Assess territory planning by asking how a seller chooses where to spend attention and what evidence would change that choice. A long account list is not a strategy.
Use a fictional territory with synthetic companies so the exercise does not become unpaid prospect research.
Build a small evidence packet
Include fictional accounts with different buyer problems, organizational structures, and levels of product relevance. Add incomplete information and a few tempting but weak signals.
Ask the candidate to select a starting group and explain what they would investigate before outreach.
Evaluate prioritization
| Area | Useful evidence |
|---|---|
| Relevance | Connects the account to a plausible problem the product solves |
| Buyer map | Identifies likely users, decision makers, and missing stakeholders |
| Evidence | Separates known facts from assumptions |
| Access | Chooses appropriate ways to begin a conversation |
| Sequencing | Explains why some accounts should receive attention first |
| Learning | States how early responses will update the plan |
Do not reward a complex scoring formula if the inputs are speculative.
Ask for an initial approach
Have the candidate draft a short, role-relevant outreach message for one fictional account. It should explain the possible problem without pretending to know private facts.
Then ask how they would prepare for a first conversation. Look for research that supports useful questions rather than a script built on assumptions.
Introduce new information
Reveal that an apparently attractive account has no owner for the relevant workflow, while a smaller account has a clear problem and a willing stakeholder.
Ask whether the candidate changes the priority. The goal is to observe adaptation to evidence, not loyalty to the initial ranking.
Discuss execution capacity
Ask how they would balance research, outreach, follow-up, and active opportunities. A plan that assumes unlimited attention is not operationally useful.
Clarify which support the actual role will have so the assessment reflects the job.
Use the self-generated pipeline guide, sales motion comparison, and first US sales mandate. Discuss a sales hire with Refery.