Sales Development Representative interview questions
Interviews for this role typically probe how you prospect, qualify, and convert potential customers, as well as how you manage a high-velocity workflow. Expect questions that reveal your communication skills, process discipline, and resilience under target pressure.
Behavioural questions
- 1
Tell me about a time you had to work with a difficult teammate to hit a shared goal.
What they're looking for: The interviewer is looking for your collaboration and conflict-resolution approach, not just the outcome. Highlight listening, structuring a plan, and concessions you made to move forward.
- 2
Describe a situation where you failed to meet a target and how you recovered.
What they're looking for: They want accountability and a clear recovery plan. Focus on root-cause analysis, quick pivots, and concrete improvements to prevent recurrence.
- 3
Give an example of how you prioritise multiple high-priority tasks.
What they're looking for: Show your prioritisation framework and how you allocate time under pressure, including decision criteria and how you communicate priorities to stakeholders.
- 4
Tell me about a time you had to adapt your communication style to a customer.
What they're looking for: Demonstrate listening skills and situational awareness, plus the effect of tailoring messaging to the audience and buying stage.
- 5
Describe a time you received constructive feedback and what you did with it.
What they're looking for: Exhibit coachability and a growth mindset; specify how you applied the feedback and tracked improvement.
- 6
Can you share an example of handling rejection from a lead and continuing to pursue opportunities?
What they're looking for: Show resilience, a positive attitude, and a method for re-engagement or switching strategies without losing momentum.
Role-specific questions
- 1
How do you define an ideal customer profile and how would you use it in your outreach?
What they're looking for: Explain your process for researching ICP pain points, mapping value, and targeting channels that align with the ICP.
- 2
Describe your approach to multi-channel prospecting (email, cold call, social).
What they're looking for: Detail a disciplined cadence, personalization strategies, and how you test and optimize messages across channels.
- 3
What is your typical discovery-call structure and what do you aim to uncover?
What they're looking for: Outline a concise discovery framework, with specific questions to qualify pain, authority, budget, and timeline.
- 4
How do you handle objections about price or product fit during outreach?
What they're looking for: Show a methodical objection-handling script and reframe of value, with examples of turning objections into discovery opportunities.
- 5
Explain the qualification framework you use (e.g., BANT, MEDDIC, or another).
What they're looking for: Clarify how you adapt a framework to your product, what indicators you prioritize, and how you document them in the CRM.
- 6
What metrics do you track daily as an SDR and why?
What they're looking for: Identify core metrics (emails sent, dials, connect rate, qualified opportunities) and explain how these drive pipeline quality.
- 7
Walk me through your typical outbound sequence from first touch to handoff to sales.
What they're looking for: Describe sequencing, timing, personalization, and criteria for passing to account executives.
- 8
How do you research and tailor your outreach to each target account?
What they're looking for: Demonstrate a process for rapid ICP research, identifying pain points, and aligning messaging to observed needs.
Situational questions
- 1
You have a highly qualified lead but gatekeepers are blocking access. What would you do?
What they're looking for: Show creative, respectful persistence, use of multiple channels, and a plan to gain access or alternative routes.
- 2
If you’re ranking a large pipeline by priority, how do you decide who to contact first?
What they're looking for: Explain a data-driven approach using intent signals, engagement history, and likely close probability.
- 3
Imagine you’ve drafted a sequence that isn’t producing responses. What would you change?
What they're looking for: Describe rapid A/B testing, message iteration, personalisation pivots, and how you measure impact.
- 4
A lead expresses interest but has a long procurement cycle. How would you advance the deal?
What they're looking for: Balance building value with timely follow-ups, align with their process, and define concrete next steps.
- 5
You’re given a quota that feels unattainable for the month. What’s your plan?
What they're looking for: Outline a realistic plan with activity adjustments, prioritization, extra outreach, and escalation if needed.
- 6
A prospect insists they are not the decision-maker and ends the call. What next?
What they're looking for: Demonstrate discovery to identify the right stakeholder, refine messaging, and schedule a follow-up with the correct person.
Sample STAR answer outlines
STAR — Situation, Task, Action, Result — keeps a behavioural answer focused. Use these outlines as a shape for your own examples, not a script.
Describe a time you turned a hesitant prospect into a qualified opportunity.
- Situation
- I contacted a mid-market company after an initial cold email received no response; the executive showed initial skepticism about value.
- Task
- My goal was to uncover a concrete pain point and secure a discovery call with the right stakeholder.
- Action
- I conducted targeted research, referenced a relevant industry pain point, and sent a personalized message that linked our solution to a known challenge; I followed up with a brief call script emphasizing outcomes rather than features.
- Result
- The prospect agreed to a 20-minute discovery call, we identified a measurable efficiency gain, and the lead progressed to a formal evaluation with the sales team.
Give an example of how you handled a difficult objection during a discovery call.
- Situation
- A lead pushed back on the ROI of our product, questioning whether the investment would be justified.
- Task
- I needed to demonstrate value and move the conversation toward a next step.
- Action
- I reframed ROI in terms of time-to-value, asked a couple of discovery questions to quantify pain, and presented a high-level value hypothesis aligned with their metrics.
- Result
- The lead agreed to a tailored ROI discussion with a product specialist and scheduled a follow-up meeting.
Share a time when you had to manage a high-volume outreach plan and maintain quality.
- Situation
- I was given a target of high daily outreach across multiple territories with limited time to personalise each message.
- Task
- Create a scalable cadence that still felt personalised to each prospect.
- Action
- I built a tiered sequence, automated initial touches with highly personalized templates, and used reference points from ICP research to customize follow-ups.
- Result
- Response rate improved, a consistent flow of qualified meetings grew, and coordination with the AE team increased.
Rehearse out loud before the real thing
Answer these questions in an AI mock interview and get feedback on each response.
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