During a sales job interview, I usually ask the candidate what motivates them. I am sure this question is asked in other industries and the best answers are different for each industry. For example, if you were interviewing for a creative art type of job, the answer to this question would definitely be different than if you were going for a sales position. This article tackles this question specifically for the sales job interview.
WHY SALES MANAGERS ASK THIS QUESTION
We ask this question to uncover what drives you and to find out what motivates you. For sales, professionals that are motivated by money should be a top reason for being in sales and should be one of the top 2 as one of your best responses. Family is another and providing for them, which again leads back to money. We ask this because we want to make sure that money is indeed a high motivator for you as it relates to higher commissions for both you, the candidate and the hiring sales manager.
If I ask this question and a sales candidate does not list money, I proactively ask as to why they didn’t list money as one of their top choices. Some people might be driven more by a sense of accomplishment and winning in which studies shows that sometimes could be more important than just monetary reasons. But most of the time, sales managers will ask this question because they are looking for that “money” answer. Be honest in your answer and if you list other motivating factors, just be prepared to explain why and to sell that idea to the hiring sales manager.
Ishaan says
very nice