Sales
“Business development executive” means different jobs at different companies: selling in person out in the field, signing up partners, finding new leads, or all three. A first interview should show how this person finds new business on their own, builds relationships that last beyond the first order, and plans their days in the field. Decide which version of the job you’re hiring for before you write the questions.
BDEs meet clients face to face, often in Hindi, and follow-up questions show whether their stories about past deals hold up.
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
Gives a concrete plan: mapping likely clients area by area, cold visits, asking existing contacts for referrals and tracking who to go back to.
Weak answer
Waits for the company to hand over leads, or says “I’ll use my contacts” without naming any.
Strong answer
Explains how they got the first meeting, what the other side needed, how many visits it took and what the relationship produced.
Weak answer
Describes one meeting that went well, with no follow-up.
Strong answer
Asks what they like and dislike about the current supplier, finds one gap they can fill and suggests a small trial rather than a full switch.
Weak answer
Criticizes the competitor, or thanks them and leaves.
Strong answer
Groups meetings by area, confirms appointments the day before, keeps time for cold visits and logs outcomes the same day.
Weak answer
Goes wherever seems promising that morning and reports at the end of the week.
Strong answer
Explains the limit honestly, looks for something else they can offer within the rules, and takes a genuine case to their manager with the numbers.
Weak answer
Agrees to close the deal and worries about approval later.
Strong answer
Names specific turning points, such as reaching the real decision-maker or solving a delivery concern, rather than persistence alone.
Weak answer
“I kept following up”, with no idea what changed the client’s mind.
Strong answer
Visits made, outcomes, next steps and anything useful from the market, like competitor pricing, because it helps plan the sales area.
Weak answer
Sees reporting as paperwork and only mentions closed deals.
Strong answer
Enjoys meeting people and building up a sales area, and has thought about who buys this product and why.
Weak answer
Took the title because it was open, and knows little about what the company sells.
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 business development executive candidate gets the same questions. You get a score for each skill, with the candidate’s own words that explain it.
It depends on the company. In India the title usually covers field sales, finding and signing partners or distributors, and finding leads for a senior team. Decide which of these matters most, then weight your scorecard to match.
Yes, if the job needs daily field travel. Ask it as a screening question at the start so candidates know what the role involves. It’s a requirement of the job, and screening answers are shown to you, not scored.
Start with 100 free credits, enough for about 20 interviews. No credit card or sales call needed.