Insights — Sales & Commercial Recruitment — 3 min read
Sales Interview Questions to Ask a Salesperson (with a BDM Scorecard)
The best sales interview questions test for process, resilience, and commercial awareness. Use this list and scorecard to standardise your assessment.
In short
The best sales interview questions focus on specific past actions rather than hypothetical scenarios. Group your questions into categories such as prospecting, process, resilience, and commercial awareness. Use a structured scorecard to rate their answers on a scale (e.g., 1–5) based on evidence of performance, rather than how much you 'liked' their personality.
Most salespeople are excellent at interviewing because their job is to build rapport and persuade. If you ask standard, open-ended questions, you will likely get standard, polished answers that tell you very little about how they will perform on a cold Tuesday in November.
To find the real performers, you need questions that force them to explain their *process*, their *failures*, and their *commercial logic*. This guide provides a set of targeted sales interview questions and a structured scorecard to keep your assessment objective.
Questions About Sales Process & Methodology
A good salesperson does not rely on luck. They have a repeatable way of working. These questions reveal if they understand *why* they succeed.
- 'Walk me through your typical sales process from a cold lead to a signed contract.' (Look for: Qualification steps, identifying decision-makers, and handling the middle of the funnel.)
- 'How do you decide which prospects to call first each morning?' (Look for: Prioritisation based on deal value, probability, or urgency.)
- 'Tell me about a time you lost a deal you were sure would close. What happened?' (Look for: Accountability and learning, rather than blaming the price or the product.)
Questions About Prospecting & Resilience
In B2B sectors like manufacturing or construction, business development often requires high activity levels and dealing with a lot of 'no'.
- 'What is your preferred method for opening doors at a new account?' (Look for: A mix of phone, email, and LinkedIn, and a clear reason why they use that mix.)
- 'Describe a month where you were behind on your target. What specific actions did you take?' (Look for: Increased activity, pipeline cleanup, or asking for help—not just waiting for leads.)
- 'How do you handle a prospect who tells you they are happy with their current supplier?' (Look for: Qualification questions, finding small gaps, and building a long-term 'wedge' strategy.)
Questions About Commercial Awareness
A salesperson should understand the business side of the deal, not just the 'win'.
- 'What makes a lead 'qualified' in your eyes?' (Look for: BANT—Budget, Authority, Need, Timeline—or similar frameworks.)
- 'How do you handle a situation where a customer is demanding a discount you know you shouldn't give?' (Look for: Value-based selling and trade-offs, rather than just caving or saying 'no'.)
- 'What was the average gross margin on your sales in your last role?' (Look for: Awareness of profitability, not just top-line revenue.)
The BDM Interview Scorecard
Use this table to score candidates during or immediately after the interview. Rate each area from 1 (Poor) to 5 (Exceptional).
| Assessment Area | What to look for | Score (1-5) |
|---|---|---|
| Preparation | Knowledge of our company, competitors, and the interviewer. | |
| Process Clarity | Can explain their methodology clearly and logically. | |
| Resilience | Evidence of overcoming setbacks and high activity. | |
| Commercial Acumen | Understanding of margins, qualification, and value. | |
| Communication | Clarity, listening skills, and ability to build professional rapport. | |
| Closing Ability | Did they 'close' the interview and ask for next steps? |
What Good vs. Weak Answers Sound Like
When asking about their biggest win:
- Weak Answer: 'I just got on really well with the MD and he liked our price. It was a great result for the team.' (Lacks process and individual contribution.)
- Good Answer: 'I identified that they were struggling with lead times from their current supplier. I spent three months mapping out the stakeholders, handled an objection about our higher price by showing the cost of their current downtime, and secured a trial which we then converted to a full contract.' (Shows strategy and persistence.)
Conclusion
The goal of a sales interview is to predict future performance. By asking structured questions that focus on process and resilience, and using a scorecard to keep yourself objective, you can look past the 'salesperson persona'. If you are struggling to find candidates who can answer these questions well, Evans Sales & Commercial Recruitment can help you define the role and source people who are proven to deliver.
Recruiting a permanent sales or commercial hire?
Evans starts with the commercial requirement — what has to be sold, to whom, through which channel and against what target — and writes the role specification from that.
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