What does your typical day look like? How do you find yourself spending your time?
How are you measured? How does that impact what you do?
How do you set priorities for your function? How do you manage your team?
What kinds of reports do you look at to know whether your team is doing what they should? Would you mind walking through one with me?
What kinds of things do you talk about in your staff meetings? Do you mind if I sit in one sometime?
What are the biggest difficulties you face in doing your job?
What are the biggest issues you and people in your function face?
What are your dreams? What are your goals?
What keeps you awake at night?
What do you read to keep updated with things going on in your function and industry? What blogs, what magazines? How do you keep informed and up to date?
What’s your reaction to sales people who are trying to meet with you? How do you decide which sales people you will meet with, which you will push to someone else, and who you will ignore?
What do you like to see a sales person talk about in meetings with you?
What do you see sales people doing really badly when they meet with you?
What did the best sales person you ever worked with do to earn your respect?
What about gate keepers? (You may also want to talk to that person’s assistant and ask them similar questions.)
How do you like to be sold to? How do you buy?
When you decide to buy something, how do you really get the approval, how do you really get things done?
How knowledgeable about your function do you expect sales people to do?