The SDR role has one of the highest rates of turnover in the marketing and sales team. We asked seven top SDR leaders what questions they recommend for you to add to your SDR interview process –
Let’s jump in.
James Buckley: “I like to understand what the candidate is doing to level up. I used to ask what they did on the tube ride on the way to the interview but sadly no longer!”
A peek into their personal routine gives a lot of insight into how a candidate takes care of themself and what they value.
Add on questions about their favorite blogs or podcasts for professional development, and you’ll get a clear picture if they’re a great fit for the ambitious SDR position.
Javier Llorden: “Tell me with detail what happened in what you’d consider your best call ever? What did you learn?”. But don’t stop there, Javier also recommends to ask the same question with their worst calls.
Being an SDR requires constant adaptation and the willingness to learn. Make sure they’re prone to using every little misstep to level-up professionally.
Gonzalo Hafner: “When I interviewed potential SDRs, I made them build a sample 2-3 step email sequence for a well-known company, i.e. Uber. Then we discussed the sequence together. This allowed me to assess their level in important skills such as copywriting or selling a value prop.”
Giving candidates a taste of the creativity and on-your-feet thinking needed for the role can help you both decide if it’s a good fit.
Ted Stockton-Smith: “What is driving you to be successful?” This question helps you understand what intrinsic motivation your interview candidate has.
Personal motivation helps sales development reps keep their chin up even on those off-weeks, which are to be expected.
Kyle Vamvouris: “I always am the last person in the interview and my favorite question is “You have now spoken with {name] and [name]. Tell me, what do you think they are most excited about with you as a candidate and what do you think their biggest concern will be?”
He continues, “I like this question because it shows me how self-aware they are and I can gauge their self-confidence and intelligence (including EQ or emotional intelligence).”
This is the preferred question by Michael Hanson and Ryan Liubinskas. And, yes, it’s a classic. But here’s why it stands the test of time –
Michael Hanson: “If they haven’t done any research, how can you expect them to do any research on ideal customers?”
Personalization is key to increasing response rates and converting leads, and it requires a knack for research. The more background research a candidate has done on your company, the more effort they’re likely to put in their outreach efforts.
Would you want to know how many SDRs your team needs? Check out Bloobirds’ SDR calculator to find out what the best inbound to outbound SDR ratio for your company is.