"Tell me about a time you were deep in a process with a prospect, partner, or internal stakeholder and then they went silent after several productive interactions. How did you handle the lack of response, and what did you do next? If helpful, you can use a hiring process example, but I’m more interested in your judgment, persistence, and professionalism under ambiguity."
For an Account Executive at Databricks, this comes up often: a champion disappears, a procurement thread stalls, or an executive sponsor stops replying after multiple meetings. I’m looking for how you operate when you don’t control the other side’s timeline and don’t have full information. This question tests ownership, communication, prioritization, and whether you can stay composed and commercially effective without becoming passive or pushy.
A strong answer is specific about the stakes, timeline, and outreach strategy. It shows thoughtful follow-up, use of multiple channels, respect for the other party, and a clear decision point on when to persist, when to reframe, and when to move on. The best answers include a measurable outcome and a lesson learned about managing ambiguous silence.