Product usage can suggest a useful sales conversation, but it does not prove that a customer wants to buy. Assess whether the seller can turn a signal into a hypothesis and a respectful question.
Use synthetic account activity rather than real user records.
Provide a fictional signal packet
A fictional team has begun using a collaboration feature, invited colleagues, and encountered a product limit. Include another account with frequent activity caused by repeated errors.
Ask the candidate what each pattern might mean and what they would verify before contacting anyone.
Separate observation from interpretation
| Observation | Possible question |
|---|---|
| More colleagues invited | Is the workflow expanding, or is the team only testing? |
| A limit reached | Is there a useful need for a different plan? |
| Repeated activity | Is this value, confusion, or a technical problem? |
| A new feature tried | What task is the user attempting? |
| Activity stopped | Did priorities change, or did something fail? |
The candidate should acknowledge alternative explanations.
Ask for a conversation opener
Have them draft a short message based on an appropriate, approved signal. It should offer help or explore a relevant need without sounding as if the seller is monitoring every action.
The company’s actual privacy practices and access policies determine which signals may be used. The exercise does not authorize collecting or sharing new data.
Introduce a correction
Tell the candidate that the high-usage account was struggling with a bug. Ask how the next action changes.
Look for a handoff to support or product where appropriate. A seller should not turn every signal into an expansion pitch.
Assess commercial judgment
Ask what evidence would establish a real opportunity and what should remain a customer-help conversation.
A strong answer connects product behavior to the user’s workflow, identifies a relevant stakeholder, and avoids manufactured urgency.
Keep the assessment bounded
No live account research or customer contact is needed. Score the reasoning and message against the same rubric for all candidates.
Use the sales discovery exercise and customer success versus growth role guide. Discuss a product-led GTM hire with Refery.