Sales manager interview questions, with answers and a coaching exercise

First I'd find where it's breaking: activity, conversion from first meeting, or deals stalling late. Each needs a different fix. Then I'd sit down with the rep, ask for their own read, and agree on one thing to change. We'd practice it together, roleplay the moment, and listen to a couple of their calls the following week to see if it stuck.

I had an SDR who booked plenty of meetings, but account executives kept saying they were poor fits. We listened to her calls together, and she spotted that she booked anyone who sounded friendly. We built three qualifying questions into her calls and practiced them weekly. Her meetings dropped slightly, but far more of them became opportunities, and she was promoted to AE the following year.

Weekly, per rep, focused on the deals that matter rather than every line. For each one I ask: what's the next step and when, who have we met, what could kill it, and what does the buyer say happens next. It's a coaching conversation, not an interrogation. The forecast call is separate and shorter.

Every rep uses the same criteria for commit: problem confirmed, decision maker met, and a dated path to signature. I inspect the biggest and riskiest deals myself every week. And I track how our forecast compared with what actually closed, so we can see whether we're consistently optimistic.

I define the profile first: for SDRs that's resilience, coachability and curiosity. Every candidate gets the same structured interview and a live roleplay with feedback and a second attempt, because the second attempt shows coachability. I score against the same rubric for everyone and compare notes with the other interviewers before we discuss anyone.

I'd ask them why first, because sometimes the process is the problem and they've found a better way. If it's something that affects others, like not updating the CRM so forecasting is blind, I'd be clear that it's not optional and explain why. Top performers usually respond well to being treated as partners in fixing the process.

One-to-ones and pipeline reviews early in the week, call coaching blocks midweek where I listen to calls or run roleplays, the team meeting on Thursday, and forecast and reporting on Friday. Hiring fits around that. I protect the coaching blocks most, because they're the first thing to disappear when it gets busy.

I pick one or two calls a week per rep, ideally ones they choose. We listen together and I ask them to pause where they'd do something differently. Then we roleplay that moment two or three times until the new version feels natural. Feedback without practice tends not to stick.

I'd look at where the gap is, whether it's pipeline coverage or deals stuck late. Then I'd go through the late-stage deals with each rep and agree specific actions, and get involved personally where it helps. If coverage is the issue, we'd shift some time to prospecting for next quarter. And I'd tell my manager early, with a realistic number.

I had a rep who struggled for two quarters. We set clear goals, I coached weekly and we documented progress together, working with HR on the process. When it was clear it wasn't working, I had the conversation in person, kept it respectful and brief, and talked to the team the same day without sharing details. It's the hardest part of the job, and I'd rather it never be a surprise to the person.

The first month is listening: one-to-ones with every rep, riding along on calls, and understanding the data and the process. In the second month I'd fix one or two things the team agrees are broken. By the third, I'd have a steady coaching and forecast rhythm, and a plan for the next two quarters that the team helped build.