Sales job interviews can be nerve wracking. You want to do your best to impress the interviewer and hopefully get a call for a second interview or even get a job offer.

To do this, you need to have well prepared answers to the questions you’ll be asked during the interview process. Like all types of jobs – sales, marketing, HR, finance – there are certain questions that companies like to ask candidates.

One common sales job interview question you will encounter is, “How would your colleagues best describe you?”

Sounds simple enough, but it can actually be a challenging question to answer. Our sales recruiters outline why interviewers like to ask the question and how you should answer it.

Why Interviewers Ask the Question

Rather than getting you to answer specific questions about your personality, interviewers and sales recruiters like to add the colleague element to:

1. Compare your answer with the skills/abilities listed on your resume
2. Compare your answer to how your references describe you
3. See how you perceive yourself from another person’s viewpoint
4. See how well you would fit into the company culture

How to Answer “How Would Your Colleagues Describe You?”

This question is your opportunity to communicate your best traits to the interviewer. To prepare for these types of questions, read what others have to say about you. You may be thinking, “Where do I get this information, short of asking colleagues directly?” There are actually many sources you could consult:

1. Past performance reviews
2. LinkedIn recommendations
3. Written recommendation letters
4. Ask trusted co-workers to outline your personality traits

When asked the question during an interview, be sure to:

1. Highlight traits that are most applicable: People have lots of great personality traits. Narrow your list to the traits that are your best and most applicable to the job.
2. Be honest: Avoid trying to say what you think the interviewer wants to hear. Be honest about your best traits.
3. Focus on one personality trait at a time: Start with your best trait and offer examples of when you displayed this trait.

Learn About How to Answer Other Common Sales Interview Questions

Have a sales job interview coming up? Get more answers to tough sales job interview questions by checking out these blogs from our expert sales recruiters:

3 Brilliant Interview Tips to Answer ‘What Motivates You to Sell?’

“Explain something to me.” Clever Ways to Answer This BIG Question in a Sales Interview

4 Creative Ways to Survive a Sales Role-Play in an Interview

SalesForce Search is a sales recruiting company which specializes in the recruitment and placement of sales professionals. We recruit salespeople in every sector of the economy including, software, manufacturing, financial services and medical devices. Find the right salesperson for your organization, start your search here.