Hello Joe,
I need your help. I’m going to add another person to my internet department. We are a cradle to grave department. I am going to be interviewing every salesperson within our company who is interested. (Almost every salesperson will want to be interviewed since my team leads the board every month.)
What are 4-5 good interview questions to ask during my interview?
I know you are busy traveling this time of year. Any help would be greatly appreciated 😉
Thanks,
Miss J (Name changed for anonymity)
Internet Director
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Hey Miss J,
We have a staple of preferred interview questions we recommend, but i’ll share with you a few of the most valuable and the reasoning behind them. (Just hope no one gives as bad of an interview as I did in this video about the worst job interview ever.) First, understand the process for each actual interview.
The goal for you is to:
A) see if they can talk enthusiastically (or get excited) about elements outside of automobiles? (This is important to understand if they can self-motivate and speak with exuberance. If they can’t do that about a hobby or something they like, they certainly can’t do it over the phone or in email about cars and light trucks).
“If you could get paid to do anything whatsoever, even a hobby or a game, what would it be? How did you get involved in that?”
B) put them in a situation where they have to talk about historical experience that will prove success in the next role. In this instance, though, don’t make it a singular question, but drill down to uncover more of their thought process.
Tell me about your greatest accomplishment since you’ve been in the automotive industry. (It doesn’t have to be the best sales month or something similar, but can be what they deem successful.)
What was the biggest obstacle in accomplishing this?
Who helped you achieve this?
What would you have changed if you had to do it again?
What has prevented you from reaching that pinnacle since?
How did that accomplishment benefit the company?
C) test their written and verbal skills through live role-playing of a lead handle and an inbound/outbound phone call.
This doesn’t require a question, but does require you to send them a test lead to their personal email address and, without them using any templates/accessing the CRM, send you back a response as if they were already in the position. You want to see if they understand the type of elements customers seek (price/imagery/availability info/invite to the dealership). In an inbound call, are they capturing contact info and inviting customers into the dealership without talking too much about the vehicle? Similar goals for an outbound call role-play.
D) do their stories or opinions prove they have a customer-first philosophy (which is ideal for internet department) rather than a me-first philosophy (which is best for showroom sales).
Tell me about a time you made a suggestion for the dealership, how it was received, and how it affected the store?
Describe the work environment or culture of a dealership in which you would be most productive and happy.
As you can see, I believe in getting them to talk in detail, as well as give them tasks to complete, to ensure they have, not just the competency for the position, but the passion for it as well. Hope that helps, and congrats on growing your team.
Joe Webb
