Want a sales job this tech winter? Here are questions to ask your interviewer

We might be facing a recession and a tech winter, but startups are still hiring for sales positions. How can you go about getting one and keeping it in a tough economy?

It pays to be prudent so that you get the job you want and not get laid off two months later. With that in mind, here are some key questions to ask a potential employer at an interview for a startup sales job.

Image credit: Timmy Loen

Why has this role opened?

When a position has become available, it can be attributed to one of two reasons: either the company is expanding or they need to replace someone who left.

If it’s the former, you want to establish if the company is growing rapidly and looking to add a salesperson. If they are a US or Europe-headquartered company expanding to Asia Pacific, you will be one of the founding hires, so expect a lot of grind and hustle.

Alternatively, this could potentially be a backfill hire for someone who recently left. Why did this person leave? Was it poor management practices or unattainable quotas? Asking these questions can help you find out more about what you’re getting into.

How is the firm’s runway looking?

Runway refers to the amount of cash the company has in the bank to keep sustaining operations. Having 24 months worth of runway is good – having 36 months is better.

If a startup has less than 24 months worth of runway, that means either of two things: it has to raise cash in two years or cut more costs if it can’t fundraise. Salaries are the bulk of a company’s expenses, so non-revenue-generating roles such as recruiting and HR will be let go first.

Next, ask about the startup’s plans to raise capital. Is there an aggressive timeline to fundraise in the next 12 months or will the firm wait it out and survive? While you may not get an answer, it pays to have an idea of the company’s plans to extend its runway and what it would take to get there.

What’s the startup’s North Star metric?

The North Star metric is the key criteria by which the company measures success. For a venture-backed startup, this metric typically aligns with what VCs are looking for in the next fundraise. Depending on the round, this could be the number of logos, gross merchandise value, total payment volume, net profitability, or revenue.

Product and engineering resources will be geared toward this North Star metric. For example, if the metric is net retention, this could mean the startup will invest in more customer success and support, and that it will look to improve existing products.

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On the other hand, the North Star metric of a B2B software-as-a-service company that’s just starting out could be to get its first few memorandums of understanding. Until product-market fit is proven, you can expect long sales cycles as these companies will typically invest more in engineering resources and do founder-led selling before making their first sales hire.

How does the company plan to navigate the winter?

What happens when you don’t hit your sales targets? What type of coaching is given?

Do your due diligence