Successful prediction, as it pertains to master marketers [read: salespeople], has been elusive amongst the best of sales managers, who most often are salespeople themselves. The question most often asked is “Why does one person succeed, yet another does not with the very same opportunity? To attempt to solve this equation, millions of dollars are spent on very good books as to how to hire. Understandably, it would not be polite or professional to thumb through an earmarked tome asking random questions. Alternatively, there is a litany of competency assessments that ostensibly predict such nebulous attributes as: Temperament | Reasoning | Confidence | Resiliency | Competitive | Curiosity Unless one has a PhD in cybernetics, solely relying on this methodology is akin to lassoing a unicorn. These, presumably, may be great personality qualities, but what they do not tell is whether this person can sell. So, let us enable you with some questions that are fluid and agnostic, in that they are relevant to organizations searching for the right salesperson, or a salesperson seeking the right leader. More so, they are strategic in their nature. REMEMBER! First, and foremost, is to ensure that like-minded individuals are on the same team with the same end-in- mind: MAKE EACH OTHER SUCCESSFUL!

1. What’s Your Real Question
40 Strategic Sales Interview Questions
Presented By Galt Society

2. Successful prediction, as it pertains to master
marketers [read: salespeople], has been elusive
amongst the best of sales managers, who often are
salespeople themselves.
The question most asked:
“Why does one person succeed, yet another fails
with the very same opportunity?
EVERYONE SELLS!
TREAT THE HIRING PROCESS LIKE A SALE
Galt Society 2011

3. TRADITIONAL HIRING PROCESS
One Dimensional
Manager
•Expectation
Employee
•Historical Performance
Company
•Incentives
Result
•Future Performance
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4. SITUATION
• Three other sales people at the same
company made the same claim.
• Management was heavily engage; very
creative pricing and terms; was the
only deal that the candidate closed.
• He never called nor followed-up.
• A candidate had claimed to have sold a
multi-million dollar deal to an account.
• A candidate had sold a multi-million
deal to a Fortune 50 account, earning
her a 7-figure commission.
• A candidate submitted a perfect
resume to an advertised position.
REALITY
EXAMPLES
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5. WHO WE ARE DETERMINES WHAT WE ARE
Galt Society 2011
Candidate Manager Company Collective

6. PRE-HIRE
• True –self
• Environment
• Rhythms
• Social
• Communication
• Personality test
• Not context specific
• Statistical relevance
• False positive
• Discriminatory
• Best behavior
• Cognizant
• Selling themselves
• Limited interaction
POST-HIRE
DATING AND MARRIAGE
Galt Society 2011
REMEMBER!
The ONLY goal for both a manager and a sales professional is to:
MAKE EACH OTHER SUCCESSFUL!

7. Galt Society 2011
TAKE NOTES
Ask them ….

8. 1. What are your long-term
professional goals?
2. What is the biggest obstacle
from achieving those goals?
3. What did you like about
your last company?
4. Why did you leave?
5. Would you go back if you
could?
6. Why haven’t you?
7. What would you say has
been your biggest failure or
mistake?
8. What attracts you to me/us?
9. What are your favorite
selling books?
PERSONAL QUESTIONS
HOW DOES THEIR ETHOS INTERACT WITH THEIR PROFESSION?
Galt Society 2011

9. PROFESSIONAL QUESTIONS
DO THEY VIEW THEIR CAREER AS A PROFESSION OR A JOB?
10. What is your sales process?
11. What do you like about it?
Why?
12. What do you dislike about it?
Why?
13. What would you change if you
could?
14. What do you see as your
primary role within a company?
15. What would be your secondary
role?
16. What are your top 3 open-
ended questions for a sales call?
17. Walk me through the process
you would go through to qualify
a prospect.
18. Tell me about the most exciting
opportunity that you ever won.
Galt Society 2011

10. 19. How are you measured?
20. How many people on your
team hit their numbers last
year?
21. What was the attrition rate
last year?
22. Where did they go?
23. What are your top 2
initiatives in your first 3
months?
24. Why is that important to
you?
25. What will happen if you do
not achieve those goals?
26. What will it take to be
successful this year?
27. If you are successful, what
would it look like on your
resume?
QUANTITATIVE QUESTIONS
DO THEY HAVE AN END IN MIND?
Galt Society 2011

11. 28. How would you stack rank
yourself amongst your peers?
29. What are your peers doing that
you would like to do?
30. What differentiates you from
your peers?
31. What do you think is the most
important attribute are to be
successful in sales?
32. What do you see as the key issues
in negotiating?
33. What do you see as the key skills
in selling?
34. In a perfect world, what would
you change about yourself if you
could?
Competitive Questions
HOW DO THEY THINK OF THEMSELVES IN TERMS OF OTHERS
Galt Society 2011

12. 35. How would you describe your
work?
36. How would those with whom you
worked describe the work you do?
37. If I were sitting next to your boss
and asked what I need to do to
make you successful, what would
he/she say?
38. What’s your drop-dead date for
making a decision?
39. What are your alternatives?
40. After today, net-net, are you more
interested or less interested?
Why?
EXCEL AT DEVELOPING A PLAN OF ATTACK
DEDICATES TIME EVERYDAY TO PLAN THE NEXT DAY
Galt Society 2011

13. Dan Gibbs
dan@galtsociety.com
Zero-Day Recruiting eliminates the valleys of revenue
recognition when managing change in your sales force
and your future.
Galt Society 2011