Separate prospecting, closing and account development
Clarify whether the role creates new opportunities, manages an existing pipeline, closes deals or grows established accounts. Explain the target customer, decision-makers, typical sales cycle and support from marketing or technical teams. State whether the person inherits relationships or builds them from the beginning.
A business development title can mean several of these activities. If your business expects all of them, describe the priorities and realistic capacity. Candidates need to understand the actual work, and interviewers need to assess experience against the same model.
Put performance claims in context
Ask about targets, territory, product maturity and the candidate’s own contribution. Distinguish revenue they originated from revenue they supported or inherited. Explore how they qualified opportunities, managed a long sales cycle and responded when a deal did not progress.
Use genuine results as evidence, but avoid treating a single number as a complete assessment. Ask for a detailed example of the process behind the outcome. Where information is commercially sensitive, allow the candidate to explain the approach without disclosing confidential customer or pricing details.
Assess customer judgement and the working arrangement
Use a fictional prospect conversation to explore preparation, discovery questions and how the candidate qualifies fit. Look for listening and judgement, not only a confident pitch. Ask how they avoid promising something the delivery team cannot provide and how they maintain useful records.
Clarify travel, territory, reporting and the package structure. Explain how variable pay is determined and which assumptions are confirmed. A candidate cannot assess the opportunity properly if the target, support and reward arrangement remain vague until the final stage.
PUT IT INTO PRACTICE
A role-relevant sales scenario
A fictional prospect asks for a proposal but has not explained the problem, budget or decision process. Ask the candidate what they would do next and which questions they would ask. Assess whether they seek enough information to create a useful proposal rather than rushing to quote and calling it pipeline.
Your practical checklist
- Define the customer and sales motion.
- Separate new business from account growth responsibilities.
- Explore the context behind performance claims.
- Clarify targets, support and variable pay terms.
Take it forward
Hire for the way your business needs to sell. Relevant judgement, a repeatable process and a clear commercial arrangement are more useful than an impressive number without context.
