Questions to Ask in a Sales Interview: 12 That Predict What Happens on the Call

Most questions to ask in a sales interview check whether the candidate can talk about selling. The ones that matter check whether they’ll actually run your process on the next call. I’ve hired 200+ sales teams over 25 years. The gap between what a rep says in the interview and what they do on a discovery call is where most hiring decisions fail.

RevHeat’s analysis of Objective Management Group data—12,745 salesperson evaluations across 30 sales skills—found that Closing showed a 740% gap between bottom and top performers. That’s the largest of all 30 skills measured. The interview is where you catch whether a candidate has ever closed a deal by running a process. Or whether they’re just good at interviewing.

Key Takeaway: The best questions to ask in a sales interview reveal what the candidate does on calls, not what they believe about selling. Ask for the exact questions they asked in their last three deals—won and lost. Ask what the buyer said that changed the call. Ask which step in their process they skip when the call runs short. Top performers show a 380% advantage in Qualifying and a 476.92% advantage in Reaching Decision Makers (RevHeat’s analysis of OMG data).

TL;DR

Why Most Sales Interview Questions Miss What Matters

Everyone has a sales playbook. Nobody checks if anyone runs it.

The questions most companies ask in a sales interview—”Tell me about your biggest deal,” “How do you handle objections,” “What’s your sales philosophy”—check whether the candidate can tell a story. They don’t check whether the candidate will run your process on Tuesday morning. When the prospect says they need to think about it.

I’ve watched founders hire reps who interviewed beautifully. Then couldn’t run a single discovery call the way it was supposed to go. The reason is simple. The interview asked the candidate to describe what they believe about selling. Not to demonstrate what they do.

Beliefs don’t predict behavior. Process execution does.

According to RevHeat’s State of Sales Skills original research, organizations under $10M should focus on Selling Value, Qualifying, and Consultative Selling while first building a 5-7 stage sales process. But you can’t train those skills if the rep you hire has never run a process before. The interview is where you check whether they’ve done it. Not whether they’ve heard of it.

The 12 questions below are the ones I use. Each one checks a specific behavior. That behavior predicts whether the candidate will execute your process. Or revert to what they’ve always done. Use them in order—they build on each other.

The 12 Questions to Ask in a Sales Interview

1. Walk me through the exact questions you asked in your last deal—the one you won.

What you’re checking: Whether they have a structured discovery process or just had a conversation.

Top performers can list the questions verbatim. Average performers summarize: “I asked about their pain points.” If the candidate can’t give you the exact wording of at least five discovery questions they asked, they’ve never run a repeatable process. They’ve been winging it.

RevHeat’s analysis of OMG data found a 380% gap in Qualifying between bottom and top performers. Qualifying is a process skill. It requires asking specific questions in a specific order. If the candidate has never done it before, they won’t start doing it because you hand them a playbook.

2. What did the buyer say that changed the direction of that call?

What you’re checking: Whether they listen and adjust. Or whether they follow their own script regardless of what the buyer says.

Top performers can tell you the exact sentence the buyer said that made them pivot. Average performers say, “They were really engaged.” If the candidate can’t name a specific thing the buyer said that changed what they asked next, they don’t adjust based on what they hear. They’re running their own agenda.

According to research by SalesHive (2025), top-performing SDRs average 8-10 quality conversations per day. Compared to 4-6 for average performers. Quality means the rep heard something that changed the call. If the candidate has never had that experience, they’re not listening. They’re waiting to talk.

3. Which step in your process do you skip when the call runs short?

What you’re checking: Whether they have a process. And whether they’ll protect the steps that matter.

Top performers tell you which step they’ll skip and why it’s the least critical. Average performers say, “I don’t skip steps” or “It depends.” If the candidate can’t name a step they’d sacrifice under time pressure, they either don’t have a process or they don’t know which parts of it matter. Either way, they won’t protect your process when the call goes sideways.

RevHeat’s analysis of OMG data found a 375% gap in Sales Process adoption between bottom and top performers. Process isn’t about following every step every time. It’s about knowing which steps are non-negotiable and which ones you can compress. If the candidate has never made that trade-off, they’ve never run a real process under real constraints.

4. How did you know that deal was qualified before you sent the proposal?

What you’re checking: Whether they have qualification criteria or whether they’ve been guessing.

Top performers list the criteria. “They had budget approved. The decision-maker was on the call. They agreed to a timeline. And they confirmed the problem cost them $X per month.” Average performers say, “They seemed serious” or “They asked for a proposal.”

If the candidate can’t name at least four qualification criteria they checked before advancing the deal, they’ve been guessing. And they’ll guess in your pipeline. Which means your forecast will be wrong. And your reps will be chasing deals that were never real.

RevHeat’s analysis of OMG data found a 476.92% gap in Reaching Decision Makers between bottom and top performers. Reaching the decision-maker is a qualification criterion. Not a nice-to-have. If the candidate has never checked it, they’ve been presenting to people who can’t buy.

5. Tell me about the last deal you lost. What question did you wish you’d asked earlier?

What you’re checking: Whether they learn from losses. Or whether they blame the buyer, the price, or the timing.

Top performers name a specific question they missed. Average performers say, “The timing wasn’t right” or “They went with a cheaper option.” If the candidate blames external factors, they haven’t learned anything from the loss. They’ll repeat the same mistakes in your pipeline.

RevHeat client Hidden Level now filters to only allow the top 10% of sales candidates to reach the interview stage. One of the filters: whether the candidate can articulate what they learned from their last three losses. If they can’t, they’re not coachable.

6. What’s the longest you’ve ever worked a deal, and how did you keep it alive?

What you’re checking: Whether they know how to manage a long sales cycle. Or whether they rely on urgency and discounts.

Top performers describe a process. “I scheduled a check-in every two weeks. Asked a new qualifying question each time. And kept the deal tied to a business outcome.” Average performers say, “I stayed in touch” or “I followed up.”

According to RevHeat’s State of Sales Skills original research, companies in the $10M-$30M stage should fix system skills by implementing social selling infrastructure, hunting processes, and CRM workflows, since the 600% social selling gap represents their largest untapped opportunity. Long sales cycles require a system for staying relevant. If the candidate has never built one, they’ll let deals go dark.

7. How do you know when to walk away from a deal?

What you’re checking: Whether they have disqualification criteria. Or whether they chase everything.

Top performers list the red flags. “No budget. No authority. No timeline. Or they won’t let me talk to the decision-maker.” Average performers say, “I never walk away” or “I keep trying until they say no.”

If the candidate doesn’t have disqualification criteria, they’ll clog your pipeline with deals that will never close. RevHeat’s analysis of OMG data found a 468.75% gap in Comfortable Discussing Money between bottom and top performers. Money is a disqualification criterion. If the candidate won’t walk away when the budget isn’t there, they’ll waste your team’s time on deals that were never real.

8. What’s the most common objection you hear, and what do you ask when you hear it?

What you’re checking: Whether they handle objections with questions. Or whether they pitch harder.

Top performers ask a question. “When they say ‘We need to think about it,’ I ask, ‘What specifically do you need to think about?’” Average performers pitch. “I remind them of the value.”

RevHeat’s analysis of OMG data found a 740% gap in Closing between bottom and top performers. The largest gap of all 30 skills measured. Closing isn’t about pitching harder. It’s about asking the question that reveals the real objection. If the candidate pitches when they hear an objection, they’ve never learned to close.

9. Describe a time you lost a deal because you didn’t ask the right question early enough. What was the question?

What you’re checking: Whether they connect their process failures to specific missed steps.

Top performers name the question. “I didn’t ask who else was involved in the decision. And three weeks later someone I’d never met killed the deal.” Average performers say, “I should have built more urgency” or “They weren’t the right fit.”

If the candidate can’t name a specific question they missed, they don’t see the connection between their process and their results. They’ll blame the buyer, the timing, or the competition. Never the step they skipped.

10. How do you prepare for a discovery call?

What you’re checking: Whether they research the buyer. Or whether they show up and ask generic questions.

Top performers describe their research process. “I pull their LinkedIn. Check their company’s recent news. And write down three hypotheses about what they’re trying to solve.” Average performers say, “I review their website” or “I let them tell me what they need.”

RevHeat’s State of Sales Skills research found that professional and technical services firms face a 28% wider gap in consultative selling, reflecting the more diagnostic style of selling these businesses require. Consultative selling starts before the call. If the candidate doesn’t prepare, they’re not consultative. They’re reactive.

11. What’s the difference between the way you sold at your last company and the way you’d sell here?

What you’re checking: Whether they adapt to your process. Or whether they’ll try to import their old one.

Top performers ask about your process. “Tell me about your discovery framework. And I’ll adapt to it.” Average performers say, “I’d do the same thing I’ve always done” or “I’d bring my process here.”

If the candidate won’t adapt to your process, they won’t run it. And if they don’t run it, you’re back to founder-led sales. Except now you’re paying a rep to ignore the playbook.

12. Tell me about the last time a manager told you to change the way you were running a call. What did you do?

What you’re checking: Whether they’re coachable. Or whether they resist feedback.

Top performers describe what they changed. “My manager said I was skipping budget qualification. So I added it to my discovery checklist. And ran it on every call for two weeks until it became a habit.” Average performers say, “I listened to the feedback” or “I tried it a few times.”

RevHeat’s analysis of OMG data found that Coachable showed no difference between top and bottom performers. But only because the assessment measures willingness to be coached. Not whether the candidate actually changes behavior when coached. The question above checks the behavior. If the candidate didn’t change the last time they were coached, they won’t change when you coach them.

How to Score the Answers

Every answer above checks one of three things:

1. Process execution — Can they name the steps, the questions, the criteria?
2. Adaptability — Do they adjust based on what the buyer says? Or do they follow their own script?
3. Coachability — Do they change when coached? Or do they defend what they’ve always done?

Score each answer on a 1-3 scale:

• 3 = Specific, process-driven answer with an example
• 2 = Generic answer with no example
• 1 = Blame, excuses, or “I don’t know”

If the candidate scores below 24 (average of 2 per question), they’ve never run a repeatable process. You can train them. But you’re starting from zero. If they score above 30, they’ve run a process before. And they’ll adapt to yours.

The sales skills assessment we use measures 21 core competencies across 30 sales skills. The interview checks whether the candidate has ever executed those skills on a real call. One predicts potential. The other predicts whether they’ll run your process next Tuesday.

What to Ask After the Interview

The interview tells you whether the candidate has run a process before. It doesn’t tell you whether they’ll run your process under pressure.

After the interview, send them a scenario:

“You’re on a discovery call. The buyer says, ‘Just send me some information and I’ll take a look.’ What do you say next? Write out your exact response, word for word.”

Top performers ask a question. “I’d say, ‘I’m happy to send that over—what specifically are you hoping to learn from it?’” Average performers pitch. “I’d say, ‘Great, I’ll send you our one-pager.’”

If the candidate pitches, they’ll pitch on your calls. If they ask a question, they might run your process. The scenario checks whether the interview answers were real or rehearsed.

What Most Companies Get Wrong About Sales Interview Questions

Most companies ask the candidate to describe their sales philosophy. Their biggest deal. Or how they handle objections. Those questions check whether the candidate can tell a story. They don’t check whether the candidate will run your process.

The 12 questions above check process execution, adaptability, and coachability. The three things that predict whether a rep will run your playbook. Or revert to what they’ve always done. RevHeat’s analysis of OMG data found that the largest gaps between top and bottom performers are in execution skills. Closing (740%). Social Selling (600%). Commitment (476.92%). Reaching Decision Makers (476.92%). Not in personality traits.

If your interview doesn’t check execution, you’re hiring on personality. And personality doesn’t predict whether the rep will ask the budget question. When the buyer says they need to think about it.

When to Use a Sales Assessment Tool Instead

The interview checks whether the candidate has run a process before. It doesn’t check whether they have the will, the mindset, and the behaviors to execute under pressure.

That’s what a sales assessment tool measures. RevHeat uses Objective Management Group’s assessment. Which evaluates 21 core selling competencies across three categories. Grit (desire and commitment). Mindset (beliefs and outlook). And Skills (execution and process). According to OMG, 92% of recommended hires reach the top half of the sales force within a year.

The assessment measures what the interview can’t. Whether the candidate will execute when the call doesn’t go as planned. When the buyer pushes back. Or when the deal takes six months longer than expected. Use the interview to check past behavior. Use the assessment to predict future performance.

If you’re hiring a sales manager, the questions to ask sales manager candidates are different. You’re checking whether they’ll coach your reps to run the process. Not whether they’ll run it themselves. But the principle is the same. Ask for what they did. Not what they believe.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the most important questions to ask in a sales interview?

The most important questions to ask in a sales interview check whether the candidate has run a repeatable process before. Not whether they can talk about selling. Ask for the exact questions they asked in their last deal. What the buyer said that changed the call. Which step they skip under time pressure. And how they knew the deal was qualified. RevHeat’s analysis of OMG data found a 740% gap in Closing. And a 380% gap in Qualifying between top and bottom performers. Both process execution skills. If the candidate can’t describe the process they ran, they’ve never run one.

How do you know if a sales candidate will run your process?

Ask them to describe the process they ran at their last company. Then ask what they’d change about it. Top performers adapt. They ask about your process and describe how they’d adjust. Average performers defend their old process. Or say they’d do the same thing. If the candidate won’t adapt to your process in the interview, they won’t run it on calls. According to RevHeat’s analysis of OMG data, Sales Process showed a 375% gap between top and bottom performers. Process adoption is a behavior. Not a skill. The interview checks whether the candidate has ever adopted a process before.

What questions reveal whether a candidate is coachable?

Ask about the last time a manager told them to change the way they were running a call. And what they did. Top performers describe the specific behavior they changed. And how long it took to become a habit. Average performers say they “listened to the feedback.” Or “tried it a few times.” Coachability isn’t about agreeing with feedback. It’s about changing behavior when coached. RevHeat’s analysis of OMG data found that Coachable showed no difference between top and bottom performers. Because the assessment measures willingness. Not behavior change. The interview checks the behavior.

Should you ask about a candidate’s biggest deal in a sales interview?

Ask about their biggest deal only if you follow up with process questions. What questions did you ask? What did the buyer say that changed the call? How did you know it was qualified? The size of the deal doesn’t predict whether the candidate will run your process. RevHeat client Third & Grove achieved a 3x win rate in 6 months. By improving process execution. Not by hiring reps with bigger deals. Ask about the deal. But focus on the process they ran to close it. Not the dollar amount.

What’s the difference between interview questions for sales reps and sales managers?

Interview questions for sales reps check whether the candidate has run a process before. Questions for sales managers check whether they’ve coached reps to run a process. And whether they’ll check the next call to see if it worked. For managers, ask: “Tell me about the last time you told a rep to change something on a call. How did you check whether they did it?” If the manager didn’t check, they didn’t coach. They just gave advice. RevHeat’s analysis of OMG data found that what a sales manager actually does is check whether reps ran the process. Not whether they hit quota.

How many questions should you ask in a sales interview?

Ask 10-12 questions that check process execution, adaptability, and coachability. Every question should reveal a specific behavior. The exact questions the candidate asked. What the buyer said. Which step they skipped. How they knew the deal was qualified. If the candidate can’t answer with specifics, they’ve never run a repeatable process. The interview should take 45-60 minutes. If you’re asking 20+ questions, you’re checking too many surface-level topics. And missing the behaviors that predict performance.

What should you ask about objection handling in a sales interview?

Ask: “What’s the most common objection you hear? And what do you ask when you hear it?” Top performers ask a question to uncover the real objection. Average performers pitch harder. RevHeat’s analysis of OMG data found a 740% gap in Closing between top and bottom performers. The largest gap of all 30 skills measured. Closing isn’t about handling objections with a rebuttal. It’s about asking the question that reveals what the buyer is actually concerned about. If the candidate pitches when they hear an objection, they’ve never learned to close.

How do you assess whether a candidate understands your sales process?

Send them a scenario after the interview. “You’re on a discovery call. The buyer says, ‘Just send me some information and I’ll take a look.’ What do you say next? Write your exact response, word for word.” Top performers ask a question. Average performers pitch or agree to send information. The scenario checks whether the candidate will protect your process under pressure. Or whether they’ll revert to what the buyer asks for. According to RevHeat’s State of Sales Skills original research, organizations under $10M should focus on Selling Value, Qualifying, and Consultative Selling. If the candidate can’t qualify in a scenario, they won’t qualify on your calls.

What questions reveal whether a candidate can reach decision-makers?

Ask: “How did you know the person you were talking to could actually buy?” Top performers describe the question they asked. “I asked, ‘Who else is involved in this decision?’” Average performers say, “They were the VP” or “They seemed senior.” RevHeat’s analysis of OMG data found a 476.92% gap in Reaching Decision Makers between top and bottom performers. Reaching the decision-maker isn’t about selling to senior titles. It’s about confirming authority before you invest time in the deal. If the candidate never asked, they’ve been presenting to people who can’t buy.

Should you use a sales skills assessment or just interview questions?

Use both. The interview checks whether the candidate has run a process before. A sales skills assessment checks whether they have the will, mindset, and behaviors to execute under pressure. RevHeat uses Objective Management Group’s assessment. Which measures 21 core competencies across Grit, Mindset, and Skills. According to OMG, 92% of recommended hires reach the top half of the sales force within a year. The interview tells you what they’ve done. The assessment predicts what they’ll do when the call doesn’t go as planned.

Bottom Line

The best questions to ask in a sales interview check what the candidate does on calls. Not what they believe about selling. Ask for the exact questions they asked in their last deal. Ask what the buyer said that changed the call. Ask which step they skip when the call runs short. Ask how they knew the deal was qualified before they sent a proposal. Every answer reveals whether the candidate has run a repeatable process before. Or whether they’ve been winging it. RevHeat’s analysis of Objective Management Group data found a 740% gap in Closing. And a 380% gap in Qualifying between top and bottom performers. Those are execution skills. Not personality traits. The interview is where you check whether the candidate has ever executed. Same reps. Same leads. Same market. Growth you can plan on.

Ken Lundin is CEO of RevHeat, the Sales Enforcement company. Over 25 years he has sold, run sales teams and helped 200+ teams — including 5 unicorns — generate $1.5B in client sales, with two exits ($250M and $30M) and four appearances on the Inc. 500. He is a Forbes Business Council member and the author of Strategic Selling Unleashed, Broken Playbook and The SmartScaling Formula.