The title of this post is a statement often offered by my father. The statement can be slightly aggravating in certain situations, but there is much truth in it. Who? What? Where? When? How? and Why? When phone screening or interviewing salespeople, one of those 5 words should be the lead-in to your question. Yes, I crossed out “Why” for a specific reason that we will get to shortly.
We have covered this technique before but it is immeasurably important when screening sales candidates. Do not ask questions that leave you “boxed” in a corner. Those questions tend to have a structure that leads with a verb and always elicits a yes/no answer from the candidate. Some simplistic examples to make my point:
-Did you make your sales quota last year?
-Are you a good communicator?
-Have you ever sold to a corporate Vice President?
Boxed in. Dead end. Now you are forced to ask a follow up question that may be as weak as these questions. Notice on the third question how you have tipped your hand regarding your target prospect? If I am a clever salesperson, I’m adjusting my answers on the fly to reference the VP-level sales I have ever closed (even if it has been 5 years since I closed one).
Often you will see these types of questions listed with a follow up question that simply states, “Why or why not?” Avoid this. Here is the reason – the word “why” is frequently associated with a critical parent. This association typically has negative connotations.
Think about when you were younger and got in trouble for your actions (I have many examples in case you are lacking). I suspect every reader of this post heard some form of “Why did you do that?” Yes, I’ll give extra credit to parents who used the curveball “What were you thinking?” I guarantee even those parents used “why” at some point in their interrogation.
The 5 words listed above will cover all the bases without invoking any subconscious, negative emotions. These words will also lead you to more revealing responses from the candidates without revealing your desired response. Rewrite your interview questions if needed. Avoid starting your question with a verb or the word why. Instead, use one of the five investigative words to get a better answer from your sales candidates.
BONUS: This question format is just as important for salespeople to use when qualifying prospects. Keep your ear tuned to sales candidates who take this approach when qualifying the position.