Sales Representative interview questions, and what they're really asking

Sales interviews test resilience, process and numbers. Expect to be asked for your quota attainment and to sell something on the spot. Below are the questions you're most likely to face and what a strong answer shows. When you're ready, rehearse them in the Interview Lab with questions built from your job ad.

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Top 6 sales representative interview questions

  1. What was your quota last year, and how did you perform against it?

    What they're looking for
    Concrete numbers, context, and how you got there.

  2. Walk me through your sales process from lead to close.

    What they're looking for
    Prospecting, discovery, qualification (BANT/MEDDIC), proposal, objections and closing.

  3. Tell me about a deal you lost. What did you learn?

    What they're looking for
    Honest reflection and a change you made to your process afterwards.

  4. Sell me this pen.

    What they're looking for
    Asking discovery questions before pitching, and tying benefits to needs.

  5. How do you handle the objection "it's too expensive"?

    What they're looking for
    Exploring value and the cost of doing nothing, not discounting straight away.

  6. How do you organise your pipeline?

    What they're looking for
    CRM discipline, pipeline coverage, and focusing on the deals most likely to close.

Reading questions isn't the same as answering them

Most candidates know the questions and still freeze on the day. In the Interview Lab, an AI hiring manager asks questions written from the real job ad and your CV. You answer by voice or text and get a scored report with a stronger version of every answer.

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Frequently asked questions

How should I prepare for a sales representative interview?

Study the job ad, prepare STAR stories for the competencies it lists, rehearse answers out loud, and do a mock interview. The Interview Lab generates sales representative questions from the actual ad and scores your answers.

How long should my answers be?

Roughly 1 to 2 minutes for behavioural questions. Technical questions can run longer if you walk through your reasoning.

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