Account Executive Interview Questions

In addition to asking an Account executive to outline their process for targeting, engaging, and developing prospects, I like to have them role play a sales call. In the past we had a HR team generate questions based on the characteristics we wanted to see in hunters. I found the questions to be a bit, ummm obvious, like describe a situation where you were persuasive, so the hiring managers generally ignored them. Anyway, here are the questions:

1. LISTENING
a. Are you familiar with the term “active listening?” How would you define it? What would coworkers say regarding how often and how effectively you use active listening?

2. COMMUNICATIONS – ORAL
a. How would you rate yourself in public speaking? If we had a videotape of your most recent presentation, what would we see?

b. Describe the last time you put your “foot in your mouth.”

c. How do you communicate with your organization?

3. ASSERTIVENESS
a. How would you describe your level of assertiveness?

b. When there is a difference of opinion, do you tend to confront people directly, indirectly, or tend to let the situation resolve itself? (get specifics)
c. Please give a couple of recent specific examples in which you were highly assertive, one in which the outcome was favorable, and one where it wasn’t.

4. PERSUASION
a. Describe a situation in which your persuasion skills proved effective.
b. Describe situations in which your persuasion skills proved ineffective.


5. TENACITY
a. What are examples of the biggest challenges you have faced and overcome?
b. What will references say is your general level of urgency?

Our firms does get involved in Inside Team development and can help build a team of hunters. Also we are available as your outside inside team. Feel free to ring me if that is something you'd like to explore.