and try to find out why they are raising it. I would then try to find a way to address their concern.

      What the interviewer is looking for:
    • - Ability to handle objections
    • - Ability to handle objections with no knowledge of the situation
    • - Ability to handle objections with knowledge of the situation