If you typically met your sales goals in past roles, it’s more likely that you’ll meet them for your new company. The hiring manager wants to understand how you perform, so while you should be honest, you should focus on the positives. If there were times when you didn’t meet your goal, explain what you learned and how you applied those learnings moving forward to improve and be more successful. Be sure to highlight any time you really exceeded goals, won awards, or were a top salesperson for your team or company. 

Nearly every sales representative has one sale they are more proud of than the rest. It could have been a difficult client you were still able to close, a huge sale in total revenue, or something else. The hiring manager wants to get an understanding of your sales strategy and persistence when it comes to closing a sale, as well as your qualities as a sales rep. Avoid bragging here, but showcase how you’re a strong candidate for this role. 

Sales representatives should be self-motivated to achieve goals. Not only do you have to generate your own leads, follow up, and be persistent, but you have to close sales to generate revenue for the company. Often, this is done on your own. 

The hiring manager wants to ensure you have the motivation and passion for sales that will make you successful. Try to go beyond an obvious answer, like salary, and it’s even better if you're able to tie your response to the company’s overall goals. 

“I’m always motivated to outperform myself and compete with my personal results from previous quarters. My goal is to see growth in my sales each new quarter, and I strive to beat each of those goals.”

There are a number of qualities and skills that make a good retail sales associate. You must understand technology and the product you’re selling, , and have closing skills. Your relationship building, communication, time management and critical thinking skills are also important. What makes you a great etail sales associate. likely comes down to a few of these qualities. 

Highlight the qualities you feel are most important for a etail sales associate. to be successful, and share examples of how you have those qualities. You should try to match your answer to what the company is looking for in the right candidate. 

“I believe _____ and _____ are the most important qualities or skills a sales representative can have because _____. These skills allow a sales representative to _____. In a previous role, these skills allowed me to _____.”

Working in sales can be both challenging and rewarding. It often takes a special type of person or personality to find success. You’ve likely faced both positive and negative scenarios during your time in sales, so briefly highlight them. Share why you love sales, why you’re successful, or at the end of the day, something you’ve learned. 

“The most rewarding thing about sales is _____. I’ve found that by _____ I’m able to feel/do _____.”

When discussing the challenges, be sure to still focus on the positives. Use this as an opportunity to showcase something you learned, or how you use the challenges you face to make yourself better. 

“In the past, I’ve faced the challenge of _____. But, I was able to learn _____ and apply that to all of my sales moving forward, which has _____.” 

You’re likely to encounter this question in several different interview situations, but it’s important to tailor your answer to the job you’re interviewing for. Yes, the interviewer does want to know why you want this position. Don’t discount passion thinking this is an easy hourly job pick-up…employers don’t like that. Sales Associate jobs require a specific set of skills. Even if you did originally apply simply because you need a job, think about what interested you in this company or this position, specifically.

Here’s your chance to explain the characteristics of fantastic customer service. Does it depend upon friendliness? Empathy? Strong communication skills? All three? Take this question a step further by explaining what excellent customer service is and then diving into how you exhibit these qualities.