What is your favorite demand generation interview question and the best answer you've heard?

My favorite question to ask during an interview is “If you could spend an extra $100k on demand generation in your current role, what would you spend it on and why?” I really like this question because it helps me understand a variety of things about how the candidate thinks. Dependent on the response, I can learn which type of marketing campaigns they tend to prefer to work with and how they budget and plan. The answer I look for is typically something with a multi-channel approach. Throughout ...Read More

My favorite demand generation interview question is around how do you measure success. I tailor the question based on the role, but the essence of the question is the same. This is my favorite question because I’m a believer of being data informed within demand generation. Right away I can gauge the sophistication of the candidate's experience based on this question. I’m looking for an understanding of how to gauge performance and the rigor of data analysis you’ll have with your programs. This o ...Read More

Below is a question I commonly ask in leadership interviews: If I were to speak with your manager today, what would he/she/they say are your strengths and biggest opportunities? Similarly, what would your direct reports say? I love this question because it makes candidates reflect for a moment and share a growth opportunity, which naturally doesn't always come up in interviews unless directly asked. However, seeing the POV from a manager versus direct reports is also insightful and spurs interes ...Read More

"Best" DG interview question: How would you connect and align your company's marketing/DG goals with sales? Potential answer: First, we need to understand and differentiate the role of your marketing/DG strategy and plans vs the ones for sales. Second, agree on the goals and KPIs for both. Third, identify and agree one or more 'connectors' between your marketing/DG goals/KPIs and sales' goals/KPIs. For example, one of your marketing/DG goals might be to 'make customers ready to buy'. So, one of ...Read More

My favorite demand generation interview question is simple: “Talk me through your ideal ABM program.” I’ve asked this countless times, and it’s exhausting how often people repeat the same fluffy, surface-level answers you see on LinkedIn. I can smell it a mile away, and when I dig in on more level, it becomes obvious they’ve never actually run a real program. The echo chamber of LinkedIn has created a lot of talkers with no real thought -- it's a shame. The best answer I’ve ever heard, from some ...Read More

My favorite Demand Generation interview question is: "Which 'flavor' or specific aspect of Demand Generation do you enjoy the most, and why?" Demand Generation is a broad field, and I like to think of it as a set of distinct "Tarot Cards" or profiles. This question reveals where the candidate's natural passion and expertise lie, and there is no single right or wrong answer. Examples of these "flavors" include: The MOPs Nerd: A Demand Gen specialist with a deep appetite for technology, data archi ...Read More

This is typically the last question I ask after qualifying for technical skills. That question, "What do you look forward to at work every Monday morning?" is the one that tells me if you're going to be a great fit. I'm really listening for a few key things. First, I want to hear the passion—you can't be jaded; you need to genuinely be excited to dive into your job, knowing you have a good work-life balance so you aren't dreading the week ahead. More than anything, I want to hear about the team ...Read More