Effective Work Samples and Role Plays for Healthcare Account Executive Interviews

In the competitive healthcare sales landscape, identifying top Account Executive talent requires more than just resume reviews and standard interviews. The healthcare sector presents unique challenges: complex buying cycles, multiple stakeholders, strict regulations, and the need to understand both business and clinical perspectives. Traditional interview methods often fail to reveal how candidates will perform in these real-world scenarios.

Work samples and role plays provide a window into a candidate's actual capabilities by simulating the exact situations they'll face on the job. For healthcare Account Executives, these exercises demonstrate their ability to navigate complex sales conversations, understand healthcare-specific pain points, and communicate value propositions that resonate with medical professionals and administrators alike.

Implementing structured work samples in your interview process yields multiple benefits. First, they provide objective data points for comparing candidates beyond subjective impressions. Second, they reduce hiring bias by focusing on demonstrated skills rather than background. Third, they give candidates a realistic preview of the role, improving job fit and reducing early turnover. Finally, they allow you to assess coachability—a critical trait for long-term success in evolving healthcare markets.

The following four activities are designed specifically for healthcare Account Executive roles. Each exercise targets key competencies identified in successful healthcare sales professionals: customer-centricity, adaptability, resilience, strategic thinking, and healthcare-specific knowledge. By incorporating these into your interview process, you'll dramatically improve your ability to identify candidates who will drive results in this specialized field.

Activity #1: Healthcare Discovery Call Role Play

This role play simulates a critical first conversation with a potential healthcare client. Discovery calls require exceptional listening skills, the ability to ask insightful questions, and the capacity to quickly build rapport with busy healthcare professionals. This exercise reveals how candidates gather information, identify pain points, and begin positioning solutions within a healthcare context.

Directions for the Company:

• Select an interviewer to play the role of a healthcare decision-maker (e.g., Chief Medical Officer, Practice Manager, Director of Pharmacy).
• Create a detailed persona for this role, including their facility type, size, current challenges, and decision-making authority.
• Provide the candidate with basic information about your company's product/service and the healthcare organization they'll be calling on 24 hours before the interview.
• Include in the preparation materials a recording of an example discovery call that demonstrates best practices.
• Limit the role play to 15-20 minutes, followed by 10 minutes for feedback and improvement.
• Evaluate the candidate on their ability to build rapport, ask probing questions, identify needs, handle objections, and set next steps.

Directions for the Candidate:

• Review the provided materials about the company's product/service and the healthcare organization.
• Prepare for a discovery call with the goal of understanding the prospect's needs, challenges, and decision-making process.
• During the call, demonstrate your ability to:
• Build rapport quickly with a healthcare professional
• Ask thoughtful questions about their organization and challenges
• Listen actively and respond appropriately
• Identify potential pain points that your solution might address
• Determine next steps in the sales process
• Be prepared to receive feedback and demonstrate how you would adjust your approach based on that feedback.

Feedback Mechanism:

• After the role play, the interviewer should provide specific feedback on one strength (e.g., "You asked excellent questions about their patient flow challenges") and one area for improvement (e.g., "You could have explored the financial impact of their current process more deeply").
• Give the candidate 5 minutes to reflect on the feedback, then have them demonstrate how they would handle that specific portion of the conversation differently.
• This tests both their sales skills and their coachability—a critical trait for long-term success.

Activity #2: Healthcare Solution Presentation

This exercise evaluates a candidate's ability to clearly articulate value propositions tailored to healthcare audiences. Healthcare decision-makers often have both clinical and business concerns, requiring Account Executives to bridge these perspectives effectively. This presentation reveals how candidates organize information, handle technical details, and adapt messaging to healthcare-specific priorities.

Directions for the Company:

• Provide the candidate with information about your product/service and a specific healthcare use case 24 hours before the interview.
• Create a scenario with a specific healthcare organization type (hospital, clinic network, specialty practice) and their primary challenges.
• Include any relevant healthcare regulations, reimbursement considerations, or industry trends that might impact the presentation.
• Assemble a small panel (2-3 people) representing different stakeholders in a healthcare buying decision.
• Limit the presentation to 15 minutes with 10 minutes for questions and feedback.
• Evaluate the candidate on their ability to communicate value clearly, address healthcare-specific concerns, handle questions confidently, and tailor messaging to different stakeholders.

Directions for the Candidate:

• Review the provided materials about the product/service and healthcare organization scenario.
• Prepare a 15-minute presentation that:
• Addresses the specific challenges faced by this healthcare organization
• Clearly articulates how the solution provides value (clinical, operational, financial)
• Incorporates relevant healthcare terminology and considerations
• Includes appropriate visual aids (if requested)
• Anticipates questions or concerns from different healthcare stakeholders
• Be prepared to answer questions from the panel and adjust your messaging based on their feedback.

Feedback Mechanism:

• After the presentation and Q&A, one panel member should highlight something the candidate did particularly well in communicating value to healthcare audiences.
• Another panel member should identify one aspect of the presentation that could be improved for greater impact with healthcare decision-makers.
• Give the candidate 5 minutes to revise and deliver a specific portion of their presentation based on this feedback.
• This tests both their presentation skills and their ability to quickly incorporate feedback—essential for adapting to different healthcare stakeholders.

Activity #3: Healthcare Sales Pipeline Strategy Exercise

This exercise assesses a candidate's strategic thinking and organizational abilities—critical skills for managing complex, lengthy healthcare sales cycles. It reveals how candidates prioritize opportunities, allocate time, and develop targeted approaches for different healthcare segments. This activity provides insight into their planning process and business acumen within a healthcare context.

Directions for the Company:

• Create a fictional territory with 15-20 healthcare accounts of varying types (hospitals, clinics, specialty practices) and sizes.
• Include basic information about each account: size, current solutions in use, potential pain points, and any recent organizational changes.
• Provide the candidate with your company's solution overview and typical sales cycle information.
• Give the candidate 30 minutes to review the materials and develop their strategy, followed by 20 minutes to present their approach and answer questions.
• Evaluate the candidate on their ability to prioritize effectively, develop targeted approaches for different healthcare segments, and articulate a clear plan for meeting sales targets.

Directions for the Candidate:

• Review the territory information and company solution details provided.
• Develop a 90-day plan that includes:
• How you would segment and prioritize the accounts in your territory
• Your approach for different types of healthcare organizations
• Specific strategies for 3-5 high-priority accounts
• How you would allocate your time across prospecting, relationship building, and advancing existing opportunities
• Key metrics you would track to measure your progress
• Prepare to present your strategy in 15 minutes, explaining your rationale and answering questions about your approach.

Feedback Mechanism:

• After the presentation, the interviewer should highlight one particularly effective element of the candidate's strategy (e.g., "Your approach to segmenting by clinical specialty shows strong healthcare industry knowledge").
• The interviewer should also identify one area where the strategy could be strengthened (e.g., "Your plan could better address the longer decision-making cycles in hospital systems").
• Give the candidate 10 minutes to revise the identified portion of their strategy based on this feedback.
• This tests both their strategic thinking and their ability to incorporate industry-specific insights into their planning.

Activity #4: Healthcare Objection Handling Role Play

This role play evaluates a candidate's resilience and adaptability when facing resistance—common scenarios in healthcare sales. It reveals how candidates respond under pressure, reframe objections, and maintain positive relationships while advancing the sale. This exercise provides insight into their problem-solving abilities and emotional intelligence when navigating healthcare-specific concerns.

Directions for the Company:

• Create a scenario where the candidate has already conducted initial discovery with a healthcare prospect and is now facing specific objections in a follow-up conversation.
• Develop 3-4 realistic healthcare-specific objections such as:
• Concerns about integration with existing electronic health record systems
• Questions about compliance with HIPAA or other healthcare regulations
• Budget constraints due to reimbursement pressures
• Resistance from clinical staff to adopting new technologies/processes
• Select an interviewer to play the role of a somewhat skeptical healthcare decision-maker.
• Limit the role play to 15-20 minutes, followed by 10 minutes for feedback and improvement.
• Evaluate the candidate on their ability to listen to objections without becoming defensive, ask clarifying questions, provide relevant responses, and maintain a positive relationship.

Directions for the Candidate:

• Review the scenario information provided about the previous interactions with this healthcare prospect.
• Prepare to handle objections by:
• Listening carefully to understand the true concern behind each objection
• Asking thoughtful questions to gain clarity
• Responding with relevant information that addresses their specific concerns
• Finding ways to move the conversation forward positively
• Demonstrating understanding of healthcare-specific challenges
• Remember that the goal is not just to overcome objections but to build trust and demonstrate value throughout the conversation.

Feedback Mechanism:

• After the role play, the interviewer should highlight one objection the candidate handled particularly well and explain why their approach was effective.
• The interviewer should also identify one objection where the candidate's response could be strengthened or approached differently.
• Give the candidate 5 minutes to demonstrate how they would handle that specific objection differently based on the feedback.
• This tests both their resilience in difficult conversations and their ability to adapt their approach—essential qualities for navigating complex healthcare sales cycles.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much preparation time should we give candidates for these exercises?

For most of these activities, providing materials 24 hours in advance is ideal. This gives candidates enough time to prepare thoughtfully without creating an unreasonable burden. For the Pipeline Strategy exercise, candidates should receive materials at least 30 minutes before the exercise begins. Remember that preparation is a positive indicator—great Account Executives in healthcare will always prepare thoroughly for client interactions.

Should we use our actual product/service in these exercises or create a simplified version?

For most candidates, using a simplified version of your actual product/service works best. This allows you to assess their sales abilities without requiring deep product knowledge. However, for candidates with experience in your specific niche of healthcare, using your actual offering can provide valuable insight into how quickly they can understand and articulate your value proposition.

How should we evaluate candidates who have sales experience but limited healthcare background?

Focus on their core sales skills and adaptability. In the feedback portions of each exercise, pay special attention to how quickly they incorporate healthcare-specific terminology and concepts. Strong candidates without healthcare backgrounds will demonstrate curiosity about the industry and rapidly apply new information. Consider providing a brief healthcare industry primer before the exercises to level the playing field.

Can these exercises be conducted virtually?

Yes, all four activities can be adapted for virtual interviews. For role plays, use video conferencing. For the presentation and strategy exercises, have candidates share their screen. Virtual formats actually mirror how many healthcare sales interactions occur today, especially initial conversations, making them quite realistic for evaluation purposes.

How do we ensure consistency when evaluating different candidates?

Create a standardized rubric for each exercise that aligns with the key competencies in your job description. Have the same interviewers conduct the same exercises across candidates whenever possible. Record sessions (with candidate permission) to allow for comparison and reduce recency bias. Finally, have evaluators complete their assessments independently before discussing candidates to prevent groupthink.

Should we combine these exercises or use them separately in the interview process?

For most companies, using two of these exercises is sufficient—typically the Discovery Call Role Play and either the Solution Presentation or Pipeline Strategy exercise. This provides enough data points without creating an overly lengthy interview process. For senior positions or final-round candidates, you might consider using three exercises spread across different interview sessions.

The healthcare sales environment demands a unique combination of business acumen, relationship-building skills, and industry knowledge. By incorporating these targeted work samples into your interview process, you'll dramatically improve your ability to identify Account Executives who can navigate the complexities of healthcare sales and drive meaningful results for your organization.

Ready to take your healthcare sales hiring to the next level? Yardstick offers powerful tools to streamline and enhance your entire interview process. Create customized job descriptions with our AI Job Description Generator, develop targeted interview questions with our AI Interview Question Generator, and build comprehensive interview guides with our AI Interview Guide Generator. Visit our Healthcare Account Executive Job Description for more insights on this critical role.

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