Top Outside Sales Representative Interview Questions with Example Answers [2022]

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

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  • Question: What is your biggest weakness?
  • Question Overview: This is a classic interview question that's designed to gauge the candidate's self-awareness. The best way to answer this question is by admitting a weakness and then explaining how you're working to improve it. The candidate should also demonstrate that they're aware of the weakness and that they're actively working to improve it.

    Sample Answer: I tend to get too focused on the task at hand and lose sight of the big picture. I'm working on improving my ability to see the big picture so that I can better serve my customers.

      What the interviewer is looking for:
    • - Self-awareness of one's weaknesses
    • - Commitment to improvement
    • - Ability to admit fault

  • Question: What are your strengths?
  • Question Overview: This is a broad question that can be answered in a number of ways. The candidate should be prepared to discuss their strengths in terms of their ability to sell products and services. They should also be able to speak to their strengths in terms of their ability to work with others.

    Sample Answer: My strengths are my ability to sell products and services as well as my ability to work with others.

      What the interviewer is looking for:
    • - Ability to sell products and services
    • - Ability to work with others

  • Question: How would you approach the sales process?
  • Question Overview: This question is aimed at gauging the candidate's sales process. The outside sales representative needs to be able to sell the product or service in a way that's tailored to the customer's needs. The best way to do this is by asking questions and listening to what the client has to say.

    Sample Answer: I would ask questions about the client's business and then tailor my pitch accordingly.

      What the interviewer is looking for:
    • - Ability to tailor sales pitch to client's needs
    • - Ability to ask questions and listen
    • - Desire to learn about client's needs

  • Question: If you were an animal, what would it be?
  • Question Overview: This is a fun question that's intended to gauge the candidate's personality. The answer can reveal a lot about the candidate's outlook on life.

    Sample Answer: I would be a lion because they're strong and powerful.

      What the interviewer is looking for:
    • - Sense of humor
    • - Ability to be playful

  • Question: Why do you want to be a salesperson?
  • Question Overview: This question is aimed at gauging the candidate's interest in sales. The best candidates are those who are genuinely interested in sales and have a desire to be a part of the process. The worst candidates are those who are just looking for a job and don't have any real interest in sales.

    Sample Answer: I've always had an interest in sales because I enjoy helping people.

      What the interviewer is looking for:
    • - Desire to be a part of the sales process
    • - Passion for sales
    • - Interest in the field

  • Question: What makes you a good fit for this position?
  • Question Overview: The candidate needs to be able to demonstrate that they have the skills and experience to do the job. They should also be able to show that they're a good fit for the organization and that they're interested in the job.

    Sample Answer: I have the skills and experience to do this job. I'm also interested in working for a company like yours because of its reputation.

      What the interviewer is looking for:
    • - Demonstrated skills and experience
    • - Interest in the position
    • - Interest in the company

  • Question: What are your motivations?
  • Question Overview: This question is designed to gauge the candidate's desire to succeed and their drive to achieve their goals. The best outside sales representatives are those who are hungry for success and willing to do what it takes to get there.

    Sample Answer: I want to be the best at what I do, and I'm willing to do whatever it takes to get there.

      What the interviewer is looking for:
    • - Desire to succeed
    • - Willingness to do what it takes
    • - Commitment to achieving goals

  • Question: What are your salary expectations?
  • Question Overview: This question is intended to gauge the candidate's salary expectations. The ideal outside sales representative is one who is willing to work for a fair wage and not one who is seeking to maximize their compensation. The candidate should be able to provide a number that's fair for them and the company.

    Sample Answer: I'm looking for a salary that's fair for both the company and myself.

      What the interviewer is looking for:
    • - Ability to provide a fair wage
    • - Willingness to work for a fair wage

  • Question: How are you experienced in B2C sales?
  • Question Overview: This question is aimed at gauging the candidate's experience in the outside sales role. It's important that the candidate has experience in selling to consumers as opposed to business-to-business. The best candidates will have experience selling to a variety of customers, not just one type.

    Sample Answer: I've sold to a variety of customers, including both businesses and consumers.

      What the interviewer is looking for:
    • - Experience selling to a variety of customers
    • - Knowledge of how to sell to consumers
    • - Experience selling products and services

  • Question: What are three adjectives that describe you?
  • Question Overview: This question is aimed at getting a sense of the candidate's personality. The best outside sales representative is one who is friendly, outgoing, and energetic. They should also be able to build rapport with clients and be able to relate to them.

    Sample Answer: I would describe myself as friendly, outgoing, and energetic.

      What the interviewer is looking for:
    • - Friendly
    • - Outgoing
    • - Energetic

  • Question: What would you do to make a deal?
  • Question Overview: This question is aimed at finding out the candidate's sales approach. The best outside sales representatives are those who can get customers to buy their products. They need to be able to sell the benefits of the product or service and not just the features.

    Sample Answer: I would ask the customer what they need and then show them how my product meets those needs.

      What the interviewer is looking for:
    • - Ability to sell the benefits of a product
    • - Knowledge of how to close a sale
    • - Willingness to ask for the sale

  • Question: What are your short term and long term goals?
  • Question Overview: The candidate should be able to explain how they plan to achieve their goals. They should also be able to explain how they will measure their progress. The outside sales representative should be able to articulate how they will improve their performance and what they will do if they fall short of their goals.

    Sample Answer: My short term goal is to increase my sales by 15% over the next quarter. My long term goal is to increase my sales by 30% over the next year. I'll measure my progress by tracking my sales numbers. If I fall short of my goals, I'll adjust my approach in order to reach them.

      What the interviewer is looking for:
    • - Ability to articulate a plan for achieving goals
    • - Ability to measure progress
    • - Ability to adjust plans when necessary

  • Question: What do you think about winning?
  • Question Overview: This question is aimed at gauging the candidate's attitude towards winning. The best outside sales representatives are those who are competitive and who want to win. They don't care about the money or the fame, but they do care about winning. In many cases, outside sales representatives have to compete with other sales representatives for the same clients. The best ones are those who are willing to do whatever it takes to win.

    Sample Answer: I like winning because it means that I'm doing my job well.

      What the interviewer is looking for:
    • - Desire to win
    • - Willingness to do what it takes to win
    • - Ability to work hard towards a goal

  • Question: How long do you plan to work for us?
  • Question Overview: This question is aimed at gauging the candidate's interest in the job. A good candidate will be interested in the company's future and will want to be a part of it. They will also be interested in how they can grow within the company.

    Sample Answer: I plan on working for your company for a long time because I'm interested in growing within the organization.

      What the interviewer is looking for:
    • - Desire to work for the company for a long time
    • - Commitment to the company's success
    • - Interest in learning new skills

  • Question: Tell me about your biggest failure.
  • Question Overview: This question is designed to see how the candidate reacts to failure. It's important that they learn from their mistakes and don't repeat them. It's also important that they don't dwell on them and instead focus on the future.

    Sample Answer: I once had a customer who was very interested in my product but ultimately decided not to purchase it. I was so focused on getting the sale that I didn't ask why they were declining. The next time I saw them, I asked why they didn't buy and learned that they were interested in a different product.

      What the interviewer is looking for:
    • - Ability to learn from mistakes
    • - Commitment to improving
    • - Ability to move on from failure

  • Question: What makes you think that you would be good at this job?
  • Question Overview: The candidate needs to be able to sell themselves. They need to be able to convince the interviewer that they have the skills and experience to do the job well. The best way to do this is by highlighting past accomplishments and relating them to the position.

    Sample Answer: I have a lot of experience in sales and have been successful in my previous positions. I know that I can bring my experience to this position and help you grow your business.

      What the interviewer is looking for:
    • - Ability to sell their skills
    • - Experience in similar positions
    • - Knowledge of the company's products or services

  • Question: What makes you different from the others?
  • Question Overview: The candidate needs to be able to demonstrate that they have the skills and knowledge to sell the product. They should also be able to show that they have the ability to think outside the box and come up with new ways to sell the product.

    Sample Answer: I'm different from other candidates because I've been selling products for a long time, and I'm always looking for new ways to do it.

      What the interviewer is looking for:
    • - Ability to sell product
    • - Creativity in thinking
    • - Willingness to learn new ways of selling

  • Question: What would you do if you don't get this job?
  • Question Overview: This question is aimed at gauging the candidate's commitment to the job. If they're not committed to getting the job, then they're not committed to doing well in the job. The candidate should have a plan for what they'll do if they don't get the job.

    Sample Answer: If I don't get this job, I'll continue to work hard and look for other opportunities.

      What the interviewer is looking for:
    • - Desire to get the job
    • - Ability to plan for the future

  • Question: What is your greatest achievement?
  • Question Overview: This question is aimed at gauging the candidate's self-awareness and self-confidence. The best outside sales representative is one who can look back on their greatest achievement and describe it in a way that shows that they are proud of what they have done.

    Sample Answer: My greatest achievement was when I was able to increase the number of new clients by 20% in one year.

      What the interviewer is looking for:
    • - Ability to take pride in their accomplishments
    • - Self-confidence to speak about their successes

  • Question: What are the challenges you have faced in a sales experience?
  • Question Overview: The candidate needs to be able to demonstrate that they have been able to overcome obstacles in the past. The best way to do this is by being able to explain how they overcame the challenge and what they learned from it.

    Sample Answer: I had a customer who was hesitant about purchasing our product. I was able to overcome this challenge by offering a free trial period so that the customer could see how well it worked.

      What the interviewer is looking for:
    • - Ability to overcome challenges
    • - Ability to learn from mistakes
    • - Willingness to take risks