Interviewing salespeople is not like interviewing for any other role. Great sales reps can charm, storytell, improvise, and “perform” in interviews — even if they’ve never consistently hit quota. That’s why businesses so often hire the wrong salespeople: traditional interviews reward charisma, not competence.

This guide provides the strongest sales interview questions in 2026, covering SDRs, AEs, outside reps, territory reps, industrial/manufacturing sales, roofing sales, high-ticket closers, and sales leaders. You’ll also get scoring rubrics and guidance on what great, average, and alarming answers look like.

Use these questions to separate real sales performers from résumé actors.

How to Interview Salespeople (The 2026 Method)

The most important shift in recent years:
Sales interviews must be evidence-based, not personality-based.

A modern sales interview should include:

Behavioral questions
Deal walk-throughs
Role-play segments
Objection handling
Pipeline management challenges
Targeted proof-of-performance questions
Domain specificity (“Have you sold into this ICP?”)

The questions below are grouped by role type and include “what good looks like” for fast scoring.

UNIVERSAL SALES INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

(Use these for every sales role.)

1. “Walk me through your most recent sales quota. What was it and how did you perform against it?”

Why it matters: Filters pretenders instantly.
Strong answer: Specific numbers, timelines, % attainment, and what drove results.
Weak answer: Vague, emotional, no math.

2. “Tell me about the most difficult deal you closed in the last 12 months.”

Strong answer:

Clear ICP
Objection detail
Multi-step strategy
Clarity on needs analysis
Insight into how they won
Weak answer:
“They just liked me.”
No strategy.
No timeline.

3. “Explain your sales process step-by-step.”

Strong reps talk through:

Research & targeting
Discovery
Qualification
Presentation/demo
Objections
Proposal
Close
Follow-through

Weak reps talk about “just vibing” or “winging it.”

4. “What do you do when a prospect goes dark?”

Strong reps: Pattern interrupt, value-add follow-ups, leverage multi-channel outreach.
Weak reps: “I call once or twice, then move on.”

5. “What’s a sales failure you learned from?”

Strong reps talk about:

Missed quota
A deal they lost
A mistake they corrected

Weak reps say:

“I don’t fail.”
“My manager caused it.”

SDR / BDR INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

1. “Walk me through your outbound strategy.”

Look for structure, sequences, personalization, and persistence.

2. “Write me a cold email to a (ICP) right now.”

High performers show clarity and tight copy.

3. “Give me a cold-call opener you’ve used that works.”

Great reps avoid fake enthusiasm and get straight to value.

4. “How many connect attempts do you make per day/week?”

Strong: Knows activity metrics.
Weak: “It depends.”

5. “How do you qualify leads?”

Look for frameworks:

BANT
MEDDIC (modified for SDRs)
CHAMP

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE (AE) INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

1. “Walk me through the last deal you closed from discovery to signature.”

Evaluate:

Multithreading
Discovery depth
Competitive differentiation
Handling procurement
Timeline control

2. “Show me how you handle this objection.”

Use one of your real objections.
Strong AEs show:

Curiosity
Reframing
Control
Asking questions, not talking

3. “What was your average sales cycle in your last role?”

Weak reps guess.
Strong reps know pipeline math.

4. “Who are the stakeholders in your typical deal?”

Strong AEs mention titles: CFO, VP Ops, Procurement, IT, end-users.

5. “Tell me about a customer you lost, and why.”

Shows accountability.

OUTSIDE SALES / TERRITORY SALES INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

1. “How do you plan and manage your territory?”

Strong reps reference:

Route planning
Visit cadence
Key accounts
Distributor relationships

2. “Tell me about the last major account you developed.”

Look for:

Onsite visits
Long-cycle nurturing
Technical demos

3. “How do you build relationships locally?”

Field reps must answer this well.

4. “What was your travel cadence in your prior role?”

Fishing for real-world habits.

5. “What industries do you know well?”

Especially important in manufacturing, industrial, or trades.

ROOFING / SOLAR / HOME SERVICES SALES INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

1. “Are you comfortable knocking doors or doing in-home visits?”

Weak: hesitates.
Strong: yes + examples.

2. “Walk me through your inspection or estimate process.”

3. “What’s your close rate on in-home consultations?”

4. “What was your average job value?”

5. “Tell me about a homeowner objection you’ve overcome.”

MANUFACTURING / INDUSTRIAL SALES INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

1. 'Explain the last technical product you sold.'

Look for comprehension, not fluff.

2. “How did you educate prospects on technical specs?”

3. “Describe your distributor or rep network.”

4. “What trade shows have you attended?”

5. “Tell me about a long-cycle deal you managed.”

SALES LEADER INTERVIEW QUESTIONS (Manager / Director / VP)

1. 'What is your weekly sales management cadence?'

Strong leaders mention:

1:1s
Pipeline reviews
Deal strategy
Coaching
Team metrics

2. “How do you hold reps accountable?”

3. “How do you diagnose performance issues?”

4. “Walk me through a hiring decision you got right.”

5. “What’s your forecasting accuracy?”

Role-Play Scenarios (Include These in Every Interview)

Use real-world prompts:

“Handle this objection from one of our real prospects.”
“Run a 3–4 minute discovery call with me.”
“Sell me this offer — here’s the buyer persona.”

Role-plays reveal:

Confidence
Composure
Listening ability
Objection handling
Selling skill

Pipeline Discipline Questions

Ask:

“Show me how you manage your CRM.”
“How do you forecast?”
“What’s your opportunity hygiene process?”

Good reps → tight pipelines.
Bad reps → chaotic, sloppy, vague.

Red Flags to Watch For

❌ Talking instead of asking questions
❌ Blaming managers for past failures
❌ Vague numbers
❌ Can’t walk through a deal
❌ No structure, no process
❌ Overconfidence without evidence

Recommended Resources

Sales Interview Questions to Identify Top-Performing Salespeople