Tell me about a sale you helped close or lose.
It really doesn't matter whether you choose to focus on a closed or lost sale in your answer. What matters to the interviewer is that you walked away from the experience with some valuable lessons. Talk to the interviewer about what happened and what you learned. If you don't have any past sales experience to reference, talk about any competitive situation you've been in and what you took away from it. Remember to give credit to others if you discuss a win.
"Last year, in my current role, my team and I closed a big deal. It's the deal I'm most proud of to this day because it took a lot of time and persistence. We knew from the beginning that we had the potential to close a really big deal. Early on, my team and I strategized about how to maneuver our way into the sights of this prospect company. I was put in charge of reaching out to multiple people within the company in the hopes of scheduling some demos and on-sites. Many of the people I called turned me down, but ultimately I was able to gain the trust and interest of three people there. I made sure to follow up religiously and to provide helpful suggestions. After many months, our team was able to close a big deal with them. It was a joint effort and a joint win, but I know that my part of it was integral to its success. It reiterated the importance of persistence to me, and that's something I took away from the experience."
Community answers are written by other candidates practicing this set. Reading how others frame the same question is one of the fastest ways to sharpen your own.
Anonymous Answer
One sale I helped close was a commercial solar co that was looking to switch from its current design platform over to one of our partners. I was able to get them set up on a demo to determine how to integrate with our partner. The demo went so well that the customer signed an annual subscription that ended up being a closed won deal in a few weeks.
Marcie's Feedback
Awesome! Why were they looking to make the switch? How did you manage to score the demo? Did you lead the demo? Adding more details will make your answer even more impactful. Nice job!
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