Example & Scenario Based Questions

How do you organise yourself

I rely heavily on

• visual representation (Calendar & scheduling)

• Ranking priorities (pyramid)

• Gradual Implementation

• Consistent Reviews

What does STAR mean

• Situation

• Task

• Actions taken

• Results

Tell me about a time you had several tasks due at once — how did you prioritise them?

I can remember a time when I had to make an outbound call to a customer who scheduled a call back in relation to a complaint regarding poor service, I was actually on call dealing with a unexpectedly long credit related query when it was expected I call the customer back. The current customer i was dealing with wanted to go into further detail regarding the matter so I arranged an appointment to make a follow up call later that day, and so was able to call the customer at the scheduled time.

Describe a situation where you had to work under a tight deadline.

I can recall an instance where I had been prompted by the sales team to reach out to a customer as there credit limit increases application was declined, and the sales team requested I reach out to file an appeal. I was actually, and it nearing end of day so as soon as I concluded tha call I went into the relevant call mode and ensured I reach customer to file the appeal so that they would not remain in queue for their application.

How do you organise your day when you have meetings, admin, and follow-ups all competing for attention?

For me the two fundamentals to organising is visual representation of scheduling and ranking the priorities of tasks, using both scheduling software and having a clear understanding of task importance by value. I also tend to organise tasks conducive to one another to improve transitions.

Tell me about a time your plans changed suddenly at work or college — what did you do?

For me its about damage control and making decisive yet informed decisions, an instance of this was a hospital appointment i had scheduled had to be changed to an earlier date, I had maintained open-communication with my management at work and came to the resolution that, that time allocated for the appointment be rescheduled to cover my absence for that period.

How do you decide what is urgent versus what is important?

urgency to me is defined by actions needing to be addressed now, so i separate urgency from importance by looking at deadlines, risk and client impact although they are not mutually exclusive.

Describe a time you had to stay productive during a busy period. and can you provide an example

for me its generally easy as I tend to clearly rank my priorities and so am able to focus on tasks without distraction even when nearing unrelated deadlines. One instance was when I had recorded training due during a busy call time, I made the decision to reschedule the training as it could be its urgency wasn’t as pressing as the live calls we were having at the time.

How do you make sure you don’t forget follow-ups with clients or colleagues?

typically its through constant reviews of my continuously updating schedule, and reminders I set to prompt myself to remember appointments and minor tasks at hand

Tell me about a time you had to manage multiple people asking you for help at once.

I remember instance where I had been called on by a colleague requesting help in relation to a credit card closure, while i was assisting another colleague regarding a general query at the time, although i couldn’t assist both of my colleagues simultaneously i decided to send on the forum link with the relevant information while assisted my other colleague which i was already helping.

Tell me about a time you had a disagreement with a colleague or classmate — how did you handle it?

I do remember a time I previously had a dispute regarding the correct procedure in relation to new customer security being implemented as it was unclear, we had resolved the issue by reaching out to the relevant supervisor to clarify what was intended with the new security.

Describe a situation where a customer or client was unhappy with something.

I do recall a situation was a customer was unhappy with the policy relating to their credit card interest rate, I offered that he file a complaint as i t would be reviewed by the relevant team and taken into consideration which he denied, I then made my best effort to inform the customer going forward of the credit card policy and how it worked to avoid similar situation which they expressed appreciation for.

How would you deal with a client who is frustrated and interrupting you?

For me I always exercise patience and empathy as I assume the customer is the priority philosophy were applicable, and in accordance with company policy.

Tell me about a time you had to stay calm under pressure.

I can recall an instance where I had received a call from a customer had was actively been defrauded, I had to apply effective questioning to ascertain her details and disable her card and banking during the risk event. I had to quickly to disable all aspects of her banking and determine where the breach was derived from after we had secured her account.

What would you do if a manager asked you to do something you believed was not the best approach?

I always assume an open communication policy and express my concerns to promote a healthy and productive work environment where i believe it be relevant, but will always first clarify the reasoning behind my managers request.

Describe a time you had to give difficult feedback or push back on someone.

I do recall an instance where I received a callback from a customer looking to make a complaint relating to another agent’s supposed poor service, upon reviewing the situation I had found that it was a colleague i was familiar with an so i reached out to inform them of the complaint being filed to keep them in the loop, they had disputed the notion that they provided poor and were unhappy, requesting that i do not submit the complaint however upon explaining the customers expectation we were able to identify where the staff went wrong. My colleague appreciated the advice and that i had informed them beforehand and was willing to accept the complaint against them.

How would you approach selling a pension to a client who does not want to talk about retirement?

The next step approach

Tell me about a time you persuaded someone to take action.

while working as a sales assistant much of my role was upselling undersold items such as shoe polish, cleaner and other complimentary items with runners. I had applied effective questioning probing for a way to introduce the shoe cleaner where relevant, and had advised the customer to avoid losing money on new pair of shoes in a years time he’d rather buy the protection chemical which would avoid dirt and stains.

what does “closing a sale” mean to you in a financial services context?

Although it implies a conclusion of some sort, for me to close a sale is the next step in the consultative sales process, as from closing with a satisfactory client may result in future referals, reputational benefits and long term relationship development, potentially buying again. Essentially its a stage in the perpetual process of selling

How would you know when to ask for the close in a client conversation?

when i have a comprehensive understanding of the clients situation, expectations, background, wants and needs, as well as pain points.

Describe how you would handle a client who says, “I’ll think about it.”

creating a scenario in which you can arrange another meeting to better probe and potentially broaden your network of adjacent stakeholders within the prospects network.

How would you deal with a client who is interested but keeps delaying a decision?

If a client was interested but delaying i’d first determine what is holding them back, whether its concerns, or potentially competition, so i can better personalise my approach to them.going forward.

Tell me about a time you had to influence someone without being pushy.

I recall instance where a customer had come in looking for what he referred to as the most popular shoes, which i then advised were a pair of all white new balances which in fact was an accurate suggestion however by doing so, the customer pushed back by the fact that they would stain easily which i then recalled that we do have a chemical protection spray for white shoes.

How would you build trust before trying to close a sale?

Trust is built by a genuine interest and consideration for the client’ s wants and needs, empathising with their situation and actively listening to better understand them. before making any suggestions.

What is consultative selling?

consultative selling is a prescriptive form of selling which is customer-centric, diagnostic, and dialogic in nature, promoting collaboration and open discourse between client and advisor to better address the client’s pain points.

How is consultative selling different from hard selling?

Consultative selling differs as it assumes a customer-centered approach while hard-selling/product selling maintains a product-centric approach, presenting the values and qualities of the service provided as the driver for conversation.

Walk me through how you would run a first client meeting using a consultative approach.

applying effective researching, Intent listening, High-impact questioning, Balanced insight and questioning, and arranging the next steps.

How would you ask questions to understand a client’s needs before recommending a pension?

ask open-ended questions and follow up questions to dig deeper while providing insight to guide the direction of the conversation.

Tell me about a time you solved a problem by asking the right questions.

I can recall an instance while working at AIB i had customer who was attempting to make a number of transactions exceeding the daily standard limit while trying to move into a new house, I had advised that it would not be possible, but then asked whether all the items would be required to be ordered the same day, I was informed that some of the items were not needed urgently but would prefer that he just “get it out of the way”, which i then advised he prioritise the most urgent of the items for the house he was moving into and order the next day/couple of weeks as the daily limit should permit use another day.

How would you explain a pension recommendation in simple language to a client with no financial background?

a tax efficient form of savings for future use, upon retiring