Account Executive Skills Interview
Author:
Geoff BroadGeoff Broad’s interview template will help you identify the best candidate for an Account Executive responsible for executing a sales strategy and successfully generating sales and profit within a medium to large organization. This template covers some core responsibilities of the role including building and maintaining a customer pipeline to ensure sales targets are met. This template also includes other key elements of a sales cycle such as prospective client interaction, tailored engagement, and successful conversion.
Focus area:
Question
1
Tell me about a time where your initiative helped you find creative ways to attract potential customers. What did you do, and how did this benefit your company?
What does this question reveal?
Candidate has the ability to be proactive in helping business development
Explore tips
- Exhibits a forward-thinking nature and can identify opportunities/take action
- Shares specific example of how used a creative approach to attract customers
- Independently identified resources/techniques to be successful
- Went above and beyond what was expected of them
- Shows they considered company values, targets and goals
Question
2
When considering reaching out to a prospective client, what kind of research do you conduct to learn more about them, and what kind of information do you look for?
What does this question reveal?
Candidate has the ability to conduct research to inform strategies for reaching out to potential clients
Explore tips
- Explains how they took a thorough/structured approach to conduct research
- Discusses leveraging social networks to research prospects
- Discusses familiarizing themselves with the prospect's background
- Evaluates whether the product/service is a good fit for the client’s needs
- Shows an understanding of the best person to contact within the company
Question
3
What strategies do you implement when you reach out to and engage with a prospective client?
What does this question reveal?
Candidate has the ability to effectively identify and engage prospective clients
Explore tips
- Acknowledges the challenges of getting prospective clients to notice you
- Understands that it takes multiple touch points to secure an initial meeting
- Familiarize themselves with the prospect through intentional research
- Tailors communication to prospects based on their needs, industry and context
- Includes details targeting the organization and individual
Question
4
Walk me through how you would run a discovery call, highlighting how you would structure it and which specific questions you would ask.
What does this question reveal?
Candidate has the ability to ask effective questions during a discovery call
Explore tips
- Understands the importance of letting the prospect do most of the talking
- Asks for obstacles the client is facing to help them make better recommendations
- Asks for the client’s vision of success and any past solutions they have tried
- Asks about the client’s budget and timeline
- Acknowledges that it might not be the right time and touches base later
Question
5
Imagine you have been working with a prospective client for some time now and have convinced them that your service/product is right for them. How would you manage the middle and end of the sales cycle?
What does this question reveal?
Candidate has the ability to build trust and close a sale effectively
Explore tips
- Is responsive and timely in all communications during the sales cycle
- Works with customer to navigate their internal buying process (e.g. BANT)
- Involves technical team at relevant points (e.g., sales engineer for demos)
- Involves the ‘right’ people: procurement, IT, security, legal, etc.
- Communicates with other teams to close deal smoothly and efficiently
Question
6
Tell me about the best sales team you have worked with. Describe your role, your interactions with the team and what made this a positive and successful experience.
What does this question reveal?
Candidate has the ability to be a team player and applies a team sales mentality
Explore tips
- Demonstrates appreciation for contributions of members in sales cycle
- Demonstrates the ability to ask for help
- Understands how their work impacts the goals of other team members
- Discusses how all team members must must be aligned on company needs and goals
Question
7
When working in sales, you typically have multiple important customer details to manage. What are some ways you would stay organized and keep track of these details?
What does this question reveal?
Candidate has the ability to follow a systematic approach to keep customer information organized
Explore tips
- Recognizes importance of organization for a sales strategy to run effectively
- Spends time planning/setting up system in advance (e.g. progress tracker)
- Highlights specific productivity tools/applications they've used effectively
- Shares past example of how they have tracked customer information effectively
