Tips for Mastering Sdr Interviews

Most SDR candidates lose the interview even when their answers are technically “right.” Because they answer the question. But the ones who get the offer answer the concern behind the question. After coaching 60+ aspiring SDRs into tech sales roles, here’s what hiring managers are really asking: ❌ “Why tech sales?” ✅ Do you actually understand the grind, or are you chasing easy money? Are you clear that this is 80–100 dials a day, rejection, follow-ups, and consistency? Or did TikTok sell you a dream? ❌ “Tell me about a time you handled rejection.” ✅ When people hang up on you or tell you to stop calling, will you spiral… or keep dialing? Can you take a hit, not take it personally, and move on fast? ❌ “If you were at the end of the month and not hitting quota, what would you do?” ✅ When things aren’t going well, do you panic or get analytical? Can you look at your numbers, spot the bottleneck, adjust your strategy, and execute harder? ❌ “Tell me about yourself.” ✅ Why should I take a chance on you if you’ve never been an SDR before? What in your past proves you can handle pressure, persuasion, consistency, targets, or difficult conversations? ❌ “How would you prioritize a list of accounts?” ✅ Do you actually understand what this job involves? Do you know what intent signals are? Buying triggers? ICP fit? Or are you guessing? Even basic research here tells me whether you’ve taken this career seriously. ❌ “Why do you want to work for this company?” ✅ Did you spend 20 minutes researching us? Can you clearly explain who we help, what problem we solve, and why that matters? Or could this answer apply to any SaaS company? ❌ “Why are you leaving your current role?” ✅ Are you running away from something… or moving toward something? Are you intentional about building a career in tech sales, or just unhappy where you are? What I’ve found to be true over and over again is that they’re not hiring the most polished candidate. They’re hiring the one who understands what the job actually is. If you can hear the concern behind the question and answer that… You stop sounding like someone who wants a job. And start sounding like someone ready to do the job.

I am wrapping up our hiring process for our first two sales roles at Lawfully. We had over 700 applicants apply—standing out isn’t easy. For these roles I was the recruiter, hiring manager, and executive sponsor. Here’s my advice on how to stand out: Getting Through to the First Stage— 1. Reach out directly to the recruiter, hiring manager, or executive sponsor I gave priority to candidates who reached out personally. Some sent LinkedIn DMs, while others crafted thoughtful cold emails. Two memorable examples: one email had the subject line “Matt, I’m skiing my way into your inbox,” and another featured a personalized video introducing herself and addressing common interview questions. Make sure your outreach is thoughtful, creative, and mindful of people’s time. Done right, it sets you apart Done poorly, it can backfire. 2. Make your Linkedin look professional Many applicants had unprofessional profile photos, large employment gaps, or short stints at companies. While you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, with 700 applicants to review, these things can quickly lead to being passed over. You control your LinkedIn narrative and the professional story it tells. Demonstrate to recruiters that you can commit and follow through. 3. Use the right professional jargon. For this SDR role, candidates with SDR experience were fast-tracked to interviews. Ensure your job titles and descriptions align with industry standards to avoid being missed. Make it clear what you do, especially if your role mirrors the position you’re applying for. Getting Through the Interview Stage— 1. Research the company before your interview. Out of 60 people I interviewed, only one could identify our competitors, and few provided detailed responses about our products and services. One candidate couldn’t name a single thing about Lawfully, while another was clearly reading straight off our homepage. Take the time to learn about the company. It shows genuine interest and sets you apart. 2. Answer all the questions. I evaluated candidates on several criteria, including experience, passion, coach-ability, and their ability to learn. To gauge learning, I asked their favorite books—professional or otherwise. If someone admitted they didn’t read, it was a quick signal to move on. 3. Answer positively and tie it back to the role and your strengths. Strike the right balance between positivity and authenticity. Candidates who dwelled on negative experiences sent a clear sign they weren’t the right fit. 4. Align your answers with company & hiring manager goals When candidates nailed this, they were an automatic pass. One standout example was a candidate who asked about our goals right at the start of the interview. Throughout the conversation, he consistently explained how he would help us reach our milestone. I’ve got 20 more tips to share—including what it takes to crush the final round. Drop a comment, and I’ll send them your way!

I interviewed an SDR hitting 140%+ for 3 straight quarters. Here’s what they’re doing differently: 𝟭. 𝗦𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 ↳ 6–8 steps, not 15+ ↳ No filler. Every touch delivers value ↳ Call + email always paired ↳ Last step = custom video or voice note 𝟮. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿 𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗲𝗿𝘀 ↳ New fiscal year = budget convos ↳ Earnings calls = warm hooks ↳ Major events = better outreach windows ↳ They don’t just work the lead list—they work the calendar 𝟯. 𝗢𝗯𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗱 ↳ Weekly call roleplays ↳ Objection flashcards ↳ Builds 1–line rebuttals for each major persona ↳ “I don’t fight objections—I prepare for them” 𝟰. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝗳𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗙𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗰𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗸𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 ↳ What worked? ↳ What didn’t? ↳ Which touches landed? ↳ Which CTAs converted? Success is repeatable—if you study it.

#SDRs interviewing right now, do this before your next interview 👇 Write down exactly what you’re looking for in a role, manager, team, & company. If you can’t say it clearly, you’re not ready to say yes to the offer. Most SDRs go into interviews with “I just need to land something.” That’s how you end up in a role that doesn’t fit you, doing work you don’t even want, and looking again in 90 days. Slow down. You’re not just being interviewed. You’re qualifying them. Step 1: Get specific with yourself first. Before you talk to another recruiter or hiring manager, answer these for yourself: Manager - What kind of manager do you want next? - Do you want someone who will coach you on calls, or someone who gives you targets and lets you run? Team - What kind of team do you want to be around? - Do you want people who share what’s working and push each other, or do you prefer to compete on your own? Role - What work do you actually want to get good at this year? - High-volume outbound, blended inbound/outbound, or early discovery + handoff so you’re closer to AE work? Company - Do you believe in what they sell and who they sell it to? - Do you want something that already works and you can plug into and scale, or do you want earlier-stage “help us build it” and faster chaos/growth? Write those answers down. That’s your standard. Step 2: Use the interview to confirm it. Now that you know what you want, go get proof. This should drive the questions you ask and get specifics. Example questions: Manager - “How do you coach reps who are behind target?” - “Can you walk me through the last time you did that?” Team - “How does the team share what’s working with each other?” - “Can you give me a recent example of something a rep tried that everyone else started using?” Role - “Day to day, is this role mostly high-volume outbound, more inbound qualification, or more early discovery and handoff?” - “What do you expect me to get really good at in my first 3–6 months?” Company - “Who are your best customers and why do they choose you?” - “Where is the company focused for the next 12 months, and how does the SDR team support that?” You’re not chasing an offer. You’re deciding if this is where you want to spend your next ~1–3 years. #SDRs- Which one matters most to you right now: Manager, Team, Role, or Company?

🔥 Recruiter Real Talk: What 150+ Screen Calls Taught Me About BDR Candidates I’ve completed 150+ recruiting screen calls in the past weeks as we sprint to fill 20 BDR openings for February—and I’ve got some advice for anyone trying to break into a SDR/BDR role. No fluff, just the patterns I’m seeing every day. 1) Do your homework. And I don’t just mean skim the homepage. Use AI to understand our product, customers, competitors, and industry before you hop on a call. Here’s the truth: the content on our website or YouTube channel isn’t built for job seekers—it’s created for potential customers and partners. That means you have to bridge the gap. Come prepared to explain: Why this company? Why sales? Why YOU? (And yes—this includes your transferable skills from your current role, industry, or experiences. They matter more than you think.) The strongest candidates bring context, clarity, and a real understanding of how their background translates into success in a sales role. 2) Stop blending in. Everyone is emailing, DM’ing, InMailing, texting… but being everywhere isn’t the same as being memorable. Skip the copy-paste lines like “Do you have time to chat?” and bring some personality. Authenticity > generic outreach every time. 3) Ask better questions. If someone referred you, talk to them first—they’re living the day-to-day and can give you the most accurate insights. If your question can be answered by Google or AI in 10 seconds, skip it. Use your time with a recruiter to dig into the things that actually help you make a decision. Breaking into sales is competitive, but standing out isn’t complicated: preparation, intention, and curiosity will take you far. #RecruiterRealTalk #SalesCareers #BDRLife #SDRLife #EarlyCareerTalent #JobSearchTips #SalesHiring #CareerAdvice #RecruitingInsights #TechSales #BreakIntoTech #Hiring2026 #SaaSCareers #WomenInSales #SalesDevelopment

I bet you’re just as boring in job interviews as you are on LinkedIn. 💁♀️ If that stung a little, it’s probably because you know there’s some truth to it. Most people sell themselves the same way they’d sell a mediocre product: 🫣 Safe 🫣 Predictable 🫣 Completely forgettable On LinkedIn, it sounds like: “I’m a results‑driven professional with over 10 years of experience…” Or “I’m passionate about helping companies grow…” In interviews, it turns into: “I always go above and beyond.” And “I’m very collaborative in team environments.” Technically fine. Also: A total snorefest. If you’re in sales, you already know this is not how you’d pitch something you actually believe in. Here’s what to do instead 👇 When you talk about results, stop there: “I hit 135% of quota.” Start here: “In Q3, my territory was down 20%. I rebuilt my pipeline by focusing on one vertical, rewrote my outbound sequence around their language, and ended the quarter at 135%.” When you talk about being collaborative, stop there: “I’m a team player.” Start here: “Our SDR team was burning out on bad leads. I sat with them twice a week, listened to live calls, and we rewrote our ICP together. Within 60 days, our opp‑to‑close rate jumped 18%.” When you talk about being strategic, stop there: “I’m very strategic.” Start here: “When I got here there was no rhyme or reason to our prospecting. I built a simple weekly cadence— 30 targeted outbound touches per day, weekly interaction on LinkedIn, changing vertical focuses each month, and one live call review for each rep. That’s when our pipeline became predictable instead of accidental.” See the difference? Same person. Same career. Same numbers. Completely different experience for the person listening. So if you’re not getting traction with interviews right now, try this: ✏️ Replace generic traits with one specific story. ✏️ Replace “I’m passionate about” with “Here’s what I did when.” ✏️ Replace empty claims with numbers, names, and moments. You don’t need a new personality. You just need to start selling yourself with the same clarity and conviction you already use for everyone else’s product.

If you’re interviewing for an SDR role, here’s a tip: Sometimes, you’ll be asked to do a mock cold call. The interviewer will want to see how you sound, overcome objections, etc. After the roleplay, ask these two questions: - “What could I have done to make that better?” - “Can I try again?” When you try again, use every piece of advice given by the interviewer. Why is this so important? - It shows you’re coachable - It shows that you can listen - It shows you care about improvement Out of all the interviews I’ve ever done, I think only two candidates have done that. *I ended up hiring both of them*