Top Sales Engineer Interview Questions with Example Answers [2022]

Prepare for your Sales Engineer interview by going through these most asked Sales Engineer interview questions. Additionally, get access to sample answers and interviewer's expectations.

Interview Practice

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  • Question: Why are you interested in working as a sales engineer?
  • Question Overview: This is a good question to ask because it helps you to understand the candidate's motivations for working in the sales engineering field. If they are interested in the position because of the money, you may want to reconsider hiring them. If they are interested in the position because of the challenge, you know that they will be able to work well with you.

    Sample Answer: I like working with customers and helping them find solutions to their problems.

      What the interviewer is looking for:
    • - Desire to work in a challenging environment
    • - Desire to work with a professional team
    • - Desire to work with a professional team

  • Question: What would be your biggest strength and weakness as told by your last manager?
  • Question Overview: You want to get a feel for the candidate's professional character. Though you want to know what they think their biggest strengths and weaknesses are, you also want to know how they are perceived by others. If their last manager thought that they were a hard worker, but that they needed to improve on their time management, you can see how they will fit in with your company.

    Sample Answer: My biggest strength is my ability to work well with others and my biggest weakness is my inability to manage my time effectively.

      What the interviewer is looking for:
    • - Self-awareness of strengths and weaknesses
    • - Ability to work well with others
    • - Willingness to improve on weaknesses

  • Question: Would you rather be right or win?
  • Question Overview: This is a question for the sales engineer to answer based on their own personal values. You want to know that the candidate will be able to work with you and the rest of the team in a way that will allow them to work together in a cohesive manner. If the candidate is more concerned with being right than winning, they may not be the best fit for your company.

    Sample Answer: I would rather be right because it shows that I am dedicated to my work and that I am willing to go the extra mile to ensure that my clients are satisfied.

      What the interviewer is looking for:
    • - Understanding of the importance of winning
    • - Willingness to compromise when necessary
    • - Ability to work with others

  • Question: What are your strengths?
  • Question Overview: This is a general question that gives you a chance to learn more about the candidate's professional character. The answer you receive will help you understand what the sales engineer is good at and what they are not. This will help you determine if they are a good fit for your company.

    Sample Answer: I am very confident in my ability to communicate with customers and work well with them. I also like to try new things and learn from my mistakes.

      What the interviewer is looking for:
    • - Confidence in their abilities
    • - Willingness to take on new challenges
    • - Willingness to learn from their mistakes

  • Question: Tell me about your self.
  • Question Overview: This is a simple question that can reveal a lot about the candidate. The answer you receive will help you to understand their personality and how they will fit into your company.

    Sample Answer: I am a very dedicated worker who is always looking for ways to improve my performance. I am also very personable and enjoy working with people.

      What the interviewer is looking for:
    • - Overall professionalism
    • - Ability to work in a team
    • - Ability to work independently

  • Question: Why do you want to work with us?
  • Question Overview: This is a great question to ask because it allows you to see what the candidate knows about your company. Though they may have researched your business, they may not have had the chance to learn about the company culture. This is a great opportunity to see how well they know your business and whether or not they are a good fit for it.

    Sample Answer: I am interested in working with you because of your reputation for being one of the most innovative companies in the industry.

      What the interviewer is looking for:
    • - Knowledge of the company's history
    • - In-depth knowledge of the company's products and services
    • - Overall fit for your company

  • Question: Why should we hire you?
  • Question Overview: This is a great question to ask the candidate because it allows you to get a feel for their confidence in their abilities. The answer you receive will give you insight into how they view their own skills and what they think makes them the best candidate for your position.

    Sample Answer: I have a lot of experience in sales engineering, and I have been successful in my previous positions. I know that I can help your company grow and succeed.

      What the interviewer is looking for:
    • - Confidence in their own abilities
    • - Ability to explain why they are the best candidate

  • Question: How has your education prepared you for this position?
  • Question Overview: This is a question that you want to ask to see how well the sales engineer understands the role of education in their professional life. The answer you receive will give you a good idea of how they view their own education and how they view the importance of education in general.

    Sample Answer: My education has prepared me for this position by teaching me how to work with people and how to understand what they need.

      What the interviewer is looking for:
    • - Understanding of the role of education in their professional life
    • - Understanding of the role of education in the sales industry

  • Question: How has your past experience helped you prepare for a role of sales engineer at Google?
  • Question Overview: This question is designed to see how well the candidate can adapt to a new environment. You want to see how well they can take their past experience and apply it to a new situation. If they can do this, you know that they will be able to work well in your company.

    Sample Answer: I have worked in a variety of different environments, and I am used to adapting my communication style and approach to fit the needs of my customers.

      What the interviewer is looking for:
    • - Ability to adapt to new environments
    • - Ability to take past experience and apply it to a new situation

  • Question: What is something that you look for in a company?
  • Question Overview: This is a question that you want to ask to see if the sales engineer is a good fit for your company. If they are looking for something that you don't provide, then it is best to move on. However, if they are looking for the same things that you are, then you can feel more confident in their ability to work with you.

    Sample Answer: I like to work with companies that have a strong reputation and are growing in their field.

      What the interviewer is looking for:
    • - Ability to work with a company that is growing
    • - Willingness to work with a company that offers a lot of opportunity
    • - Desire to work with a company that has a strong reputation

  • Question: What is the most difficult subject you have had to learn?
  • Question Overview: This question is designed to test the candidate's ability to learn new things. It is important that your sales engineer is able to adapt to new information and new challenges. If they have had a difficult time learning something in the past, it is likely that they will have a difficult time in your workplace.

    Sample Answer: The most difficult subject I had to learn was how to use a new software program. I had to take a few days to get used to it, but once I did, it was easy.

      What the interviewer is looking for:
    • - Ability to learn new things quickly
    • - Ability to learn from mistakes
    • - Ability to learn from others

  • Question: Tell me about a time when you had to convince your customer to do something, what was the outcome of that and why?
  • Question Overview: This question is designed to see how the candidate will handle a difficult situation. It is important that they are able to think on their feet and come up with a solution that works for both parties. You want to see that they are able to think critically and that they are able to come up with a solution that is mutually beneficial.

    Sample Answer: I had to convince a customer to purchase a product that they were not initially interested in. I was able to convince them by showing them how it would benefit them in the long run.

      What the interviewer is looking for:
    • - Ability to think critically
    • - Ability to come up with a solution that works for both parties
    • - Ability to maintain professionalism in the face of adversity

  • Question: What is your opinion on working on 100% commission?
  • Question Overview: This is a question that you want to ask to see how the candidate feels about their ability to work with a commission-based pay structure. If they are not comfortable with it, they may not be able to do their best work. However, if they are willing to work with it, you can see how well they can handle pressure and how they will be able to handle the stress of a commission-based pay structure.

    Sample Answer: I am used to working on commission, and I think that it is a good way for me to be able to do my best work.

      What the interviewer is looking for:
    • - Comfort with working on commission
    • - Ability to work well under pressure
    • - Willingness to work with a commission-based pay structure

  • Question: Are you willing to relocate?
  • Question Overview: This is a question that you should ask any candidate that you are seriously considering hiring. If they are not willing to relocate, it is best to look for someone else. Though it is possible to hire someone who is not willing to relocate, it can be a difficult process.

    Sample Answer: I am willing to relocate if it means that I can work for a company that I believe in.

      What the interviewer is looking for:
    • - Willingness to relocate
    • - Understanding of the difficulties of relocation

  • Question: What have you done at your previous job that will help us?
  • Question Overview: This is a great question to ask because it gives you a chance to see how the candidate views their own work. You can tell a lot about a person by how they view their own work, and this question allows you to see what the candidate thinks is important.

    Sample Answer: I worked with my coworkers to develop new products and services for our clients, and I was able to communicate well with them in order to get the job done.

      What the interviewer is looking for:
    • - Ability to communicate with clients
    • - Ability to work with other employees
    • - Willingness to go the extra mile

  • Question: What do you know about Atlas Copco?
  • Question Overview: This is a great question to ask because it allows you to get a feel for how much the candidate knows about your company. It is important that they know what your company does and what your company's goals are. This will help you determine if they are a good fit for your company and if they will be able to work well with your other employees.

    Sample Answer: I know that Atlas Copco is a manufacturer of industrial tools and equipment, and I have heard that you are one of the top companies in the industry.

      What the interviewer is looking for:
    • - Knowledge of the company's history
    • - Knowledge of the company's products and services
    • - Overall interest in the company

  • Question: What is it about Zscaler that makes you want to pursue a position with us?
  • Question Overview: This is a great way to see how the candidate feels about your company. If they are interested in the position, they will be able to explain why they are interested in working with you. If they are not interested, they will be able to explain why they are not interested. Either way, this is a great way to get a feel for how the sales engineer will work with you.

    Sample Answer: I am interested in working with Zscaler because of the company's reputation for providing quality services and products.

      What the interviewer is looking for:
    • - Overall interest in the company
    • - Specific interest in the position

  • Question: What is your experience with open source?
  • Question Overview: Though it is not a requirement for a sales engineer to be experienced with open source, it is a good idea to hire someone who has some experience with the concept. It is a good way to get a feel for how the candidate will work with your company and how they will interact with the rest of your team.

    Sample Answer: I have used open source in my previous jobs, and I have found that it is a great way to get more out of my products.

      What the interviewer is looking for:
    • - Experience with open source
    • - Interest in open source
    • - Familiarity with open source

  • Question: What is your life philosophy?
  • Question Overview: This is a question that you can use to get a feel for the candidate's personality. You want to make sure that they are a good fit for your company's culture and that they are able to work well with others.

    Sample Answer: I like to work hard and play hard. I am dedicated to my job and my company, but I also like to make sure that I have time for my friends and family.

      What the interviewer is looking for:
    • - Ability to work well with others
    • - Willingness to go the extra mile
    • - Dedication to the company

  • Question: What part(s) of the QTC process have you sold products in?
  • Question Overview: This question is designed to see how much experience the candidate has in the sales process. You want to see that they have experience in the areas that they will be working with you. If they have experience in the areas that you are looking for, you can use them as a reference to see how they work in those situations.

    Sample Answer: I have worked with all of the stages of the QTC process, but I am most experienced with the sales and implementation stages.

      What the interviewer is looking for:
    • - Experience with each stage of the sales process
    • - Ability to work well with others in the QTC process