Example Questions and Answers

Q:

Give me an example of a time when you set a goal, but you could not achieve it. 

A:

Last year my manager asked me to reduce the budget by 20%. I tried many different strategies, but in the end I only reduced it by 10%. However, I believe it was a good outcome because I didn't want to lower the quality of our customer service. 

Q:

Can you give me an example of when you showed initiative and took charge? 

A:

I remember when a colleague was having a difficult time learning a new software program. She was embarrassed to tell our manager that she was having trouble, so I went to the training department and explained her situation. It turned out another employee was also struggling, so they set up a training day for all of us. I actually learned a lot, so it was a good outcome. 

Q:

What tools do you use to keep organized? 

A:

Being organized is very important to me. Like many people, I use a Blackberry for emails and appointments. I also write a daily 'to do' list so I have a visual of the tasks I need to achieve for the day. 

Q:

Tell me about a situation where you had to deal with an angry customer. 

A:

During the summer sales period this year, we were unable to deliver enough stock to a large department store. The purchasing manager was very upset because she placed the order 3 months in advance. The best thing I could do at the time was offer to send a similar product at a 10% discount. She agreed, and in the end that product sold better than the original order. So, everyone was happy! 

Give me an example of a time when you had to motivate others. 

A:

A few years ago, the travel company I was working for had a very bad sales period. Nobody was earning commission and 2 people were retrenched. As the supervisor, I had to think of ways to make the staff more enthusiastic. I came up with a shared commission structure that required everybody to work as a team. It was successful because people felt like they were working together, not against each other for the same business. In fact the management team is still using that structure today. 

Q:

Where do you see yourself in five years? 

A:

I know I will still be in sales. A role like this one will give me more experience as a sales manager. In five years I imagine myself in the position you are in, or running my own business.