Sales Trainers play a crucial role in developing and enhancing the skills of sales teams, directly impacting an organization's bottom line. Persuasion is a key competency for this role, as it involves not only convincing trainees to adopt new techniques but also demonstrating how to effectively persuade potential customers. When evaluating candidates for a Sales Trainer position, it's essential to assess their ability to influence others, communicate complex ideas clearly, and adapt their approach to different audiences.

The questions in this guide are designed for candidates with some relevant experience in sales or training. They focus on past experiences that demonstrate the candidate's persuasion skills, ability to overcome challenges, and capacity to train others effectively. When evaluating responses, look for evidence of strong communication skills, adaptability, empathy, and a track record of achieving results through persuasion.

It's important to note that while experience is valuable, traits such as curiosity, drive, and coachability are equally crucial for success in this role. The best candidates will demonstrate a combination of relevant experience and the personal qualities needed to excel as a Sales Trainer.

For more insights on effective hiring practices for sales roles, check out our blog posts on how to conduct a job interview and finding and hiring for grit among sales candidates.

Interview Questions for Assessing Persuasion in Sales Trainer Roles

Tell me about a time when you had to persuade a resistant trainee or team member to adopt a new sales technique or approach. How did you handle the situation?

Areas to Cover:

• Details of the situation
• Actions taken
• How those actions were decided on
• Who the candidate got help or support from
• Results of the actions
• Lessons learned
• How the lessons have been applied

Possible follow-up questions:

1. What specific persuasion techniques did you use?
2. How did you tailor your approach to this individual's concerns or objections?
3. What would you do differently if faced with a similar situation in the future?

Describe a situation where you had to convince upper management to invest in a new training program or resource for the sales team. What was your approach, and what was the outcome?

Areas to Cover:

• Details of the situation
• Actions taken
• How those actions were decided on
• Who the candidate got help or support from
• Results of the actions
• Lessons learned
• How the lessons have been applied

Possible follow-up questions:

1. How did you prepare your argument to appeal to management's priorities?
2. What obstacles did you encounter, and how did you overcome them?
3. How did you measure and communicate the impact of the new program or resource?

Give an example of a time when you had to adapt your training style or content to effectively reach a diverse group of salespeople with varying experience levels. How did you ensure your message was persuasive to all participants?

Areas to Cover:

• Details of the situation
• Actions taken
• How those actions were decided on
• Who the candidate got help or support from
• Results of the actions
• Lessons learned
• How the lessons have been applied

Possible follow-up questions:

1. How did you assess the needs of the different participants?
2. What specific adaptations did you make to your training approach?
3. How did you measure the effectiveness of your adaptations?

Tell me about a challenging objection you've faced when trying to implement a new sales methodology or process. How did you address it?

Areas to Cover:

• Details of the situation
• Actions taken
• How those actions were decided on
• Who the candidate got help or support from
• Results of the actions
• Lessons learned
• How the lessons have been applied

Possible follow-up questions:

1. What research or preparation did you do to address this objection?
2. How did you balance addressing individual concerns with maintaining the overall training objectives?
3. What was the long-term impact of how you handled this objection?

Describe a situation where you had to persuade a group of experienced salespeople to change a long-standing practice or belief about their sales approach. What strategies did you use?

Areas to Cover:

• Details of the situation
• Actions taken
• How those actions were decided on
• Who the candidate got help or support from
• Results of the actions
• Lessons learned
• How the lessons have been applied

Possible follow-up questions:

1. How did you establish credibility with this experienced group?
2. What resistance did you encounter, and how did you address it?
3. How did you measure the success of your persuasion efforts?

Give an example of how you've used data or analytics to persuade sales team members or management about the effectiveness of a training program or sales technique.

Areas to Cover:

• Details of the situation
• Actions taken
• How those actions were decided on
• Who the candidate got help or support from
• Results of the actions
• Lessons learned
• How the lessons have been applied

Possible follow-up questions:

1. How did you gather and analyze the relevant data?
2. How did you present the data to make it compelling and easy to understand?
3. What challenges did you face in using data to persuade, and how did you overcome them?

Tell me about a time when you had to persuade a sales team to embrace a significant change in their sales process or tools. How did you approach this challenge?

Areas to Cover:

• Details of the situation
• Actions taken
• How those actions were decided on
• Who the candidate got help or support from
• Results of the actions
• Lessons learned
• How the lessons have been applied

Possible follow-up questions:

1. How did you address resistance or skepticism from team members?
2. What methods did you use to demonstrate the benefits of the change?
3. How did you ensure the change was successfully implemented and sustained?

Describe a situation where you had to use your persuasion skills to mediate a conflict between sales team members or between sales and another department. What was your approach?

Areas to Cover:

• Details of the situation
• Actions taken
• How those actions were decided on
• Who the candidate got help or support from
• Results of the actions
• Lessons learned
• How the lessons have been applied

Possible follow-up questions:

1. How did you ensure all parties felt heard and respected?
2. What specific persuasion techniques did you employ to reach a resolution?
3. How did you follow up to ensure the resolution was effective and lasting?

Give an example of how you've used storytelling or real-world examples to persuade trainees about the effectiveness of a particular sales technique or approach.

Areas to Cover:

• Details of the situation
• Actions taken
• How those actions were decided on
• Who the candidate got help or support from
• Results of the actions
• Lessons learned
• How the lessons have been applied

Possible follow-up questions:

1. How did you choose or develop the stories or examples you used?
2. How did you tailor your storytelling approach to your audience?
3. What impact did this approach have on the trainees' adoption of the technique?

Tell me about a time when you had to persuade a difficult or skeptical trainee who was resistant to your training methods. How did you handle the situation?

Areas to Cover:

• Details of the situation
• Actions taken
• How those actions were decided on
• Who the candidate got help or support from
• Results of the actions
• Lessons learned
• How the lessons have been applied

Possible follow-up questions:

1. How did you identify the root cause of the trainee's resistance?
2. What specific strategies did you use to win over this individual?
3. How did this experience influence your approach to handling similar situations in the future?

Describe a situation where you had to persuade a sales team to adopt a new technology or tool that would change their daily work routine. What was your approach?

Areas to Cover:

• Details of the situation
• Actions taken
• How those actions were decided on
• Who the candidate got help or support from
• Results of the actions
• Lessons learned
• How the lessons have been applied

Possible follow-up questions:

1. How did you demonstrate the value of the new technology to the team?
2. What challenges did you face in the implementation process, and how did you overcome them?
3. How did you ensure long-term adoption and usage of the new tool?

Give an example of a time when you had to persuade trainees to embrace a more customer-centric approach to sales. How did you make your case?

Areas to Cover:

• Details of the situation
• Actions taken
• How those actions were decided on
• Who the candidate got help or support from
• Results of the actions
• Lessons learned
• How the lessons have been applied

Possible follow-up questions:

1. How did you demonstrate the benefits of a customer-centric approach?
2. What resistance did you encounter, and how did you address it?
3. How did you measure the impact of this shift in approach on sales performance?

Tell me about a situation where you had to persuade a sales team to set more ambitious goals or targets. How did you motivate them to aim higher?

Areas to Cover:

• Details of the situation
• Actions taken
• How those actions were decided on
• Who the candidate got help or support from
• Results of the actions
• Lessons learned
• How the lessons have been applied

Possible follow-up questions:

1. How did you balance pushing for higher targets with maintaining team morale?
2. What specific persuasion techniques did you use to inspire the team?
3. How did you support the team in achieving these more ambitious goals?

Describe a time when you had to persuade trainees to adopt a more collaborative or team-based approach to sales. What challenges did you face, and how did you overcome them?

Areas to Cover:

• Details of the situation
• Actions taken
• How those actions were decided on
• Who the candidate got help or support from
• Results of the actions
• Lessons learned
• How the lessons have been applied

Possible follow-up questions:

1. How did you address concerns about individual performance metrics?
2. What strategies did you use to demonstrate the benefits of collaboration?
3. How did you measure the success of this shift in approach?

FAQ

Q: How many of these questions should I ask in a single interview?

A: It's recommended to select 3-4 questions from this list for a single interview. This allows for in-depth exploration of the candidate's experiences while leaving time for follow-up questions and discussion.

Q: Should I ask these questions in the order they're presented?

A: Not necessarily. Choose the questions that are most relevant to your specific needs and the role you're hiring for. You may want to start with broader questions and then move to more specific or challenging ones.

Q: How can I ensure I'm getting honest responses rather than rehearsed answers?

A: Use follow-up questions to dig deeper into the candidate's responses. Ask for specific details, challenges faced, and lessons learned. This can help you get beyond prepared answers and gain more insight into the candidate's actual experiences and thought processes.

Q: What if a candidate doesn't have a specific example for one of these questions?

A: If a candidate doesn't have a directly relevant example, you can ask them to describe a similar situation or how they would hypothetically handle such a scenario. However, be aware that past behavior is generally a better predictor of future performance than hypothetical responses.

Interested in a full interview guide for Sales Trainer with Persuasion as a key competency? Sign up for Yardstick and build it for free.