When interviewing salespeople, the biggest red flag is blame. Strong candidates demonstrate humility and self-reflection by taking ownership of lost deals and analyzing their own shortcomings. Weaker candidates deflect, blaming the product, competition, or other external factors, signaling a lack of coachability.

Senior commercial leaders are professional interviewers who excel at telling you what you want to hear. A hiring process based solely on conversation is flawed. To truly vet a candidate, you must incorporate exercises that force them to demonstrate their abilities and "show you the receipts" of their claims.

Most salespeople avoid potential objections. Elite performers do the opposite: they actively hunt for deal saboteurs. They ask prospects to identify potential roadblocks or internal dissent before the deal closes. This uncovers hidden risks, like a reluctant CFO, allowing them to be addressed upfront rather than becoming a future crisis.

Salespeople are professionally trained to be liked, a skill crucial for their role but often over-weighted in interviews. This rapport doesn't indicate discipline or process-orientation. Hiring managers must test for performance skills beyond mere likability to avoid this trap.

Instead of asking who the decision-makers are for the current deal, inquire about how they've made similar purchasing decisions in the past. This question, asked early when prospects are more relaxed, makes them more forthcoming about committees and internal processes, revealing the true path to a sale.

A pilot landing a plane without an engine must first calm down, then follow a checklist. In sales, having a documented process for high-stakes situations allows you to stay calm and confident when you would otherwise panic, ultimately leading to better outcomes.

When hiring a sales leader, founders often fall for the most enthusiastic candidate. Ben Horowitz advises picking the one who rigorously qualifies the opportunity—questioning the product and customers. This demonstrates the critical discovery skills they'll apply when selling.

Ask a candidate to rate their sales ability on a 1-10 scale. Then, ask what specific skill, if mastered, would move them up one point. This trick question forces them to reveal a genuine area for improvement, demonstrating self-awareness and coachability.

Closing isn't a singular event at the end of a sales process. Instead, it's the natural outcome of a successful discovery phase. By asking the right questions and building a relationship, top salespeople guide the prospect to their own conclusion, making the final commitment a simple, logical next step.