Ask for quota, attainment, average deal size, and the market they actually sold into.
Evidence to listen for 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 Gives real quota and attainment numbers, and can describe the buyer and market accurately.
Test whether they qualify deliberately or pitch everyone, and walk one real deal end to end.
Evidence to listen for 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 Walks a real deal from first contact to close with a clear qualification method, and disqualifies early.
Assess whether customers came back, and how they handled one who was unhappy after signing.
Evidence to listen for 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 Has repeat business and referrals, and handled a post-sale problem without losing the account.
Judge how they build pipeline in a dry month without waiting for marketing to hand them leads.
Evidence to listen for 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 Self-generates pipeline in dry stretches and stays coachable rather than blaming leads or product.
