A candidate has sold in your industry, worked for a recognizable company, and can explain an impressive number. That experience matters. It still leaves one question open: what will this person do in your sales role?
The answer starts before the interview. Define the work that creates success on your team. Does this person need to open new accounts, qualify inbound interest, manage long buying cycles, or grow existing relationships? Write down the behaviors you expect to see in the first 90 days. A sales record built on incoming leads may tell you little about a role that requires the person to create pipeline from scratch.
Then make part of the interview look like the job. Give each finalist the same brief scenario and ask them to conduct a short buyer conversation. Have the buyer say, “Just send me pricing.” Listen for the candidate’s questions, their response to resistance, and whether they agree on a meaningful next step. Use a consistent scorecard so you can compare evidence instead of relying on interview chemistry.
Ask for specifics when discussing past performance.
Who found the opportunity?
Who led discovery?
What did the candidate do when the deal stalled?
What changed after a coaching conversation?
A detailed account of decisions and actions tells you more than a polished claim about “relationship building.”
Hiring assessments such as DISC can add context to what you observe. DISC is a behavioral assessment that describes communication preferences. If the results suggest a candidate favors a fast pace, ask for an example of adapting to a buyer who needed more time and detail. Their answer and performance in the scenario give that insight meaning. The assessment can also help the manager plan coaching after the hire.
Heather’s Gem: “A résumé tells you where someone has sold. The hiring process should show you how they sell.”
If your hiring process does not reveal the behaviors your sales environment demands, revisit the role scorecard before you review the next résumé. Book a conversation with Heather about sales hiring and coaching.
Related reading: Sandler on DISC in hiring and Sandler’s hiring interview tips. Add links to the October coaching articles when their public URLs are available.
