SmartBear Sales Development Representative Interview Questions
& Process

The interview process was pretty standard, but I had some issues during a talk with one of the interviewers. When it was my turn to ask questions, one interviewer was really unhelpful and kept throwing my questions back at me without really answering them. It felt like they were being defensive and made me wonder about how open the team is and if they can give good answers. For sales people who are driven and like to learn and grow, this job might not be the best fit. It seemed more like a place for people who are okay with being told what to do and sticking to a strict plan. The company seemed to value playing it safe over taking risks or being proactive. Also, the pay they offered was way lower than other offers I have. The base salary they proposed was $100,000 less than what I’ve been offered for similar jobs. I did an in-person interview mostly out of curiosity, but the whole thing felt a bit slow. One of the main people took up most of the interview time, so I barely got to talk to their boss. This meant I couldn't ask all the questions I had ready, and some of my questions were dodged in a way that felt shady. All in all, the experience made me doubt if the company's vibe matches what a top-performing, self-starter salesperson would value.

I had a 30-minute phone call with HR first, they seemed really nice and interested in what I had to say. The next day, I had another phone interview with a sales manager, also super friendly, and they asked some basic questions. Then, I got invited for an in-person interview. I really liked the office and vibe there. The in-person was 2 hours long and I met with three people from sales, including the manager I talked to before. I talked to each of them for about 30 minutes, and then I shadowed someone in the SDR role for another 30 minutes. The sales manager said they'd let me know within the week, maybe even the next day, but I ended up waiting three weeks.

It was a really thorough process with four stages in total. Two of the stages were more informal, and the other two were formal. I met with different managers throughout the process, and eventually met with the head of sales. They seemed more interested in me as a person than just my experience. The interviewers were really approachable and encouraged me to ask questions. They never tried to trick me or catch me out. Overall, it was a great experience.