Three Smart Strategies to Handle Long-Winded Sales Interviews
Updated July 1, 2026
Early in my recruiting career, I had a candidate who loved to talk. At the time, I figured he just liked talking to me.
I considered myself a good listener, so I assumed he’d tighten up his answers in the next round. Despite my warnings about not hogging all the airtime, he couldn’t apply the feedback when he met my client.
My client, the VP of Sales at a software company, told me he gave every obvious cue in the book. He kept checking his watch, and at one point he even yawned. My candidate didn’t take the hint. When he called me afterward, he said he thought the interview went great.
Today’s sales candidates have gotten better at this. Most experienced salespeople no longer treat the ability to talk as a “sales gift.” The strong ones listen more than they talk and work to understand what the client actually needs.
Still, you’ll run into a verbose candidate here and there. The profession tends to attract extroverts, after all. So when it happens in an interview you’re running, here’s how to handle it.
1. Set the Agenda
Tell the candidate up front how much time you have and how many questions you need to get through. Sometimes that’s the only direction they need, and they’ll tighten up their answers on their own.
2. Interrupt
In everyday conversation, interrupting is rude, so some people struggle to do it. But in an interview, you sometimes need to move through questions quickly, and a polite interruption is how you do it. Strong listeners let others interrupt them, and good candidates are happy to move on to the next question.
3. Be Direct
If the long-winded answers keep coming, it’s time to be candid. Something like: “John, we’ve only got an hour and a lot to cover, so please keep your answers as concise as you can. If I want more detail on something, I’ll ask. Otherwise, let’s keep the pace up.”
A Long-Winded Answer Isn’t Always a Red Flag
Not every talkative candidate is a weak salesperson. Sometimes they stretch a simple answer because they’re trying to build rapport and a relationship with you. That instinct isn’t a bad one.
But if you’re not careful, a few interviews that run long and you’re leaving meetings without the information you needed, and a chunk of your day is gone for good.
When you manage the interview up front and stay in control of your time, you’re less likely to pass on a strong hire over a simple mismatch in communication style. The candidates who take your direction and follow your lead are usually adaptable, and adaptability is exactly what you want in a rep. The ones who can’t take the direction and keep talking over you? That’s useful signal too, and sometimes your cue to wrap it up and move on.
