An ideal sales associate would be someone with a working knowledge of companies like yours in addition to some schooling. Retail sales agents will need to have great interpersonal communication skills as well as confidence with their sales approach. Look for a candidate that can talk about their sales experience confidently and maybe someone who has received recognition for the number of sales they have made in their past retail sales jobs. What to look for in an answer:

• Previous experience
• Track of success in sales
• Interest in retail sales

The candidate should be able to speak of a clear plan with the steps to make a sale. They have to be confident with probing questions, making recommendations, assuming a sale and closing the deal. Good communication is significant when choosing a candidate. They should know how to connect with the client to ensure that the client returns in the future. What to look for in an answer:

• Specific techniques and strategies they use to make the sale
• Patience when addressing a customer's concerns
• Ability to provide good customer service

You want an honest person and not someone who will lie to their customer to make a sale as it will cause more issues in the future. The candidate will be representing your company; admitting that they do not know something is better than lying. Be sure the potential hire is willing to help their customer by finding someone else who knows the answer to assist the customer. What to look for in an answer:

• Honesty about what they do not know
• Willingness to ask for help when needed
• Integrity to not make false promises

The right candidate will have the confidence and knowledge in a product to overcome any objection. They should know how to ask questions to discover the source of the client's hesitation. Asking questions like "What is stopping you from purchasing today?" or "What questions do you still have about the product?" is one way the sales associate could handle the situation. Some objections can be easily addressed to close the sale. What to look for in an answer:

• Confidence with addressing any customer concerns
• Ability to overcome objections from customers
• Good interpersonal and communication skills

The applicant should be passionate about helping customers find the product they need, and that should motivate them and make their job enjoyable. Money and compensations are great short-term motivational tools in a sales job; however, an ideal candidate will have the drive and motivation to help others. Look for examples of how their previous sales job contributed to their attitude. What to look for in an answer:

• Long-term motivation to make sales
• Enjoyment for helping customers discover new products and services
• High level of initiative to make sales