63 I nterviewing salespeople is tough! Screen- ing, uncovering, and selecting top talent takes a lot of practice and a reliable process. And it is essential to avoid the most common pitfalls along the way. As far as interview questions go, the best are the ones provided in a validated scientif- ic talent instrument. The next best interview questions are those you yourself can ask each candidate to gain insight into their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors—to determine wheth- er there is enough evidence of talent to invest more time in them. I often work with our clients to help them im- prove their interview techniques and become better at moving the right people forward in the funnel. Those who are the very best at recruiting and selecting top talent know that strong screening in the beginning leads to a much more talented candidate pool every time. Those who don’t commit to that kind of consistent practice tend to get stuck in one of five common interviewing traps and often find themselves disappointed with the underper- formance of those they’ve brought on board. In order to better take advantage of every goldeninterviewopportunitythatcomesyour way, you need to know these traps well—and then avoid them. CENTER FOR SALES STRATEGY BLOG 5 Biggest Interview Pitfalls— and How to Avoid Them by Beth Sunshine