How SDR Interviews Work
Most SDR interviews involve three stages: a recruiter screen, a hiring manager interview, and a mock cold call or email exercise. Each stage filters for different things. This guide covers all of them.
Behavioral Questions
1. Tell me about yourself.
Keep it to 90 seconds. Cover where you have been, what you learned, and why you want this specific SDR role. End on the future, not the past.
2. Why do you want to be an SDR?
Bad answer: "I want to get into sales." Good answer: "I want to develop the outbound skills and pipeline discipline that make great AEs. SDR is where that foundation is built."
3. How do you handle rejection?
Do not say you do not take it personally. Give a real example of rejection and what you did next. Hiring managers want to see resilience, not denial.
4. Tell me about a time you hit a goal under pressure.
Use the STAR format: Situation, Task, Action, Result. Quantify the result whenever possible.
5. What motivates you?
Tie your answer to outcomes and competition. SDR managers want driven people, not people who are motivated by "helping others" in a vague way.
Role-Specific Questions
6. What do you know about our product?
Research before the interview. Identify three things the product does and one customer problem it solves.
7. Who is our ideal customer?
If it is not obvious from their website, make an educated guess and show your reasoning.
8. How would you prioritize your outreach?
Mention ICP fit, buying signals, account size, and trigger events (funding rounds, leadership changes).
9. What does your research process look like before a cold call?
Cover LinkedIn, company website, recent news, and mutual connections. Aim for 3–5 minutes of research per prospect.
10. How many calls and emails would you send per day?
Know industry benchmarks: 50–80 dials per day is typical for high-volume SDRs, 20–30 for more targeted enterprise roles.
Skills-Based Questions
11–15. Mock cold call or email exercise.
Expect to be asked to deliver a 30-second cold call opening live. Practice this script: opener, reason for call, quick value prop, tie-down question.
16. How would you respond to "Send me some information"?
Do not just say "Sure, what's your email?" Ask: "Of course. What's most relevant to you right now—[specific pain A] or [specific pain B]?" Then send targeted info.
17. What CRM tools have you used?
If none, mention your HubSpot certification and willingness to learn any system quickly.
Questions to Ask the Interviewer
Always have three questions ready:
- "What does success look like in the first 90 days?"
- "What separates your top-performing SDRs from average ones?"
- "How does the team handle coaching and development?"
Asking great questions is part of the interview. It demonstrates curiosity and sales instinct.
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