Congratulations on landing an interview while on the job hunt! To help you prepare, browse the sales & marketing interview questions below to get an idea of what your potential employer may ask, as well as learn how to answer any questions that are thrown your way.
Sales and marketing candidates can utilize these to rock the interview and land a great role. Good luck!
13 Sales & Marketing Interview Questions And Answers
What motivates you?
Even though good motivation is key in any career, your interviewers will want to know how passionate you are about selling a product or closing a deal. While answers will of course vary from person to person, you should convey enthusiasm for the sales/marketing career path and a desire for the product to succeed. Discuss your personal style within sales/marketing and comment on how this drives your work. Share an example of a time when you saw an opportunity and went the extra mile to sell or market something exceptionally.
How do you handle rejection?
To succeed in both sales and marketing, you have to be able to persevere in the face of rejection, whether you experience a rejected pitch or deal with a hostile client. By asking this, your interviewer wants you to demonstrate your strength, and a strong answer is one that’s honest. (Nobody likes rejection–you don’t have to sugarcoat.) Show that you are not easily knocked down and are willing to pull through for the company and clients. State that you don’t enjoy rejection, but you have learned not to take it personally, and that you work hard to learn from it to continuously improve your techniques.
Have you consistently met your goals?
The interviewer wants to know about your work history. Ideally, you want to demonstrate that you have experience both meeting and exceeding goals. Be prepared to talk about your most noteworthy successes. It behooves you to study and refresh yourself before your interview so you can bring up concrete statistics and numbers. Quantifying your success to the interviewer is not only appealing, but also shows them you are organized and serious.
What is your knowledge of our company? Why do you want to work here?
Regardless of the field, you should always research the company you’re interviewing at pre-interview. This question is fairly generic and one that several different fields keep handy for interviews. As it pertains to sales/marketing, your interviewer wants to see how well you understand their specific company’s approach to selling and marketing. Focus on aspects of the company’s sales record that stand out to you, or why you like their services or products and the ways in which they’re marketed. Additionally, you can add why your personal skill set, expertise, and history make you a good fit with the company’s strategies to sales/marketing.
Which is more important: strong visibility of a product or closing the deal?
This question hits both sides of the sales and marketing coin within a company. Regardless of which field you’re interviewing for, you know they go hand in hand. It’s important not to dismiss your sister field as less important. Try to convey that you understand and appreciate the balance, and want to also contribute in a positive way. If you’re in sales, emphasize the idea that you want to bring the marketer’s hard work to the forefront. If you’re in marketing, highlight the idea that you don’t want salespeople to struggle selling an inferior or poorly-marketed product.
Why do you want to work in the sales and marketing industry?
Interviewers will want to know how passionate you are about working in this industry and how this passion, plus your skills, will contribute to their company’s growth. Use real-life examples to demonstrate your drive to provide great customer service and to achieve customer success at all times. Highlight the abilities that will show what an asset you can be to the company.
What interests you the most about this sales and marketing role?
The answer that the interviewer is looking for here is whether or not you have researched enough about their company to be interested in working with them. Many applicants fail with this type of interview question because they typically apply to land any sales and marketing available, regardless of where it is. This is your chance to demonstrate that you are truly interested in being part of the team and helping them reach their business goals.
How do you keep up with industry trends?
Here, the interviewer would like to know if you continuously update yourself with industry news and trends or if you’re stuck in the past. As the business climate evolves, so should an effective sales and marketing person. Share examples of new sales and marketing trends that you’ve implemented in the past, offering a mix of traditional and modern methods. This shows that while you are in with the trends, you still place value over the core strategies and foundations of marketing and sales.
What’s something you’ve taught yourself recently?
Similar to the previous question, this reflects whether or not you are receptive to criticism and open to change. The sales and marketing industry is a highly dynamic realm, with markets and customer appetites shifting ever so constantly. Show through various scenarios that you are adaptable and quick to learn new strategies that would contribute to the company’s revenue growth. This sales and marketing question is also meant to find out if you are proactive when it comes to learning and trying something new.
How did you accomplish your most successful sales and marketing project?
The interviewer will want to see whether or not you have a strategy when it comes to closing deals and completing projects. Show off a bit here by sharing a scenario step by step, while ensuring that each step highlights your strengths as a sales and marketing person. Note that there is a thin line between being proud of your accomplishments and bragging. It might be good to mention the strengths of your previous team and not take all the credit for yourself.
What core values do you think every person in sales and marketing should have?
Your response to questions of this theme shows the interviewer if you have the qualities they are looking for, as detailed in their job description. Before the interview, pay close attention to the qualifications required for the role and always tie any mention of values into some of the core traits and competencies that they need.
What three words would a manager use to describe you?
There are several ways to approach this question aside from just mentioning three words. You can begin with an actual scenario, list key takeaways from the experience, and then quote an official performance review to strengthen such statements. For example, “In my latest performance review, my manager described me as somebody who is reliable, proactive, and determined. I could see that I have her trust because she would often turn to me whenever things go awry and need fixing.”
What do you find most rewarding about being in sales and marketing?
There are many benefits you can mention here, but with sales and marketing being a high-touch role, you might want to highlight relationship building as the most rewarding of all. Interviewers will want to hire somebody who genuinely enjoys being around people, listening to their needs, and making them happy with a meaningful and swift response.
These are just some of the sales and marketing interview questions that may be asked at any level of the hiring process. The questions can be more in-depth and project-specific the higher the position you are trying to land.
How to Prepare for a Sales & Marketing Interview
The direction of sales and marketing interview questions for entry-level positions are generally the same as for the more demanding executive roles. The company’s goal is to hire the most qualified person for the job, so expect to be answering a lot of generic and company-specific questions. The higher the position, the more stringent the interview process will be, possibly even going through multiple levels.
The best way to prepare and answer marketing interview questions and answers is to learn as much details as you can about the company and its history, particularly the part that relates to the department you want to join. Fortunately, the internet has a wealth of information. You can also ask friends, current and former employees, and business partners for feedback and tips. It helps to be familiar with their company culture beforehand, so you’ll know how to best communicate with the interviewers and to carry yourself during the interview.
Here are some other tips that might be beneficial to do before an interview:
- Take note of the company’s sales achievements in the past.
- Identify who their target market is; this will be helpful when you’re asked to draw up scenarios.
- Think of ways to demonstrate your career achievements in a concrete and measurable manner.
- Don’t be afraid to talk about projects that did not succeed in the past. Take it as an opportunity to show the interviewer how you were able to rise above it.
- Approach the job interview like it’s a sales pitch, only this time you’re the valuable product they need to buy.
Of course, the basic must-dos of any job interview would be to come early, dress professionally, and stick to the topic during discussions.
Best of luck in your interview! Once you prep answers to these commonly asked sales & marketing interview questions, you should find yourself adequately prepared.
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