Personalise based on the prospect's situation, not just their name. Reference a specific challenge their company or industry faces and how you can help.
Look for: research before outreach, personalisation beyond just using the name, value-first messaging rather than feature dumping, multi-channel approach (email, phone, social), and realistic response rate expectations (5-15% for good cold outreach). Best candidates mention testing and iterating on messaging.
Tests prospecting skills and work ethic. Ask for specific numbers: messages sent, response rates, meetings booked. Candidates who cannot quantify their outreach may not be disciplined in their approach.