About the Business Development Representative Role at Maxima

Maxima is building the first agentic AI platform for enterprise accounting, purpose built to deliver SOX compliant, real time close. As a Business Development Representative on the Sales team, you sit at the top of the growth engine: sourcing and qualifying new opportunities, running multi-channel outreach (cold calls, email, and social), and building a healthy, predictable pipeline that you hand off to Account Executives. This is a fully remote, full-time role where you partner closely with Sales, Marketing, and Product to connect finance leaders with Maxima's platform.

Maxima is looking for a motivated, curious, and organized person with roughly 1 to 2 years of business development or sales development experience, ideally in SaaS or technology. They want strong communicators who can articulate complex ideas clearly, who stay organized with tight follow-up, and who are genuinely curious about AI, automation, and the future of finance. Comfort with CRM and sales engagement tools such as Salesforce, HubSpot, or Outreach is a plus, and the role is framed as a clear path toward Account Executive or other GTM positions.

Quick Stats

* Typical process: 3 to 4 rounds, roughly 2 to 3 weeks end to end

* Format: Remote video and phone throughout, likely including a live cold-call or mock outreach exercise

* Core focus: Prospecting and outreach, qualification and discovery, pipeline collaboration, market and AI curiosity, CRM and sales tools

* Difficulty: Moderate; the role itself is entry-to-mid level, but you are selling a technical, SOX-compliant AI product to enterprise finance leaders, so domain curiosity and clear articulation matter

What Maxima Looks For

* 1 to 2 years in business development, sales development, or a related sales role, preferably in SaaS or tech

* Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to explain complex ideas clearly and confidently

* Strong organization, time management, and disciplined follow-up

* Genuine curiosity about AI, automation, and the evolving CFO technology landscape, plus experience with CRM and sales engagement tools

Round 1: Recruiter Screen (~30 minutes)

What to Expect

This is the first conversation, usually a phone or video call with a recruiter or sales leader. Expect a quick walkthrough of your background, why you want to move into (or continue in) SaaS sales, and why Maxima specifically. Because Maxima is an early-stage startup with an unusual product, the recruiter will gauge whether you are genuinely curious about AI and finance and whether you thrive in a fast-moving, performance-driven environment. Logistics like remote work, availability, and compensation expectations often come up here.

Example Questions

* "Walk me through your background and what drew you to business development."

* "What do you know about Maxima and why does an AI accounting platform interest you?"

* "Tell me about a time you hit or exceeded a pipeline or activity goal."

* "How do you stay organized when you are managing outreach to dozens of prospects at once?"

Tips

* Have a crisp two-minute story that connects your experience to prospecting, qualification, and quota-carrying activity.

* Do light homework on Maxima's mission (SOX compliant, real time close) and be ready to explain why the space excites you.

* Practice this quick pitch-and-fit conversation with Nora's Standard Mode so your intro and "why Maxima" land smoothly under time pressure.

Round 2: Hiring Manager Behavioral Interview (~45 minutes)

What to Expect

This round is typically with the sales manager or a GTM leader and focuses on how you work: your drive, resilience, coachability, and how you handle rejection and follow-up. Expect STAR-style behavioral questions tied directly to the responsibilities in the posting, including prospecting persistence, collaborating with Account Executives on handoffs, and continuously testing new messaging. They are assessing whether you are self-motivated, goal-oriented, adaptable, and eager to learn from experienced GTM professionals.

Example Questions

* "Tell me about a time you got repeatedly rejected in outreach. What did you change?"

* "Describe how you partnered with an Account Executive or teammate to move a lead through the funnel."

* "Give an example of when you tested new messaging or an approach that improved your results."

* "Tell me about a time you had to learn a complex product or market quickly."

Tips

* Prepare four to six STAR stories covering resilience, collaboration, experimentation, and goal achievement.

* Quantify outcomes where you can (meetings booked, response rates, pipeline generated) since this is a metrics-driven role.

* Rehearse these stories out loud with Nora's Behavioral Mode so your STAR structure stays tight and specific.

Round 3: Role-Play and Sales Skills Exercise (~45 to 60 minutes)

What to Expect

For a BDR role, expect a practical exercise that mirrors the day to day: a live mock cold call, a discovery role-play, or a written outreach assignment targeting a finance leader. The interviewer may play a skeptical CFO or controller and evaluate how you open, handle objections, ask qualifying questions, and articulate Maxima's value without getting lost in jargon. You may also be asked how you would research and prioritize accounts and how you would use CRM and sales engagement tools to run a campaign.

Example Questions

* "Cold call me. I am a controller at a mid-market company. Go."

* "Walk me through how you would qualify whether a prospect is a fit for Maxima."

* "How would you research and build a target list of finance leaders to prospect?"

* "How would you explain Maxima's value to a CFO who says their current close process works fine?"

Tips

* Prepare a simple discovery framework (open, uncover pain, quantify impact, book next step) and practice explaining Maxima in plain language.

* Learn enough about month-end close pain, SOX compliance, and accounting automation to ask sharp, credible questions.

* Run mock cold calls and discovery in Nora's Technical Mode to sharpen objection handling, qualification questions, and your value pitch before the live round.

Round 4: Team Fit and Offer Discussion (~30 minutes)

What to Expect

The final step is often a conversation with a founder, cross-functional partner (Marketing or Product), or a peer, focused on culture fit, curiosity, and long-term motivation, followed by a compensation discussion. Maxima frames the role as a stepping stone to Account Executive, so expect questions about your career goals and how you would contribute to a small, fast-moving team. If it goes well, this is where base salary, variable pay, equity, and benefits come up.

Example Questions

* "Where do you want your GTM career to go in the next two to three years?"

* "What excites you about joining an early-stage startup rather than a large company?"

* "How do you stay current on AI and finance trends?"

* "What are your compensation expectations for this role?"

Tips

* Show that you understand and are energized by startup pace, ambiguity, and direct impact on GTM direction.

* Research typical BDR compensation (base plus variable plus equity) so you can anchor your expectations with data.

* Practice the pay conversation with Nora's Salary Negotiation Mode so you can discuss base, variable, and equity confidently without underselling yourself.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1) How many rounds are there?

Expect roughly 3 to 4 rounds: a recruiter screen, a hiring manager behavioral interview, a sales role-play or skills exercise, and a final team-fit plus offer conversation. Maxima has not published its exact process, so this reflects the typical structure for a BDR role at an early-stage SaaS startup.

2) What topics are most common?

* Prospecting, outreach, qualification, and pipeline handoff to Account Executives

* Motivation and curiosity about AI, automation, and enterprise finance, plus CRM and sales engagement tool experience

3) How long does the process take?

Usually about 2 to 3 weeks end to end, though timelines can move faster at a fast-growing startup or vary with scheduling.

4) How should I prepare?

* Study Maxima's mission (SOX compliant, real time close) and get comfortable explaining the value of AI accounting automation in plain language.

* Prepare quantified STAR stories on resilience, collaboration, experimentation, and hitting goals.

* Practice a live cold call and discovery role-play, including objection handling and qualifying questions for finance leaders.

* Use Nora's Standard Mode for the recruiter screen, Behavioral Mode for your STAR stories, Technical Mode for cold-call and discovery role-plays, and Salary Negotiation Mode for the offer conversation.