“They’ll kick me out of the interview process for asking these questions.”

That’s what you might think as your read some of the questions I suggest asking below. But if you believe that would be the response, you don’t want to work there.

In a healthy sales org, these questions will show the hiring manager your intellectual curiosity, your business acumen, and that you’re looking out for your ability to actually succeed in the role.

How do you define the TAM and how big is it right now?
What did the top performer in this role earn last year?
How much did the comp plan change last year to this year? (Take it one step farther and ask to see copies of both!)
Will the company need to raise additional capital? If so, when? And what is the current burn rate?
Why is this role or territory open? If it was owned by someone who’s still with the company, what role or territory are they in now and can I speak with them?
Who will I be reporting to, and how long have they been with the company? (If it’s not the interviewer, make sure to speak with them.)
What are the three most used “closed-lost” reasons in your CRM for the types of deals I’ll have?
What percentage of my pipeline is expected to be self-sourced versus coming from marketing / SDRs, etc.?
What percentage of team members in this role attained their quota last quarter? (If they won’t answer you, that’s probably not a good sign, but you can check that stat for thousands of companies here)
What are the top three initiatives you are working on to move that quota attainment higher?

Spend some time thinking about what you want or need the answer for each question to be. That’ll help you know whether the opportunity is what you’re looking for. Watch the interviewer’s body language, too. That can tell you just as much as the answer they give.

Not interviewing yet but looking for something new? Find your next opportunity here.