FMCG & Consumer Goods
Your practice track for Business Development Associate
at Unilever
What this interview covers
Interviewers for Business Development Associate roles at Unilever typically test across 4 areas:
Philippine-specific tips for this role
- ▸ Some might just say, 'Gusto ko lang magbenta ng food.' That lacks depth. Instead, tie a specific personal experience with food to your career motivation and mention how you can add value to chefs and restaurants.
- ▸ Filipinos often say, 'Nag-setup lang kami ng booth, tapos marami naman tumikim.' This fails to show strategic planning. Instead, explain the location choice, training, sales pitch, and how you measured success.
- ▸ Don't argue or say 'You're wrong' or 'TV is outdated.' Also avoid apologizing for your suggestion. Use a respectful but confident opener that shows you respect their perspective. Never start with 'Sorry but...' in a role-play.
- ▸ Candidates often reply defensively, 'Mas mura naman yung sa amin kung tutuusin' without proof. Instead, use consultative selling: acknowledge their concern, then present tangible comparisons and an invitation to try.
- ▸ Many candidates start with 'I just explained everything to them' or 'I convinced them by showing I was right.' Instead, show empathy: acknowledge their concern first, then present evidence and a safe trial period.
- ▸ Don't just complain about the global process or say 'it's different here.' Instead, bring actual evidence and a solution that fits within the global framework. Avoid saying 'Sir/Ma'am, that's not how we do it here' without a next step.
All 7 questions in this set
Why are you specifically interested in a field-based sales role in the foodservice industry, and how does it fit your career goals?
The interviewer wants to gauge intrinsic motivation and cultural fit. This role requires a passion for food and resilience in field sales; they need someone who won't quit after a few rejections and genuinely enjoys the hospitality industry.
Describe a time you organized a product sampling or promotional event for a client. How did you ensure it was successful?
The role involves executing the 'Activation' part of the AVA framework: planning and running promotions, demos, and workshops to drive product trial and usage among chefs and operators. They need to know you can execute events effectively.
Let's do a role-play. I am a senior stakeholder from marketing who is resistant to your proposal to shift budget from traditional TV ads to more targeted digital campaigns for a new product launch. Try to convince me in 2 minutes. I'll push back. Ready?
Unilever's situational interview pattern emphasizes practical reasoning and stakeholder awareness. This role-play tests your ability to handle live pushback with composure, data, and a collaborative tone rather than confrontation.
Imagine you're visiting a potential client, a head chef of a popular hotel, who is happy with his current food supplier. He says, 'Why should I switch? Your product costs more.' How would you handle this objection?
The role requires consultative selling to convert chefs and owners who are loyal to competitors. The interviewer screens for objection-handling, product knowledge, and the ability to shift the conversation from price to value, aligning with the Activation and Visibility parts of AVA.
Tell me about a time when you had to convince a stakeholder who was not initially on board with a business idea or proposal. How did you approach it and what was the outcome?
Unilever's Business Development track values stakeholder-awareness and practical reasoning over technical push. They want to see how you build a case and handle pushback constructively.
At Unilever, we operate as a global hub with standardized processes while also needing to adapt to local market realities. Can you describe a situation where you had to balance a local requirement against a global template or standard?
Unilever's Manila hub is a global shared-services center where balancing local-market demands with global standards is a daily reality. They want to see if you can champion local needs constructively rather than resist change.
Tell me about a time you had to win over a new business client in the foodservice industry. How did you approach them and secure their business?
This checks for proactive business development skills, ability to build rapport, and use of sales techniques like sampling and demos, which are core to the AVA framework under Activation.