Start with the working day
A job title tells you less than a description of a normal Tuesday. Ask how much time goes to prospecting, scheduled conversations, follow-up, paperwork and existing customers. Then find out what the employer measures.
| Role | Main responsibility | Question to ask |
|---|---|---|
| Setter / SDR | Start conversations and qualify or book meetings. | Is success measured by meetings booked, meetings held or qualified pipeline? |
| Closer / account executive | Run discovery, present an offer and manage a sale through a decision. | Do you supply qualified appointments, or does the closer also prospect? |
| Account manager | Work with existing accounts on retention, renewals or expansion. | How much of the role is service work versus a revenue target? |
| Insurance sales agent | Discuss insurance needs, explain available policies and support applications. | Which licenses and carrier appointments are required before selling? |
Titles vary between companies. A “closer” role that also requires sourcing every prospect has a different workload from one built around scheduled appointments.
Read the pay plan before the headline
Separate guaranteed pay from variable compensation. Salary, commission, bonus and on-target earnings describe different things. An earnings illustration is not the same as a paycheck you can count on.
Ask for the written compensation plan. Find out what earns a commission, when it becomes payable, whether a draw must be repaid, and what happens after a cancellation or refund. If there are lead, software, licensing or other expenses, put them beside the compensation terms.
A useful test: Can you explain in plain language how one completed sale turns into money paid to you, including any conditions? If not, keep asking.
For this site's insurance opportunity, compensation is commission-only. Review the specific arrangement before deciding whether it fits your circumstances.
Check what “remote” permits
Confirm your eligible state, working hours, expected time zone and any travel or in-person training. Remote work does not automatically mean you can work from any state or country.
Ask about the practical setup too: a quiet place for calls, the required equipment, the CRM, call recording expectations, and who supports you when something stops working. Those details affect the day more than the view from a laptop.
Prepare evidence of your skills
Bring a short account of a sale you handled: the customer's problem, the questions you asked, the objection you worked through and the outcome. Distinguish your own contribution from the team's results. Share examples only when you are allowed to disclose them; remove customer information.
Prepare equally specific questions for the company. Who coaches calls? What happens during onboarding? What does a new seller need to demonstrate before handling prospects alone? Ask how success is measured in the first month, not just what the top performer earned.
You can use the role comparison checklist to compare answers from more than one opportunity.
For insurance duties and licensing background: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Insurance Sales Agents. Role comparisons and interview questions are this site's editorial guidance, not a list of current vacancies.