Sales
An account executive meets possible buyers and turns those conversations into signed deals. A first interview should find out how they actually win: the questions they ask, how they keep a deal moving and how honest they are about what will close. Stories about real deals, with real detail, are the best evidence. Twenty-five minutes is enough to hear three or four of them.
Account executives present to buyers on video calls, and follow-up questions check whether a deal story holds up beyond the first answer.
What to look for
The questions
Ask them in order. Listen for real details: what happened, what the candidate did, and how it ended.
Strong answer
Names the buyer’s problem, the people involved, the timeline, where it nearly stalled and what they did about it.
Weak answer
Talks only about the outcome, or says it was all down to one supportive contact or a discount.
Strong answer
Sets an agenda, asks open questions about how things work today and what the problem costs, and follows up on what I say instead of moving to a demo.
Weak answer
Starts presenting within a minute, or reads a checklist of questions without listening to the answers.
Strong answer
Gives a reason they could have influenced, such as never reaching the person who made the decision or not showing clearly why it was worth the money, and what they do differently now.
Weak answer
Blames price, the product or the buyer, with nothing they’d change.
Strong answer
Asks where the budget number comes from, goes back to the value the buyer agreed on, and only gives something up in return for something, like a longer contract or signing sooner.
Weak answer
Offers a discount straight away, or refuses to talk about price at all.
Strong answer
Works out who decides, who has influence and who can block the deal, and describes building a case each of them can support.
Weak answer
Relies on one contact and hopes they convince everyone else.
Strong answer
Tries a new approach, such as another person at the company or a date tied to the buyer’s own goal, and takes the deal out of this month’s forecast until the buyer shows real interest again.
Weak answer
Keeps it in the forecast and hopes, or sends the same follow-up email again.
Strong answer
Describes a routine: checking every deal has a next step and a date, keeping the CRM (the system that tracks deals and contacts) up to date, and spending time on the deals most likely to close.
Weak answer
Works on whatever feels urgent that day, and updates the CRM when someone asks.
Strong answer
Is specific about how long their deals usually take, the type of buyer and what they enjoy, and connects it honestly to this role.
Weak answer
Says they can sell anything to anyone.
Before the interview
Short form questions the candidate answers before the interview. You read the answers next to the interview. They aren’t scored.
Listen for
Avoid
Use this in LessRounds
Paste the questions into a scripted interview, where the AI reads each question word for word. Add the skills from the scorecard, then share one link. Every account executive candidate gets the same questions. You get a score for each skill, with the candidate’s own words that explain it.
Ask for the story behind the number. Strong account executives can walk through specific deals, the people involved and what they did at each stage. Vague answers about always hitting their target tell you very little. Reference checks come later.
Yes. A few minutes of role-play, with you as the buyer, shows whether a candidate asks and listens or jumps straight to a pitch. It’s hard to fake and easy to compare across candidates.
Start with 100 free credits, enough for about 20 interviews. No credit card or sales call needed.