The sales role play interview

Interviews for SDR, account executive, customer success and contact-centre roles often include a role play. Someone from the team plays a buyer, and you get a few minutes to open the call, ask questions, handle pushback and agree a next step. You cannot script it fully. You can prepare the first sentence, three questions and your first move on two objections, and say them out loud until they come out without notes.

Rehearse before the interview. Run a free practice call with an AI buyer, or start from the busy, sceptical buyer scenario: you have to earn a short meeting from someone who has no time. The Free plan is 3 voice calls a month, up to 5 minutes each, no card.

What interviewers score

Nobody expects you to close a deal in five minutes. The person playing the buyer usually watches five things:

The opening. Who you are and why you are calling, in two sentences. No company history.
Questions before the pitch. Do you ask about the buyer's situation before you describe the product?
Listening. Do you use the buyer's own words in your next sentence, or carry on with your plan?
Composure under pushback. Price, timing, an existing supplier. Do you stay friendly and curious?
The ask. Do you end with one concrete next step, with a day and a time?

Many interviewers then ask: "How do you think that went?" Have one honest, specific answer ready, such as "I pitched too early, before I knew how they order today."

The scenarios you are likely to get

"Sell me this pen" is mostly gone. It still turns up, but most sales teams now use a scenario close to the real job. If you do get the pen, treat it as a discovery call: "Before I tell you about it, when did you last need a pen and not have one?"

The common formats:

Cold call. A prospect who did not expect you. The test is the first 20 seconds and earning the next minute.
Discovery call. The buyer has agreed to talk. The test is open questions and follow-ups.
Objection. The buyer raises price, timing or "we already have someone". The test is whether you ask before you answer.
Closing a next step. The buyer is lukewarm. The test is whether you ask for a specific meeting.
Difficult customer. Common for service roles: a complaint or a frustrated caller.

Some companies send the scenario in advance. Others hand it to you on the day with a few minutes to prepare. If the invitation does not say, ask: "Could you tell me what format the role play will take?" That is a normal question.

A 20-minute prep plan

Do this the evening before, with a timer.

Minutes 0 to 4: the company. Read the home page and one customer story. Write one sentence: "They help [type of customer] to [result]."
Minutes 4 to 7: your opener. "Hi, it's [name] from [company]. I'm calling because teams like yours often tell us [problem]. Is that something you deal with, or am I off the mark?"
Minutes 7 to 10: three questions. "How do you handle this today?" "What is the most annoying part of that?" "What would have to change for this to be worth a look?"
Minutes 10 to 14: two objections. Write only your first move for "it's too expensive" and "we already have a supplier". One sentence of acknowledgement, one question.
Minutes 14 to 16: your close. "Would 20 minutes on Thursday at 10 or Friday at 2 work to look at this properly?"
Minutes 16 to 20: say it all aloud twice. Standing up, at the speed you would really talk. This is the part most candidates skip.

For more on openers see How to open a sales call: the first 30 seconds. If you are applying for an SDR or BDR role, the SDR and BDR page shows the calls that job is built around.

Three sample role plays with model answers

The answers below are examples to adapt, not lines to memorise word for word. Put them in your own voice.

1. Cold call: "I've got two minutes"

Buyer: "Yes? I've got two minutes, what is it?"

You: "Thanks, I'll keep it short. I'm calling because operations managers at logistics firms often tell us they lose hours each week chasing delivery updates by phone. Is that true for you, or is it not an issue?"

Buyer: "It happens. But we have a system for that."

You: "Good to hear. When a delivery is late, what does your team still have to do by hand?"

Buyer: "Call the driver, mostly."

You: "That's the bit we help with. Rather than explain it now, could we take 20 minutes on Thursday so I can show you on one of your routes?"

What this shows: a reason for the call in one breath, a question instead of a pitch, and a specific ask.

2. Objection: "It's too expensive"

Buyer: "Honestly, that's more than we pay now."

You: "Fair. Can I ask what you're comparing it with, the current tool or the budget you have for this?"

Buyer: "The current tool. It's about half."

You: "Then the question is whether the difference is worth it for you. You said earlier that your team re-enters orders twice. Roughly how long does that take each week?"

Buyer: "A few hours, I suppose."

You: "If the difference doesn't cover those hours, I wouldn't switch either. Shall we work it out with your numbers on a short call next week?"

What this shows: you do not defend the price. You ask what it is compared with and use what the buyer told you. See also "It's too expensive": find the decision behind the price.

3. Closing: the lukewarm buyer

Buyer: "It sounds interesting. Send me something and I'll have a look."

You: "Happy to. So I send the right thing, which part matters most: the cost, or how long it takes to set up?"

Buyer: "Set-up, I think. We don't have much IT time."

You: "Then I'll send a one-page set-up plan today. Could we book 15 minutes on Tuesday to go through it, so you can ask your IT colleague's questions straight away?"

What this shows: you accept the request, make it specific and still ask for a date. More in Send me an email: how to respond.

Mistakes that cost candidates the role play

Pitching in the first sentence. Product features before you know anything about the buyer.
Reading a script. The interviewer changes the story to see if you notice. Listen for it.
Arguing with an objection. "Actually, we're cheaper when you consider..." sounds defensive. Ask first.
Asking three questions at once. Ask one, then stop talking.
No close. Ending with "I'll follow up" instead of a day and a time.
Inventing facts. If you do not know, say: "I'd need to check that and come back to you."

How to practise alone by voice

Reading notes is not rehearsal. You need to hear yourself answer while someone pushes back.

Record yourself answering the three role plays above, then listen once. Mark every place you sound like you are reading.
Ask a friend to play the buyer and give them one objection they must use.
Practise with an AI buyer. In DIRI AI you speak by voice with a customer who reacts to what you say. After the call, the report quotes your own sentences and suggests one thing to try next time. You can run the same situation again straight away and hear the difference. Browse the scenario library for a cold call, a price objection or a next-step close, or start a free practice call.

A note on scope: DIRI AI always plays the customer, never the interviewer, so it rehearses the call itself, not the interview. It does not assess whether you suit a job, and its feedback is not a hiring judgement.

On the day

Keep a card with your opener, three questions and your close.
Pause after a question. Silence is fine.
Use the buyer's words back to them once.
When it ends, name one thing you would do differently.

FAQ

Do I have to close the deal in a sales role play interview?

Usually not. Most interviewers score how you run the conversation: the opening, your questions, how you handle an objection and whether you ask for a concrete next step.

Is "sell me this pen" still used?

Sometimes, but most teams now use a scenario from the real job, such as a cold call or a discovery call. If you get the pen, start with a question about when the buyer last needed one.

What if I freeze during the role play?

Pause and ask a question: "Can I ask how you handle this today?" It buys you time and puts the focus back on the buyer.

How long should I prepare?

Twenty focused minutes the evening before is enough for most role plays, as long as you say your opener, questions and close out loud at least twice.

Can I practise a sales role play for free?

Yes. The DIRI AI Free plan gives 3 voice calls a month, up to 5 minutes each, with a report after each call and no card.