Outside Sales Representative
Posted Sep 3, 2026 · We last checked this listing on Oct 4, 2026
Likely interview questions for this role
Written from this job description, not a generic list. Each one notes what the interviewer is really checking.
About your past
Tell me about the biggest deal you won from a customer who was already buying from a competitor. How did you get them to switch?
What they are checking: Whether they can win business on value and service when the customer already has a supplier they are comfortable with.
Tell me about a time an order went wrong for one of your customers. What did you do and what happened to the relationship?
What they are checking: Whether they own problems with accounts and work internally to fix them, which keeps customers loyal.
Your pay includes salary, commission and bonuses. How do you organize your week so you grow new business and still take care of existing accounts?
What they are checking: Whether they can manage time and territory on their own when nobody is checking their calendar.
Tell me about a time you got a hard no from a prospect and later turned it into a sale.
What they are checking: Whether they handle rejection with persistence and patience instead of giving up or pushing too hard.
What would you do
Walk me through how you would build a book of business in a territory like Bourbonnais or Milwaukee if you were starting with only a few accounts.
What they are checking: Whether they have a real plan for prospecting restaurants and food operators rather than waiting for leads to arrive.
A restaurant owner tells you your prices are higher than Sysco's on the same chicken breast. How do you respond?
What they are checking: Whether they can sell total value like menu help, reliability and margin without immediately dropping price.
One of your best accounts starts ordering less each week and won't say why. What do you do?
What they are checking: Whether they notice warning signs early and dig in before an account quietly moves to a competitor.
About the work
How do you figure out what a restaurant actually needs from its food supplier on your first visit?
What they are checking: Whether they ask about menu, food cost, labor and volume before pitching products.
How would you help an operator improve their food cost or plate margin using what we sell?
What they are checking: Whether they understand restaurant economics well enough to act as a consultant and not just an order taker.
What do you know about the food service business, and what trends are you seeing with independent restaurants right now?
What they are checking: Whether they understand the industry their customers live in, which earns trust in the first conversation.
How do you track your pipeline and follow-ups so nothing slips?
What they are checking: Whether they use a system for managing many accounts at once rather than relying on memory.
Practice this interview out loud.
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Practice this out loudThe full job description
As published by Gordon Food Service.