Difficult Interview Questions – How to Answer Them

You probably know by now that interview preparation is absolutely crucial in order to stand out and do well. Even the simplest of questions can be amongst the most difficult to answer.

Let’s explore some of the difficult interview questions that you will likely need to answer and review how you should go about preparing for them.

“Tell me about yourself.”

For this question, you will want to concisely review your sales career and how you got into it while referring to experiences listed on your resume. You are essentially giving a rundown of what you have to offer and what you hope to achieve in the future. Make sure to avoid overtalking as it is a sign that you lack confidence; instead try to be as brief as possible. Think of it as your opportunity to present your elevator pitch. Don’t be afraid to make it personable by talking about your personality traits and characteristics as long as you can relate it back to why you want the job you are applying for. You may also want to research the employer to see if you have anything in common and highlight that in your response.

“What is your biggest weakness?”

This can be a tricky question because it can make or break your chance of landing the job. You may have heard the tip of trying to choose a weakness that can be turned into a positive. However, interviewers can see right through these ingenuine responses.  The key here is to be sincere and candid through your approach. A simple three-step answer will involve (1) defining the weakness (2) actions you have taken to improve the weakness; and (3) what you have learned as a result of working on the weakness. Remember, there is no one answer that fits all so choose something unique to you and not overused examples on the internet.

“How do you deal with conflict?”

Once you familiarize yourself with the SAR (Situation, Action, Result) method, this question becomes quite easy to answer. The purpose of this question is to reveal your ability to handle uncomfortable and contingent situations in an appropriate way. Thus, you want to highlight behaviors such as having discussions with the conflicted individual, expressing each other’s concerns/feelings, and reaching some sort of a compromise that resolves the issue.

Keep in mind, you want to carry out your response to these difficult interview questions in an effortless and confident way. Do not spend too much time trying to memorize pre-written responses because they will come off as being rehearsed and unnatural.

Author: Bryan Payne is the Chief Talent Scout and Founding Partner at Just Sales Jobs with over 25-years of experience in sales and leading high-performance sales teams. Bryan and his team specialize in recruiting top talent within the Greater Toronto Area to Kitchener Waterloo. You can reach him at bp@justsalesjobs.com