The Best Salespeople Often Bomb Interviews
READ TIME - 5 MINUTES
Why Top Sales Performers Fail Interviews (And How to Fix It)
I spend my days talking to elite sales talent.
On paper, their resumes are untouchable:
120% quota attainment
President’s Club
Scaled ARR from $2M → $7.5M
227% YoY growth
Top performer out of 3,500 employees
Inside Sales Associate of the Year
They’ve qualified for an interview.
Then I ask two simple interview questions:
“Tell me about your background.” “What are your strengths?”
And they freeze.
They stumble.
They ramble.
They undersell themselves.
Not because they lack results.
Because they’ve never learned how to articulate their value.
The Real Reason Top Sellers Bomb Interviews
Most high performers succeed by instinct.
They execute.
They adapt.
They win.
But when asked why they’re good—or what their strengths are—they struggle to articulate what comes naturally.
And if they’ve received coaching it usually sounded like this:
“Let’s fix this.”
“Let’s work on that.”
Rarely does anyone say:
“Here’s what makes you exceptional.
Let’s double down on that.”
That’s why the best sellers often fail interviews.
Not because they can’t sell a product.
Because they can’t sell themselves.
Selling Yourself Is a Skill
NYT bestselling author Russell Brunson says it plainly:
“If you can’t clearly articulate your value, you’ll always be underpaid, overlooked, or misunderstood.”
So today, I’m teaching you how to sell yourself.
This is the same framework I use with AEs, managers, and leaders to help them land their next role.
Save this. You’ll need it.
Step 1: Know Your Strengths
Your resume shows what you’ve done.
Interviews test who you are.
The fastest way to uncover that is through structured assessments designed to surface strengths—not opinions.
Three I trust:
CliftonStrengths
SparkeType
VIA Character Strengths
My top strengths consistently show up as:
discipline, analytical thinking, honesty, and coaching.
Those aren’t adjectives.
They’re story anchors.
Everything I say in an interview ties back to them.
Step 2: Match Your Stories to the Role You Want
Interview prep isn’t about memorizing answers.
It’s about curating evidence.
If you’re targeting a sales manager role, companies are listening for examples that demonstrate:
Coaching
Accountability
Process
So your stories must prove those traits.
No fluff.
No hypotheticals.
Just evidence.
Step 3: Prepare Like It’s a Sales Demo
Your interview is a demo.
Treat it that way.
Build your script
Turn it into bullet points
Practice out loud
Especially for one question:
“Tell me about yourself.”
This isn’t small talk.
It’s your 2–4 minute career narrative, aligned to the role.
Some candidates talk for 10 minutes.
As a former hiring manager, here’s the truth:
At that point, the interview is over.
I’ll stay polite.
I’ll ask follow-ups.
But the decision is already made.
Nail in the coffin.
How to Tell a 2–4 Minute Story That Works
Run to the future, not away from the past
I don’t want to hear why a territory failed.
You wouldn’t open a first date by talking about your ex.
I do want to hear:
What you did
What you learned
What you loved
Why this role fits you now
My Example
Mid-way through my career, when I applied to a Sales Manager position at ZocDoc, this would have been my story:
I started my software sales career as an SDR, cold calling in a high-volume environment. I’m in the office smiling and dialing, making 80+ calls a day, and I quickly learned the fundamentals of pipeline creation.
I was promoted into an AE role selling to Heads of Sales. I struggled early, which forced me to learn how to run an effective sales call—tight discovery, clear value, and structured follow-up. I moved to Vocus to sell PR and marketing software, where I became a top performer. I learned the ins and and outs of the product and customer, building strong relationships which drove my success.
While I enjoy selling, I always knew I wanted to get into management because I love coaching. I’ve coached teams my entire life, including girls’ softball growing up. I advocated for a management role and was given the opportunity to manage an SDR team and eventually an AE team. In those roles, I hired and developed talent, scaled the AE team from 0 to 16, and built a culture of accountability grounded in data. That approach led to the top-performing SDR team out of three.
What excites me about ZocDoc is the mission and the opportunity to scale a high-performing team. My analytical approach, discipline, honesty, and natural coaching ability allow me to learn new industries quickly and help reps achieve and exceed their goals.
Why This Works
You can picture the story (smiling and dialing)
Struggles are honest—but not excuses
Learnings show growth mindset
The story ends forward, not backward
Final Takeaways
The foundation:
Know your strengths
Prepare role-specific examples
Practice like a demo
Your elevator pitch should:
Run to the future
Show what you did
Highlight what you learned
Explain what you loved
Clearly state why this role fits you
If you’re serious about your next role, your story needs to be as strong as your numbers.
Hit reply and send me your elevator pitch and the role you’re targeting. I’m happy to review it and share feedback.
To clarity and confidence in your career path,
Amanda
See you next Sunday.
