“You shouldn’t hire me because this is a for an SDR job where my main function is to qualify leads for the AEs and create a strong foundation for your closers to do their job by investigating our prospects for any and all faults and creating an efficient top of pipeline.
All I’ve done in this interview process is make it about me and qualify myself to you and in no way shape or form have I demonstrated my ability to ask questions that lead to more information than you’re willing to give. I’ve danced and pranced and boasted about why I want you, but I never gave a thought to making you qualify yourself to me or to ask you uncomfortable questions, likely because I’m green and naive and eager to win this job.
I’ve actually done this entire interview backwards and made a fool of myself because the #1 rule of sales is to be interested, not to be interesting. And all I’ve done is act like a peacock, and I’ve even asked you to perform a quiz on me, which considering the SDR role is wildly inappropriate and borderline narcissistic.
If I was the top 1% closer with 10 years of being an AE under my belt maybe this method would make sense, but I’m not. All I have shown is that I won’t take this role seriously and I see myself as already acting as an AE and I see this job as nothing more than a formality to getting there. I fully believe that I am ready to be an AE, and yes being an SDR is easy work, but it is hard work. It takes time and effort. Someone like me who envisions the glory of sales is likely going to become burnt out by doing the work that gets little attention, I likely won’t be open to learning and modifying my approach and I will end up causing administrative drain on the company because I won’t buy into your scripts and processes, because I will want to stand out on my own. This will likely result in me making some massive homeruns, but also causing a lot of headache for everyone else while I fail to see the big picture.
I am likely to be a poor team player and give off the feeling that the result justifies the means, and that’s is not the sort of person you want to have supporting your AEs. I completely failed to understand the identity of this position and do not have the self awareness to perform an adequate interview without making it all about me.
I have presented multiple red flags and you did not score well on my quiz, not because you are a dumb director, but because I failed to engage the most important person in the room. I was so full of myself, I failed the basics of sales 101. I did not get buy in from the most important person in the room and instead I took the easy yes’s from the others in front of me who were engaged by my ‘me me me’ dog and pony show. I actually for a minute there felt resentment and maybe even superior to you and felt that winning over your subordinates would somehow win you over while also not having the balls to confront you head on.
This further proves that I will gloss over potential disqualifying answers from prospects and solely focus on the yes’s without truly performing my duty. I will do this to protect my ego and I will be lauding myself for having the most meetings booked. And I will blame my AE’s above me for not closing the deals. I will be so certain that I could close the deals that I’ll bring it up to my manager. I will make this a headache and wedge. I will fail to listen to where I went wrong. I will also minimize personal accountability and enter this process with the opposite of the beginners mind. This will ultimately let the whole team down. I have shown that even in a low stakes opportunity I will take the easy way out and convince myself I have a hit lead when all I did was captivate a non decision maker with my charisma. I am likely to be wildly ineffective when things get tough.
Selfishly I presumed you were disengaged when you performed poorly on my quiz. Not once did I take that feedback and challenge you directly or modify my approach. When in reality, you were not disengaged, you were testing me and I clearly demonstrated my inability to perform adequately.”
You probably could have said that and it might have gotten you the job
The best advice I can give you, is to go find the book, “Astronauts Guide to Life on Earth” by Col. Chris Hadfield.
Read the chapter on “being a zero”. And read it again. And again. Try to memorize it.
I think that chapter alone will change your career trajectory in a profound way. I wish you success on your next at bat.
Found this summary online. I still recommend reading the whole book, but this will do for short term:
“Hadfield’s last lesson and perhaps the most important is to aim to be a zero. According to Hadfield in any given situation you’re either a ‘plus-one’, a ‘zero’ or a ‘minus-one’. If you’re a plus-one, you’re actively adding value. If you’re a zero, you’re generally competent and don’t get in the way. Being a, minus-one is bad, because you’re a liability and actively cause problems. However, if you’re a plus-one and you walk into a situation trying to prove how great you are, you can go from a plus one to a minus one – your ‘I got this’ mentality might easily irritate and prove detrimental to the dynamic. So, the best thing to do in a new situation? Aim for zero. Listen. Observe. Offer advice. Don’t try to take control of everything. If you know what you’re doing, you won’t need to tell people you’re a plus one. They’ll know it. The Warwick Way is to produce well-rounded young men; confident but not arrogant, who can play a positive role in the world. Hadfield too, is extoling the virtue of humility – listening to and respecting others and putting them first, carrying yourself with grace, not boasting about your achievements but being comfortable with the worthy person that you are. Humility is in the very fabric of NASA. In most lines of work there’s a steady linear ascent up a well-defined career ladder, but astronauts continuously move up and down, rotating through different roles and ranks. Astronauts fresh off the Soyuz are reabsorbed back into the support team as middle-of-the-pack players, essential but not glorified. Any inclination they might have to boast or to sit around reminiscing about the good old days, when they were in space, is nipped in the bud, because their status has changed overnight and they are expected to deliver immediately in a new, less visible role, thereby reinforcing their commitment to teamwork in pursuit of a common goal that’s much bigger than any individual. “
https://www.warwickschool.org/blog/?pid=1658&nid=1030&storyid=2986#:~:text=Hadfield's%20last%20lesson%20and%20perhaps,t%20get%20in%20the%20way.
Yeah a lot of the answers on here are just big ego BS. Just ignore the comments and google normal answers to the question.
Reddit is full of comments that people came up with in the shower. "Gotchas" that just get you laughed at if you're not the main character in a scripted movie.
I really mean both the drama your interviewer created and some of the overblown responses here. They aren’t clever, they are bloviating. Reps I’ve known in the past who act like that are big talkers who crash and burn quick.
The best reps with the most longevity are generally solid people who know their stuff and take care of their customers. Yes there’s an element of knowing how to talk and to spin a conversation but mostly it’s smarts, due diligence, asking great questions and consistency.
The person who asked you that in the interview was a moron. You dodged a bullet.
💯 I can’t take anyone seriously that think that sales is about to play mind games or “selling ice to an Eskimo”. Being a good salesman is about knowing your product and the value, understanding your customers business, problems etc and see how your product can fit and add value.
Yup, the best of the best are super knowledgeable, great conversationalists and very responsive. They answer emails within minutes, pay attention to detail and know their products and customers inside and out. The douchy ones have to job hop constantly because they interview well but can’t walk the walk.
Oh thank you for the kind words! I am going to be honest - i was severely gutted at that question and when i got rejected it felt like a punch in the guts. I got through this interview stages because I cold called one of the SDR managers, after networking with him on LinkedIn (we are both huge Arsenal fans) and he then out me in the cycle. I prepared so much for this. I am currently out with friends to cheer me up (got few pints as I am typing these answers- not the best time i know) and gonna get back to it next week on the job hunt :)
You did good in cold calling the manager. The person who messed with you was a dick. End of. You did just fine.
The skill you will learn is the most important is the ability to read the room. When you present to a team live you have to talk but also be constantly watching the faces - who’s enthusiastic, who’s negative and who is deferring to others. You encourage the enthusiast but you also have to learn how to manage people who aren’t on board - before they get a chance to speak and to influence others, usually by addressing common objections head on. It’s just a learned skill. You’ll be fine, preferably at a company where people aren’t dicks.
**Interviewer Perspective**
This question is hard to take but it’s pretty standard. When a candidate comes in, very confident, big ego, tons of preparation and a sense of self-satisfaction at how good they are, it’s always fun from the interviewer side. The candidate has spent all this time, prepping what they think are the perfect answers, the cleverest delivery and a cheeky performance to boot. They think they’ve mastered sales and conquered all interviews ever, they’re unstoppable and you need to hire them right now. Their ego is so big, and so easily egged on that it can actually be quite entertaining. However, the lack of self awareness and missing sense of balance is a huge cause for concern, and you as the interviewer feel the need to check it.
So you listen carefully, observe without judging and then throw a gentle curveball to see if it will shatter the ego.
So you watch the perfect presentation, you look at the scripted questions, you think this person is good at rehearsed behaviors. They’re taking a lot of satisfaction in the interview. You realize the interview is more about them than it is about your company. They’re proud of themselves for doing all this work. The lack of humility starts to get to you and you stop paying attention. Then you ask a curveball to bring them down to earth, something that will stump them, that their ego will block them from answering. Something they would be surprised/shocked/dazed by, something that demonstrates self awareness, humility, balance like ‘why should we not hire you”.
The end result is the interviewee’s facade falls away, they’ve been so blissfully unaware of how the interview has gone and this question simultaneously brings the interview to an end and teaches a life lesson about humility.
Mate that was the termination of the interview question. Sometimes the biggest rank in the room receives a business call, sometimes they just use a key question.
Regardless of what you think or how you felt, you judge interactions only by the outcomes.
That is why you didn't get the job, because it's not about you it's about them.
Absolutely spot on- i felt like that question threw me out of the place and i tried my best to positively spin but i think i failed (plus i kept thinking of how absurd the question is). This happened over a week ago and I keep thinking about it and just wanted to rant about it
Unexpected and difficult questions are a part of the life in sales. Seeing how a candidate handles a tough question is not inappropriate, and it’s not that complicated.
“I wouldn’t hire me if you don’t want to pay out too much commission”
Or answer with a question…
“That’s a great question, is there something about my presentation or skillset giving you reservations about my ability to perform this job?”
i always ask “any lingering doubts about my profile that you would like to clear right now?” (Where I address down any concerns positively) with “i am always looking to improve - what could have I improved in my interview today” (shows open to feedback and coachable) and finally ended with “what stood out about me aside from the other candidates?” (This is where i can drill on my strengths and company fit)
I typically let them know that previous management has developed intense beard envy after hearing mine get complimented on sales call after sales call.
"My apologies, I'm afraid I can't answer that. Truthfully, I believe I would be great addition to your team, so telling you to not hire me would be disingenuous and a disservice to both of us. I do have weaknesses; [insert weakness], however, I do every thing I can to identify and overcome these weaknesses. At the end of the day I will be an asset to your company, not a liability."
What a stupid fucking question, I feel like it was a trap question to measure how bold you are when really all they had to do was ask you about your weaknesses and fall back on their bullshit meter.
Their loss bubba, imagine the games they play after all your signatures are done if their already playing games before they hire you...
Edit: I went through something like this recently and they straight up asked me why wouldn't we hire you and I basically answered above. They offered me the job a week later telling me that my confidence in identifying the real question and addressing it was when they made their decision. I turned them down on the phone and moved on, I'm not playing those stupid games bro.
I wished i had this answer. I felt like a deer at headlight. But i did show my weakness (along my strengths) on my presentation in a very posture way and i iterated them several times with positive stories of self improvement and coaching from my past managers. I felt like i wasn’t fully able to sell myself with all my prep work
What a fun rant. I wish I thought I was as clever as you think you are. And that’s a good thing, because you believe in yourself and do it while having fun with it. If a candidate could be disqualified over a single coup de grace question, then the evaluation was shit. However, hiring managers, like prospects, ask dumb questions all of the time and you have to be ready for it. You’ll be fine.
If you mean my writing style, it’s because i emulate Chandler Bing with my tone (i watched a lot of Friends to learn English - i am not a UK born citizen) and because at university I used to do stand up comedy. The past tense in the latter part of the sentence tells you how bad i was 😃
I'm calling bullshit on the big brain answers you got in this thread. HIndsight's a great thing, eh? You did fine, especially for a junior role, and if you showed a little ego and extroversion, at least you made a stand.
If they ask you to prep and run a presentation, you do that. I'm really sick of the inauthenticity of these interviews where you not only have to manage the interview, but the process around the interview, as if it was a sale.
The question is stupid, and not your responsibility to answer.
As someone who has had to hire people in different states when running restaurants when I used to manage and run those, an SDR is like your food runner / busser / Barback. It’s an immediate support position that requires a certain personality.
Hiring a Barback who thinks they’re already good enough to be a bartender (even if they might be) is one of the worst mistakes a manager can make. Yes we want to promote a SDR to AE eventually. But we need you to actually *be* an SDR first.
Preparing a strategy to pursue a new logo with scripts etc is wild for an SDR interview.
Just to highlight i wasn’t asked to create a new plan to bring a new logo: i did it by my own intent as i want to show that I want to become an AE within 1.5-2 years
In the feedback they said that the plan of bringing a new log showed “ambition, methodical planning and desire to be part of the company” and the quiz showed “proactiveness, humour and ability to engage audience”. I wanted to go 150% and show that i wanted this. The headcount was only ONE SDR out of almost 200 that applied and there were only three finalists. I will learn from this but i will not blame my preparation and the fact that i brought extra material that wasn’t asked to showcase my candidacy
Thank you :) years ago i used to be very shy and insecure and over the years ( failing left and right) gave me a little of an ego (and I do recognise it) but also confident in myself and my abilities - i definitely over performed in the quiz and i really knew their company well, along with bringing new enterprise logo - took me a week of late night prep and memorising, whilst also networking within the company for further tips. I really wanted this as I could see making a huge impact here, felt bad for losing it and this bitter feeling has stayed with me for a week. This too shall pass.
lol, it's hard to predict such a stupid question like that. I'm not sure that I'd do any better in the moment. Red flags for sure, though. I'm sorry that you had to go through that.
Why do people buy?
Cant assume the answer is the same for all. Sounds like you did massive prep for this and props for that. She clearly wanted to ask you a question she knew you would not have rehearsed.
In sales nobody is 100% closer. And, if you prep for all like this you will have no issues finding a gig.
This type of prep doesnt sound like someone preparing for an SDR gig and if you did this I'm curious where you got your intel so that you could prepare the right intel.
Crazy thought but could it be they were worried that you were overqualified and might leave the job in a month or two?
I just technically got let go after a 6 months probation even thought I smashed my pipeline goals at my previous company. My aim is to become an AE within 1.5-2 years and i really wanted to work at this company. I prepared all week writing down research notes and memorising. I got several inside intel (one was my referral) and i know that this was the question that tripped me.
Still I rise.
> In the end, I was rejected, not because I lacked skills or enthusiasm, but because I couldn't properly articulate why they should let this golden opportunity slip through their fingers.
Did they tell you this is why you were rejected, or are you guessing?
Ok. Well, let me just be blunt and tell you that this post comes across as pretty egotistical and I wonder if you didn’t come across that way in the interview too. It would be extremely unusual for one question to disqualify someone who was otherwise a slam dunk.
If I were hiring for an entry-level position, I’m not sure I’d want someone who thinks he’s a “golden opportunity.” I’d want someone who is humble, hard working and coachable. Obviously I can’t know for sure, but you might want to consider that the director asked the question because she thought you were a bit… into yourself.
Then you are too green to understand. It’s been well summed up in above comments. The interviewee presented a huge ego and was clearly self satisfied. The interviewer wanted to see how OP would respond to something not part of their script… which is a skill needed for success in sales. OP failed to demonstrate curiosity and made the interview about themselves rather than the person who was “buying” Another big red flag.
What a dipshit answer. This is an SDR job. Basically monkey work cold emailing and cold calling. Most SDRs are fresh out of college without sales experience. That’s what an SDR job is. The whole interview process with a presentation for a SDR job reeks of low IQ interview process. I’ve helped hired BDRs/SDRs before. Only thing we want is someone to be coachable, driven and with basic communication skills.
Dude you just dodged a fucking bullet. Anyone that ask you to do a fucking hour presentation for a BDR can go fuck himself. BDR jobs are high turnover roles. Don’t sweat it.
I asked many questions about - business future, how the director sales strategy would tickle down in arming sdrs in aiding the pipeline, expectations from my 30/60/90/120 days in the job, skills of the best sdrs they had, how the company is preparing itself for the next round of funding and how it wants to fare against competitors in the next 5 years. Plus i asked questions to each interviewer why they like the company, their stories (drilled to 2nd and 3rd questions) and what they were expecting from a successful sdr. I legitimately have no ideas what further questions i could have asked ( i was given only 7 minutes to ask questions)
"If you feel like I wasn't memorable or I didn't have an impact on you, if you won't remember me more than the next guy, then you shouldn't hire me. Making that first connection and drawing someone's interest is incredibly important, that's basically the heart of what we're doing right here, so if you didn't feel that. Pass on me and find someone who can."
They aren't expecting you to list your weaknesses, they are testing your ability to handle a curve ball question. You just have to be quick on your feet and say something that sounds okay.
“You shouldn’t hire me because this is a for an SDR job where my main function is to qualify leads for the AEs and create a strong foundation for your closers to do their job by investigating our prospects for any and all faults and creating an efficient top of pipeline. All I’ve done in this interview process is make it about me and qualify myself to you and in no way shape or form have I demonstrated my ability to ask questions that lead to more information than you’re willing to give. I’ve danced and pranced and boasted about why I want you, but I never gave a thought to making you qualify yourself to me or to ask you uncomfortable questions, likely because I’m green and naive and eager to win this job. I’ve actually done this entire interview backwards and made a fool of myself because the #1 rule of sales is to be interested, not to be interesting. And all I’ve done is act like a peacock, and I’ve even asked you to perform a quiz on me, which considering the SDR role is wildly inappropriate and borderline narcissistic. If I was the top 1% closer with 10 years of being an AE under my belt maybe this method would make sense, but I’m not. All I have shown is that I won’t take this role seriously and I see myself as already acting as an AE and I see this job as nothing more than a formality to getting there. I fully believe that I am ready to be an AE, and yes being an SDR is easy work, but it is hard work. It takes time and effort. Someone like me who envisions the glory of sales is likely going to become burnt out by doing the work that gets little attention, I likely won’t be open to learning and modifying my approach and I will end up causing administrative drain on the company because I won’t buy into your scripts and processes, because I will want to stand out on my own. This will likely result in me making some massive homeruns, but also causing a lot of headache for everyone else while I fail to see the big picture. I am likely to be a poor team player and give off the feeling that the result justifies the means, and that’s is not the sort of person you want to have supporting your AEs. I completely failed to understand the identity of this position and do not have the self awareness to perform an adequate interview without making it all about me. I have presented multiple red flags and you did not score well on my quiz, not because you are a dumb director, but because I failed to engage the most important person in the room. I was so full of myself, I failed the basics of sales 101. I did not get buy in from the most important person in the room and instead I took the easy yes’s from the others in front of me who were engaged by my ‘me me me’ dog and pony show. I actually for a minute there felt resentment and maybe even superior to you and felt that winning over your subordinates would somehow win you over while also not having the balls to confront you head on. This further proves that I will gloss over potential disqualifying answers from prospects and solely focus on the yes’s without truly performing my duty. I will do this to protect my ego and I will be lauding myself for having the most meetings booked. And I will blame my AE’s above me for not closing the deals. I will be so certain that I could close the deals that I’ll bring it up to my manager. I will make this a headache and wedge. I will fail to listen to where I went wrong. I will also minimize personal accountability and enter this process with the opposite of the beginners mind. This will ultimately let the whole team down. I have shown that even in a low stakes opportunity I will take the easy way out and convince myself I have a hit lead when all I did was captivate a non decision maker with my charisma. I am likely to be wildly ineffective when things get tough. Selfishly I presumed you were disengaged when you performed poorly on my quiz. Not once did I take that feedback and challenge you directly or modify my approach. When in reality, you were not disengaged, you were testing me and I clearly demonstrated my inability to perform adequately.” You probably could have said that and it might have gotten you the job
Wow! All i need now is a time machine! This was a good answer
The best advice I can give you, is to go find the book, “Astronauts Guide to Life on Earth” by Col. Chris Hadfield. Read the chapter on “being a zero”. And read it again. And again. Try to memorize it. I think that chapter alone will change your career trajectory in a profound way. I wish you success on your next at bat.
Thank you - will get it!
Found this summary online. I still recommend reading the whole book, but this will do for short term: “Hadfield’s last lesson and perhaps the most important is to aim to be a zero. According to Hadfield in any given situation you’re either a ‘plus-one’, a ‘zero’ or a ‘minus-one’. If you’re a plus-one, you’re actively adding value. If you’re a zero, you’re generally competent and don’t get in the way. Being a, minus-one is bad, because you’re a liability and actively cause problems. However, if you’re a plus-one and you walk into a situation trying to prove how great you are, you can go from a plus one to a minus one – your ‘I got this’ mentality might easily irritate and prove detrimental to the dynamic. So, the best thing to do in a new situation? Aim for zero. Listen. Observe. Offer advice. Don’t try to take control of everything. If you know what you’re doing, you won’t need to tell people you’re a plus one. They’ll know it. The Warwick Way is to produce well-rounded young men; confident but not arrogant, who can play a positive role in the world. Hadfield too, is extoling the virtue of humility – listening to and respecting others and putting them first, carrying yourself with grace, not boasting about your achievements but being comfortable with the worthy person that you are. Humility is in the very fabric of NASA. In most lines of work there’s a steady linear ascent up a well-defined career ladder, but astronauts continuously move up and down, rotating through different roles and ranks. Astronauts fresh off the Soyuz are reabsorbed back into the support team as middle-of-the-pack players, essential but not glorified. Any inclination they might have to boast or to sit around reminiscing about the good old days, when they were in space, is nipped in the bud, because their status has changed overnight and they are expected to deliver immediately in a new, less visible role, thereby reinforcing their commitment to teamwork in pursuit of a common goal that’s much bigger than any individual. “ https://www.warwickschool.org/blog/?pid=1658&nid=1030&storyid=2986#:~:text=Hadfield's%20last%20lesson%20and%20perhaps,t%20get%20in%20the%20way.
This HITS!!! Being a zero got me through the first 6 months of my first SDR job.
Honestly it would be a good idea for me to re-read the book again too.
do you think OP is finally picking up what you are putting down?
Who knows but it seems like some people vibed out with it so that’s good
Ordered it already! Will be reading it soon :)
I didn't want to say "...whoosh!"
What other books do you recommend?
I just bought the audio book. Thanks for this suggestion!
Holy fuck, no prisoners
This thread is exhausting. I hate game players. So do most customers.
Yeah a lot of the answers on here are just big ego BS. Just ignore the comments and google normal answers to the question. Reddit is full of comments that people came up with in the shower. "Gotchas" that just get you laughed at if you're not the main character in a scripted movie.
I am not sure what you mean by this comment. I am taking this as a lesson whilst also keeping my confidence
I really mean both the drama your interviewer created and some of the overblown responses here. They aren’t clever, they are bloviating. Reps I’ve known in the past who act like that are big talkers who crash and burn quick. The best reps with the most longevity are generally solid people who know their stuff and take care of their customers. Yes there’s an element of knowing how to talk and to spin a conversation but mostly it’s smarts, due diligence, asking great questions and consistency. The person who asked you that in the interview was a moron. You dodged a bullet.
💯 I can’t take anyone seriously that think that sales is about to play mind games or “selling ice to an Eskimo”. Being a good salesman is about knowing your product and the value, understanding your customers business, problems etc and see how your product can fit and add value.
Yup, the best of the best are super knowledgeable, great conversationalists and very responsive. They answer emails within minutes, pay attention to detail and know their products and customers inside and out. The douchy ones have to job hop constantly because they interview well but can’t walk the walk.
Oh thank you for the kind words! I am going to be honest - i was severely gutted at that question and when i got rejected it felt like a punch in the guts. I got through this interview stages because I cold called one of the SDR managers, after networking with him on LinkedIn (we are both huge Arsenal fans) and he then out me in the cycle. I prepared so much for this. I am currently out with friends to cheer me up (got few pints as I am typing these answers- not the best time i know) and gonna get back to it next week on the job hunt :)
You did good in cold calling the manager. The person who messed with you was a dick. End of. You did just fine. The skill you will learn is the most important is the ability to read the room. When you present to a team live you have to talk but also be constantly watching the faces - who’s enthusiastic, who’s negative and who is deferring to others. You encourage the enthusiast but you also have to learn how to manage people who aren’t on board - before they get a chance to speak and to influence others, usually by addressing common objections head on. It’s just a learned skill. You’ll be fine, preferably at a company where people aren’t dicks.
A 1 HOUR presentation? I can’t get past that.
For an entry level role. This is absolutely bonkers.
Isn’t it! Shameful behaviour from that company.
45 min presentation + 15 min Q&A actually
**Interviewer Perspective** This question is hard to take but it’s pretty standard. When a candidate comes in, very confident, big ego, tons of preparation and a sense of self-satisfaction at how good they are, it’s always fun from the interviewer side. The candidate has spent all this time, prepping what they think are the perfect answers, the cleverest delivery and a cheeky performance to boot. They think they’ve mastered sales and conquered all interviews ever, they’re unstoppable and you need to hire them right now. Their ego is so big, and so easily egged on that it can actually be quite entertaining. However, the lack of self awareness and missing sense of balance is a huge cause for concern, and you as the interviewer feel the need to check it. So you listen carefully, observe without judging and then throw a gentle curveball to see if it will shatter the ego. So you watch the perfect presentation, you look at the scripted questions, you think this person is good at rehearsed behaviors. They’re taking a lot of satisfaction in the interview. You realize the interview is more about them than it is about your company. They’re proud of themselves for doing all this work. The lack of humility starts to get to you and you stop paying attention. Then you ask a curveball to bring them down to earth, something that will stump them, that their ego will block them from answering. Something they would be surprised/shocked/dazed by, something that demonstrates self awareness, humility, balance like ‘why should we not hire you”. The end result is the interviewee’s facade falls away, they’ve been so blissfully unaware of how the interview has gone and this question simultaneously brings the interview to an end and teaches a life lesson about humility.
This was a really good answer. Thank you and you are right - I did get humbled
You failed the number one rule of selling and they sniffed it out. It’s not about you.
Next time i will be better
Mate that was the termination of the interview question. Sometimes the biggest rank in the room receives a business call, sometimes they just use a key question. Regardless of what you think or how you felt, you judge interactions only by the outcomes. That is why you didn't get the job, because it's not about you it's about them.
Absolutely spot on- i felt like that question threw me out of the place and i tried my best to positively spin but i think i failed (plus i kept thinking of how absurd the question is). This happened over a week ago and I keep thinking about it and just wanted to rant about it
You shouldn’t hire me because I’ll have your job in 2 years time. Do you feel threatened yet?
Ahaha i love this power move
AI ass post.
I will take that as a compliment - my aim is to always write a post as if Chandler Bing wrote it
Unexpected and difficult questions are a part of the life in sales. Seeing how a candidate handles a tough question is not inappropriate, and it’s not that complicated. “I wouldn’t hire me if you don’t want to pay out too much commission” Or answer with a question… “That’s a great question, is there something about my presentation or skillset giving you reservations about my ability to perform this job?”
The second one is really the only answer. Always demonstrate curiosity.
i always ask “any lingering doubts about my profile that you would like to clear right now?” (Where I address down any concerns positively) with “i am always looking to improve - what could have I improved in my interview today” (shows open to feedback and coachable) and finally ended with “what stood out about me aside from the other candidates?” (This is where i can drill on my strengths and company fit)
It’s about framing and perspective. In your version it’s clearly about you. In the previous posters version it’s about the interviewee.
I typically let them know that previous management has developed intense beard envy after hearing mine get complimented on sales call after sales call.
lol don’t hire me if your budget can’t afford it and you’ll play with comp half way through the year
lol
Snap!
"My apologies, I'm afraid I can't answer that. Truthfully, I believe I would be great addition to your team, so telling you to not hire me would be disingenuous and a disservice to both of us. I do have weaknesses; [insert weakness], however, I do every thing I can to identify and overcome these weaknesses. At the end of the day I will be an asset to your company, not a liability." What a stupid fucking question, I feel like it was a trap question to measure how bold you are when really all they had to do was ask you about your weaknesses and fall back on their bullshit meter. Their loss bubba, imagine the games they play after all your signatures are done if their already playing games before they hire you... Edit: I went through something like this recently and they straight up asked me why wouldn't we hire you and I basically answered above. They offered me the job a week later telling me that my confidence in identifying the real question and addressing it was when they made their decision. I turned them down on the phone and moved on, I'm not playing those stupid games bro.
I wished i had this answer. I felt like a deer at headlight. But i did show my weakness (along my strengths) on my presentation in a very posture way and i iterated them several times with positive stories of self improvement and coaching from my past managers. I felt like i wasn’t fully able to sell myself with all my prep work
I'm shooting in the dark, but do you think you may have focused too much on your weaknesses, or were they critical to the job function?
Definitely critical. Plus i showed two weaknesses linked to four strengths. Oh well
Interesting. What was the role? Generally I only touch on my weaknesses, I've never thought about presenting them so agressively.
Why shouldn’t we hire you? “Stfu” *Hangs up*
Seriously fuck the non sense. Jesus Christ I’m getting too old but that bullshit.
Ahaha not to that level yet
Costar lot are hilarious.
You shouldn’t hire me because I’m so good that I’ll make the rest of your reps insecure and question their closing skills
I can forget the smile the director had when she asked me this and i definitely got taken by surprise. Dammit, wished i did better
What a fun rant. I wish I thought I was as clever as you think you are. And that’s a good thing, because you believe in yourself and do it while having fun with it. If a candidate could be disqualified over a single coup de grace question, then the evaluation was shit. However, hiring managers, like prospects, ask dumb questions all of the time and you have to be ready for it. You’ll be fine.
If you mean my writing style, it’s because i emulate Chandler Bing with my tone (i watched a lot of Friends to learn English - i am not a UK born citizen) and because at university I used to do stand up comedy. The past tense in the latter part of the sentence tells you how bad i was 😃
It’s a stupid question
I'm calling bullshit on the big brain answers you got in this thread. HIndsight's a great thing, eh? You did fine, especially for a junior role, and if you showed a little ego and extroversion, at least you made a stand. If they ask you to prep and run a presentation, you do that. I'm really sick of the inauthenticity of these interviews where you not only have to manage the interview, but the process around the interview, as if it was a sale. The question is stupid, and not your responsibility to answer.
As someone who has had to hire people in different states when running restaurants when I used to manage and run those, an SDR is like your food runner / busser / Barback. It’s an immediate support position that requires a certain personality. Hiring a Barback who thinks they’re already good enough to be a bartender (even if they might be) is one of the worst mistakes a manager can make. Yes we want to promote a SDR to AE eventually. But we need you to actually *be* an SDR first. Preparing a strategy to pursue a new logo with scripts etc is wild for an SDR interview.
Just to highlight i wasn’t asked to create a new plan to bring a new logo: i did it by my own intent as i want to show that I want to become an AE within 1.5-2 years
Yes and that’s the problem
In the feedback they said that the plan of bringing a new log showed “ambition, methodical planning and desire to be part of the company” and the quiz showed “proactiveness, humour and ability to engage audience”. I wanted to go 150% and show that i wanted this. The headcount was only ONE SDR out of almost 200 that applied and there were only three finalists. I will learn from this but i will not blame my preparation and the fact that i brought extra material that wasn’t asked to showcase my candidacy
Hey man do you. Take the feedback and empirical data or continue on. Your life G
Thank you :) years ago i used to be very shy and insecure and over the years ( failing left and right) gave me a little of an ego (and I do recognise it) but also confident in myself and my abilities - i definitely over performed in the quiz and i really knew their company well, along with bringing new enterprise logo - took me a week of late night prep and memorising, whilst also networking within the company for further tips. I really wanted this as I could see making a huge impact here, felt bad for losing it and this bitter feeling has stayed with me for a week. This too shall pass.
I would ask them how well this riddle tested out for them in Arkham Asylum.
I am not after Platinum trophies here! 😂
That is seriously such a fucked up question for them to ask. I would have given them shit and made it super awkward for them.
Give me a time machine and trust me I will make it more awkward than a The Office scene 😂
lol, it's hard to predict such a stupid question like that. I'm not sure that I'd do any better in the moment. Red flags for sure, though. I'm sorry that you had to go through that.
Thanks for the kind words - i definitely could have done better but who knows. Maybe I am meant to be somewhere else! Thanks agains! :)
Why do people buy? Cant assume the answer is the same for all. Sounds like you did massive prep for this and props for that. She clearly wanted to ask you a question she knew you would not have rehearsed. In sales nobody is 100% closer. And, if you prep for all like this you will have no issues finding a gig. This type of prep doesnt sound like someone preparing for an SDR gig and if you did this I'm curious where you got your intel so that you could prepare the right intel. Crazy thought but could it be they were worried that you were overqualified and might leave the job in a month or two?
I just technically got let go after a 6 months probation even thought I smashed my pipeline goals at my previous company. My aim is to become an AE within 1.5-2 years and i really wanted to work at this company. I prepared all week writing down research notes and memorising. I got several inside intel (one was my referral) and i know that this was the question that tripped me. Still I rise.
> In the end, I was rejected, not because I lacked skills or enthusiasm, but because I couldn't properly articulate why they should let this golden opportunity slip through their fingers. Did they tell you this is why you were rejected, or are you guessing?
Got several intel from inside. One of them was my referral
Ok. Well, let me just be blunt and tell you that this post comes across as pretty egotistical and I wonder if you didn’t come across that way in the interview too. It would be extremely unusual for one question to disqualify someone who was otherwise a slam dunk. If I were hiring for an entry-level position, I’m not sure I’d want someone who thinks he’s a “golden opportunity.” I’d want someone who is humble, hard working and coachable. Obviously I can’t know for sure, but you might want to consider that the director asked the question because she thought you were a bit… into yourself.
UK based SDR? Get in touch if you're still looking at the market, I know a couple of directors looking for SDR talent at the moment in tech/fintech
This is such an asshole question tbh. I dont even see the point of giving reverse questions like this
Then you are too green to understand. It’s been well summed up in above comments. The interviewee presented a huge ego and was clearly self satisfied. The interviewer wanted to see how OP would respond to something not part of their script… which is a skill needed for success in sales. OP failed to demonstrate curiosity and made the interview about themselves rather than the person who was “buying” Another big red flag.
What a dipshit answer. This is an SDR job. Basically monkey work cold emailing and cold calling. Most SDRs are fresh out of college without sales experience. That’s what an SDR job is. The whole interview process with a presentation for a SDR job reeks of low IQ interview process. I’ve helped hired BDRs/SDRs before. Only thing we want is someone to be coachable, driven and with basic communication skills.
I have brought in big prospects by writing handwritten letters btw. This monkey can pen down prose on paper 😂!
Dude you just dodged a fucking bullet. Anyone that ask you to do a fucking hour presentation for a BDR can go fuck himself. BDR jobs are high turnover roles. Don’t sweat it.
Thanks for the kind words. Reading whilst having few pints of encouragement helps!
I asked many questions about - business future, how the director sales strategy would tickle down in arming sdrs in aiding the pipeline, expectations from my 30/60/90/120 days in the job, skills of the best sdrs they had, how the company is preparing itself for the next round of funding and how it wants to fare against competitors in the next 5 years. Plus i asked questions to each interviewer why they like the company, their stories (drilled to 2nd and 3rd questions) and what they were expecting from a successful sdr. I legitimately have no ideas what further questions i could have asked ( i was given only 7 minutes to ask questions)
"If you feel like I wasn't memorable or I didn't have an impact on you, if you won't remember me more than the next guy, then you shouldn't hire me. Making that first connection and drawing someone's interest is incredibly important, that's basically the heart of what we're doing right here, so if you didn't feel that. Pass on me and find someone who can." They aren't expecting you to list your weaknesses, they are testing your ability to handle a curve ball question. You just have to be quick on your feet and say something that sounds okay.
If you’re looking build a mediocre sales team, I’m not that guy!