Expect a mix of strategic, operational, and people-focused questions in chief revenue officer interview questions. Interviews often include a panel with leaders from sales, marketing, finance, and product, and may include case studies or forecasting exercises. Stay calm, show how you think about revenue as a system, and be honest about trade-offs.
Common Interview Questions
Behavioral Questions (STAR Method)
Questions to Ask the Interviewer
- •What does success look like for this role after 6 and 12 months, and what are the top measurable outcomes you expect?
- •How are revenue responsibilities divided across sales, marketing, and customer success today, and where do you see gaps?
- •Can you describe the current revenue tech stack and which data sources the executive team trusts for planning?
- •What are the biggest headwinds the company expects in the next 12 months that will affect revenue?
- •How does the board or CEO prefer to receive revenue updates, and what level of detail do they expect?
Interview Preparation Tips
Prepare one or two concise case examples that show quantifiable impact, and rehearse how you present the problem, actions, and outcomes in under five minutes.
Bring thoughtful questions about metrics and data sources, and ask for a sample dataset or dashboard if a case study is part of the interview.
When discussing strategy, always tie proposals to leading and lagging metrics, and describe how you would measure short-term progress.
Be candid about trade-offs you made in prior roles, explain why you made them, and share what you learned to show growth and sound judgment.
Overview
The chief revenue officer (CRO) interview evaluates three core areas: strategy, execution, and leadership. Expect questions on scaling revenue from $X to $Y, improving unit economics, and building repeatable go-to-market (GTM) motions.
Interview formats usually include a 30-minute phone screen, a 60–90 minute on-site or virtual panel, and a 20–30 minute strategy presentation. Prepare to discuss concrete KPIs such as ARR, MRR, churn rate, CAC, LTV, and sales cycle length.
For example, an interviewer may ask how you would grow ARR from $40M to $60M in 18 months while reducing churn from 8% to 5%.
Behavioral topics focus on hiring and culture: examples include leading a 120-person commercial organization, replacing underperforming managers (target: improve quota attainment from 55% to 75% within 6 months), and managing cross-functional conflict. Technical topics involve forecasting accuracy (expectations often ±5%), funnel conversion rates, pricing tests, and cohort analysis.
Expect case prompts like: "Design a 12-month plan to enter the EU market and reach $10M ARR.
Practical prep steps:
- •Bring a one-page revenue playbook with metrics and timelines.
- •Prepare a 10–15 slide deck for a 20-minute presentation.
- •Ready three stories with numbers showing impact (percent change, time frame).
Actionable takeaway: create a two-page brief showing current state, target KPIs, and three prioritized initiatives with expected impact and timing.
Subtopics to Master
Break the CRO role into focused subtopics and prepare specific examples and metrics for each.
1.
- •Sample focus: growing ARR by 30% YoY.
- •Prepare a 12–24 month GTM plan with channels, target ACV ranges, and expected conversion rates.
2.
- •Show forecasting accuracy history, e.g., improved from ±15% to ±5%.
- •Explain quota-setting: average quota $1.2M, target attainment 70–80%.
3.
- •Include case: run a price elasticity test on a $499 plan; expect 10–15% conversion shift.
4.
- •Provide cohort churn analysis: reduce 90-day churn from 12% to 7%.
- •Outline upsell motions and health-score thresholds.
5.
- •Give an example: close 3 strategic partners to add $6M ARR in 18 months.
6.
- •Draft playbook for market entry: localization, legal, 6–9 month sales ramp.
7.
- •Describe hiring plan: add 25 reps in Q1, ramp-to-quota in 5 months.
Preparation tips:
- •Create one-page metrics for each subtopic.
- •Rehearse answers with exact numbers (time, impact, headcount).
Actionable takeaway: build a one-page cheat sheet covering these subtopics with KPIs and one example outcome for each.
Resources
Curate a focused set of books, templates, courses, and data sources to prepare effectively.
Books and reports
- •"The Sales Acceleration Formula" by Mark Roberge — practical hiring and scaling tactics; note chapter on ramp time and quota design.
- •"Monetizing Innovation" by Madhavan Ramanujam — pricing experiments and revenue tests.
- •Industry reports from Gartner or Forrester — use for market sizing assumptions (expect to cite % TAM growth).
Online courses and podcasts
- •Coursera/Wharton courses on sales strategy and business metrics — useful for tools like cohort analysis.
- •Podcasts: SaaStr and The Go-to-Market (GTM) Podcast — real CEO/CRO interviews with tactical examples.
Templates and tools
- •Financial model template: include ARR build, churn curves, CAC payback, and LTV calculations (assume 5% monthly churn for early-stage SaaS).
- •1-page revenue playbook template: current KPIs, three initiatives, expected delta, timeline.
- •Forecast spreadsheet with scenario tabs: base, upside (+20%), downside (-15%).
Data sources and practice
- •Use Crunchbase or PitchBook for competitor ARR estimates and recent M&A multiples.
- •Search Glassdoor and LinkedIn for typical CRO interview questions at target companies.
Actionable takeaway: assemble a 15-slide mock presentation using the templates and one public company report to justify market assumptions.