Factsheet – Sales Agent Interview Questions (& what NOT to ask!)

What questions should you be asking your prospective new sales agents when you interview them? And which should you avoid? First, where and how to run the meeting, then the full list of questions to ask, and the job-interview questions to leave well alone.

It is a meeting, not an interview

An important note of caution about “interviewing” sales agents: don’t use the word “interview”. Remember that sales agents are not applying for a job. It is a very different relationship: you are effectively looking to partner with another business. The very use of the word “interview” could send the wrong signals to your prospective future partners, and be seen as a little demeaning to them. Instead, sales agent interviews should be broached as “meetings”.
Before the advent of Teams, Zoom and the like, we used to strongly advocate for physical face-to-face meetings. These days it makes sense to have the initial meeting online. However, it is often the case that you will need to meet your prospective agents at least a couple of times.

Where should you meet? At your place, ideally

If you are able to, we advise that you try to get the prospective sales agent to come to your offices. The purpose is twofold: you want to see the sales agent go to some demonstrable effort and inconvenience, as a sign of their interest and potential commitment, and you want to minimise your own time and expense. Where the sales agent needs to travel a very long distance, you might arrange to meet them part-way, but still require them to make a commitment.
There is a bigger reason to meet on your own ground. When you come away from your own facilities, you risk losing your substance. You become just a person in a hotel foyer or a motorway service station, with a presentation and a firm handshake. Do you really have offices? Do you really have a factory? Do you really have a warehouse full of goods? What are you trying to hide by meeting away from where you operate? Maybe you are a chancer. These could be the questions running through the agent’s mind. Can he trust you? Trust and belief are vital.

Running the meeting

Sales agent meetings are always semi-formal, with the structure based on the evaluation checklist. Never let the sales agent take control of the meeting, although if a sales agent starts interviewing you, it is usually a good sign. It is easy to forget previous applicants, so make copious notes, and if possible get a photo of the sales agent.
You might consider meeting more than one sales agent at a time. Whilst this saves time, it does not permit going into as much detail as you might want. It can also cause delays whilst trying to find mutually acceptable dates, and ultimately can create a false atmosphere of competition that is rarely productive.

Sales agent interview questions to ask

• What area do you cover?
• What other sales agencies are you carrying? Details on each:
  • company name
  • product / service details
  • type of customers
  • the territory
  • amount of time spent on it
  • major or minor?
• Any experience with this product or service type?
• Any experience in this market?
• Any contacts with blue chip, major or multiple potential customers?
• How long established as a self-employed commission-only sales rep?
• Details of the type of customer you are calling on
• How long have you been calling on this customer type?
• Category of markets or industries of most expertise, experience or contacts?
• Number of customers? Number of active customers?
• Estimate of how many customer accounts they will be able to open for this product, and over what period?
• Sales methods? Personal visit, phone, direct mail, email, other?
• Call cycle? How often do you visit your customers?
• How much time can you devote to this agency?
• Knowledge of our company, brands and products or services
• Do you work alone or in a team? Do you have any sub-agents or employed reps?
• Do you have a vehicle? If valuable samples are being provided: details of vehicle security, storage facilities, insurances, and so on.
• Do you have a mobile phone? Do you use email? Are you PC literate?
• When would you be able to start selling?
• Availability for setting on and/or training?
• Invite questions.

Additional questions (situation-specific)

• Any contact with larger companies or blue chips, or mainly SMEs?
• Have you launched a new product before? (if a new product launch)
• Are you looking to act as a sales agent or a distributor for this range? Experience in distribution?

You might like to add certain other points as necessary. You might also make a more qualitative assessment of the candidate in areas such as:

• Appearance
• Attitude
• Friendliness
• Professionalism
• Enthusiasm and energy
• Sense of humour
• Chemistry: do you like them? Do they like you? Do you trust them? Could you work with them? Will they fit in?

What NOT to ask

Remember this is not a job interview, so forget all those standard job-interview questions like:

• Can you tell me a little about yourself?
• Why do you want to work here? (They work for themselves, and will be on the road.)
• What are your greatest strengths?
• What are your biggest weaknesses?
• Where do you see yourself in five years? (Retired, probably!)
• Why should we hire you? (Remember, you are not hiring them.)
• Can you explain a gap in your employment history? (It is unlikely they will have a CV in the first place.)
• What motivates you?

And so on. Asking such questions will probably make the prospective agent feel that you really don’t understand the nature of the relationship, and therefore that it is unlikely to succeed. Remember: it is not an interview, it is a meeting.

AgentBase exists purely to help companies hire the best commission-only salespeople, with a wealth of knowledge and experience since 1993. Get in touch to find out how we can help.