Interview questions · Sales

Sales interview questions and how to answer them

Updated 3 November 2026

A sales interview is partly a test of whether you can sell yourself. The interviewer wants to see that you understand how a sale works, that rejection does not knock you off course, that you hit targets, and that you ask good questions before you pitch. These are the questions that come up most, with what each one checks and an example answer you can adapt.

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The 12 questions

Tell me about yourself.
Sell me this pen.
How do you handle rejection?
Walk me through your sales process.
Tell me about a deal you are proud of closing.
How do you handle the objection "it's too expensive"?
How do you organise your time and pipeline?
What would you do if you were behind target halfway through the month?
Why do you want to work in sales?
What do you know about our product and customers?
How do you build a relationship with a new client?
Do you have any questions for us?

1. Tell me about yourself.

What they are checking: Whether you can open a conversation clearly and confidently, as you would with a prospect.

How to answer: Keep it short and focused on results: your sales experience (or closest equivalent), one number you are proud of, and why this role.

Example answer: “I've spent two years in inbound sales for a software company, handling about forty conversations a week. Last year I finished at 115% of target. I want to move into outbound, which is why this role caught my eye.”

2. Sell me this pen.

What they are checking: Whether you ask questions before you pitch.

How to answer: Do not start listing features. Ask what they use a pen for, when they last needed one, what bothers them about their current one. Then sell to that need and ask for the sale.

Example answer: “Before I tell you about it, when did you last use a pen? (Interviewer: signing something.) Was it important? (Interviewer: a contract.) And what pen did you use? (Interviewer: whatever was lying around.) So for the moments that matter, you're trusting whatever is nearby. This one is reliable and looks the part when you sign something important. Shall I put you down for one?”

3. How do you handle rejection?

What they are checking: Resilience: most sales calls end in no.

How to answer: Show you do not take it personally, that you look for something to learn, and that you keep your activity up.

Example answer: “I expect most calls to end in a no, so it doesn't throw me. After a rejection I ask myself one question: was it the timing, the fit, or something I said? Then I make the next call. The numbers only work if I keep going.”

4. Walk me through your sales process.

What they are checking: Whether you understand a sale from start to finish.

How to answer: Go step by step: research, first contact, discovery questions, presenting a solution, handling objections, closing, and following up.

Example answer: “I research the company first, then reach out with a reason that's relevant to them. On the first call I ask questions more than I talk, to find the real problem. I only present once I understand it, I deal with objections directly, ask for the decision, and follow up on the date we agreed.”

5. Tell me about a deal you are proud of closing.

What they are checking: What you did personally, and how you think.

How to answer: Use a real deal: the situation, the obstacle, what you did, the result. Numbers help.

Example answer: “A prospect had told two of my colleagues no. I asked for twenty minutes just to understand their process, and found their real issue was onboarding time, not price. I set up a pilot with a two-week onboarding, and they signed a one-year contract.”

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

What they are checking: Whether you can handle objections without dropping the price straight away.

How to answer: Acknowledge it, ask what they are comparing it to, then connect the price to the value or cost of the problem. Only discuss discounts after that.

Example answer: “I'd say, "That's fair. What are you comparing it to?" Usually it's doing nothing, and doing nothing has a cost too. If the problem is costing them more than the price, I show them that before I'd ever talk about a discount.”

7. How do you organise your time and pipeline?

What they are checking: Whether you will hit activity numbers without being chased.

How to answer: Talk about blocking time for prospecting, keeping your CRM up to date, and focusing on the deals most likely to close.

Example answer: “I block my mornings for outreach and keep afternoons for calls and follow-ups. I update the CRM after every conversation, and every Friday I review my pipeline and drop deals that aren't moving.”

8. What would you do if you were behind target halfway through the month?

What they are checking: Whether you act early.

How to answer: Show you would look at the numbers to find where the gap is (activity, conversion, or deal size) and change something, plus ask your manager for help.

Example answer: “I'd check where the gap is: am I making fewer calls, or converting fewer? If it's activity, I add more outreach blocks. If it's conversion, I ask my manager to listen to a couple of my calls. Waiting until the last week is too late.”

9. Why do you want to work in sales?

What they are checking: Motivation that will survive a bad month.

How to answer: Be honest: you like people, competition, being measured on results, and the earning potential. Most interviewers prefer honesty over a polished answer.

Example answer: “I like being measured on results, and I enjoy conversations where I'm solving someone's problem. And yes, I'm motivated by earning more when I perform well. That's part of why I want sales rather than a fixed-salary job.”

10. What do you know about our product and customers?

What they are checking: Whether you prepared, as you would before a sales call.

How to answer: Show you researched: what they sell, who buys it, and one competitor. Treat it like call prep.

Example answer: “You sell scheduling software to clinics, mostly small practices of five to twenty staff. Your main competitor is cheaper but doesn't integrate with billing, which I'd expect is your strongest selling point.”

11. How do you build a relationship with a new client?

What they are checking: Whether you think beyond the first sale.

How to answer: Mention following through on what you promise, staying in touch with something useful rather than just "checking in", and asking for feedback.

Example answer: “I do exactly what I said I'd do, when I said I'd do it. After the sale I check in at the moments that matter, like after their first month, and I ask what they'd change. That's where referrals come from.”

12. Do you have any questions for us?

What they are checking: Interest, and whether you think like a salesperson.

How to answer: Ask about the targets, what top performers do differently, the sales cycle length, and how leads are generated.

Example answer: “What do your top performers do differently from everyone else? And what does the target look like in the first three months?”

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