How to pass an interview for a sales manager without experience. How to Successfully Pass a Sales Manager Job Interview

After reading this article, you will be able to select employees who will not shift responsibility to others, see the true motives of the candidate hidden behind lofty words, find a leader who will manage harshly but fairly.

Correcting the shortcomings of mankind is not your task. If you hope to change your life partner over time, it is best not to get married. This also applies to work: do not hire people who will have to be redone. Keep interviewing until a worthy candidate appears. In the article we will consider sales manager interview questions to help you find the right candidate.

Interview tests prepared by the editors of the Commercial Director magazine will help determine the key character traits of your candidate.

MDMQ test, which in 10 minutes will show how a person will act in a difficult situation

Finding real talent takes effort. For example, the giants Google and Microsoft conduct unusual interviews for this. Applicants are asked few questions, but they are “with a twist”.

So, at Google, candidates are asked:

• "How many golf balls will fit on a school bus?"
• “You have been reduced to the size of a coin. Your mass has been proportionally reduced, but you have retained the original density. Then you were thrown into an empty blender. The blades will start moving after 60 seconds. What will you do?"
• “How much does it cost to clean every single window in Seattle?”

Microsoft asks questions like this:

• "Why is the manhole cover round?"
• “You have an opaque box with three light bulbs in it. Switches outside. How do you determine which switch corresponds to which light bulb if the box can be opened once - and only after all the switches are locked?
• "How to check the work of the salt shaker?"

It is not the answers that are of interest to employers, but the candidate's way of thinking and his reasoning. Domestic leaders do not lag behind Western colleagues and give applicants a real shake-up.

• Interview rules: recipes for competent self-presentation

What interview questions will help determine the benefit of a sales manager in advance

At Splat, the interview questions are: “What can you teach us?” and “Who is your authority?”. Open-ended interview questions give a prospective sales manager an opportunity to show their true colors. Any answers are interesting, the main thing is to see how a person thinks. Someone answers that it will help to learn MS Excel, and someone - that it will teach you to see beauty or unite people. The answers to the question about authorities are also evaluated. It can be parents, someone close, a friend, a famous person, etc. It is important that there is such a person. The absence of authorities speaks of narrowness of views, unwillingness to think and learn broadly, or pride.

11 interview questions you should ask at least once in your life

Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Reed Hoffman and other executives from the world's most famous companies are asking out-of-the-box interview questions to see how candidates think and deal with problems in real time. Some questions may seem strange to you, but they really work.

Download the list of non-standard interview questions in the article of the electronic magazine "Commercial Director".

How to check the honesty of a candidate in an interview

At interviews at the Glinopererabotka company, candidates are checked for honesty. They ask one question for this: “You have plans for the evening - you are going to go somewhere with your family (with a girl, a young man). But you get an urgent task, because of which you will have to stay at work. Personal plans will have to be cancelled. How will you do it? There is no single correct answer - the main thing is that it be honest and reasoned. Falsehood is always felt. Sometimes they also ask: “You are faced with unfair reproaches from the leadership against you. How will you react? The answer is evaluated in the same way as the first one.

• 6 tricky interview questions that will take you by surprise

How to find out if a person is ready to look for solutions

There are people who blame everyone around them, but not themselves. This habit also shows up at work. For example, the Aibolit Plus company faced the following situation: one of the candidates, having decided to prove herself, began to criticize the organization's strategy and approaches to work. She stated that the Moscow company has nothing to do in the region. At the same time, she did not give arguments, although she was asked why she thought so and what she would advise. The conclusion is this: the applicant saw only the bad, but did not offer options on how to do better. This suggests that a person will always find reasons why the plan is not fulfilled, the branch does not develop. Such an employee should not be hired.

How to understand the mind of the applicant

In work, it matters how smoothly and logically people express their thoughts. Communication skills and clarity of presentation are especially important in sales. Often the outcome of the transaction depends on the ability to speak. In order to assess such skills, the Barcelona company asks applicants to write an essay on any topic. Written speech shows the ability to think structurally, designate and develop an idea, and support it with arguments. If a person writes in this style, then he works the same way: he sets a goal, highlights the stages and consistently moves forward.

The written test is the key to a person's character. If the candidate claims that he is a responsible employee and an expert in his field, and skips elementary commas, this is an indicator. Negligence in a letter will sooner or later manifest itself in a negligent attitude to one's duties.

How to test a candidate's leadership qualities in an interview

In the company "Glinopererabotka" to evaluate candidates for a managerial position, they ask the question: "The subordinate did not complete the task on time. Your actions?". If the answer “I will do it myself in the interests of the company” follows, they refuse to cooperate with such an applicant. At the same time, it does not matter what he adds to what was said (for example, he promises to punish the employee). The leader should not perform the duties of subordinates.

To understand how tough a person came to the company, they ask: “The subordinate was rude to you. How will you do it? If the candidate says: “I will educate, explain that the rude person did wrong,” he is cut off. The following response is expected from a potential leader: “I will severely stop it, I will impose a penalty, and if it happens again, I will fire you.” There is no place for liberalism in production.

• Leadership Development: Ways to Change Your Mind

Interview questions to test the self-esteem of a sales manager

HR managers ask applicants to name three of their shortcomings. Candidates talk about perfectionism, excessive demands on themselves and others, about a large proportion of the time they devote to work to the detriment of their personal lives, etc. These are formulaic phrases that do not correspond to reality. The BBDO Group is asking people to tell us about two personal growth trainings and two professional trainings they would like to attend, given an unlimited budget and time. The answer shows the weaknesses of the potential employee and the desire to develop. For example, if the applicant names trainings on time management, then he has problems with self-organization.

Four non-standard questions and two tasks at the interview

"If you could be any superhero, who would you choose?" The answer will allow you to understand what qualities a person considers the most important and valuable.

"Design graphically your professionalism." Draw a square and explain that this is a "professional field". Say that a person who has mastered the profession by 100% fills the entire square. Ask to paint over a proportion of the figure that corresponds to the professional level of the candidate. Usually no one will shade the square completely. Then ask why the part was not painted over, and the person will talk about his shortcomings.

“What is the main reason that pushes you to change?” Choosing new job, a person wants to change something in life, and possibly in a working environment or in relationships with people. This way you will know what the candidate's priorities and motivation are.

“If I call your former boss, what will he say about you?” Answering this question at the interview, the applicant for the position of sales manager should look at himself from the outside. In addition, he will have to name the reason for the change of job.

“In three sentences, explain to your eight-year-old nephew what a database is.” Instead of "database", you can take another term related to the work of the candidate. How quickly and clearly a person explains the essence to the uninitiated will help to assess professionalism.

How will you become part of our team? New employee requires attention, because he still does not know much about the technology of working in the company. To do everything right, you will have to interact with the team, which will explain something, give advice, and help. The answer to this question will show whether the candidate thinks about it, whether he understands how his behavior in the first months will affect further relationships with colleagues.

According to the magazine "General Director"

Hello, dear readers of business magazine RichPro.ru! In today's article, we will look at the questions of how to behave in an interview, namely how to successfully pass a job interview.

By compiling a competent resume and sending it to various organizations, an invitation to an interview will be the success of your undertaking. It would seem that it can be difficult when meeting with an interlocutor, how to explain your position and get the coveted vacancy.

In fact, sometimes the desire to show oneself as a leader, improper behavior, and even doubts when answering a question posed can amount to wrong impression about you and lead to a negative result.

There are many different rules that help build the right dialogue, convince a potential employer of your candidacy, and by following them you can gain confidence, forgetting about fears. We have already written about confidence and self-esteem in the article - ""

Of course, job search– the process is always difficult and tedious, which is why it is important to put all the remaining efforts so that your invitation to an interview becomes the final stage.

So, from the article you will learn:

• How to pass a job interview - 5 steps;
• How to behave at an interview if you have no work experience - 7 tips and tricks 5 basic rules;
• Frequently asked questions and answers in a job interview;
• How to sell a pen in an interview?

How to behave at an interview to get hired - read the rules and recommendations further in the article

At its core, this is a regular meeting between you and a future employer, and perhaps even his representative, which allows you to discuss in more detail the details of your future cooperation.

In the course of the conversation, each makes for himself the final decision on the question of whether how the reverse side is suitable. That is, you you determine for yourself whether all the proposed conditions will really suit you, and supervisor the organization makes a conclusion about the professional suitability of the employee.

Today, there are many different species, types and even divisions interviews that employees of the enterprise can use in the process of selecting a candidate. It is worth at least a little understanding of them in order to be ready for any situation.

According to its type, an interview can be of 4 types.

Type of interview No. 1- Phone call

This is the first stage, which may entail a meeting with the immediate potential supervisor.

By a similar method they are used when the resume leaves interest, and the information described in it requires confirmation.

The call can come at any time, so no matter the situation, it is important to behave correctly. Even if you have been waiting for a decision from the employees of the company for a very long time and have finally contacted you, you should not answer the phone with pronounced joyful intonations.

The most banal question Are you comfortable talking now? can say a lot to an experienced HR worker. Decide for yourself whether you really have enough time to calmly answer all the questions.

If so, then say confidently: Yes, I am listening to you» Otherwise, let them know that you are a little busy and you can call back yourself via 2-3 minutes, specifying the phone number and name of the employee.

During this period, try to calm down, figure out which company contacted you, and find a draft resume sent. Review all the information that is described in it, focus on the most important details, and then, having prepared yourself for the conversation, dial the given number.

Type of interview No. 2- Personal meeting

Most common type of interview. It involves direct contact and is designed to test your professional characteristics. About how such communication takes place, what behavior to choose for it, and what is important for each of the meeting parties, we will consider a little later.

Type of interview No. 3- Communication with a group of candidates

Each vacancy includes search for the best employee. But, sometimes it happens that there can be several applicants at once and the manager of the organization holds a group meeting in order to understand which of the applicants who have arrived best meets the specified parameters.

At such a meeting, it is important to be able to show your professional skills, try to answer the questions asked most accurately and have the necessary degree of stress resistance.

Collective communication- it is always a rivalry with each other, the price of which is your ability to get the offered vacancy. But, do not resort to hard behavior and insult, and even more so to reveal superiority over interlocutors. Remember that your every wrong deed and even a spoken word can become reason for further rejection..

Type of interview No. 4- Commission

Sometimes, in order to simplify the process of selecting candidates, an interview is scheduled for one day, on which leading employees from various fields who are able to do final choice .

You are invited to a meeting where various questions are asked, and they can intersect and come from a whole group of people. As a result, a decision is made that will be known to you almost immediately.

This method allows you to cover many areas of the enterprise at once and understand how the applicant really corresponds to the proposed position.

In any case, getting to such a meeting, you should understand that the task of the employee communicating with you is it's a selection . In fact, you will be considered for the degree to which you fit the portrait of an ideal employee. On how you are able to fulfill all the requirements of the proposed job description, adapt to the team, show their skills depends on the decision.

Depending on this, the interview can be divided into several types:

• stress interview . It is carried out mainly when the work itself involves the occurrence of such situations. It could be a job operator, telephone worker, transport logistics , sales floor manager, procurement organization etc. in essence, in the course of the conversation, a moment will be created that will determine the real traits of your character. The simplest methods are: raising your voice, repeating the same question at intervals, constantly interrupting your narration, inadequate grins, or discussing information that is not related to the main topic. There can also be 2 ways of behavior. Either you will try to answer each question without raising your own voice, or you will interrupt the speech in order to calmly explain that this point has already been discussed. It is important to understand that, causing your stressful condition an employee of the organization will observe and care. Therefore, a monotonous conversation will raise doubts, and this is already a sign of reflection on your candidacy.
• cinemalogy . A similar method is very often used in organizations with a multi-stage selection system. It allows you to fully consider your professional quality. At the time of the meeting, you will be offered view video excerpt, where an unfinished situation or action, and most likely even just an abstract episode. Your task tell what was viewed, draw conclusions and suggest ways to solve the situation. Of course, a small enterprise with a limited staff will not resort to such measures of studying candidates. But, network companies working in the global market and even in conditions of regional cooperation are quite capable of arranging this type of interview. Leading employees who solve a number of tasks every day should easily navigate the situation and find the most optimal solutions.
• Testing . This is a preview of your candidacy. The main task is to correctly answer the questions posed not only professionally, but also psychological nature. There is a special rating scale, and special sensitive questions are included in the list in order to evaluate your reaction to them.
• The immersion method . It can be found, for the most part, in large, dynamically developing organizations. An open vacancy for a managerial position is likely to involve such an application. All essence is as follows: you are given a situation on which the further state of affairs in the organization depends, and here it is important not only to find a way out, but also to explain the reasons why you propose to do so.

Of course, the simplest positions of an ordinary line performer do not imply much difficulty in checking professional data when choosing a future employee. Therefore, most likely, the meeting will involve regular contact with the study of your resume, or rather confirmation of his data. and what professional qualities and skills to indicate we already wrote in the last article.

But if the company has a world-class level, and each department has several dozens or even hundreds of people subordinate to it, then prove their individuality and abilities you will have to meet several times, step by step, with several specialists.

When reviewing your resume, first of all, the employee of the personnel department will pay attention to general characteristics. He will try to recognize your analytic skills, character traits, basis of motivation and even life philosophy.

Compatibility with the organization itself is also considered an important factor. She is checked in two directions . It's no secret that any company has its own culture, well-established traditions and order of conduct.

It may also happen that your personal values ​​and style do not match what a potential employer offers. That is why, getting to such a meeting, it is important to ask the right questions in order to understand future compatibility.

2. Methods for selecting candidates for an interview

Employees HR department, especially agencies working in this direction already quite long term, have mass ways and methods, thanks to which you can evaluate a person from different angles.

1. Questionnaire. You are invited to fill out a specially created document in which there are a number of questions regarding your psychological state and professional skills. Then, by selecting the best candidates, a meeting is scheduled with the head representative of the department, where the vacancy is open.
2. Biography. In a preliminary communication, you are asked to tell about where you worked before, what educational institutions you graduated from, whether you had an internship or practice, and even how far you live from the place of possible employment at the moment. With such questions, the interlocutor tries to understand whether you have experience, whether you are ready to overcome distances and how often you can count on you at the time of the necessary part-time work. Sometimes even the question of the reason for your dismissal can form a common opinion.
3. Criteria. Some vacancies require the mandatory presence of certain qualities. Therefore, a competent specialist can determine in advance the important elements for the future candidate to meet them. The selection process in this case is very simple. First they look at your resume, and then in a conversation they determine whether you fit the criteria.
4. Studying the situation. This technique has already been discussed earlier, but its essence is to clearly, quickly and correctly recognize the situation, understand its essence and find the right way to solve it.

A job interview may include one important feature. Filling out the form, being tested or even just talking to an interlocutor, you will be asked to leave the contacts of a person who can give a detailed description. And it doesn’t matter if it’s a former employee or a manager with whom you said goodbye not so long ago, the main thing is that the information voiced at the interview does not differ even in small things.

5 rules on how to behave at a job interview + interview questions and answers

3. How to pass a job interview - 5 important steps

Any meeting assigned to you by an employee of the personnel department can be programmed for the result, it is enough to prepare correctly and, anticipating the question, answer it with capacious phrases that inspire confidence in the interlocutor.

Usually, the interview has 5 main stages, each of which has its own significance. Try to study them, and this will help you realize how best to act at the moment.

Stage number 1. Making contact

Here the connection is established and the boundaries are marked. It is during this period that it becomes clear how your interviewer is set up. It is quite possible that the procedure for selecting candidates began quite a long time ago and during this time has accumulated fatigue, nervousness, stress, what negative may affect the outcome of your meeting.

Try to establish contact by showing your goodwill. Talking about neutral topics often helps. So, you might be asked Was it difficult to find us?" or " Did you get there quickly?". Think over your answer.

You can start the conversation yourself with the phrase " Good afternoon, the office of your company is so well located that we managed to get there quickly". Such a distraction will help relieve nervousness and provide a good platform for further conversation.

Stage number 2. Organization story

Most likely, the HR person will start by getting to know you and giving you some information about their company. By and large, this 2-3 offers about what they do, what vacancy is open and a description of the range of tasks performed in this position.

Even if you have prepared thoroughly in advance and know the entire history of the enterprise to the smallest detail, listen carefully, giving you the opportunity to establish closer communication.

Stage number 3. Interview

This is actually the stage at which you will discuss issues professional activity ranging from salary level to proposed responsibilities.

In doing so, pay special attention to several aspects:

• The questions you are asked will most likely be spoken at an accelerated pace. There is nothing to worry about, as it is important to save time and understand the candidate's compliance based on the answers.
• All the topics discussed constantly alternate, opening new ones, then returning to the old ones. This method simply allows the practitioner to reduce the likelihood of receiving socially desirable responses.
• Each sentence written in the resume and voiced by you can be checked several times different ways. Do not be surprised by this, and even more so do not be nervous.
• All recordings made by the interviewer during the communication will be hidden from you. This is normal practice, so there is no cause for concern. Most likely, there will be short notes of compliance with the criteria presented.
• Be prepared for the opportunity to improvise. Of course, as you prepare for an interview, the HR department makes plans, writes tests and has a well-defined script, but sometimes, depending on the situation and based on the assignments received, it becomes necessary to forget about the standards.

Stage number 4. Feedback

Here you need to ask your questions. It's best if there are no more than 5. Therefore, from the very beginning, think over a rough list, based on those points that are most important to you.

You can refine the content labor activity, designate the level of future responsibility, talk about a social package.

Stage number 5. End of the meeting

Such an initiative, for the most part, is manifested by the party that invited you for an interview.

Negotiations may result in 3 various options:

• refusal;
• invitation to an additional stage;
• recruitment for a job.

In any case, try to discuss the algorithm for further interaction. Most likely you will be asked to wait for a response, specifying the approximate time frame.

4. Before you interview - 7 practical tips

Preparing for an Interview - Planning Questions and Answers

Before going to a meeting it is important to properly prepare for it. You must not only make the right impression, but also make the potential employer believe in your uniqueness.

Worth understanding that one desire is simply not enough, and the time spent will not be wasted if everything is done correctly. Pay special attention to the details, they allow you to create the perfect image of the candidate.

Write a plan that you will adhere to at the time of collection, and cross off the completed action.

Prepare them ahead of time and put them in your bag. Check if you haven't forgotten anything. This is usually a standard list, including:

• The passport;
• Diploma of education;
• Employment book (if you have one);
• Copy of resume;
• Certificates and other documents confirming the completion of courses.

Try to take with you only what is directly related to your vacancy, so that later you do not bother yourself in the search, wasting your own time and the time of a company employee.

Try to collect all available information about the organization in which you will try to find a job tomorrow. Ask a series of questions and answer them yourself. " What is the period of operation of the company and the main activity?», « What is the current production, its range?», « Are there any negative points in the reputation and what are they connected with?»

In our age emerging technologies it is very easy to find the necessary information on the Internet, among acquaintances and even from the secretary inviting you to a meeting. By defining such main aspects , it will be easier for you to focus on further points. You will initially, in your head, already form a picture of the upcoming activity, and this will make it easier to feel and choose a course of action at the time of the meeting.

Many companies now set a dress code for their employees. And this means that the form of clothing should be of the same type and most often strict. Anyway, invitation for an interview- this is the moment when you have to impress.

Therefore, choosing your image, stop it on a business suit. You will have to forget about sports style, jeans, blouses and T-shirts, not able to completely cover the stomach, and even more so to remove topics and mini skirts.

Check your condition nails, hair, eyebrows. Tidy up your shoes, purse, determine the fragrance with which you are going to go to the interview. Let the direction of clothing be conservative, this creates a sense of confidence in a potential employer, but a small accent in the form of a beautiful brooch that goes well with the invented image will not be out of place.

Try on an outfit and pay attention to yourself in the reflection of the mirror. Is your suit too tight? Excessive zeal in this direction can lead to the fact that you become like a man in a case, and this will not add to your chances.

Remember 3 basic requirements that your clothes must meet:

• create a good first impression that will be positive later on;
• give a sense of comfort to you personally, which allows you to gain self-confidence;
• be subject to business style, because the interview is inherently an important event at which an agreement is made.

Give preference gray, white tones and dark blue shades. Do not include a headpiece in the kit, even if it creates a single whole with the image.

It is preferable for women to choose a knee-length skirt than strict trousers. try reduce the amount bright color to a minimum and discard old unfashionable clothes, especially if they are already heavily worn.

Of course, every employer will tell you that appearance in work- not the main thing, but according to statistics, if you break down the reasons for the failure on a scale, then minor flaw knowledge is in 29th place, but " miserable The image of a person confidently takes the first position. Therefore, we will pay special attention to it.

Check yourself for the following:

a) hands. You should have a neat manicure without flashy tones, dirt under the nails and protruding cuticles. Care requires not only nails, but also the hands themselves. Lubricate them with a mildly scented moisturizer before going out.

b) hairstyle. Think it over carefully so that it does not fall apart within half an hour, defining your meeting as slovenly. Cancel ponytails, protruding curls and disheveled. If possible, check with your hairdresser to create a finished look with the most appropriate styling.

c) accessories. Do not overload yourself with various rings, earrings, bracelets, belts, trying to prove to everyone that you are worthy. This trick doesn't work here. Everything should be in moderation, especially at an official event.

d) makeup. Look through the tones of the clothes and find their general combination with cosmetics on the face. Forget about bright colors visible from afar. Your task is to leave a pleasant impression of a serious business person.

d) aroma. Before going out, put on the perfume that will most clearly complete your look. Just do it carefully and in small quantities. Otherwise, you risk creating a pungent odor, which will cause discomfort during further communication.

Council number 4. Building a route

Think over the scheme of your movement and determine the time, taking into account the margin. You need to arrive at the office 15 minutes ahead of schedule. At the same time, during the road, traffic jams, waiting for transport and distance which must be walked.

Your task is to determine the exit time so that you can reach your destination at a calm, measured pace, without exposing yourself to unnecessary stressful situations and conflicts.

View the map of the city on the Internet, if possible, check the route with the secretary of the enterprise, and also write down the exact address.

Council number 5. Telling about yourself in an interview

This seems like a minor detail, but it actually has a very important place in the subsequent evaluation of your candidacy. Very often, an HR employee asks the same question “ Tell us a little about yourself?» in order to understand how you are able to offer yourself, find contact and correctly present information. Such a task at first glance is considered simple, but try to do it even now, without preparation. This is where potential difficulties arise.

First, you must steer your narrative towards the job you want, paying attention to your relevance and professionalism.

Secondly, select the correct information in case the interlocutor becomes interested in the facts of his personal life. think over your hobby, enthusiasm,psychological component of character. This question is often asked in order to form an opinion about your personality.

And, thirdly, scroll through your successes and failures that happened in the course of work. This question is considered to be a favorite during the interview, so it should not now take you by surprise.

Try not only to voice the answer, but also give examples, ways out of the situation that you have found. The entire story should take no more than 3 minutes. Speak the composed story clearly, training it in front of the mirror several times, otherwise your uncertainty may negatively affect the final result.

By the way, if you just graduated educational institution, and there is still no experience as such, except for internship, in this story you can include your ideas of what you would like to achieve in the proposed area.

Think over your meeting in advance and clarify the information that may be of interest to you during the conversation. By creating a howling question, you clarify the situation, but do not overdo it.

Council number 7. Positive mood

At the end of your preparation, remember that important to create the right attitude . Cheerful state of mind and pleasant emotions lead to a positive result faster than nervousness.

Of course, our body does not have a special toggle switch that can switch at the right time, but still some recommendations should not only be taken into account, but also observed.

• Go to bed early to get a good night's sleep and set your alarm to a light tune.
• Start the day by talking about the topics that give you the most confidence. Think about how your future life will change after employment. Perhaps now you need to spend less time on the road, or there will be additional earnings, an increase in wages, a new team.
• Find motivation to make it more interesting to achieve results. For example, promise yourself to buy a new dress or exchange furniture, arrange a trip to the mountains, go to a restaurant with the first paycheck. Visualize the desire by writing it on a piece of paper.
• Convince yourself that all difficulties are temporary, and the day that began today is simply beautiful, and that it will bring you what you want.

There are some more tips that psychologists and experts give before attending an interview.

Firstly, do not eat breakfast very tightly and with foods that have a strong smell. Give up garlic, Luke, sausages. Control the amount of water you take.

Second, stop yourself alcohol and tobacco. Drinking even the smallest dose can reduce attention, concentration and leave a smell, and a smoked cigarette leaves a fragrance on clothes and an unpleasant state during a conversation. Hide your chewing gum and do not try to appear with it in front of the interviewer.

Thirdly, arriving behind 20 minutes before the start, you will be able to get acquainted with the situation, catch my breath, visit toilet room, if necessary, and a little repeat material.

Try to ask and be sure to remember the name and patronymic of the interlocutor, so that it is convenient to start and continue a dialogue with him. Disable mobile phone or put it on silent mode, thereby creating a favorable environment for yourself.

5 important and basic stages of how to pass an interview

5. How to behave in an interview - 5 basic rules

Well, let's imagine that the preparation was successful, you woke up on time, set yourself up positively, arrived at the appointed time and even calmed down. What next, how to be at the moment of communication itself, and how to behave at an interview in front of a potential employer?

Everything here is actually not so difficult, it is enough to remember a few rules.

Rule number 1. smile

This is the easiest way to set the interlocutor to positive . Just be sure to watch your facial expressions. No need to do this by force, such insincere behavior immediately becomes noticeable, and many are also alarmed.

Try to remember some pleasant moment from your life. For example, baby phrases, a cat falling during a loud noise or a frame of your favorite comedy. Be natural, don't forget to smile.

Rule number 2. Control your voice

A nervous state, previous difficult moments of preparation can give you away at the most crucial moment, leading to a violation of the timbre of your voice. Sometimes the sound is lost altogether, and often turns into a squeaky sound, confirming the resulting uncertainty.

Knowing about your problem or even simply anticipating its possible appearance, try to prevent the causes that arise. If it's stressful, then calm yourself, take a special pill and imagine that everything possible has already been done.

What if it's fear? public speaking, then rehearse it in front of the mirror, pronounce the words in which you stumble.

Rule number 3. Posture and gestures

In order to look confident and serious, take the following position: both feet are on the floor, hands are on the table, the back is straight, the head is looking at the interlocutor, maintaining eye contact.

It is worth remembering that you can’t take a cheeky pose, scatter yourself on a chair, cross your legs and constantly pull something. Your restless hands will easily give away stressful moments, and besides, they can do harm by ruining a document on the interviewer's desk or breaking his pen.

If you still uncomfortable look a person in the eye, then find a more comfortable place on his face, where you constantly direct your gaze. This may be a point in the forehead or ear. Don't forget gestures.

Of course, a slight movement of the arms in front of oneself cannot harm, and the OBE, their constant spread, frequent swings, turns of the body, will create a negative impression.

Rule number 4. Hold your belly

Watch your speech. If a situation arises in which you need to answer a question, do it clearly. After finishing the story, it is better to remain silent than to fill in the gaps with awkward phrases. No need to be nervous, sometimes the employer checks your behavior with such silence.

Rule number 5. Keep the conversation going

In the process of communication, you will need to constantly respond, but even this must be done correctly. If suddenly, for some reason, it was not possible to hear what was said, there is no need to guess, use a simple question: “ Did I understand you correctly?"Do not go too deep, starting your story from the moment of birth. Speak clearly and to the point, trying to express your thoughts correctly. Remember, if the interviewer is interested in any details, he will definitely ask you about them again.

Now the rules of behavior have become clear, but here " What to say?" and " How to answer correctly?' remains a topic of interest. Create an attitude for yourself that you come to a potential employer not to ask for an open vacancy, but to offer your professional skills.

Imagine that you have been made a business proposal, the details of which need to be discussed at the meeting. Realize that the final decision whether to work here or continue your search is largely up to you.

That is why know how to correctly offer yourself, setting the tone for the conversation. Learn the basics that will help you.

It is worth remembering that even if the final decision regarding your candidacy was made negative then you have experience to work with. Going to the next invitation, you will already understand what you were wearing possible mistakes and don't repeat them.

Basic Interview Questions and Answers - Dialogue Examples

6. Job Interview Questions and Answers - 10 Examples

It should be understood that in the process of communication you can be asked about anything, and you need to be prepared for any situation. Personnel departments, realizing that the candidate can be prepared in advance, act very cunningly without voicing a direct phrase. They can veil the question, build it with other meanings, try to catch you on craftiness, but do not despair, and there are instructions for these methods. Let's try to figure out what interviewers most often want to know about and how to give an answer more correctly, making your impression.

Consider the questions at the interview and the answers to them - 10 most popular questions when applying for a job

Question number 1. What can you tell about yourself?

This is the most frequently asked question in a job interview, which we have already covered and "broken down" earlier. It remains only to add that the interlocutor, most likely, wants to know about your education, personal achievements and professional skills, and he is not interested in the detailed facts of your childhood, youthful love and the number of loans you took out. Don't try lie, speak briefly, but not dry.

Answer:“With over … years of experience, I will tell you why I applied to your company and how I can meet the requirements for a candidate for an open vacancy. I lead an active lifestyle, I have great contact with people, I constantly deal with issues of my own development and self-realization. Still at the institute .... "

Question number 2. What attracts you to work in our company?

In order for the answer to be the most complete, you will need information about the history of the enterprise, the stages of its formation and the specifics of its activities. This is where the knowledge that you give yourself in the process of preparing for an interview will be important.

Forming your own story is also not difficult, just imagine what benefits could enter your life if you could use the services or products of this company.

Imagine a situation in which you plan to find a job in the cosmetics sales department.

Answer:“The use of cosmetics nowadays allows you to most correctly create your own image, giving a feeling of complete self-confidence. That is why its significance cannot be reduced to a minimum. I would like not only to know the secrets of the image in more detail, but also ...... "

Question number 3. What salary would you like to receive?

Everything is simple here, take into account the salary with the bonus that you were given monthly, and add to it 10-15%. It should be understood that an attempt to reduce the average level of wages in the region will speak of your incompetence, and if you name an exorbitant amount, then you will be mistaken for an ambitious specialist who is inflating his own price.

Answer:“To date, the payment for my work was ... rubles. I would like to change my financial situation a little. Considering your requirements, the amount of work for this position and the overall workload, I believe that this should be reflected in an increase in wages to .... rubles »

Question number 4. You are raising small children, and the vacancy involves an irregular working day, what do you say?

Many employers initially try not to consider candidates in whose families children of school or kindergarten age are growing up. Their logic is simple. If the baby gets sick, then it is necessary to issue sick leave, look for a replacement employee, rearrange schedules and put up with delays.

Sometimes the upcoming work involves business trips, meetings, seminars, extra time, and the manager wants to rely only on an employee who is able to fully devote himself to the labor process.

Answer:“Yes, such circumstances could cause some difficulty for me not so long ago, but today the problem has been completely resolved. In difficult periods, next to the baby will be ... "

Question number 5. What do you think is your main weakness?

In general, the question of weaknesses candidate is very common during the interview. The employer in this case wants not so much to hear your real negative traits as to see how you can present such complex information.

Try to structure your speech in such a way that minuses" could sound like " a plus". Do not list weaknesses, trying to joke inappropriately, in the end, it is better to pick up such insignificant moments that would not spoil the overall impression in the end.

Answer:“Because of my professionalism, I very often have to be distracted to help my colleagues at work, this one wastes personal time, but I cannot refuse. In addition, the performance of my official duties is essential for me, so sometimes I have to stay after the working day to complete my undertakings.

Question number 6. Why did you leave your previous job?

There is no single correct answer here. Everyone speculates it himself, depending on the circumstances. Communicating about this, the interlocutor wants to hear not so much the true reason as to understand whether you are ready to stay in the indicated vacancy and continue your work for many years.

After all, even the very fact of your dismissal and the search for a new job already speaks of the possibility of leaving this company for the sake of other prospects. The most incorrect answer would be the desire to talk about a bad boss, difficult relationships with colleagues, non-compliance with working conditions, and even more so, not the solidity of the organization. Even if this was the case, choose a more loyal reason that does not bring you negative points for the answer as a result.

By the way, an expression like: I was not satisfied with the salary, I wanted more, so I quit” can tell you about your motivation based on money and potential dismissal if a better offer arises. What will be the result losing the moment of the interview. It is best to indicate household, neutral factors with whom difficulties arose in the normal rhythm of life.

Answer:“Unfortunately, the company's office has changed its location, and getting there has become very inconvenient. I now have to spend a huge amount of time on the road, but it can be devoted to labor processes. By the way, you could also move, having bought a house not so long ago.

Another common answer concerns the possibility of self-development. In this case answer sounds like this: “I worked for a very long time in a regional level company, where I managed to acquire the necessary experience and skills, now, trying to develop further, I am quite ready to try my hand at a larger organization»

Question number 7. Are you ready to evolve and where do you see yourself in 5 years?

First of all, the interviewer wants to hear about the desire of a potential employee to stay in the company, even after such a long period, and secondly, it will be important to understand that you are ready for self-development and career growth.

No need to attribute important achievements to yourself and reach for powerful peaks, especially voicing positions. It is enough to show your desire to change, to achieve more, but only within the framework of the organization in which you are trying to find a job.

Answer:“I would like to be active in your company, but in a higher position by then.”

Question number 8. Were there any conflicts at your previous place of work?

Such a formulation of the question is considered tricky, because the employee of the personnel department tries to understand your candidacy as accurately as possible, trying it on an already existing team.

Of course, gross mistake there will be a desire to tell how you did not get along with your superiors, why you were loaded with work and how hard the work day was. But, and gross flattery in favor of the fact that everything was fine, namely, you were considered the soul of the company, will raise doubts, forcing you to think again.

Try to set yourself up in a serious way so that the words you utter seem firm and convincing.

Answer:“Yes, of course, such moments in the work cannot be avoided. But I set tasks for myself, the priority of which is the solution, and complex conflict situations arising in this process are solved by searching for the truth. First of all, it is important for me to set up the interlocutor in a positive way, so I try not to resort to aggravating the existing situation.

Question number 9. Who can I contact for feedback on your work?

Such a question presupposes the existence of contacts, in which case it is better to provide them than to refuse, inventing new reasons. Even if it so happened that you left your previous place of work, slamming the door hard, and relations with your boss cannot be restored, you need to look for ways out.

The most correct would be to give the number of your former colleague with whom you have kept in touch. Present him as a leading specialist, even if he was on the same parallel with you. Call him an informal leader capable of managing the entire team.

Perhaps this call simply will not follow, but your part of the duties will remain fulfilled.

Answer:“Yes, of course, I will leave you a contact, and you can make a call at any time during the working day.”

Question number 10. Do you have any questions? What questions to ask in a job interview?

Even if during the conversation you understood all the points that were mentioned, it is important to prepare in advance those questions that could additionally interest you.

Answer:“I really want to work in your company and I am absolutely sure that I will cope with the proposed duties. However, I would like to know if additional steps recruitment?"

In general, the list of topics and issues discussed with you can be much longer and more voluminous. It should be understood that not always the person talking to you can be correct. Sometimes you can hear questions related to personal life, related to marital status and even political views.

In any case, it is important for you to try to give a more loyal answer without demonstrating your emotions, and even more so the state of stress. Most likely, such topics are raised in order to determine your maximum compliance with an open vacancy.

Selling technique - How to sell a pen in an interview

7. Case - "How to sell a pen at an interview?"

This is the most common way to test a person for real definition of his abilities . Sometimes it seems that there is nothing difficult in making such a transaction, because we regularly visit stores, go to the market and make a lot of purchases. Therefore, such a task seems simple and easy to perform.

Really try to do this right, so that your interlocutor wants to get money and give it for the simplest writing instrument. And you will understand that this is a whole art.

Execution given task can be carried out both traditional and unconventional ways. It all depends on the personality of the person sitting in front of you.

If this is a strict serious employee, then the method you choose should be business , but if the main quality of a person is creativity , there are many more sales options.

It is worth remembering a few rules that will become assistants in both cases.

1. Ask for 1-2 minutes to prepare. There is no need to rush here, it is important to just focus. It is normal practice for a transaction to take a little time in advance.
2. Inspect the product and try to study it as correctly as possible. Find the positive qualities and benefits of this pen.
3. Identify your customer's needs. Determine what will become a priority in buying for such a person. maybe it's the uniqueness of the brand or a common need for writing.
4. Try to be truthful, do not exaggerate the cost of the item and its basic qualities.
5. Try to maintain eye contact at all times, so it will be easier to establish a connection and make a sale.
6. Work with related products. If you managed to sell a pen, offer a notebook, spare paste or plain paper for it. This will allow you to become visible among other candidates.

The traditional way Selling a pen involves several steps that are easy to follow just by remembering them.

Step 1. Introduction

You need to say hello, introduce yourself and clarify how best to contact potential buyer. A properly worded speech would look something like this: “Good afternoon, my name is ..., I am a representative of the company .... How can I contact you"?

Step 2 Identification of needs

To do this, ask the right questions and formulate them in such a positive way that the dialogue can be continued further. For example: “I have a unique offer for you, can I ask questions? ..., how often do you have to work with documents, writing down the necessary information in your organizer?

Step 3. Pen Presentation

After the needs are identified, try to correctly offer this product, paying special attention to the benefit that the interlocutor receives when buying. In other words: "Thank you ..., given what you said, I would like to suggest a pen that will help you most quickly write down important information at any time" or "... a stylish pen that can emphasize your status as a business person."

Step 4. Objections

Of course, it is likely that your interviewer will object. In his case, this is justified by an attempt to fully reveal your abilities. For example: "Thank you very much, but I already have a beautiful pen, everything suits me in it."

Step 5: Defining Additional Arguments

Here you will need those qualities of the product that you studied in 2 minutes of preparation. Now your task is to offer him special conditions that will no longer allow him to refuse the upcoming deal. It looks like this: “Purchasing this inexpensive pen, you will receive special card as a gift that will allow you to buy other goods at reduced prices” or “There are only 3 pens left at a price of ... rubles, the next batch, I assure you, will be already more expensive.”

Step 6: Close the sale with a related product

Offer an additional copy or tell us that there are notebooks, spare pastes, other colors. For example: “Today, every customer gets the opportunity to purchase a unique pencil with an eraser if they have a pen” or “You only need one pen or maybe you can take the remaining 3, because the holidays are coming, and this will be a unique present for your colleagues.”

Step 7. Farewell

Thank the buyer for the purchased product and try to establish contact for the possibility of your future meetings. It is done like this: “Thank you very much ...., I am sure that you made the right choice. I will definitely contact you for the opportunity to make other unique offers. See you soon"!

For unconventional sales it is important that your buyer has sense of humor or share of creativity .

First, take the pen for yourself and ask your interlocutor for an autograph. Naturally, he will answer you: “But I have nothing,” so offer him to buy what is so necessary now.

Second, ask the question And you yourself, for example, could sell it". They will answer you: “Of course, no doubt, only the pen itself is not available now.” Now boldly say: I'm ready to sell you a pen, just show me a master class and complete the deal.

And, thirdly, the most cardinal option. Take the pen and go out the door. Naturally, you will be asked to return and hand over the item. Answer: " Can't sell, able to sell". Worth repeating again. Such methods only work when you have a person with a sense of humor in front of you.

9. Video examples of how to successfully pass an interview

Video 1. Interview questions

Video 2. How to succeed in an interview

Video 3. How to interview for a sales manager position

8. Conclusion

No matter how difficult the upcoming interview may seem to you, you should not be afraid in advance, let alone refuse it. Learn all the tips, work on yourself and try to solve this problem in the most successful way.

Now, after reading this article, you should have a certain scenario of actions and answers to the questions: “ How to behave in a job interview?», « How to sell a pen in an interview?”, etc., becomes clear.

Everyone wants to work in a prestigious position in a stable company. But to achieve this goal, you need to try. First, write a resume correctly, and then successfully pass the interview. The second hurdle can be especially difficult to overcome. taking into account modern business trends? What are the requirements of HR managers and business owners today? How to pass an interview in terms of long-term employment prospects? We will try to answer all these questions today.

Interview: getting ready

Before thinking about how a job interview goes, a candidate must go through several stages of preparation for an interview with an HR manager. Approximately in this order.

1. Draw up an individual profile of compliance with the position held

It is assumed that the candidate called for an interview has indicated in his resume only general information regarding his professional qualifications.

Already during a direct interview with a representative of the employing company, a person will have to show what advantages he has in comparison with other applicants. Therefore, the candidate should analyze his experience, competence, skills and highlight among them those that are highly likely to seem convincing to the manager at the interview as providing the best match for the vacancy. Some HR professionals advise taking your resume (exactly the sample that was sent to the employer and determined the choice of the candidate) and highlight the key skills from it.

2. "Rehearse" the questions.

Experts in the field of HR admit that the main part of the interview time is, as a rule, the exchange of standard remarks. The questions that the manager asks are generally of the same type and boil down to the following theses (and similar ones):

- "What are yours strengths»?

- "Will you cope with this position"?

- "Will you be able to make friends with the team"?

How do you motivate yourself at work?

3. "Intelligence".

HR specialists recommend that candidates preparing for an interview not be too lazy and find as much information about the employer as possible. This is the most important factor in how to successfully pass the interview. Finding the right information is very easy with the help of the Internet (especially social networks). You can even find personal profiles of employees, management, leadership. Having information about the company and the people who work in it can be a great help in building a dialogue with the person who is interviewing. He will be pleasantly surprised by the candidate's knowledge of the employing company.

Interview: let's go

How to conduct an interview in practical terms? The direct approach to the interview includes a number of nuances that experienced HR specialists recommend taking into account. Let's list them.

Met by clothes

Very often, an HR manager selects candidates who have almost the same level of professionalism and qualifications. From a rational point of view, it doesn't matter who to choose for a vacancy. At this moment, as experts say, the emotional component is included. How the candidate will be able to present himself not only in terms of professionalism, but also as a person. One of essential elements such positioning is considered clothing. HR professionals recommend that candidates going to an interview follow a very simple rule - dress as if they were going to be selected for a vacancy at a higher level.

Respect those who value time

Punctuality is extremely important. It's great if you manage to arrive at the office of the employing company 20-25 minutes earlier than the agreed time. But you don’t need to go in right away, you can take a walk or drink coffee in a nearby restaurant. It is best to enter the office just 10 minutes before the start of the interview.

How to pass an interview if you are late? Caught in a traffic jam, the alarm did not work? HR professionals strongly recommend keeping the contact number of the manager who will conduct the interview handy. If the situation is such that the candidate is late, you should immediately call and warn the person. It's better than being 5 minutes late.

Respect those who prepared

As we said above, the manager will be very happy if, during the conversation, he manages to find out that the candidate took the time to search for the necessary information about the company. The reason for the positive emotions of an employee of the company will be that the candidate for the vacancy is a responsible person.

But it may well turn out that during the interview the nuance associated with informing about the employer will not be affected. How then will the candidate show the manager that he was preparing for the interview? Very simple - bring with you printouts of the vacancy itself (for example, from the site), as well as your resume. Definitely a pen and notepad. Position level doesn't matter at all. Therefore, even if a person has to think about how to interview for a company executive, the above procedure is important.

interview: talking

We proceed to the stage concerning the direct presence of the candidate at the interview. What do experienced HR professionals advise?

First impression - one of a kind

Some experts subscribe to the theory that the subconscious "yes" or "no" of the person conducting the interview appears in the first few seconds of communication with the candidate. And therefore it is especially important to impress the manager at the very beginning of the meeting. Or at least not scared away. HR specialists advise that if the candidate has not taken expensive courses conducted by world masters of oratory, then it is better to ensure the neutrality of the first impression. No need to try to be emphatically eloquent or emotional.

Should be a dialogue

Experts advise candidates to translate the question-answer procedure into a full-fledged dialogue as soon as possible. Do not hesitate to ask additional questions to the person conducting the interview. You can comment on the manager's sayings, and it's very good if what the candidate says is relevant. The ability to maintain a dialogue is especially important for specialists who have to communicate a lot with clients. How to pass an interview for a consultant or, say, a call center specialist, without being able to build a constructive dialogue? Problematic.

It is great if in advance, at the stage of preparation for the interview, it will be possible to work out the questions that will be asked to the representative of the employing company.

What other useful advice can we give to candidates, based on the recommendations of HR experts? How to conduct an interview in terms of the psychology of a conversation?

1. It is necessary to strike a balance between timidity and self-confidence. If the former prevails in the candidate's manner of communication, this may indicate that he is not sure of the sufficient level of his professionalism. If the second - then, oddly enough, about the same thing. Since in this case the manager may consider that with his pomposity and eloquence the candidate wants to hide incompetence.

2. You should not often refer to previous work experience, especially in a negative way. The mistake many candidates make is that they scold their past employers. Call the reason for dismissal arbitrariness, bad attitude. In the eyes of the employer, such a candidate will not appear the most desirable employee. There is another mistake. A person overly praises the employer, boasts of his successes. In such cases, the manager may, moreover, quite reasonably, ask himself the question: "Why did you leave such a good job then?" Apparently, there were good reasons for this - character traits or, alternatively, systematic violations of discipline. Both can predetermine the choice of another candidate.

3. Arrogance and pathos - a solid no. This is another sine qua non of how to successfully pass an interview. Finding a job is primarily in the interests of the candidate. Almost every job has a competition.

This means that the employer has a lot to choose from. Many candidates come to the interview confident in their exclusivity, and this, according to experts, is a mistake. Arrogance, trying to put yourself in some way above the current employee of the company who conducts the interview is not the best way to pass the competitive selection.

Industry specifics of labor relations: getting a job in a bank

Let's move on from theory to practical nuances related to interviews and employment. Let's consider an industry that is characterized by a high dynamics of the emergence of new and diverse vacancies - banking. New branches and offices of credit and financial organizations are opening in increasing numbers, and specialists are required everywhere.

How is the interview at Sberbank, VTB and other banking structures? How can a financial specialist increase the chances of finding a job in the desired position? HR experts advise paying attention to the following nuances.

1. Adaptation to the specifics of the segment should be carried out already at the stage of compiling the resume distribution. It is recommended to create personal profiles on specialized sites.

These resources are studied every day by HR specialists of the largest banks. When creating a resume, it is recommended to describe your skills in as much detail as possible. Sometimes greater value for a bank has a candidate's proficiency in a particular computer program than, say, overall work experience. Or, for example, knowledge of a certain law governing financial activities.

2. Before thinking about how to pass an interview at a bank, candidates should pay attention to one interesting feature of hiring personnel in financial institutions. Banking HR managers love to test candidates for integrity.

They can, for example, ask such a question: "Tell me about your experience with large money transfers." If the candidate begins to tell that he participated in international financial transfers with the participation of such and such a company, then the manager will almost certainly complete the interview. The reason for this is the bank secrecy law. Following its principles is a key aspect of the competence of any bank employee.

3. Interviews with candidates in financial institutions are conducted, as a rule, in several stages. First, as a rule, the head of the department communicates with the person, then the deputy head of the bank, and then the manager directly. The candidate must be ready to go through a multi-stage selection.

Candidates should be aware of all these nuances. This will help you understand how to pass an interview at a bank.

Industry specifics of labor relations: we get a job as a sales manager

An example of another area where there is a high dynamics of recruitment is sales. This segment is one of the leading ones for the Russian economy. One of the most in-demand professions today is a sales manager. How to interview for this position?

1. It is impossible to teach a person the art of selling.

Before thinking about how to pass an interview for a manager, a candidate should pay attention to the most important detail. Most HR experts who specialize in retail work agree that it takes a very long time to find real “salespeople”.

A person may sincerely desire to learn this art, but not have an internal, genetic, predisposition to successfully close deals in practice. Hence the first rule. If you don't know how to sell, don't go to the interview.

2. Efficiency is a key criterion.

For HR managers hiring sales managers, the candidate's achievements are extremely important. How many deals he closed for such and such a period, what product was sold and at what price. And also how the achieved performance compares with the performance of other managers (or with industry averages). One of the conditions for how to properly pass an interview is the ability to prove to the representative of the employer company one’s worth in terms of achieving tangible results.

3. Narrow specialization generates profit.

Most HR professionals believe that such a position as "sales manager" cannot be universal for all segments. It is one thing to sell, for example, furniture, another - cars. Although a person may be genetically predisposed to this type of activity, specialization is equally important. Therefore, it is recommended, as a matter of priority, to apply for a vacancy in the segment in which there was experience of effective work.

How to successfully pass an interview in companies operating in new areas for the candidate? Experts recommend putting an emphasis on reducing ambitions - in terms of wages, in terms of working conditions. Then the employer will see that the person really wants to get comfortable in an unusual segment, is ready to go to the deterioration of comfort and is highly likely to give the candidate a chance to try himself in a new position.

Today we have studied some aspects of what are the specifics of the procedure for interviewing candidates for vacancies in modern Russian business. We considered the main nuances that characterize how the interview goes at Sberbank and other financial institutions. We studied the specifics of selecting suitable candidates for the position of sales manager. Of course, there are much more criteria for how to pass an interview correctly than we have had time to consider. But the information that is in our article will allow candidates to take at least a few steps forward in order to find the desired job.

The correct work of the department of active external sales in the printing industry begins with the fact that you need to find people who are suitable for this work. One of the most important stages in the selection of candidates is the first interview. We offer you a plan for such an interview.

1. How do you imagine your typical working day?

In order to achieve a result, a sales employee needs to know a lot. He must know printing technologies, must have information about his market, must be proficient in sales techniques and understand the peculiarities of doing business in his company. However, it is important to understand that no amount of knowledge will lead to success if the employee does not have the desire to work hard. The answer I want to hear in asking this question involves an early start and a late end of the work day, and a large set of activities during that day. If I don't get that response, I put the questions aside and explain to the candidate exactly what I expect from them during a typical work day. And I finish my explanations with the phrase: "If this is not what you expected, or you do not like this schedule, let's do each other a favor and stop our conversation right now."

2. How would you rate your printing knowledge on a scale from 1 to 10 points?

Convinced of right attitude to the job of the candidate, you should proceed to the assessment of his knowledge necessary for this job. Obviously, if knowledge is not enough, then a person will need to be taught. Remember that a resume speaks about practical experience, but not about the level of knowledge. Also, do not forget that the applicant, wanting to get a job, may exaggerate the level of his knowledge and experience. Once I was talking with a man who rated his level of printing knowledge at 9 points, to which I was not slow to ask the following question: “Could you tell me how the ink gets on the paper?” And he quite tolerably described the process, starting with the withdrawal of the films and the exposure of the forms, the transfer of ink from the form to the offset sheet and from it to paper. I was quite satisfied with his technological knowledge at this stage.

3. How would you rate your knowledge of the theory and practice of sales on a scale from 1 to 10 points?

In this question, you use the same approach in assessing the next section of required knowledge. A low score on this question is not necessarily a disqualifying factor. Of course, all of us would like to hire specialists with 9- and 10-point grades. But many small printers are forced, for economic reasons, to offer sales employees not the highest wages, which means not the highest level of knowledge and experience. Also, I understand that if you are in small town, you may simply not have candidates with grades above five on this (as well as the previous) question. Remember that the lack of knowledge must be filled with appropriate training. Your goal during the interview is to understand how much effort (money, time, - underline as necessary) will need to be spent on training each of the candidates.

4. How much do you need to earn from the first day of work?

Most candidates answering this question will talk about how much they would like to receive, but this is not the answer you need. At this stage, the decisive information for you will be the amount that this person needs for food, clothing, housing, etc. At the very beginning of an employee's work, you do not have to provide what he would like, you just need to give him a real opportunity to achieve this level of payment. But you must provide him with the necessary income - what he needs to live comfortably while he develops his client base and builds relationships with customers. Therefore, you need to find out immediately the size of this required amount. And if you don't want to pay what this candidate requires, don't hire him! We will talk in more detail about the remuneration of sales employees in one of the following issues of the magazine.

5. How much money do you want to earn by the end of your first year with us? In the third year of work?

With this question, you find out what the “desired” level of payment for this person is. If his desires for both the first and third years of work seem reasonable to you, you can continue the interview. But if this is not the case, then you should stop and right now, immediately, explain to the candidate that he may not be able to earn so much from you in these terms. After all, if you do not agree on money, then you should not agree on everything else. And besides, the first interview is a "two-way traffic." You are trying to make the right hiring decision, and the candidate is trying to make the right job decision. Both parties need to know the truth so that a fair agreement can be reached.

6. Please name your strongest personal qualities.

With this question, you move on to that part of the interview, during which you should get to know the person better. Remember that you will only get an opinion in response to this question - the opinion of a sales employee. This opinion will (at least) slightly embellish its owner. Your task is to listen carefully to this opinion, and then compare it with everything else that the candidate says and does in the interview. For example, if he says that his strength is the ability to work hard, look for examples of hard work in his answers to the following questions.

7. What are your strengths as a sales person?

This question gives you the opportunity to assess how much the candidate knows about sales. Positive personal qualities largely correspond to the qualities of a good salesperson, but there are some characteristics that are especially important for sales success. These are organization, ability and desire to listen, self-discipline, perseverance.

8. What shortcomings do you know about yourself?

Everyone has flaws. For a manager hiring a person, they are important in three aspects: 1) identify these shortcomings at an early stage and decide how important they are for this job; 2) start the process of correcting the deficiencies; 3) decide not to hire this candidate. Eliminating deficiencies is primarily about learning - as well as deficiencies in the necessary knowledge or skills. Note that some human weaknesses can be turned into strengths in a sales person. Some time ago I interviewed a man who said that his biggest flaw was impatience. I replied that there is a very fine line between impatience as a flaw and impatience as a strong motivating factor. “If you want to work on finding the right balance,” I said, “we can use that to make you a better professional. But if you expect success and big money to come to you in sales right away, then hiring you would be a mistake for both of us.”

9. What do you think my next question will be?

The answer - and I hope it is obvious to you! is: “What are your weaknesses as a sales person?” So why not ask this question directly? Because this is a good opportunity to evaluate both the ability to listen to the interlocutor, and the ingenuity of the candidate. It seems to me that anyone who hasn't grasped the sequence of the previous three questions is either not good at listening - which is a very serious handicap for a sales job - or not smart enough for the job you're offering. With candidates who have caught consistency, you look at their shortcomings in the three ways we talked about in the previous question. And by the way, in all four questions about strengths and weaknesses, look for answers that give the feeling of an honest, objective conversation, not a sales presentation by the candidate of “beloved one”!

10. What is the most important reason for your current desire for change?

The interest of the candidate in your work means a desire to change something, unless you are interviewing a person for his first job in his life. The reasons that push a person to these changes are very important when he is ready to leave another job in order to come to you. I believe that only two situations can lead him to this: either something is wrong with his current job, or something is wrong with this person! Soon one of my clients will be interviewing an employee who is looking for a job because her husband is moving to work in this city, and the only downside to her current job is that this job is 1,000 kilometers away from her new place of residence. Another interview is a young man who also just moved, but his resume shows a consistent desire for change. Not only from job to job, but also from city to city. See what I'm getting at?

Some candidates will give you a whole list of the most important reasons. I recommend focusing the conversation on the single most important one so you can see if your candidate can pick out the main points.

11. If I called your last supervisor right now, what would he tell me about you?

At this stage of the interview, we give the candidate the opportunity to tell the story of his departure from his side. This question puts him in a somewhat contradictory position - after all, he must give himself a recommendation. Would you accept this recommendation? In no case! After the interview (if you are still interested in this candidate) call his former boss and ask for a recommendation. Of course, you won't always find yourself on the other end of the line wanting to talk a lot about your former employee, but even that will give you some idea of ​​their relationship, right? The important thing is that you do your best to learn more about the job candidate for you and carefully evaluate their suitability for the job. By the way, the first time I heard this question, I participated in an interview "on the other side" - I was interviewing for a job that I really wanted to get. My future boss listened carefully to my answer, then picked up the phone and called my former employer while I was sitting across from him. The former boss wasn't there, but this trick gave me something to think about if I was going to spruce up the remaining interview answers!

12. If I called several of your colleagues who have worked with you in recent years, what would they tell me about you?

This question allows you to look at the candidate from a different point of view, different from the manager's. Within companies, personal conflicts between managers and subordinates occur quite often. Probably, you too have ever worked under a person whom you considered a manager worse than yourself. However, here, too, you should check the real opinion of former colleagues - take a few names and phone numbers, and call them. Trust but verify!

13. How are you going to look for new clients?

The next few questions are meant to develop a "conversation" about the essence of the work itself. The quotation marks are here because I want to emphasize the change in the course of the interview at this point. So far, you have asked questions and the candidate has answered them, and you have sought to get detailed answers. Starting with this question, you should take a more active part in the conversation. Let's say the candidate replies that he will (a) buy business directories and (b) make use of his connections in the local "association of industrialists and merchants." But you rely more on the strategy of "visits from the street": visits from the street to identify crucial people, followed by an introductory letter, followed by a call and a request for a meeting. “I'm thinking of a slightly different approach,” you tell your candidate, and talk about your path to finding clients. "What do you think about doing it this way?" Remember we said a little earlier: You are trying to make the right hiring decision, and the candidate is trying to make the right job decision. Discussing possible disagreements at the first interview stage will increase the likelihood of a positive outcome.

14. What do you think is the most important thing you will need to convince a person to become a client?

Again, listen to what they say in response, and then explain your point of view. It inspires me when a candidate says something like, "I have to sell myself" or "I have to inspire confidence in myself and confidence in me."

15. How, in your opinion, to convince potential customers of this?

You will, of course, say something about your approach, but first you have the opportunity to assess the candidate's previous experience and/or intuition. Note that "I have no idea, and I hope you can teach me" might be an acceptable response from a sales novice. If you received such an answer, then you know that all the missing knowledge will require training. And if you are not ready to train newly recruited people, do not accept such a candidate!

16. What are your thoughts on learning what you need to know for this job?

With this question, you gradually return the conversation to the “question-answer” mode. You will find out the candidate's thoughts on this matter, and state your views on the training program. I think you should explain in advance that you will have to deal with limited time and resources for training. And let the candidate know what is required of him, among other things, and selfeducation. You can end this part of the conversation by telling how this should happen.

17. How do you plan to become part of our team?

This is a very important topic. For a small team, the arrival of a new sales employee is especially sensitive. He works “somewhere” most of the day (at least you hope so!) but still serves as a constant source of questions, problems and errors that everyone else has to deal with. The candidate's opinion, of course, is interesting, but, frankly, it's more important for now to just raise this problem and give the candidate a reason to think about the relationship in the company in advance.

18. What will make you leave the office and work hard every day?

You can plan your salary and commissions as you like, but in the end, money will remain just one of many motivating factors for most people. And maybe the money will be the least effective motivation in the early stages, when the daily efforts of the employee - finding new customers and trying to establish relationships - will not lead to immediate material rewards. To succeed in external sales, you need to understand the whole set of motivations. Don't guess what's right for this particular person... ask them!

19. Okay, we've come to the point where you need to complete the sale. Why should I hire you?

Now you just listen. This question will give you a great opportunity to evaluate his ability to sell. The most important sale a candidate has to make is to "sell" you the idea that he is the right person for the job.

20. If you were me, what would you be most worried about in terms of investing my time and money in you?

With this question, you are asking the candidate to be the devil's advocate (which, by the way, is important to be good at sales). I am very alarmed by the person who replied that there was nothing to worry about. The same will happen with a candidate who answers honestly and stops there. The best option there will be an answer that will identify the problem, and then offer a solution. “I think I would be worried if I were you that I am quite young and not very experienced,” you can hear in response, “but the other side of this coin is that I am energetic, I am very attracted to the prospect of working for you , and my previous experience confirms that investing in me pays off. And, again, this question is another way to assess sales skills (or instinct to do so if you are a beginner).

21. What other questions should I ask you?

This way you give the candidate the opportunity to bring up topics that he considers important. This question also serves as a good transition for your candidate to ask you some questions. I'm always impressed by people who take the opportunity to ask questions without waiting to be asked. The ability to ask questions, after all, is another component of salesmanship. As I see it, the main purpose of the first personal interview is to get to know the person in detail. A resume or application will tell you something—or even a lot—of what you need to know about previous experience and seniority. But you hire not just previous experience and seniority. You are hiring someone who will hopefully be honest in reflecting their experience and seniority and will be able to take some of that with them on their way to work with you.

If you look at an interview like that, you'll realize how little you can learn by limiting the first meeting to a quick resume discussion. The ability to identify the successes and failures associated with each job and with each applicant will put best start your joint work. I hope 21 Questions will help you with this.

Alexey Biork, David Fellman. unitcon.ru

Today's realities of the labor market, on the one hand, inspire us that there are more than enough specialists in the field of sales who are looking for work, on the other hand, a considerable proportion of these specialists, unfortunately, are not effective “salespeople”. How to assess the competencies of a sales manager at the interview stage so as not to make a mistake when hiring a key specialist?

Let's look at the main criteria that should be carefully evaluated when deciding whether to hire a sales specialist.

The logic of building a career

Even at the stage of evaluating a resume, it is necessary to analyze the professional experience of the candidate. If a candidate moved from sales to process activities (financial management, engineering, technical support, etc.), it is quite possible that his “salesperson” competencies are very lame, or he is not motivated enough to work in sales, or, perhaps, process oriented, which is unacceptable for a successful sales manager. It is necessary to find out the reasons for such a dramatic change in his career and draw the right conclusions.

It is also necessary to evaluate the dynamics of the candidate's career growth in accordance with age. If a candidate is over 40, and in his professional experience there are only positions of specialist managers, without managerial functions, it is worth considering: why did the candidate not reach a higher career level? Either he did not strive for career growth due to fear of responsibility, or his professional achievements were not noted by the management, or he did not have enough managerial qualities. It cannot be ruled out that the candidate is only interested in sales, and he deliberately did not move to a higher level. The last reason should not be confused with the rigidity of the candidate, the fear of leaving the "comfort zone" - these are already negative signals when evaluating a candidate.

Frequency of transfers from Company to Company

For a sales manager, in my opinion, a discount should be made when assessing his stability in terms of choosing an employer. As a rule, a good "salesperson" is motivated by money, but, unfortunately, the motivation system for the sales department is not always transparent, understandable and fair. In conditions of inadequate motivation, the sales manager “burns out”, as a rule, after a year of work. There may be other objective reasons for changing employers, so it is important to thoroughly find out why the candidate changed jobs.

It happens that candidates are cunning, not voicing the real reasons for leaving, it is quite difficult to check this. Therefore, it is important to create a trusting atmosphere during the interview. It is not a fact that even after that the candidate will talk about everything in good faith, but the chances that he will be more open will increase significantly.

Presentation Skills

This issue requires careful and comprehensive consideration. On the one hand, if a candidate can correctly position himself, of course, it is a plus. But you need to understand that the candidate could simply carefully prepare for the interview, or visit a sufficient number of them before coming to you. In this case, an experienced recruiter will hear “learned phrases”, they, as a rule, are difficult to integrate into the structure of the narrative if the interview is conducted competently by the recruiter.

On the other hand, we must not forget that an interview is usually stressful for a candidate, in this regard, he cannot always show off a bright self-presentation.

Therefore, in the process of the candidate's answers, to a greater extent, attention should be paid to the structure and sequence of the narrative.

Numerous digressions, avoidance of answers, the manner of answering a question with a question, an overly long story full of numerous details should be considered as negative factors.

Company Level

This evaluation criterion should be considered in three directions:

• The number of the Company.

If the candidate worked in small organizations, it will be difficult for him to integrate into a large structure, since the level of communications, approvals and time frames in solving certain problems differ significantly.

• client level.

Decision makers (decision makers) at different levels are different. If a manager concludes a deal for a million rubles, one circle of people communicates with him, if for 30 million - a circle of people, firstly, it expands, and secondly, the level of negotiations becomes more complicated. As a rule, large organizations are focused on tangible financial results and attracting large key customers, so the “salespeople” are stronger and more experienced there.

Of course, there are exceptions, in which case it is necessary to analyze the sales volume of a candidate within a particular Company.

• Company mentality.

Yes, there is such a concept, it includes corporate culture, Company policy, leadership style, organization of jobs.

For example, if a previous employer had an “office” system, it will be difficult for a candidate to adapt to the “open-space” format. Or, for example, if the candidate previously had a democratic leader, it will be almost impossible for him to adopt an authoritarian leadership style.

I recently interviewed a candidate who had left a major construction company due to the fact that profanity was constantly present in communication between colleagues.

Here it is important to provide an opportunity for the candidate to assess his strength: whether he will be able to reorganize and accept the "rules of the game" of the new employer. The main thing is to announce all the nuances to the candidate “at the entrance” so that there are no unpleasant surprises for him after he becomes an employee of the Company.

Adequate self-esteem

Basically, this criterion is expressed in the cost of the candidate, in the level of his salary expectations. If a sales manager wants to earn 35 thousand rubles, then this is not a sales manager. If the sales manager expects a monthly financial reward of 300 thousand rubles, it is either good manager in sales, or an inadequate person.

How do you know if a candidate's self-assessment is adequate? It is important to find out two things:

1. How much the candidate earned at the previous job.

Perhaps his income was close to the amount indicated in his resume, then there are no questions, everything is quite understandable. Again: if the candidate does not embellish reality.

2. Whatever "fix" would be comfortable for him.

If a candidate names a salary that is close to his expected income level, this is a bad indicator. Any sales manager wants to earn, so he will tie his income to a percentage of sales. Of course, a low level of a fixed amount is not good, but in the interview process it is important to understand whether the candidate is salary-oriented or ready to tie his financial reward to the results achieved.

It is worth noting the following negative factor when evaluating a candidate: if a candidate announces the amount of his monthly expenses, this may indicate his infantilism and passive life position.

Confidence in your strength

A successful "salesperson" is full of self-confidence. He sold, sells and will continue to sell, as a rule, he does not have a negative sales experience, he is ready to cope with any non-standard situation, his luggage has everything that is necessary for effective sales.

A real "salesperson" will never prepare for failure in advance. This can be understood from the questions he asks. If they are of an organizational nature or relate to the specifics of the product, you can breathe freely: the candidate does not feel fear of the sales process itself.

An insecure candidate asks "guaranteeing" questions. He asks you if the customer base is provided, is it necessary to make “cold calls”, what will happen if he does not sell, who will teach him the specifics of selling this product - this means that he is either not quite competent or has a negative sales experience, and more precisely, "non-sales".

In a word, if the candidate's questions boil down to external factors and possible failures, it is unlikely that a true seller is sitting in front of you.

Professional passion

Ask the candidate to talk about the most difficult transaction in his professional experience. He will talk about it in an interesting, “delicious” way, his eyes will burn, remembering the recent victory.

Another gambling seller, with a competent construction of a conversation on the part of the recruiter, he will begin to voice possible options search for customers, potential markets, ask about competitors.

Mixed reference

As we all know, internal reference is important for leaders, external for performers. For a sales manager, a “skew” in one direction or another threatens negative consequences for sales. If the reference is internal, he may not have enough flexibility when interacting with the client, it will not always be easy for him to make management decisions. If an external reference prevails, he will not be able to "squeeze" the client, he will follow his lead, he will not be able to express his position or enter into a constructive discussion.

Need golden mean. If, nevertheless, a “skew” is traced, it is allowed towards the internal reference. People with an internal reference tend to have leadership qualities, the ability to defend their own position, they are charismatic, stubborn and efficient. All of the above qualities successful manager sales are decisive.

Sales specifics

It should be clarified to what extent the candidate's professional experience will fit into the specifics of the new Company.

If a candidate worked in consulting, it is not certain that he will be able to effectively sell engineering equipment. And vice versa. A product and a service are psychologically different things. Both for the client and for the sales manager. Quite often in the summary of candidates there are organizations with different areas of activity. In this case, the risks of inefficient work in a new place are significantly reduced.

Or, if the candidate built distribution, it will be difficult for him to carry out direct sales, since the specifics are significantly different.

You can also note candidates with experience in FMCG (sales representatives working in the "fields"): the level of negotiations in this market is usually quite low.

B2B and B2C sales should not be strictly divided into levels of complexity: interaction with customers is at a decent level, in both areas there is an active search for customers, in addition, B2C sales have a relatively recent history, so the share of work in B2C sales in candidates’ resumes is usually , is small.

Cycle, dynamics and sales volumes

There is a different sales cycle, different sales dynamics and, of course, different sales volumes. All these indicators should be clarified and analyzed at the interview.

For example, in companies providing certification services, the sales cycle can be from 1 to 3 years, from negotiation to payment by the client.

A manager who knows how to lead a long sales cycle will easily cope with a short cycle, but on the contrary, it can be more difficult.

In transport companies, the sales dynamics for the first six months is not high: the client “tryes” the contractor to meet the deadlines, the safety of goods, and only after that begins full-fledged cooperation and gives tangible volumes.

The dynamics of sales should be taken into account to a greater extent during the period of adaptation of the sales manager: you should not set ambitious sales plans from the first month. Sales dynamics have little effect on professional experience.

Sales volumes need no explanation, I think, but it's important to understand that if your Company has millions in transactions, the decision to hire an employee with experience in selling low-value products and services is ill-advised.

Firstly, it is psychologically difficult to operate with large sums out of habit.

Secondly, Let me remind you once again about the level of negotiations: depending on how much the client is ready to part with, the circle of decision-makers changes dramatically and the level of negotiations, respectively, too.

Motivators

The main motivator of a good “salesperson” is money.

We can talk as much as we like about interesting tasks, career prospects, etc.: the sales manager wants to make money.

He is ready to give all the best, stay after work, go on business trips, bring results, but for this he will expect a decent financial reward.

Therefore, it is very important that the Company has an adequate, transparent and understandable motivation system for sales managers.

There are examples when key sales people left the Company because they reached the financial "ceiling": they bring large clients, and their level of payment remains the same, because the motivation system has a number of conscious or unconscious flaws.

On the other hand, there are examples of financial managers reaching a "comfort zone" - a certain psychological "maximum", which is enough for them to have a completely comfortable existence. Such managers, consciously or unconsciously, reduce their activity, switch to process actions and become less effective.

The "ceiling" prevents strong "salespeople", "comfort zones" reach the "average".

Analyze the situation in the sales department and decide what motivation will work for you.

Result Oriented

There is nothing scarier than a process-oriented salesperson. They are guided by the principle “if something is done, something will happen”.

They cold-call honestly, often more so than high-performance managers; send commercial offers, analyze the customer base, monitor competitors, write reports.

Such managers, as a rule, have a sufficient number of intermediate results: the client ordered a trial batch, the client requested a commercial offer, etc. But, most likely, intermediate results will remain intermediate. The effectiveness of such a specialist will be spontaneous, he will lose customers and disrupt deals, and all because he is not focused on results.

How to identify a successful manager?

Result-oriented sales managers communicate results in measurable terms. They name numbers, terms, perfectly remember their clients, sometimes they know more about them than necessary: ​​what kind of cognac Ivan Ivanovich likes, what breed is Svetlana Petrovna's favorite dog, when is the birthday of Serafima Sergeevna's daughter.

Process-oriented specialists, respectively, will describe the process: “walked, called, sent”, etc.

Decency

If a candidate for a "sales manager" vacancy solemnly declares to you that he has a customer base - do not rush to rejoice. This speaks primarily of his dishonesty in relation to past employers. Was he selling the Company's services, not his own? And when he left, he “captured” a portfolio of clients with him. We all have a certain pattern of behavior in certain situations. Think about it: are you facing the same fate that befell his past employer?

Transitions from competitors to competitors should also not be assessed positively. Such an employee is a risk factor for your Company in terms of maintaining confidential information and customer base.

A number of Companies have already abandoned the practice of "poaching" sales specialists, primarily for security reasons, but also for the purpose of observing business ethics.

Effective use of sales tools

• Managers with the position of "aspiration".
• Managers with a position of "avoidance".

How to find the position of a sales manager?

Ask them one simple question: “Do you think cold calling works?”

Managers with an attitude of "aspiration" will always answer that "cold" calls work.

They will ask clarifying questions about delivery times, terms for agreeing contracts - in a word, they will focus on quality, efficiency and the level of interaction between selling and providing departments so that nothing prevents them from selling and there are no problems with customer satisfaction. They will also be interested in whether they will need to deal with the subsequent management of the attracted client.

They save their time and work for the result, without referring to external circumstances.

Managers with an avoidance attitude will say that cold calling is last century, they will ask in detail about discounts, installments, possible problems in interaction with the client.

It is important to be able to determine the position of "avoidance" in the candidate. For such managers, difficulties are demotivating. Prices for products have risen, negotiations have failed, the client has become rude, and his hands are already falling, the manager sighs and complains about injustice, while often taking an accusatory position.

The position of avoidance is manifested in the candidate's concentration on negative experience, in voicing external circumstances that prevented him from performing certain tasks.

Thank you for your attention,

Good luck to you and the right people!