← Workiva
Workiva role-play cheat sheet
For the mock cold call at the end of most SDR interviews.
What they sell, in one line
Workiva is cloud software that helps companies build, review and file financial, compliance and ESG reports accurately.
Who you'd be calling
CFOs, Controllers, SEC reporting and financial reporting managers, compliance and sustainability leads at larger companies.
Your opener
“Hi [Name], this is [You] from Workiva. We help finance teams get quarterly and annual reports done with fewer last-minute scrambles, and I wanted to ask how your team handles it today. Got a minute?”
Problems you solve for them
- Quarter-end reports built in spreadsheets and Word, with many errors and version mix-ups
- Tight deadlines for filings like 10-Ks and 10-Qs
- New sustainability reporting rules that need trusted, auditable data
Discovery questions to ask
- How does your team put together reports at quarter-end today?
- How many people and tools touch a report before it's final?
- Are you preparing for any new sustainability or ESG reporting requirements?
Objections they'll throw at you
“I'm in the middle of close, I'm busy.”
→ Sounds like the worst time, sorry. When would be a calmer week to talk for ten minutes?
“We're not interested.”
→ Fair enough. Just curious, is reporting a smooth process for your team today?
“We already use Excel and Word.”
→ A lot of finance teams do. How much time goes into checking that numbers match across files?
“Send me an email.”
→ Happy to. Which matters more to you, saving time at close or reducing reporting errors?
Competitors worth knowing
Toppan Merrill, Donnelley Financial Solutions, OneStream
Interview tips for this company
- Learn terms like 10-K, 10-Q and 'close' (month or quarter-end accounting), since finance buyers use them constantly.
- Expect a more formal tone: finance buyers are careful and dislike hype.
Written from public information about Workiva to help you practice. Ask an insider what their role play looked like; it's the best prep there is.