The Complete Guide to Cracking the BDR Interview Process
Transcript of The Complete Guide to Cracking the BDR Interview Process
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2BDR INTERVIEW PROCESS
6OFFER
5DEBRIEF & DECISION
4ONSITE
3HIRING MANAGER
PHONE SCREEN
2RECRUITER PHONE SCREEN
1RESUME SCREEN
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THERE ARE ONLY TWO THINGS THAT MATTER:
• Figure out what you’re screening for
• Be consistent
1. RESUME SCREEN
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SNIFF TEST
• Formatting
• Spelling & Grammar Mistakes
• Consistency
WHAT DO I SCREEN FOR?
IMPACT
• Numbers
• Leadership
• Growth
CONTENT
• Extracurricular activities / Wins
• College Degree: Major / minor?
• Proactive vs Reactive Descriptions
A candidate has all the time in the world to prep a resume. How they choose to present themselves here is a great indicator of the effort level and communication skills you will get on the job. Here are a few ideas:
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RECRUITER PHONE SCREEN
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LOOK TO UNDERSTAND THE FOLLOWING:
• Find out if she can do the job on a surface level
• Get her interested in the company and position
2. RECRUITER PHONE SCREEN
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WHY SALES?sample questions
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HOW DID YOU HEAR ABOUT US AND WHAT MADE YOU WANT TO APPLY
sample questions
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WHAT ARE 3 CHARACTERISTICS THAT MAKE SOMEONE SUCCESSFUL IN SALES?
sample questions
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HOW HAVE YOU DEMONSTRATED THIS CHARACTERISTIC RECENTLY?
sample questions
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DO YOU CONSIDER YOURSELF COMPETITIVE? WHY? WHY NOT?
sample questions
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WHAT MOTIVATES YOU?sample questions
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WHAT WOULD GET YOU EXCITED TO COME TO WORK EVERY DAY?
sample questions
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WHAT ACTIVITIES WERE YOU INVOLVED WITH ON CAMPUS?
sample questions
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TELL ME ONE THING ABOUT YOU THAT’S NOT ON YOUR RESUME.
sample questions
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DISCUSS PREVIOUS ROLES & COMPENSATION IF RELEVANT
sample questions
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WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT XXX COMPANY?
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HOW WOULD YOU MEASURE SUCCESS IN THIS ROLE?
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HIRING MANAGER PHONE SCREEN
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LOOK TO UNDERSTAND THE FOLLOWING:
• Would she excel in this position?
• Would she add value to your current team?
• Complete sales role play (sample scenario provided)
• Provide one piece of positive feedback
• Provide one area for improvement to test coachability
3. HIRING MANAGER PHONE SCREEN
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WHERE ELSE ARE YOU APPLYING?
sample questions
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LET’S SAY YOU HAD 3 OFFERS FROM X, Y, ZWHAT CRITERIA WILL YOU USE TO MAKE YOUR ULTIMATE DECISION?
sample questions
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REMAINING QUESTIONS ARE UP TO YOU!
sample questions
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SAMPLE SCENARIOS1. What are the top three schools you were looking at
when applying to college?
• “Sell me on [top choice] university”
2. What are the last two movies you watched or the last two books you read?
• “I am thinking about starting a book or watching a movie. Sell me on your favorite and why I should watch/read it”
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3. PHONE SCREEN – SALES ROLE PLAY
ROLE PLAY FOR YOUR COMPANYWant to test the candidate’s ability to work with your product/messaging?
Share your BDR script prior to the interview and giving them a target prospect. Role play live and have her send a follow up email leveraging your messaging and her research.
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LOOK FOR:
• Articulation – How clearly does she communicate her thoughts?
• Energy – Does she sound alert, genuine and personable?
• Ability to take control – Can she steer the conversation?
• Ability to think on feet – Can she respond calmly, but quickly?
• Active Listening – Does she ask questions and respond to your answers?
• ‘Coachability’ – How does she respond to feedback? (Does she incorporate it onsite?)
3. PHONE SCREEN – SALES ROLE PLAY
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284. ONSITE
HORSEPOWER
SALES SKILLS
BEHAVIOR PATTERNS
CULTURAL FIT
PRESENTATION
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• Provide the prompt via email to the candidate in advance
• Kick off the day with presentation + all interviewers:
• No props, no slides
• 3 minutes, timed
4. ONSITE INTERVIEWS – PRESENTATION
PRESENTATION PROMPT
“Why do you want to work in SALES? Why should our company hire YOU?”
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LOOK TO UNDERSTAND THE FOLLOWING:
• Can she think on her feet and does she want it?
• What drives/motivates her?
• Is she able to communicate effectively?
• How will she respond to criticism?
• What are her long-term goals?
• How does she see xx factoring into her future goals?
4. ONSITE - HORSEPOWER
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IN WHAT TYPE OF ENVIRONMENT DO YOU THRIVE?
sample questions
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TELL ME ABOUT A SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENT.
sample questions
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HOW DO YOU HANDLE REJECTION?GIVE ME AN EXAMPLE
sample questions
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HOW DO YOU OVERCOME OBSTACLES?GIVE ME AN EXAMPLE
sample questions
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HOW DO YOU CELEBRATE A WIN?GIVE ME AN EXAMPLE
sample questions
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WHAT ARE YOUR PRIORITIES IN LOOKING FOR A NEW COMPANY?
sample questions
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LOOK TO UNDERSTAND THE FOLLOWING:
• Does she have the raw DNA and talent to be successful in sales?
• Does she have any relevant sales experience?
• Is she competitive? Sports/Other?
• How has she performed in past jobs?
• What other jobs is she looking at now?
• Why is she interested in sales? …tech? ...xx company?
• Is she curious?
4. ONSITE – SALES SKILLS (NEW TO ROLE)
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WHY DOES A SALES ROLE LIKE THIS APPEAL TO YOU?
sample questions
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TELL ME ABOUT THE LAST TIME YOU LOST?
sample questions
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HOW DID THAT FEEL? sample questions
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WHAT DID YOU LEARN FROM THE EXPERIENCE?
sample questions
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WHAT DON’T YOU LIKE ABOUT SALES?
sample questions
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WHAT WILL YOUR BIGGEST CHALLENGE BE IN THE FIRST 60 DAYS?
sample questions
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HOW DO YOU PLAN YOUR DAY/WEEK?
sample questions
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WHEN HAVE YOU HAD TO LEVERAGE RELATIONSHIPS TO GET SOMETHING DONE?
sample questions
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WHAT ARE 3 QUALITIES YOU THINK ARE NEEDED TO BE SUCCESSFUL AS A BDR?
sample questions
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LOOK TO UNDERSTAND THE FOLLOWING:
• Has she demonstrated good judgment?
• What involvement has she had in extracurricular activities?
• Why did she choose her school/jobs, and activities?
• Has she had any leadership experience?
• How does she showcase entrepreneurial spirit?
4. ONSITE INTERVIEWS – BEHAVIOR PATTERNS
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HOW DID YOU CHOOSE YOUR COLLEGE?
sample questions
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WHICH SCHOOLS DID YOU TARGET?
sample questions
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WHERE DID YOU GET IN?sample questions
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HOW DID YOU MAKE A DECISION BETWEEN THE TOP 2?
sample questions
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HOW WOULD YOU CHOOSE BETWEEN MULTIPLE OFFERS?
sample questions
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WHAT IS YOUR MOST DIFFICULT CUSTOMER SERVICE EXPERIENCE?
sample questions
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TELL ME ABOUT A CONFLICT YOU HAVE HAD WITH A PEER? WHAT IS YOUR RELATIONSHIP LIKE TODAY?
sample questions
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LOOK TO UNDERSTAND THE FOLLOWING:
• Is she a fit with …xx? With the office culture? For this sales role?
• How is her attitude? Is she a team player? Competitive?
• What are her interests outside of work?
• Gauge intelligence. Will she learn quickly?
4. ONSITE INTERVIEWS – CULTURAL FIT
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TELL ME ABOUT A TIME YOU DIDN’T KNOW HOW TO DO SOMETHING.
sample questions
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WHAT DOES TEAMWORK MEAN TO YOU?
sample questions
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WHAT ROLE ARE YOU MOST LIKELY TO PLAY ON A TEAM?
sample questions
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WHAT CAN YOUR HOBBIES TELL ME THAT YOUR RESUME CAN’T?
sample questions
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WHAT ARE YOU PASSIONATE ABOUT?
sample questions
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WHAT ARE THE MOST EFFECTIVE ROLES A GOOD MANAGER PLAYS?
sample questions
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HOW DOES YOUR WORK ENVIRONMENT IMPACT YOUR SUCCESS?
sample questions
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DEBRIEF & DECISION
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• Meet as a group to determine whether or not to extend an offer
• Each interviewer writes down HIRE / NO HIRE to vote independently
• Repeat votes to the group
• Make a decision and notify the candidate within 24 hours
• If the decision is “MAYBE”, it’s almost always a NO HIRE in disguise
5. DEBRIEF & DECISION
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Special thanks to Julie Drimel, Director of Global Business Development at NetSuite and Garret Moniz, VP of Global Inside Sales at Bamboo Rose for their work in developing and iterating on this process.
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LOOKING FOR MORE?Check out Top 20 Sales Interview Questions from leading sales experts àCheck out Top 20 Sales Interview Questions from leading sales experts