Account Executive Interview Questions UK: 8 Real Questions and What Interviewers Want

Before your Account Executive interview, it helps to see the questions from the interviewer's side. We have picked eight from our set of 25 and added the reason each one gets asked.

Eight Account Executive interview questions, and what the interviewer is thinking

1. Talk me through your numbers. What was your quota last year, and how did you perform against it?

Why they ask: Almost every AE interview opens with this because past attainment is the strongest predictor of future performance.

2. How do you run a first discovery call with a new prospect?

Why they ask: Discovery quality determines the whole deal, so they want to hear a structured, curious approach rather than a pitch.

3. Why do you want to be an Account Executive?

Why they ask: They want to see genuine motivation for owning full deal cycles and a quota.

4. How do you run a demo that actually moves a deal forward?

Why they ask: Many AEs run feature-led demos, so they want to see a tailored, outcome-focused approach.

5. When would you disqualify a deal and walk away?

Why they ask: Time is an AE's scarcest resource, and they want to see the discipline to qualify out.

6. You're at 40 per cent of your quarterly target with four weeks left. What do you do?

Why they ask: This tests how you respond to pressure and whether you take structured action rather than panicking.

7. What is a mutual action plan, and how do you use one?

Why they ask: Mutual action plans are a common tool for controlling complex deals, and they want to see you use them well.

8. How do you build your own pipeline rather than relying on SDRs or marketing?

Why they ask: Strong AEs self-source a share of their pipeline, and they want to see a consistent routine.

A sample answer to question 1

Talk me through your numbers. What was your quota last year, and how did you perform against it?

Last year my annual quota was £620,000 in new annual recurring revenue, selling our workforce management platform into UK mid-market businesses of 200 to 2,000 employees. I closed £701,000, which was 113 per cent, and I was one of three AEs out of eleven to hit target in every quarter. My average deal size was around £34,000 in first-year ARR with a sales cycle of about 75 days. Roughly 40 per cent of my closed business was self-sourced, with the rest coming from SDR and inbound meetings. My win rate from qualified opportunity to close was 27 per cent. The year before I was at 94 per cent, largely because two large deals slipped into the following year. That taught me to multi-thread earlier and build mutual close plans, which is a big reason my numbers improved. I'm happy to share my CRM reports or a reference from my manager to back that up.

Common mistake to avoid: Being vague or rounding up figures; Claiming credit for team or inherited deals

Want the rest?

Full model answers, key points and common mistakes for all 25 questions are on the Account Executive interview questions page. The first five are free, no sign-up needed.