Questions To Ask During Your Sales Interviews

A woman wearing a polka dot blouse and headset smiles while participating in a virtual interview from her home.

In our previous article about breaking into tech sales, we dove into a few strategies on how to maximize your chances of getting an interview for a sales position. We also touched on the importance of asking questions at the end of each interview round. But why is this important?

Having questions prepared at the end of each round of interviews not only shows that you're engaged with the company you are interviewing with, but it benefits you in the end as it is also YOU who is interviewing the company. Remember, interviewing is a two-way -street: It's just as important for your future employer to evaluate you, as it is for you to evaluate them.

If you're transitioning into sales from a different career, especially into tech sales, it's important to understand that not all sales positions/ companies are the same. Many candidates who are interviewing for their first sales role in tech, are surprised to learn that sales roles can vary drastically in terms of their compensation structure. For example, some companies offer a 100% commission only pay structure, meaning that you do not have a base salary, and everything you earn will be directly tied to the deals you close. Others split the way you earn and have a base + commission structure. Even in this scenario, your earnings can vary on a number of factors.

Although it might seem at first glance that your compensation will initially be lower than your previous role, it's important to remember that sales is an incredibly lucrative career. The earnings can be massive if you learn how to navigate the interview processes and choose a company and product that you are passionate about, but that also fits the type of sales you will enjoy doing. This is why asking the right questions during your interviews is essential.

Here we will discuss a few topics/questions that can help you better prepare to make a decision on your new sales career:

Compensation:

• What is the breakdown of the compensation package? Base salary + commission or commission only?

• How is commission calculated? (When is it paid out): This is very important as some companies pay commission yearly, or quarterly, some even monthly

• Are there any accelerators? Is there a cap on commission?

• Is there a threshold?

• How many people on the team are currently hitting target? (This can give you an idea of the health of the sales team - is it churn and burn?)

Sales Targets:

• What are the sales targets for the 1st quarter/year?

• How is the territory split?

• What is the average deal size and sales cycle? (Shorter sales cycles mean that you can expect to see your earnings sooner, although they might be smaller amounts unlike Enterprise Sales)

• How are quotas set, and how often are they reviewed?

• What is the average deal size?

• What type of companies/size companies will I be targeting?

Sales Process & Support:

• What kind of training and onboarding do you provide?

• How much support does the sales team get from marketing and lead generation? Is there is Business Development Representative team or will I also prospect?

• How much prospecting on average even if I have a BDR?

• What is the inbound vs outbound ratio?

• Is there a mentoring or coaching program to help new hires ramp up?

• What is the ramp time?

Career Growth & Opportunities:

• What does career progression look like?

• How often are performance reviews conducted, and how do they impact career development?

• If I am consistently over target, do I have to wait for a performance review or is promotion purely results driven?

• What is the difference in compensation between this role and the role I would be promoted to eventually? For example, Account Executive Small Business to Mid-Market

• Are there levels in order to get promoted? For instance, Small Business L1 to Small Business L2 (What is the difference in salary here, how quickly can I get to L2)?

Company Culture & Team Dynamics:

• How would you describe the company culture, especially within the sales team?

• How do team members typically collaborate and share best practices?

• What does success look like for the team?

Challenges & Expectations:

• What are the biggest challenges the sales team is facing at the moment?

• Are there any upcoming changes or new initiatives that might affect the sales team?

These are a few questions that you can ask any company which can help you decide which one will be the right fit for you depending on what you are looking for and which type of sales cycle you think you will enjoy.

You can't really go wrong in any sales position in tech, as long as it aligns with your style and ambitions. For instance, some people prefers Enterprise Sales in which a typical sales cycle can take up to 1 year, and the deal sizes are $1,000,000+, other people prefer the fast wins where you see the rewards in as little as 5 days, but the volume will be relatively higher and the deal sizes smaller. It will ultimately boil down to which route you want to pursue.

Here at Optimyze1 we are constantly engaging with companies seeking great sales talent, if you are looking for your next sales role, get in touch: hello@optimyze1.com

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