AMA: InVision Vice President, Global Sales, Brian Tino on Sales Interviews

Personally my favorite interview question, which I ask all of my hires from SDRs/BDRs to Sales Directors, is: "Of everything in your life (professionally, personally, academically, athletically, artistically, etc.), what do you consider to be your greatest accomplishment?" Of the hundreds of times I've asked this question, I've received so many incredible answers. Some people have talked about the accomplishments of building a family, qualifying for the Olympics, summiting mountains, changing ca ...Read More

One of the most important ways to help you stand out during a sales interview is to come into that interview well researched & prepared on the following: The company & product The interviewer Your personal narrative Relevant questions 1) Researching the company & product - be clear you understand what the company stands for, how they make money, and what value they deliver to clients (and be able to articulate it). You can usually do this by: Reviewing the company website (especially ...Read More

From my experience, most candidates coming into an interview put their best foot forward and perform well, however, here are some of the most common pitfalls before, during, and after a sales interview... 1) Lack of Preparation - candidates who have not done even surface level research on the following is a massive red flag: The company - reviewing the website, blog, etc. to understand what we do Myself and the other interviewers - looking at the LinkedIn/social presences of those who they are m ...Read More

If you're interested in a company (even if they are not actively hiring), I would recommend starting to build relationships and delivering value without expectation. That includes: 1) Connecting with members of the team - research key members of the team on LinkedIn (execs, managers, peers, key cross-functional partners, recruiters) introduce yourself, show interest in the company (including "why" you are interested), and let them know you understand they are not hiring but are still interested ...Read More

YES! I highly encourage candidates go "above and beyond" in preparing for interviews, because the interview is your opportunity to show the best version of yourself, and I want to build a team of incredible salespeople who are willing to do "above and beyond" for our clients and prospective clients. If you're not willing to go "above and beyond" to get a job, then how I can trust you are going to be willing to go "above and beyond" to close a deal? This can be done before, during, and after an i ...Read More

You can usually gauge autonomy in a sales interview through the questions you ask while speaking to 1) the hiring manager and 2) members of the interview team who are currently in the role you are interviewing for. 1) Questions you can ask the hiring manager to gauge autonomy: How would you describe your leadership philosophy and style? If I were to ask members of your team to describe you as a leader, what would they say? Can you tell me about a time you helped one of your current reps close th ...Read More