During interviews, listen for how candidates describe their successes. Top performers who lead through collaboration naturally talk in terms of 'we' and credit their team. Those who constantly say 'I' often lack the collaborative skills needed for modern enterprise sales.
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When interviewing for a leadership role, you must articulate your "leadership tree"—the specific people you developed who succeeded and, in turn, developed others. This lineage of talent, along with who was loyal enough to follow you to new roles, is the most concrete evidence of your leadership impact, far more than personal accolades.
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.
Elite salespeople understand that closing deals requires a team. They actively cultivate advocates within their own company—in operations, support, and finance—by treating them well and recognizing their contributions. This internal support system is critical for smooth deal execution and ensures they can deliver on client promises.
Instead of asking standard discovery questions, top performers pose strategic questions that require joint exploration. This shifts the dynamic from a sales pitch to a collaborative problem-solving session, creating a deeper partnership and revealing unforeseen opportunities that standard questions would miss.
In a collaborative sales environment, a candidate's ability to be a good teammate is more valuable than their contact list. A difficult personality with a great rolodex can harm team productivity, whereas a collaborative person can be supported in building their own network.
Salespeople often focus on being 'coachable' (receptive to feedback). A more powerful trait is humility—the proactive asking for help and recognition that success is a team effort. Humility unlocks collaboration and support, getting you further, faster than simply being open to advice.
Top performers succeed not by pushing their own agenda, but by being intensely curious. They listen deeply to unpack a client's true problems, allowing the client's needs, rather than a sales script, to guide the conversation and build trust.
A sales leader's success is determined less by personal sales ability and more by their capacity to attract a core team of proven performers who trust them. Failing to ask a leadership candidate 'who are you going to bring?' is a major oversight that leads to slow ramps, high recruiting costs, and organizational inefficiency.
Ineffective interviews try to catch candidates failing. A better approach models a collaborative rally: see how they handle challenging questions and if they can return the ball effectively. The goal is to simulate real-world problem-solving, not just grill them under pressure.
To gauge a partner manager candidate's empathy, ask for an example of a proud accomplishment. Candidates who frame success in terms of helping their partner achieve a goal, rather than just hitting their own targets, demonstrate the genuine care required for true partnership. This reveals their core motivations more effectively than direct questions.
