Business Executive Development Interview Preparation Guide

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A good sales person needs to be friendly and professional, to be a good listener and an excellent speaker. Above all they must be confident and extremely knowledgeable about the products they are selling.

Give an example of a time when you had to sell an unpopular idea to someone

If you have an example from work experience this is ideal, however, do not be concerned if you do not. You could give an example from your private life, such as persuading a friend or family member to get involved with something they were not really interested in. Good sales skills are transferable to life.

Say that you enjoy working in a team environment. Describe the environment in such a way as it sounds similar to the work environment you believe the company has adopted.

There are x # of ways you can structure a deal from a financial standpoint - do your BD person have the required mindset and skills to frame up x different revenue, operational or strategic scenarios?

To answer this you need to show a good understanding of the company and say that you are keen to be part of a dynamic team to help the company grow and develop. The aim of business development is to develop growth opportunities, so you must show a keen interest in working with their products and services.

Say that you listen to their needs and then propose a solution that will meet a majority of their needs. If there are any gaps in the product offering, explain that workarounds can be developed to ensure that business runs smoothly.

Again, companies want to hire people who are passionate about the job, so you should have a great answer about why you want the position. (And if you don't? You probably should apply elsewhere.)
First, identify a couple of key factors that make the role a great fit for you (e.g., "I love customer support because I love the constant human interaction and the satisfaction that comes from helping someone solve a problem"), then share why you love the company (e.g., "I've always been passionate about education, and I think you guys are doing great things, so I want to be a part of it").

Teamwork is central to most roles today; few people work in isolation. Answer that you like seeing how a group of people with a wide skill set can work together to achieve results not possible by any individual.

For the least enjoyable part about teamwork, try to keep it positive by saying that you sometimes prefer to concentrate on more complex problems in a quiet environment so there are times when the team environment can be a little distracting.

Hitting targets and achieving goals is your main motivation. Say that you are motivated by the desire to do a great job and to help improve business.

Say that you focus on the positive aspects of the idea and explain why it will eventually benefit everybody. Ideas may be unpopular but their outcomes are often welcomed once people understand better what is being proposed.

Absolutely! Say that you are very much motivated when working in a target orientated role and enjoy being the first to hit targets.

There needs to be a genuine curiosity about people, things, and happenings. This can be judged by the type of questions that the person asks when assessing a situation or a potential partnership. The ability to gather intelligence, and not just data is really important.

Never ask Salary, perks, leave, place of posting, etc. regarded questions.
Try to ask more about the company to show how early you can make a contribution to your organization like
"Sir, with your kind permission I would like to know more about induction and developmental programs?"
OR
Sir, I would like to have my feedback, so that I can analyze and improve my strengths and rectify my shortcomings.

No one likes to answer this question because it requires a very delicate balance. You simply can't lie and say you don't have one; you can't trick the interviewer by offering up a personal weakness that is really a strength ("Sometimes, I work too much and don't maintain a work-life balance."); and you shouldn't be so honest that you throw yourself under the bus ("I'm not a morning person so I'm working on getting to the office on time.")

Think of a small flaw like "I sometimes get sidetracked by small details", "I am occasionally not as patient as I should be with subordinates or co-workers who do not understand my ideas", or "I am still somewhat nervous and uncomfortable with my public-speaking skills and would like to give more presentations and talk in front of others or in meetings." Add that you are aware of the problem and you are doing your best to correct it by taking a course of action.

This is the part where you link your skills, experience, education and your personality to the job itself. This is why you need to be utterly familiar with the job description as well as the company culture. Remember though, it's best to back them up with actual examples of say, how you are a good team player.

It is possible that you may not have as much skills, experience or qualifications as the other candidates. What then, will set you apart from the rest? Energy and passion might. People are attracted to someone who is charismatic, who show immense amount of energy when they talk, and who love what it is that they do. As you explain your compatibility with the job and company, be sure to portray yourself as that motivated, confident and energetic person, ever-ready to commit to the cause of the company.

Interviewers expect a candidate for employment to discuss what they do while they are working in detail. Before you answer, consider the position you are applying for and how your current or past positions relate to it. The more you can connect your past experience with the job opening, the more successful you will be at answering the questions.

It should be obvious that it's not a good idea talk about non-work related activities that you do on company time, but, I've had applicants tell me how they are often late because they have to drive a child to school or like to take a long lunch break to work at the gym.
Keep your answers focused on work and show the interviewer that you're organized ("The first thing I do on Monday morning is check my voicemail and email, then I prioritize my activities for the week.") and efficient.

► How long would you stay with our company?
► Do you have any questions for me?
► What have you learned from mistakes on the job?
► How do you keep track of things you need to do?
► What kind of events cause you stress on the job?

► What is your approach to Business Development?
► Describe the business development process including the key roles.
► Describe how you would identify, qualify and support a bid through contract award.
► What is the key information you need to gather to identify a qualified lead?
► What percentage of your time did you spend at your desk versus meeting with prospects?
► What would be your "First 90 Days" plan?
► Describe how you've handled conflicts with Operations in the past.
► What was the monthly target for business development in your previous organization?
► Describe some of your marketing activities in the past? Were they successful?
► What are your other skills related to marketing other than sales and business development?
► Suppose you are a business development manager and a team of people with a mixed bag of experience work under you. How will you distribute the targets?
► Give us some tips of generating leads for business development.
► What steps would you take to increase our profits?
► How would you create trust with our clients?
► What are top 4 skills for Key account executive?

► Why do you want to work here?
► Having looked at our business, can you see any opportunities we're missing at all?
► What are your strengths/weaknesses?
► How did you prepare for this interview?
► Why did you leave your last role?
► Describe a situation in the past where you've had to improvise.
► Where do you see your career progressing to?
► What's your favourite book?
► What salary would you be looking for?

► Describe your management style.
► How would your past staff members describe your management style?
► How would they describe your strengths and weaknesses as a manager and supervisor?
► How do you hold employees accountable?
► Describe how you've dealt with under performers in the past.
► Describe the work environment or culture and its management style in which you have experienced the most success.
► Describe your sales management philosophy.
► Describe a time when you had to give a performance review that you found particularly challenging to give.
► What do you feel is a secret to a successful sales team?

► What do you feel is the best educational preparation for this career?
► What is your greatest achievement outside of work?
► How do you see your job relating to the overall goals?
► Tell us about the last time you had to negotiate with someone.
► What would be your ideal working environment?

Be prepared to discuss in detail and with examples your five or six main attributes.
Provide truthful answers to Business development executive interview questions and exude confidence when speaking. Be sure to discuss a very specific example.