Effective Work Sample Exercises for Hiring Top Field Sales Representatives

Field Sales Representatives are the frontline ambassadors of your company, directly influencing revenue growth through their ability to build relationships, communicate value, and close deals. The difference between an average and exceptional field sales hire can significantly impact your bottom line, with top performers often generating 3-5 times more revenue than their peers.

Traditional interviews alone rarely reveal a candidate's true sales capabilities. While candidates may excel at selling themselves during interviews, this doesn't necessarily translate to effectively selling your products or services. Work samples and role plays provide a window into how candidates will actually perform on the job, revealing their natural instincts, adaptability, and skill level in realistic scenarios.

The exercises outlined below are designed to evaluate the core competencies essential for field sales success: discovery and needs analysis, presentation skills, objection handling, and strategic planning. By implementing these exercises, you'll gain valuable insights into each candidate's sales approach, communication style, and problem-solving abilities.

Most importantly, these exercises include feedback components that assess a critical trait in successful sales representatives: coachability. The ability to receive feedback and quickly implement improvements is often what separates good sales representatives from great ones who consistently exceed targets.

Activity #1: Discovery Call Role Play

This exercise evaluates a candidate's ability to ask insightful questions, identify customer needs, and build rapport—foundational skills for any successful field sales representative. The discovery call is where relationships begin and where sales representatives demonstrate their listening skills and ability to qualify prospects effectively.

Directions for the Company:

• Select a common customer persona relevant to your industry (e.g., a procurement manager, small business owner, or department head).
• Prepare a brief background document describing this persona, including their role, company size, potential pain points, and buying authority.
• Designate an experienced sales team member to play the role of the prospect.
• Provide the candidate with basic information about your company's products/services and the prospect's company 24 hours before the exercise.
• Limit the role play to 15-20 minutes, focusing solely on the discovery phase (not presentation or closing).
• Record the session for evaluation purposes if the candidate consents.

Directions for the Candidate:

• Review the provided materials about the company's products/services and the prospect's company.
• Prepare an approach for an initial discovery call with this prospect.
• During the 15-20 minute role play, focus on building rapport, asking questions to understand the prospect's needs, and qualifying the opportunity.
• Your goal is not to close a deal but to gather enough information to determine if there's a potential fit and establish next steps.
• Be prepared to take notes as you would in a real discovery call.

Feedback Mechanism:

• After the role play, the interviewer will provide feedback on one strength demonstrated during the call (e.g., quality of questions, active listening) and one area for improvement.
• The candidate will then have 5 minutes to explain how they would adjust their approach based on this feedback and demonstrate a brief (2-3 minute) segment incorporating the suggested improvement.
• Evaluate both the initial performance and the candidate's receptiveness and ability to implement feedback.

Activity #2: Product Demonstration Role Play

This exercise assesses a candidate's ability to clearly articulate value propositions and tailor presentations to specific customer needs—critical skills for field sales representatives who must effectively showcase products or services in various settings.

Directions for the Company:

• Select one of your core products or services for the demonstration.
• Prepare a concise overview document with key features and benefits.
• If possible, provide access to a product sample, demo environment, or detailed materials.
• Create a scenario building off the discovery call exercise, where the candidate now needs to present a solution to the identified needs.
• Provide these materials to the candidate 24 hours before the exercise.
• Optionally, share a recording of a strong product demonstration from one of your top performers as a reference.

Directions for the Candidate:

• Review the product information and customer scenario provided.
• Prepare a 10-minute product demonstration that addresses the specific needs identified in the scenario.
• Focus on communicating benefits rather than just features, and tailor your presentation to the customer's specific situation.
• Be prepared to use visual aids or props if appropriate and available.
• Structure your demonstration with a clear introduction, key points, and conclusion.
• Remember that engagement is key—avoid monologuing and check for understanding throughout.

Feedback Mechanism:

• The interviewer will provide specific feedback on one aspect of the presentation that was particularly effective and one area that could be strengthened.
• The candidate will have 5 minutes to adjust a portion of their presentation based on the feedback.
• Assess both the quality of the initial presentation and how effectively the candidate incorporates the feedback.

Activity #3: Objection Handling and Negotiation Scenario

This exercise evaluates a candidate's ability to navigate challenging conversations, address concerns, and maintain composure under pressure—essential skills for field sales representatives who regularly face objections and negotiation situations.

Directions for the Company:

• Create a scenario where a prospect is interested but raises 2-3 common objections your sales team typically encounters (e.g., price concerns, competitor comparisons, implementation timeline).
• Prepare a role player to present these objections naturally during a conversation, not all at once but as the discussion progresses.
• Provide the candidate with background information about the deal: what's been discussed previously, the prospect's needs, and the proposed solution.
• Consider recording examples of effective objection handling from your top performers to share with the candidate beforehand.

Directions for the Candidate:

• Review the deal background information provided.
• Prepare to handle potential objections that might arise during a late-stage sales conversation.
• During the 15-minute role play, respond to the prospect's concerns professionally and constructively.
• Your goal is to address objections effectively while moving the conversation toward a positive outcome.
• Focus on asking clarifying questions, acknowledging concerns, providing relevant information, and confirming resolution before moving forward.
• Be prepared to discuss pricing or terms if they arise, maintaining value while showing appropriate flexibility.

Feedback Mechanism:

• The interviewer will highlight one objection that was handled particularly well and provide constructive feedback on another response that could be improved.
• The candidate will have the opportunity to re-approach the objection that received constructive feedback, implementing the suggestions provided.
• Evaluate both the initial responses and the candidate's ability to adapt their approach based on feedback.

Activity #4: Territory and Account Planning Exercise

This exercise assesses a candidate's strategic thinking, organizational skills, and ability to prioritize—crucial for field sales representatives who must manage their territories efficiently to maximize results.

Directions for the Company:

• Create a fictional sales territory with 15-20 accounts of varying sizes, industries, and potential.
• Include basic information about each account: company size, industry, current status (prospect, existing customer, etc.), and any relevant history.
• Provide realistic constraints such as a quarterly sales target and limited time (e.g., 40 available meeting slots per quarter).
• If possible, include a map showing the geographic distribution of accounts.
• Allow the candidate 30-45 minutes to complete the exercise.

Directions for the Candidate:

• Review the territory information provided.
• Create a strategic plan for managing this territory over the next quarter that includes:
• Prioritization of accounts based on potential value and likelihood of closing
• Allocation of your time across different accounts
• Specific goals for each account category
• A weekly/monthly schedule outline showing how you would structure your time
• Identification of potential challenges and how you would address them
• Prepare to present your plan in a 10-minute briefing, explaining your rationale and strategy.
• Be ready to discuss how you would adjust your plan if circumstances changed.

Feedback Mechanism:

• The interviewer will provide feedback on one strength of the territory plan (e.g., prioritization strategy, time allocation) and one area that could be enhanced.
• The candidate will have 10 minutes to revise the specific portion of their plan that received constructive feedback.
• Assess both the initial plan and the candidate's ability to incorporate feedback to strengthen their approach.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long should we allocate for these exercises in our interview process?

Each exercise requires approximately 30-45 minutes, including time for the activity, feedback, and candidate adjustment. We recommend selecting 1-2 exercises most relevant to your specific sales role rather than attempting all four in a single interview process. The discovery call and objection handling exercises often provide the most insight for field sales positions.

Should we use actual company products in these exercises?

While using your actual products can provide more realistic assessment, it may create an unfair advantage for candidates with industry experience. Consider using a simplified version of your product or a hypothetical product with similar selling points to level the playing field while still testing relevant skills.

How do we ensure consistency when different team members conduct these exercises?

Create detailed rubrics for each exercise that outline specific behaviors and skills to evaluate. Train all interviewers on proper administration of the exercises and assessment criteria. Consider having the same person conduct a particular exercise for all candidates when possible.

What if a candidate has no prior experience with our CRM or sales tools?

Focus on evaluating the fundamental sales skills rather than tool proficiency. Technical tools can be learned, but core sales abilities like relationship building, needs analysis, and objection handling are more indicative of future success. For exercises involving tools, provide brief instructions or focus on the strategy rather than execution.

How should we weigh performance in these exercises compared to traditional interviews?

Work samples typically have higher predictive validity than traditional interviews. We recommend giving these exercises significant weight (40-60%) in your overall assessment, particularly for experienced hires. For entry-level positions, you might place more emphasis on traits like coachability and communication skills demonstrated during the exercises.

Can these exercises be conducted virtually?

Yes, all of these exercises can be adapted for virtual settings using video conferencing tools. Virtual formats actually mirror the increasing importance of virtual selling skills in today's sales environment. Ensure candidates have clear instructions for any technology they'll need to use during the virtual exercise.

Field sales success depends on a unique combination of relationship-building skills, strategic thinking, resilience, and execution. By incorporating these work samples into your hiring process, you'll gain valuable insights into how candidates will actually perform in the role, significantly increasing your chances of identifying and hiring top performers who will drive revenue growth for your organization.

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