Describe a time you faced frequent rejection or discouragement in a sales or performance-driven role. How did you bounce back?
RoleSales Representative
DifficultyDifficult
TopicBehavioral
Asked at
Why This Is Asked
Commission-based sales roles inherently involve high rejection rates, so the interviewer wants to see your emotional maturity and tactics for sustaining motivation without a fixed salary safety net.
General Approach
Share a concrete example from any customer-facing role. Structure your answer to show the emotional impact briefly, then spend most time on the actionable steps you took to recover and improve results.
General Answer
Start by grounding your story in a single, specific stretch of time, not a vague career-long struggle, because that makes the recovery feel real and repeatable. Briefly name the emotional weight, one sentence is enough, then pivot immediately to what you actually did, since interviewers in commission-driven roles like Manulife are listening for systems, not sympathy. Explain the concrete tactics you used, such as tracking your call or meeting numbers to see that rejection was a volume problem rather than a personal flaw, or adjusting your pitch after asking lost prospects what almost convinced them. Mention that you treated each no as data, logging the objection and testing a new response the next day, which turns discouragement into a daily experiment. If it fits, note how you leaned on team huddles or a senior colleague for a quick reset, and be honest about pacing yourself, like taking a short walk after a rough batch of calls, because sustained effort needs small recoveries. Close by stating the measurable outcome, whether that is a higher conversion rate, a renewed quota, or simply staying consistent, and say plainly that you now expect rejection as part of the math and let the process carry you through it.
PH Interview Gotcha
Candidates might say, 'Sobrang nakakadepress, parang ayoko na.' Instead, explain the specific coping strategies and how you turned rejections into learning opportunities.
Sample STAR Answer▾
S
Situation
In my previous role as a sales associate for a telco provider, I cold-called a list of 100 potential clients to introduce a new postpaid plan. In the first week, 40 calls ended with immediate 'no' or hang-ups.
T
Task
I needed to convert at least 10 prospects into qualified leads by the end of the month, despite the high rejection rate affecting my confidence.
A
Action
I analyzed my call recordings to find if I sounded too scripted. I adjusted my opening to ask about their current pain points first. I created a tracker to log objections and practiced short rebuttals. I also set a daily goal of 20 calls and rewarded myself after each session. When a rejection felt personal, I would take a short walk and then review the call constructively.
R
Result
By the end of the month, I had 14 qualified leads and 6 actual plan sign-ups, making me the second top performer on the team. My call-to-lead ratio improved from 10% to 25%.
Key Takeaway
Resilience in sales comes from analyzing failures, adapting your approach, and maintaining a positive routine.
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