Landing a job at Naylor Association Solutions can be competitive, but going into the interview process prepared can set you apart from other candidates. In this article, I’ll provide an overview of Naylor Association Solutions, their hiring process, and the top 20 most common interview questions asked, along with sample answers to help you ace your interview.
About Naylor Association Solutions
Founded in 1969, Naylor Association Solutions is a leading provider of products, services, and solutions to professional and trade associations. Headquartered in Gainesville, FL, they have over 800 employees worldwide and work with over 1,600 associations across diverse industries.
They offer event management, website design, marketing, print and digital publications, and software solutions that are specifically made for the needs of associations. Naylor wants to get members more involved and help associations connect with their audiences better by using new technology and a well-thought-out plan.
Naylor’s Hiring Process
The hiring process at Naylor typically involves:
- Submitting an online application
- Initial phone interview with a recruiter
- One or more in-person interviews, often including:
- Sales managers
- Department managers
- HR personnel
- Some candidates may also complete:
- A personality assessment
- Mock sales call or presentation
The interviews are described as conversational but structured around behavioral and situational questions, The process is thorough and aims to assess skills as well as cultural fit Communication from Naylor’s recruiters is usually timely and professional
Top 20 Naylor Interview Questions and Answers
Here are 20 of the most commonly asked questions with tips on how to best answer them
1. How do you stay up-to-date on trends in the association industry?
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Reading trade magazines, going to events and webinars, making connections, researching competitors, and talking to clients to learn about their problems and needs are some of the things that stand out.
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Demonstrate a true passion for the industry and interest in continuous learning.
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Provide specific examples of how you’ve applied knowledge of industry trends to better serve clients and help associations thrive
2. Tell me about a time you successfully overcame a major objection during a complex sale.
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Walk through the scenario step-by-step – research, objection, strategic response, and outcome.
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Emphasize listening skills, tailored follow up, patience, and persistence.
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Demonstrate resilience and the ability to maintain composure under pressure.
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Share numbers/metrics if possible to quantify the value you provided.
3. How would you convince a client satisfied with a competitor to consider Naylor’s services?
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Stress the importance of fully understanding the client’s current needs and pain points.
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Tailor your pitch to highlight Naylor’s unique strengths and how they map to the client’s goals.
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Focus on long-term value rather than a one-time sale.
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Build a narrative of trust and partnership rather than just competing on features.
4. How do you balance meeting short-term sales quotas with maintaining positive long-term client relationships?
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Highlight the importance of trust, transparency and under-promising.
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Provide tailored solutions suited to each client’s needs.
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Leverage metrics and feedback to continuously improve service.
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Share specific examples of client retention strategies and repeat business.
5. Tell me about a time you had a conflict with a team member. How did you handle it?
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Describe the situation objectively, focusing on resolving the conflict.
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Emphasize listening first to understand their perspective.
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Share how you found common ground and came to an agreement.
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Highlight the importance of patience, empathy and effective communication.
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Share lessons learned about working through team dynamics.
6. A client indicates they may need to pull an advertising campaign due to budget cuts. How would you respond?
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Validate the client’s changing circumstances to show empathy.
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Suggest alternative options to retain business, like reduced frequency ads.
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Highlight previous campaign success and ROI to reinforce value.
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Maintain positive relationship for future opportunities when budgets increase.
7. Describe a time you successfully persuaded a resistant client to adopt one of your suggestions.
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Provide context on client’s initial concerns or hesitations.
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Emphasize listening first, then responding with empathy.
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Share data, testimonials, or options to address concerns.
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Outline beneficial outcome for the client by following your suggestions.
8. How would you evaluate the ROI of an association publication or event?
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Discuss metrics – engagement, revenue, satisfaction surveys, retention or renewal rates.
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Highlight importance of quantifying value against costs and strategic goals.
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Share tools and methods used to gather data and extract insights.
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Provide example of a time your analysis informed successful strategy changes.
9. Tell me about a time you had to rapidly change direction on a project or initiative. What was the result?
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Outline the situation and the catalyst for changing course.
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Emphasize agility, decisive thinking, and collaboration with stakeholders.
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Share how you quickly developed alternatives and got buy-in.
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Describe the positive end result and lessons learned about adaptability.
10. Describe your experience using CRM software and sales tools. How have you used them to be more productive?
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Share specific CRM platforms and sales tools you have used.
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Highlight benefits like streamlining workflows, tracking interactions, productivity.
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Provide examples of how you leveraged tools to organize pipeline, automate tasks, or access data to close more deals.
11. What qualities do you think are most important in a successful salesperson?
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Emphasize listening skills, emotional intelligence, persistence, adaptability and attention to detail.
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Share examples of how you’ve demonstrated these qualities in past positions.
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Highlight drive to understand customer pain points and provide suitable solutions.
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Outline passion for continuous improvement and learning.
12. How would you respond if a client was unhappy with or complaining about a product or service?
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Emphasize remaining patient, professional and understanding. Don’t be defensive.
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Thank them for bringing the issue to your attention.
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Listen closely to fully understand the root of their dissatisfaction.
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Offer potential solutions to resolve the problem.
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Share specific examples of resolving client complaints to their satisfaction.
13. Describe your approach to developing client relationships in new territories.
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Research territory’s culture, challenges and buying preferences.
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Network with local partners and influencers to build connections.
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Adjust outreach strategy based on norms and feedback.
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Emphasize consistent follow up and adding value for new clients.
14. How would you prepare for a sales call with a prospective client?
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Research client needs, challenges, and competitors.
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Identify potential gaps you can address with tailored solutions.
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Develop relevant case studies and testimonials to share.
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Prepare consultation questions to deeply understand their specific goals and constraints.
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Practice call pacing and have relevant materials ready.
15. Tell me about a time you successfully motivated your team during a major project.
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Set context of the challenging project situation.
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Share tactics like celebrating small wins, individual recognition, check-ins on workloads.
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Emphasize being positive and leading by example.
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Outline result of improved team productivity/engagement.
16. Describe a situation where you had to interact with a difficult client. How did you handle it?
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Share brief background without placing blame.
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Emphasize patience, active listening and understanding their perspective.
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Discuss strategies like bringing in colleagues, providing options, or giving them space.
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Highlight result of building stronger client relationship.
17. How do you determine pricing for custom solutions for clients?
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Gather detailed requirements and scope.
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Estimate costs and resources needed.
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Consider value delivered to client and strategic goals.
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Research competitive pricing and industry benchmarks.
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Determine acceptable margins based on costs, overhead, risk and value.
18. What goals would you set for yourself in the first 60 days if you joined our team?
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Building relationships with team members and managers.
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Learning Naylor’s products, services, processes and tools in-depth.
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Observing company culture and norms.
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Getting up to speed on current clients and market conditions.
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Completing necessary training programs.
19. If you were interviewing someone for this role, what qualities would you look for?
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Strong work ethic and self-motivation.
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Ability to thrive in fast-paced environment.
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Persistence and resilience.
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Solutions-oriented mindset.
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Industry knowledge and passion for associations.
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Consultative approach to sales.
20. Do you have any questions for me?
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Inquire about leadership style, company culture, expected ramp-up period for new hires, etc.
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Ask thoughtful questions that demonstrate your understanding of and interest in Naylor base
Model to Guide Your Answers
Describe specific situations in which you use requested skills and achieved desired results.
S = Situation [give the context]
T = Task [tell what needed to be done]
A = Actions [tell what you did]
R = Result [share the impact]
Share what happened, even if it wasn’t what you had hoped for. Talk about what you learned and what you would do differently next time.
Practice with these sample questions, grouped by subject:
- Tell me about yourself.
- Guide me through your resume.
- Why did you choose Purdue?
- What are your strengths/weaknesses?
- Why do you want to be where you are now in five years?
- What is the Purdue class that you think would help you the most in this job?
(how you relate to others, ability to separate personalities from problems, conflict resolution)
- Describe a time when you dealt with a difficult customer. Be specific.
- Please describe a time when you did not get along with your boss.
- When did you have to work hard to get a group of people to work together? What steps did you take and what was the result?.
- Tell me about a time you delegated a project effectively.
(achieve a win-win outcome, make decisions under pressure or in ambiguous situations)
- Have you ever seen a problem before your boss or other people in the company did? If so, what did you do?
- Tell me about a time when you missed a problem’s clear answer.
- Tell me about a time when you had to make a choice without a lot of information.
- Tell me about a time when you had to quickly figure out how to get out of a tough spot.
- Give an example of a time when you had to deal with a lot of changes at work or something that came up out of the blue.
(determine work style, productivity, resourcefulness, integrity, job satisfaction)
- Describe the type of environment that motivates your productivity.
- Talk about a time when something you were working on “fell through the cracks.” ”.
- What would your old boss say about you if I called them?
- What job factors are important to you and why?
- Tell me about a time when you had deadlines for several projects that didn’t work well together.
(self-confidence, good judgment, ability to influence others, commitment, ethics)
- Tell me about a time when you had to act quickly and under a lot of pressure.
- When did you have to go above and beyond to get the job done?
- Describe a project in your past position that failed.
- Please tell me about a time when you had to get someone to do something for you that they might not have wanted to do.
- Tell me about a time when you were most successful at getting people to agree with you or accept your ideas.
(employee involvement, team player, characteristics and creation of high-performance teams)
- What did you do in your last job that helped the team succeed?
- Describe a time when you worked with others on a project that didn’t go as planned. What could have gone better if you had changed something?
- Tell me about a time when you had to deal with a team member who wasn’t working hard. What did you do to deal with it, and what happened?
- What is a hard thing that happened to you while working with people from different backgrounds?
(clearly communicating goals and objectives, empowering others, using others’ expertise)
- Define three qualities of a good leader. Which one do you need to work on most?.
- Tell me about a time when you told an employee they were doing a bad job.
- Describe your management style in dealing with staff and co-workers.
- Tell me about the leader you most admire and why.
How to Answer Behavioral Interview Questions Sample Answers
FAQ
What is the first question you usually ask at an interview?
