Use these questions to prepare for and run a sales representative interview — adapt them to your context and ask the same set of every candidate. Define the role first with the sales representative job description, draw on the reusable interview question bank, and write the role clearly using how to write job descriptions.
Role overview
Walk through real deals, run a short discovery role-play, and listen for genuine curiosity about the customer rather than a rehearsed pitch.
What interviewers typically evaluate
Interviewers typically evaluate listening and questioning over talking, how a candidate handles rejection and objections, the discipline behind their pipeline and CRM habits, and whether they sell honestly. A smooth talker who never asks a question is usually a warning sign, not a strength.
Core competencies
- Discovery — listening and asking the right questions
- Resilience and consistency after rejection
- Clear, persuasive, honest communication
- Pipeline organisation and CRM discipline
- Ethical, customer-first persuasion
- Commercial judgement
Essential interview questions
- Walk me through a deal you closed, from first contact to signature.
- How do you research and prepare for a prospect conversation?
- How do you handle rejection and keep your pipeline healthy?
- How do you know whether a prospect is a genuine fit?
Behavioural interview questions
Past-behaviour questions (ask for a specific example, then probe with the follow-ups below).
- Tell me about a deal you lost. What happened and what did you learn?
- Describe a time you handled a tough objection well.
- Tell me about a time you exceeded a target — what drove it?
- Describe a time you walked away from a deal that was not a good fit.
Situational interview questions
Hypotheticals that reveal judgement and approach.
- A promising prospect goes silent after a good call. What do you do?
- A prospect pushes for a discount you are not authorised to give. How do you respond?
- You are behind on target with two weeks left. How do you prioritise?
- A customer asks whether your product does something it does not. How do you handle it?
Process & professional questions
- How do you qualify a lead — what makes you move on or move forward?
- How do you structure a discovery call?
- How do you keep your CRM accurate, and why does it matter?
- How do you think about forecasting your pipeline honestly?
Red-flag responses
Answers that warrant a closer look — focus on competencies and values, never on protected characteristics.
- Describes manipulative or high-pressure tactics
- Blames marketing or “bad leads” for poor results
- Cannot describe a repeatable process, only individual wins
- Talks only about closing and never about discovery or fit
- Is vague or inconsistent about their own numbers
Follow-up questions
Neutral probes to deepen any answer above.
- What was the outcome?
- What questions did you ask the customer?
- How did you adapt your approach?
- What would you do differently next time?
Interview scorecard considerations
Rate each candidate on the same criteria, with evidence, immediately after the interview. Build a structured scorecard with the hiring scorecard guide, download a ready-made interview scorecard, and screen consistently using the candidate screening checklist.
- Discovery and listening skill
- Resilience and consistency
- Communication and honesty
- Pipeline and CRM discipline
- Ethical, customer-first approach
Candidate evaluation tips
- Run a short discovery role-play and count how much the candidate asks versus tells.
- Probe ethics directly: how they handle a “no” reveals a lot.
- Define the scorecard before interviews so the team rates the same competencies.
Common interviewing mistakes
- Rewarding a confident pitch over real discovery and substance
- Skipping a role-play, so you never see how they actually sell
- Being vague about the target, then judging against an unstated bar
- Ignoring ethics and only measuring drive to close
Run a fair, structured interview
Score sales representative candidates consistently with a free, printable interview scorecard — plus a recruitment planning checklist and an onboarding checklist for the steps either side. No signup, no gating.