Asking your sales manager the right questions can be your secret weapon. Whether you’re curious about goals, training, or handling tough customers, the answers you get could be game-changers.

During an Interview

1. How long have you been working in sales?
2. Can you describe your best sales experience?
3. What do you think is the most important skill in sales?
4. How do you keep your team motivated?
5. How do you handle tough customers?
6. How do you set sales goals for your team?
7. Can you talk about a time when you helped a team member improve?
8. What’s your approach to training new team members?
9. How do you track and measure success?
10. What’s your strategy for generating leads?
11. What CRM software are you familiar with?
12. How do you handle a sales slump?
13. Can you tell me about a deal that didn’t go through and what you learned from it?
14. How do you work with other departments like marketing and customer service?
15. What do you think our product or service needs to succeed in the market?
16. How would you describe your management style?
17. How do you handle team conflicts?
18. What’s the biggest challenge you’ve faced as a sales manager and how did you overcome it?
19. How do you keep up with industry changes?
20. Can you give an example of how you’ve successfully built customer relationships?
21. How do you go about creating a sales plan?
22. What role does customer feedback play in your strategy?
23. How do you prioritize your tasks and responsibilities?
24. Can you talk about a time you had to adapt quickly to a new situation?
25. How do you make sure your team meets deadlines?
26. What’s your strategy for upselling or cross-selling?
27. How do you make tough decisions under pressure?
28. Can you share a time when you had to let someone go from your team and how you handled it?
29. What do you do for self-improvement and professional growth?
30. Why do you want to work with us, and what do you think you can bring to our team?

About Sales Goals

1. How do you set yearly sales goals?
2. What factors do you consider when making sales targets?
3. Do you prefer team goals or individual goals? Why?
4. How do you break down annual goals into quarterly or monthly ones?
5. How do you make sure goals are realistic but challenging?
6. What’s your plan if the team is falling short of a goal?
7. How do you align sales goals with the company’s overall objectives?
8. How often do you review and adjust goals?
9. What tools or software do you use for tracking progress toward goals?
10. How do you keep the team focused on goals without causing stress?
11. Do you set different types of goals like revenue, customer retention, and new customer acquisition?
12. How do you handle missed goals?
13. What rewards or incentives do you use to help meet goals?
14. How do you involve your team in the goal-setting process?
15. How do you balance short-term and long-term goals?
16. How do you communicate new goals to the team?
17. What’s your strategy for tackling big, ambitious goals?
18. How do you ensure that goals are clearly understood by everyone?
19. What metrics do you use to measure progress?
20. How do you encourage team members who are struggling to meet goals?
21. Do you set goals for customer satisfaction?
22. How do you gather data to set future goals?
23. How do you handle it if a goal turns out to be unrealistic?
24. Do you think it’s important to celebrate when a goal is met? If so, how do you celebrate?
25. How do you make sure that achieving sales goals translates into profitability?
26. Do you ever revise goals mid-way through the time period? Why or why not?
27. How transparent are you with the team about overall company goals?
28. Do you have any goals related to personal development for your sales reps?
29. How do you help a team member who consistently fails to meet their goals?
30. Can you share an example of a time when your team exceeded the goals? What did you learn from that experience?

About Commission and Bonuses

1. How is the commission structure set up?
2. Are commissions capped at a certain amount?
3. What’s the average commission a sales rep can expect?
4. How often are commissions paid out?
5. Is there a different commission rate for new customers vs. repeat business?
6. Are there any bonuses for hitting certain milestones?
7. How do you handle commission disputes?
8. What happens to commissions if a customer returns a product or cancels a service?
9. Are there spiffs or short-term incentives for selling certain products?
10. Do team members earn commission on upsells or cross-sells?
11. How is commission affected if a deal involves multiple team members?
12. Is there a commission clawback policy?
13. How soon after a sale closes is commission paid?
14. Are there any bonuses tied to customer satisfaction?
15. How transparent is the commission process?
16. Are there any seasonal bonuses or incentives?
17. How do you ensure that the commission structure is fair for everyone?
18. Are there performance bonuses for reaching certain targets?
19. How do you keep track of commissions and bonuses?
20. Are there any non-cash rewards like trips or gifts?
21. Is there a minimum sales threshold before commission kicks in?
22. Do sales reps have the opportunity to negotiate their commission rate?
23. How often do you review and update the commission structure?
24. Are commissions paid on revenue or profit?
25. Are there commissions for renewals or recurring business?
26. Is there a sign-on bonus for new team members?
27. Do you offer any bonuses for long-term loyalty to the company?
28. Are there penalties for not meeting sales quotas?
29. How are commissions affected if a sales rep leaves the company?
30. Can you share an example where a sales rep significantly exceeded their commission expectations?

About Handling Difficult Customers

1. What’s your first step when dealing with an angry customer?
2. How do you train your team to handle difficult customers?
3. Can you share a story where you turned a difficult customer into a loyal one?
4. What’s the toughest customer complaint you’ve ever handled?
5. How do you decide when to give refunds or discounts to upset customers?
6. Do you have any scripts or guidelines for handling customer complaints?
7. How do you de-escalate situations where a customer is very upset?
8. What role does empathy play in dealing with challenging customers?
9. How do you follow up with customers after a complaint has been resolved?
10. Do you involve higher-ups when dealing with particularly tough customer issues?
11. How do you manage your own stress or frustration when dealing with difficult customers?
12. How do you keep the rest of the team motivated when dealing with a challenging customer situation?
13. How do you ensure that a difficult customer’s feedback is taken into account for future improvements?
14. What do you consider a “difficult customer“?
15. Do you have any go-to phrases that help calm a situation down?
16. How do you balance the needs of the customer with the needs of the company?
17. How do you teach your team to protect their own mental health while dealing with tough customers?
18. Are there any tools or software you use to manage customer complaints?
19. How do you measure customer satisfaction?
20. How do you keep records of customer interactions, especially difficult ones?
21. What role does active listening play in managing difficult customers?
22. How do you know when to take over from a team member in handling a difficult customer?
23. How do you prevent difficult customer interactions from affecting the team’s morale?
24. Do you have any training sessions focused solely on handling challenging customers?
25. How do you make sure the rest of the team learns from difficult customer interactions?
26. Do you seek feedback from team members about how to improve challenging customer interactions?
27. How do you make sure not to promise more than can be delivered when resolving a customer issue?
28. How do you handle situations where a customer is unhappy but not entirely at fault?
29. Do you have a process for sharing customer complaints with the product or service teams?
30. What’s the most creative solution you’ve ever come up with for a difficult customer?

About Client Retention

1. How do you define customer loyalty in your team?
2. What strategies do you use to keep customers coming back?
3. Can you share a success story of retaining a long-term client?
4. How do you measure client retention rates?
5. What’s your approach to after-sales service?
6. Do you have any programs to reward loyal customers?
7. How do you gather feedback from existing customers to improve retention?
8. How often do you reach out to current clients to check in?
9. What steps do you take if you notice a customer is becoming less engaged?
10. Do you have any special tactics for retaining high-value clients?
11. How do you train your team to focus on customer retention?
12. How do you balance acquiring new clients with retaining existing ones?
13. What are the common reasons you find for customers leaving, and how do you address them?
14. How do you handle clients who are considering switching to a competitor?
15. Do you customize retention strategies based on different types of customers?
16. What’s your strategy for upselling or cross-selling to current clients?
17. How do you decide which clients to focus on for retention efforts?
18. Do you use any customer relationship management (CRM) features specifically for retention?
19. How do you align your retention goals with the company’s overall strategy?
20. Do you collaborate with other departments, like Customer Service, to improve client retention?
21. How important are customer reviews and testimonials in your retention strategies?
22. What role does customer education play in retention?
23. How do you ensure consistency in the customer experience to aid retention?
24. Do you conduct exit interviews or surveys when a customer leaves?
25. How quickly do you follow up on customer complaints or issues?
26. How do you handle contract renewals to ensure continued business?
27. Do you have key performance indicators (KPIs) specifically for client retention?
28. How do you make use of data analytics in client retention?
29. How do you celebrate or acknowledge team successes in client retention?
30. What are the biggest challenges you face in retaining clients, and how do you overcome them?

About Team Structure

1. How is the sales team currently organized?
2. How many people do you usually manage at one time?
3. Do you separate teams based on product lines or customer types?
4. How do you decide who works on which accounts?
5. Are there specialized roles within the team, like for new business or customer retention?
6. How often do you evaluate the team’s structure?
7. Do you have a process for onboarding new team members?
8. How do you handle team members who work remotely?
9. What’s the communication flow like within the team?
10. How does the sales team interact with other departments like marketing or customer service?
11. Do you have any team leads or sub-managers? What’s their role?
12. How do you match team members for collaborative work?
13. How flexible is the team structure to adapt to new challenges or opportunities?
14. What are the key responsibilities for different roles within the team?
15. How do you handle role changes or promotions within the team?
16. Do you have cross-functional teams for specific projects?
17. How do you decide when it’s time to expand the team?
18. Are there any mentoring or buddy systems in place?
19. How do you ensure everyone on the team has a voice and can contribute ideas?
20. How do you deal with conflicts or tension within the team?
21. Do you rotate team members to prevent burnout or to cross-train skills?
22. How do you make sure everyone stays on the same page when things get busy?
23. Do you hold regular team meetings? What’s usually on the agenda?
24. How do you keep remote or off-site team members integrated?
25. What’s the process for offboarding team members who leave the company?
26. Do you have a backup plan for key roles in case of sudden changes?
27. How does team structure impact individual and team goals?
28. How do you support diversity and inclusion within the team structure?
29. What opportunities for autonomy and leadership do team members have?
30. Can you share an example of a change in team structure that led to improved performance?

About New Product Launches

1. How do you prepare your team for a new product launch?
2. What role does the sales team play in shaping a new product before its launch?
3. Can you share an example of a successful product launch you’ve managed?
4. How do you set sales goals for a new product?
5. What’s your strategy for educating the team about the new product?
6. How do you create excitement within the team for a new product?
7. Do you involve the sales team in the beta testing of a new product?
8. How do you handle initial customer feedback after a product launch?
9. How do you work with the marketing department during a product launch?
10. Do you offer special commissions or bonuses for sales of a new product?
11. What are the key messages you focus on when selling a new product?
12. How do you identify the target market for a new product?
13. What’s your plan for upselling the new product to existing customers?
14. How do you deal with unexpected issues or bugs during a product launch?
15. Do you have a process for collecting sales data specific to the new product?
16. How do you adapt your sales pitch for different customer segments?
17. What kind of after-sales support do you provide for a new product?
18. How do you measure the success of a new product launch?
19. Do you have any post-launch debriefs to evaluate what went well and what didn’t?
20. How do you incorporate customer feedback into ongoing sales strategies for the new product?
21. Do you use any special tools or software to manage the product launch process?
22. How do you communicate updates or changes about the new product to the team?
23. What is the role of demos or samples in selling a new product?
24. How do you handle inventory or stock issues during a new product launch?
25. What’s your strategy for managing customer expectations for a new product?
26. How do you coordinate with other departments like R&D or manufacturing during a launch?
27. Do you offer special training or workshops for selling the new product?
28. How do you make sure the team meets its sales targets for the new product?
29. How long after launch do you evaluate the product’s impact on overall sales?
30. Can you share a lesson you’ve learned from a product launch that didn’t go as planned?

About Sales Tools and Software

1. What sales software does the team currently use?
2. How do you decide which tools are right for the team?
3. Are there any tools you’re considering adding soon?
4. How do you make sure everyone knows how to use the sales tools?
5. What features do you find most useful in a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system?
6. Do you use any tools for automating repetitive tasks?
7. How do you keep track of customer interactions and notes?
8. Are there any tools you use for remote sales and meetings?
9. How do you manage data security with the sales tools you use?
10. What’s your go-to tool for sales analytics and reporting?
11. Do you use any specific tools for email campaigns?
12. How do you integrate different sales tools together?
13. What tools do you use for team communication?
14. Are there any mobile apps that you recommend for sales reps?
15. How often do you review and update the tools you use?
16. Do you use any special software for contract management?
17. What tools do you use for lead generation and qualification?
18. Are there any industry-specific tools that you find useful?
19. How do you handle technical issues or downtime with sales tools?
20. Do you use any tools for sales training and development?
21. What’s your strategy for keeping customer data up to date?
22. How do you measure the ROI of a new sales tool?
23. Do you use any tools for social selling or outreach?
24. What tools do you recommend for time management and productivity?
25. Do you have a backup plan in case a key tool fails?
26. How do you ensure compliance with data protection regulations through your tools?
27. Do you use any gamification software to motivate the team?
28. Are there any tools that you think are overrated or unnecessary?
29. What’s your approach to software updates and adopting new features?
30. How do you stay updated on new sales tools and technologies?

About Customer Relationship Management

1. What CRM system do you currently use, and why did you choose it?
2. How do you train team members to use the CRM effectively?
3. What kind of information do you prioritize storing in the CRM?
4. How often is the CRM database updated?
5. Do you use the CRM for email marketing or newsletters?
6. How does the CRM help with forecasting sales?
7. Can you track customer interactions across multiple channels in the CRM?
8. How do you use the CRM to improve the customer experience?
9. Do you integrate the CRM with other tools or platforms?
10. How do you handle data privacy concerns in the CRM?
11. Do you use the CRM for managing customer service inquiries?
12. How do you segment customer data in the CRM?
13. What’s your process for adding new leads to the CRM?
14. Do you use the CRM for tracking referrals or affiliate partnerships?
15. How do you use analytics and reports from the CRM?
16. Is the CRM accessible for remote or mobile team members?
17. What features of the CRM do you find most valuable?
18. How customizable is the CRM to fit the sales process?
19. Do you have a process for cleaning and maintaining the CRM data?
20. How do you manage access permissions for different team members in the CRM?
21. Is the CRM integrated with any social media platforms?
22. How do you use the CRM to manage and renew contracts?
23. Do you use any add-ons or plugins to enhance the CRM’s capabilities?
24. How do you back up data from the CRM?
25. What’s your process for migrating to a new CRM, if needed?
26. Do you use the CRM to set and track team goals?
27. How does the CRM support your upselling and cross-selling efforts?
28. Do you use any AI or machine learning features in the CRM?
29. How does the CRM assist with order management and invoicing?
30. How do you evaluate the success and ROI of the CRM system?

About Sales Metrics and Tracking

1. What are the key sales metrics you focus on?
2. How often do you review these metrics?
3. How do you track individual versus team performance?
4. Do you have different metrics for different stages of the sales process?
5. How do you measure lead quality?
6. What tools do you use for sales tracking and reporting?
7. How do you keep the team informed about their performance metrics?
8. How do you handle it if the team is not meeting their targets?
9. What metrics do you use to measure customer satisfaction?
10. Do you use any real-time tracking tools?
11. How do you track the ROI of sales campaigns or strategies?
12. What metrics help you understand your competition?
13. How do you measure the effectiveness of different sales channels?
14. Do you track metrics related to the length of the sales cycle?
15. How do you adjust goals based on performance metrics?
16. What metrics do you use to evaluate pricing strategies?
17. How do you track follow-ups or customer touchpoints?
18. Do you track sales metrics by geographic location or demographics?
19. How do you use metrics to identify upsell or cross-sell opportunities?
20. Do you analyze win-loss ratios? How does that influence strategy?
21. What metrics do you consider when planning sales quotas?
22. How do you ensure data accuracy in your sales metrics?
23. What metrics help you identify training needs within the team?
24. Do you have any “vanity metrics” that are nice to have but not essential?
25. How do you measure the success of a new product launch?
26. Do you use metrics to assess the value of long-term customer relationships?
27. What metrics do you track for customer churn?
28. How do you adjust metrics to account for market trends or seasonality?
29. What metrics help you decide when to discontinue a product or service?
30. How do you align your sales metrics with the company’s overall business goals?

About Training Programs

1. What kind of training programs do you currently have in place?
2. How often do you run training sessions for the team?
3. Do you use in-house training or bring in external experts?
4. How do you decide what training topics to focus on?
5. Are training programs mandatory for all team members?
6. Do you offer training for new tools or software?
7. How do you measure the effectiveness of a training program?
8. Are there any certification programs that you recommend?
9. What’s your strategy for onboarding new team members?
10. Do you provide training on customer service skills?
11. How do you keep training content updated?
12. Do you offer any leadership or management training?
13. Do you provide training on industry trends and updates?
14. What types of sales techniques do you cover in training?
15. Are there any online courses or resources you recommend?
16. How do you handle it if someone is struggling despite training?
17. Do you offer any soft skills training, like communication or time management?
18. Are there training resources available for remote team members?
19. How do you train the team to handle objections or difficult customers?
20. Do you have any role-playing exercises as part of the training?
21. Do you offer ongoing training, or is it just a one-time thing?
22. Are there any training programs focused on ethical selling?
23. Do you offer training on how to use social media for sales?
24. How do you gather feedback on training programs?
25. Do you provide any financial support for external training or courses?
26. What’s the link between training performance and promotions or bonuses?
27. Do you offer any training on contract or deal negotiation?
28. How do you make sure everyone has time for training without affecting sales targets?
29. Do you have any mentorship programs as part of your training?
30. Can you share an example of someone who really improved because of training?