sales business developmentciso engagementcybersecurity salesenterprise quotasiem edr
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 quota history selling security platforms: annual number, attainment percentage, average deal size, and named logos won for SIEM, EDR, SASE or identity products.
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 multi-year attainment against a seven-figure security quota, names specific enterprise wins, deal sizes and displaced competitors.
02
Evaluation factor
Method and qualification
25% weight
Probe their qualification discipline: MEDDPICC or Command of the Message use, how they map CISO, SecOps and procurement, and how POCs or pilots are scoped.
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
Walks a real security deal through economic buyer, compelling event (breach, audit finding, renewal) and documented POC success criteria.
03
Evaluation factor
Relationships and trust
25% weight
Assess how they earn credibility with security leaders: channel and MSSP partnerships, CISO peer networks, and handling technical scrutiny alongside sales engineers.
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
Cites long-running CISO relationships that produced repeat purchases, plus partner-led pipeline built with named resellers or MSSPs.
04
Evaluation factor
Drive and resilience
15% weight
Look for persistence through long security cycles: pipeline built from cold outbound, deals recovered after budget freezes, and response to competitive losses.
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
Describes a stalled or lost security deal reworked into a closed contract, with concrete activity metrics behind the turnaround.
Put this rubric to work
Score every candidate against the same standard
Add these weighted factors to Hirevire and let AI evaluate recorded answers against your rubric.
