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Complete evaluation framework
What to assess and how to score it
Review the evidence signals before interviewing. Then use the anchored descriptions—not instinct alone—to choose the score that best matches each answer.
01
Evaluation factor
Track record
35% weight
Check dial volumes, connect rates and booked meetings per week, plus show rate percentage and how many appointments survived to a held discovery call.
Explains the market and buyer they sold to, not just the product
Distinguishes what they closed from what the team closed
Can describe a deal they lost and why
Five-point scoring guide
1
Poor
No numbers; cannot describe what they actually sold or to whom.
2
Needs Improvement
Vague attainment; credit for team results is unclear.
3
Satisfactory
Real record with some numbers; attribution occasionally fuzzy.
4
Very Good
Clear numbers and ownership, including honest losses.
5
Excellent
Quotes concrete numbers: 120 dials daily, 8 to 10 booked meetings weekly, 70 percent plus show rate, with quota history.
02
Evaluation factor
Method and qualification
25% weight
Probe their opening line, objection handling for gatekeepers and "send me an email", and qualification criteria such as BANT, budget authority or headcount fit before booking.
Evidence to listen for
Has a repeatable approach to qualifying and progressing deals
Can walk a real deal from first contact to close
Handles objections with questions rather than scripts
Knows when to disqualify
Five-point scoring guide
1
Poor
No method; pitches at everyone and hopes.
2
Needs Improvement
Weak qualification; deals stall with no diagnosis.
3
Satisfactory
Workable method; inconsistent on complex or long cycles.
4
Very Good
Clear repeatable method; disqualifies early and deliberately.
5
Excellent
Recites a live opener and rebuttal verbatim, disqualifies poor fits deliberately, and protects account executive calendar time.
03
Evaluation factor
Relationships and trust
25% weight
Assess how they hand off to account executives: notes logged in HubSpot or Salesforce, confirmation and reminder cadences, and rapport built with repeat gatekeepers.
Evidence to listen for
Has clients or talent who came back or referred them
Manages a difficult conversation without damaging the relationship
Represents the client's interest, not only the commission
Builds rapport across seniority levels
Five-point scoring guide
1
Poor
Transactional; burns relationships for a close.
2
Needs Improvement
Builds rapport but does not sustain relationships.
3
Satisfactory
Solid relationships; less tested in conflict.
4
Very Good
Repeat business and referrals; handles conflict without damage.
5
Excellent
Leaves detailed CRM handoff notes, runs SMS and email reminder sequences, and account executives ask for their leads by name.
04
Evaluation factor
Drive and resilience
15% weight
Test tolerance for rejection volume: hang-ups per hour, how they reset after a bad block, and their consistency across the last quarter of dialling.
Evidence to listen for
Handles rejection and a bad quarter without unravelling
Self-directed on pipeline rather than waiting for leads
Coachable on feedback
Honest in how they represent the product and themselves
Five-point scoring guide
1
Poor
Gives up easily; blames leads, product, or market.
2
Needs Improvement
Motivation depends on momentum; resistant to coaching.
3
Satisfactory
Steady; recovers from setbacks with support.
4
Very Good
Self-motivated, coachable, and steady through bad stretches.
5
Excellent
Treats rejection as throughput maths, keeps power hour discipline, and describes self-correction after a slow week without excuses.
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