How do I interview a salesperson when I have never sold for a living?
The short answer
Stop trying to judge charisma and start judging evidence. Write a scorecard first: three or four outcomes you want in twelve months and the handful of competencies that produce them, then interview only against that. The two exercises that separate people fast are a written one (send them your website and ask for a cold email to a named prospect) and a live mock pitch of your product back to you after a short prep window, because both are the actual job. Then do reference calls with their last two managers and ask for numbers, not adjectives. Pete Kazanjy's point is worth internalising: screen with artifacts before you spend synchronous time.
Go deeper, your way
3 hand-picked resources, 3 link-checked. Pick how you want to dig in.
🎧 Podcast
✓ Link checkedFreeBeginner
Why we picked it
Ten specific, named mistakes rather than principles, including hiring a VP of Sales too early and letting a bad rep linger past one sales cycle. It is the fastest way to avoid the errors almost every first-time founder makes.
Why we picked it
The most detailed free writeup of an actual sales hiring process: the profile, artifact-based screening before you spend live time, the mock pitch stage, and what to pay. Free to read online, no signup.
Why we picked it
The source of the hiring scorecard: outcomes and competencies written before you meet anyone, then structured interviews against only those. It is the single fix for founders who interview on gut feel.
