Free sales interview question templates with a scoring rubric, for entry-level, senior, and retail sales hires. Built for small businesses. Download as DOCX.
6 free interview kits by sales role, plus a 1-to-5 scoring rubric to compare candidates fairly, built for small businesses hiring their first or next sales rep. Download as DOCX.
Hiring a salesperson is one of the highest-stakes decisions a small business makes, and the interview is where it is won or lost. Salespeople interview well by trade, so a charming conversation is not enough to tell you whether someone can actually sell. What you need is a structured set of questions for the role, a way to see the candidate's real process, and a consistent scorecard to compare people fairly instead of on gut feel.
These six kits give you exactly that: ready-made question sets for general, entry-level, senior, retail, and SaaS or field sales hires, plus a scoring rubric that turns a good conversation into a fair, documented decision. Download them free, no email required. They pair with the sales associate job description for writing the posting, and the guide to conducting an interview for running the process well.
TL;DR
Strong sales interview questions make a candidate show how they sell, not just describe it: their process, a real closed deal, objection handling, and resilience. Use a kit matched to the role (entry-level, senior, retail, SaaS), run a short sell-me-this or role-play, and score every candidate 1 to 5 on the same rubric to compare fairly. Never ask about a protected characteristic. Download six kits plus a scorecard as DOCX.
What Sales Interview Questions Are For
Sales interview questions, in the employer sense, are the questions you ask a candidate to find out whether they can actually do the job. They are different from the questions a candidate asks you. A good set probes the things that predict sales success: a real sales process, evidence of closing deals, how someone handles objections and rejection, what drives them, and whether they can learn your product.
The most useful questions force a candidate to demonstrate rather than describe. Anyone can say they are a great closer; far fewer can walk you through a specific deal with real numbers or handle a live objection in a role-play. Because salespeople are practiced interviewees, structure matters more here than almost anywhere else: the same questions and the same scorecard for every candidate are what separate a real evaluation from being charmed into a bad hire.
Which Interview Kit Should You Use?
Pick the kit by the kind of sales role you are filling. Each set emphasizes the questions and competencies that matter for that role, and they all pair with the same scoring rubric so you can compare candidates consistently.
General Sales Rep Kit
Most hires
The all-purpose set of 12 questions plus note space, covering process, objections, motivation, and fit. Start here for a standard sales hire.
Entry-Level / SDR
First or junior rep
For a first or junior hire: weighted toward coachability, drive, and resilience over track record. Hire for potential.
Senior / AE
Experienced closer
For an experienced rep: digs into quota attainment, deal size, pipeline, and a cold-call role-play. Verify the numbers.
Retail / Associate
In-store sales
For an in-store associate: customer service, upselling, working a busy floor, and reliability for the schedule.
SaaS / Field Sales
Technical or field
For a software or field rep: discovery skills, multi-stakeholder deals, product aptitude, and territory planning.
Scoring Rubric
Compare fairly
The differentiator: a 1-to-5 scorecard across eight sales competencies, with an Advance / Hold / Pass recommendation.
Match the Kit to the Hire
A standard sales hire: General Sales Rep Kit. A first or junior rep: Entry-Level / SDR (weight coachability and drive). An experienced closer: Senior / AE (verify the numbers). An in-store associate: Retail / Associate. A software or field rep: SaaS / Field. And whichever you use, pair it with the Scoring Rubric to compare candidates on the same scale.
6 Free Sales Interview Kits to Download
Download all six as a single Word document, or copy individual kits. Each kit includes the questions, note space, and a recommendation line; the rubric adds a full 1-to-5 scorecard. Free, with no email required.
Download All 6 Interview Kits and the Scorecard
General, entry-level, senior, retail, SaaS/field, and the scoring rubric. All in one DOCX.
Kit 1: General Sales Rep Interview Kit
The all-purpose set covering opener, sales process, objection handling, motivation, resilience, and fit, with note space throughout. Start here for a standard sales hire.
General Sales Rep Interview Kit
GENERAL SALES REP INTERVIEW KIT
Candidate: __
Role: __
Interviewer: __
Date: __
OPENING
1. Walk me through your sales background and what drew you to this role.
Notes: __
2. What do you know about our company and what we sell?
Notes: __
SALES PROCESS AND SKILLS
3. Walk me through your typical sales process, from first contact to close.
Notes: __
4. Tell me about a deal you closed that you are proud of. What made it work?
Notes: __
5. Describe a time you handled a tough objection. What did you say?
Notes: __
6. How do you research and qualify a prospect before reaching out?
Notes: __
7. Sell me this [product/pen/object]. (Watch their process, not the pitch.)
Notes: __
MOTIVATION AND RESILIENCE
8. Tell me about a time you missed a target. What did you do next?
Notes: __
9. What motivates you day to day in a sales role?
Notes: __
10. How do you handle a string of rejections?
Notes: __
CULTURE AND CLOSE
11. What kind of sales environment helps you do your best work?
Notes: __
12. What questions do you have for us?
Notes: __
OVERALL
Strengths: __
Concerns: __
Recommendation: [ ] Advance [ ] Hold [ ] Pass
Kit 2: Entry-Level / SDR Interview Kit
For a first or junior rep: weighted toward coachability, drive, and resilience over track record. Built to assess raw potential consistently.
Entry-Level / SDR Interview Kit (Junior)
ENTRY-LEVEL / SDR INTERVIEW KIT (JUNIOR)
Candidate: __
Interviewer: __
Date: __
For a first sales hire or a junior rep, hire for coachability, drive, and
resilience over track record. The goal is potential, not a long resume.
DRIVE AND COACHABILITY
1. Why do you want to start a career in sales?
Notes: __
2. Tell me about a time you taught yourself something hard. How did you do it?
Notes: __
3. Describe a time you got tough feedback. What did you change?
Notes: __
RESILIENCE
4. Tell me about a goal you worked toward despite setbacks.
Notes: __
5. How would you feel making 50 calls and hearing "no" 45 times?
Notes: __
6. Give an example of a time you were persistent and it paid off.
Notes: __
POTENTIAL AND FIT
7. What do you think this role actually involves day to day?
Notes: __
8. How do you stay organized when juggling many tasks?
Kit 6: Sales Candidate Scoring Rubric and Evaluation Form
The differentiator: a 1-to-5 scorecard across eight sales competencies, with evidence fields and an Advance, Hold, or Pass recommendation. Use it with any kit above.
Sales Candidate Scoring Rubric and Evaluation Form
SALES CANDIDATE SCORING RUBRIC AND EVALUATION FORM
Candidate: __
Role: __
Interviewer: __
Date: __
Score each competency 1 to 5. Use the same form for every candidate so you
Reminder: Score only job-related skills. Do not factor in age, sex, race,
religion, national origin, disability, or any protected characteristic.
The Best Sales Questions and What to Listen For
The questions matter less than how you read the answers. Across every sales interview, the same patterns separate a strong candidate from a risky one. Here is what to listen for, grouped into green, yellow, and red flags you can watch for in real time.
Green flags: what a strong answer sounds like
Walks through a real, specific deal with names and numbers
Asks clarifying questions before pitching (discovery instinct)
Owns a missed target and explains what they changed
Shows genuine curiosity about your product and customers
Treats rejection as data, not defeat
Yellow flags: probe further before deciding
Speaks only in generalities with no concrete examples
Takes all the credit and none of the responsibility
Vague on their actual numbers or process
Has not researched your company at all
Blames managers, leads, or product for every miss
Red flags: serious concerns
Badmouths past employers or customers
Cannot describe any sales process at all
Shows no resilience to the rejection question
Is dishonest or evasive when asked for specifics
Disrespects the interviewer or the process
The single most revealing question for most roles is some version of walk me through a real deal you closed. A strong rep gives you names, numbers, and a clear process; a weak one gives you generalities. Pair that with a live exercise, a sell-me-this or a role-play, and you learn more in five minutes than a page of resume claims will tell you.
How to Score a Sales Candidate
Scoring is what turns a series of conversations into a fair decision. Right after each interview, while it is fresh, rate the candidate 1 to 5 on each job-related competency, then compare totals across candidates rather than relying on who left the best impression.
Competency
What a 5 looks like
Closing and persuasion
Naturally moves toward a clear next step; asks for the sale
Objection handling
Listens, then responds with value, not pressure
Resilience and drive
Treats rejection as data; self-motivated and goal-oriented
Discovery and listening
Asks sharp questions; truly understands the buyer's needs
Product and learning
Learns fast and explains clearly
Culture and team fit
Works the way your team works; values align
Weight the competencies that matter most for the role, for example closing and resilience for a senior closer, or coachability and drive for a junior hire. The point of the rubric is consistency: the same scale for every candidate, scored on job-related skills only, gives you a fair comparison and a documented basis for the decision.
Questions You Cannot Ask (EEOC)
This is the part free question lists skip, and it is the part that protects your business: the questions you must never ask, and how to keep the whole interview fair and defensible. The rule is simple, keep every question about the job, but the traps are easy to fall into.
Off-limits questions: never ask about a protected characteristic
The questions you must not ask are as important as the ones you should. Federal law makes it illegal to base a hiring decision on a protected characteristic, so keep every question tied to the job, not the person. Do not ask about age or date of birth, about pregnancy, children, or family plans, about marital status, about religion, about national origin, birthplace, or accent, about disability or health, or about race. These come up most often as friendly small talk, which is exactly the trap. Stick to the candidate's experience, skills, and how they would do the work. The kits on this page are written to keep you on the right side of that line. This is general information, not legal advice.
Ask the same core questions of every candidate
A structured interview, where you ask each candidate the same core questions and score their answers the same way, is both fairer and more predictive than a free-form chat. It reduces the chance that a decision rests on a gut feeling that could mask bias, and it gives you a defensible, documented basis for the hire. That is the whole point of the scoring rubric in this kit: it forces you to evaluate each candidate against the same job-related competencies rather than vibes. For a small business, the structure also simply produces better hires, because it keeps the focus on what predicts sales success. This is general information, not legal advice.
Watch for salary-history questions, which many states ban
One specific question trips up small employers in interviews: asking what a candidate currently earns or earned in a past role. A growing number of states and cities prohibit asking about salary history during hiring, on the theory that it perpetuates pay gaps. You can almost always ask about salary expectations for the role instead. If you operate in or hire into a state with a salary-history ban, leave past-pay questions out of the interview entirely. When in doubt, ask what they are looking for, not what they made. This is general information, not legal advice.
Document the reason, and keep the scorecards
Whatever you decide, write down the job-related reason and keep the completed scorecards. Consistent, contemporaneous interview records are the best evidence that a hire, or a rejection, rested on legitimate, non-discriminatory grounds, and missing or destroyed interview notes tend to be read against an employer if a decision is ever questioned. Store the scorecards for every candidate the same way, under a defined retention period, rather than tossing the ones for people you did not hire. This is general information, not legal advice.
Keep Every Question About the Job, Not the Person
Federal anti-discrimination law, enforced by the EEOC, makes it illegal to base a hiring decision on age, sex, pregnancy, race, color, religion, national origin, disability, or genetic information, so do not ask about them in the interview. Many states also ban asking about salary history, though you can ask about salary expectations. When a question is about the candidate's life rather than the job, leave it out. This page is a general reference, not legal advice.
The simple test for any interview question is whether it is about the job or about the person. For a full walkthrough of running a fair process, the guide to conducting an interview and the illegal interview questions guide cover the method and the off-limits topics in more depth.
Hiring Your First Sales Rep at a Small Business
A large company hires salespeople through a recruiting team with a defined process. A small business owner often hires their first or second rep alone, with no HR support and high stakes, because a sales hire is expensive to get wrong. That combination is exactly why a structured kit and scorecard help. Here is how to approach it.
A bad sales hire is one of the most expensive mistakes a small business can make
Sales roles turn over far more than most jobs, around 35 percent a year versus roughly 13 percent across all industries, and replacing a rep is costly once you add recruiting, training, and lost sales. A widely cited DePaul University study put the total cost near 115,000 dollars per rep, and that figure has only grown with inflation since. For a small business hiring its first or second salesperson, getting it wrong is not a line item, it is a serious hit. A structured interview with a scorecard is the cheapest insurance you can buy against an expensive mis-hire.
Founders hire on gut feel, which is exactly how sales hires go wrong
Salespeople are, by trade, good at interviews. A confident, likeable candidate can charm a founder into an offer without ever demonstrating they can actually sell, and gut-feel hiring is how a small business ends up replacing the same role twice. The fix is structure: ask every candidate the same job-related questions, make them show their process rather than just describe it, and score the answers on the same rubric. The scorecard in this kit turns a charming conversation into a fair comparison, so you hire the person who can do the job, not just the one who interviews well.
The interview is step one; the real cost is recouped during onboarding
Even a great sales hire takes months to ramp to full productivity, so the value of a good interview is only realized if the onboarding that follows is just as deliberate. The signed offer, the first-week plan, product training, and a clear 30-60-90 ramp all turn a promising hire into a producing one. FirstHR fits this side of the process: document management to store the signed offer and the interview scorecards, task workflows and an onboarding wizard to build the new rep's first-week and 30-60-90 plan, and employee profiles to place them on the team. To be clear on scope, FirstHR is an onboarding and HR platform, and applicant tracking is coming soon, so today it supports the steps after you choose your hire, not the sourcing before it.
From Interview to Onboarding
The interview is step one. A strong sales hire still takes months to ramp, so the value of choosing the right person is only realized if the onboarding that follows is just as structured. The signed offer, first-week plan, product training, and a clear 30-60-90 ramp are what turn a good interview into a producing rep.
Run a structured interview
Use the kit for the role, ask every candidate the same core questions, and take notes in the space provided.
Score on the rubric
Rate each candidate 1 to 5 across the same competencies, then compare scores side by side, not gut feelings.
Make the offer
Once you pick your hire, send the offer and capture acceptance, keeping the scorecards with the record.
Onboard and ramp
Build a first-week and 30-60-90 plan so a new rep ramps to productivity instead of stalling.
Once you have chosen your hire, the offer letter template sends the offer, and an onboarding template structures the ramp. FirstHR connects that path: document management to store the signed offer and the interview scorecards, an onboarding wizard and task workflows to build the new rep's first-week and 30-60-90 plan, and employee profiles to place them on the team. FirstHR is an onboarding and HR platform, with applicant tracking coming soon, so it supports the steps after you choose your hire, and it does not run payroll or administer benefits, so connect those separately.
Key Takeaways
Strong sales interview questions make a candidate show how they sell, not just describe it: a real deal, their process, objection handling, and resilience.
Match the kit to the role: general, entry-level or SDR, senior or AE, retail, or SaaS and field.
Run a short sell-me-this exercise or cold-call role-play to see real selling skills rather than rehearsed answers.
Score every candidate 1 to 5 on the same rubric to compare fairly, since salespeople interview well and gut feel is risky.
Never ask about a protected characteristic, and avoid salary-history questions where state law bans them.
A bad sales hire is expensive; a structured interview and scorecard are cheap insurance against a costly mis-hire.
Frequently Asked Questions
What questions should I ask in a sales interview?
Ask questions that make a candidate show how they actually sell, not just describe it. Strong sales interview questions cover a few areas: their sales process from first contact to close, a specific deal they are proud of, how they handle objections and rejection, what motivates them, and how they research a prospect. A practical test is to ask them to sell you something simple and watch their process, not their polish. For experienced reps, dig into real numbers: quota attainment, deal size, and pipeline. For junior hires, focus on coachability, drive, and resilience instead of track record. The kits on this page give you ready-made question sets by role, so you can ask every candidate the same job-related questions and compare them fairly.
What is the difference between sales interview questions for an employer and a candidate?
They are two different documents for two different people. Employer-side sales interview questions are the questions you, the hiring manager, ask a candidate to evaluate whether they can do the job, which is what this page provides. Candidate-side questions are what a job seeker asks the employer to evaluate the role, such as questions about quota, commission structure, ramp time, and team support. This page is built for the employer doing the hiring. That said, a good candidate will ask you smart questions back, and you should welcome it. If a sales candidate has no questions for you at all, that itself is a mild yellow flag about their curiosity and preparation.
How do I interview a sales candidate with no experience?
Hire for potential, not track record. When interviewing an entry-level or first sales hire, weight your questions toward coachability, drive, and resilience, the traits that predict whether someone can learn to sell. Ask about a time they taught themselves something hard, how they responded to tough feedback, and how they would feel hearing no dozens of times in a day. Look for genuine curiosity about your product and customers, and a real example of persistence paying off. A strong junior candidate shows hunger and openness to learning even without sales numbers to point to. The entry-level kit on this page is built around exactly these traits, so you can assess raw potential consistently rather than guessing.
How should I score sales candidates to compare them fairly?
Use a structured scorecard and apply it the same way to every candidate. Rate each person 1 to 5 on the same job-related competencies, such as closing, objection handling, resilience, discovery, product aptitude, communication, coachability, and culture fit, then compare the totals side by side. This is far more reliable than relying on gut feeling, which is risky with salespeople precisely because they tend to interview well. A structured rubric also gives you a fair, documented basis for the decision. The scoring rubric included in this kit does this for you, with space for evidence and an overall Advance, Hold, or Pass recommendation. Score only job-related skills, never anything tied to a protected characteristic.
What questions are illegal to ask in a sales interview?
Any question that touches a protected characteristic rather than the job. You cannot base a hiring decision on age, sex, pregnancy or family plans, marital status, religion, national origin or accent, race, color, disability, or genetic information, so you should not ask about them in the interview either. These usually slip in as friendly small talk, which is the danger, so keep every question tied to the candidate's experience, skills, and how they would do the work. You also cannot ask about salary history in a growing number of states and cities, though you can ask about salary expectations for the role. When in doubt, ask yourself whether the question is about the job or about the person. This is general information, not legal advice.
How many questions should a sales interview include?
Around 10 to 12 substantive questions is the sweet spot for a single interview, which is how the kits on this page are sized. That gives you enough to assess sales process, objection handling, motivation, resilience, and fit, while leaving time for the candidate to demonstrate skills like a sell-me-this exercise or a short role-play, and to ask their own questions. More than that and the conversation gets rushed and shallow; fewer and you miss key signals. Quality matters more than quantity: a few well-chosen questions that make the candidate show their actual process beat a long list of generic ones. Reserve time at the end to score the candidate on the rubric while the conversation is fresh.
Should I have a sales candidate role-play or do a sell-me-this exercise?
Yes, for most sales roles a short practical exercise is one of the most revealing parts of the interview. Asking a candidate to sell you a simple object, or to role-play a cold call with you as a skeptical prospect, shows you their actual process rather than their rehearsed answers. Watch how they ask questions, handle objections, and move toward a close, not whether the pitch is polished. For a senior or account-executive role, a cold-call or discovery role-play is especially valuable. For an entry-level hire, keep it lighter and focus on coachability in how they take feedback on the exercise. The senior and general kits on this page include role-play and sell-me prompts you can use directly.
Is it worth using a structured interview for one sales hire?
Yes, especially for one hire, because the cost of getting it wrong is so high. Sales turnover runs far above other roles, and replacing a rep is expensive once you count recruiting, training, and lost sales, so a single bad hire at a small business is a serious financial hit. A structured interview with the same questions and a scorecard for every candidate is a small amount of upfront effort that meaningfully reduces the odds of a costly mis-hire. It also keeps your process fair and defensible. You do not need a recruiting team or an applicant tracking system to do this; a consistent question kit and a scoring rubric, like the ones here, are enough to run a professional, structured sales interview. This is general information, not legal advice.
