← Zip
Zip role-play cheat sheet
For the mock cold call at the end of most SDR interviews.
What they sell, in one line
Software that manages how companies buy things, from request to approval to payment, using AI to speed it up.
Who you'd be calling
CPOs, Heads of Procurement, Procurement Ops, and Finance leaders (CFO, Controller, IT) at mid-market and enterprise companies.
Your opener
“Hi [Name], this is [You] from Zip. We help procurement teams get purchase requests approved faster and see where company spend is going. Is buying and approvals something you're working on improving?”
Problems you solve for them
- Employees buy things outside the process, so spending is hard to control
- Purchase requests get stuck waiting on approvals from Legal, Finance, and IT
- Procurement teams are small and buried in manual follow-ups
- Little visibility into what the company spends and with whom
Discovery questions to ask
- How does a purchase request move through your company today, from ask to approval?
- Where do requests tend to get stuck or go around the process?
- How does your team track spend and contracts across departments?
Objections they'll throw at you
“I'm busy right now.”
→ No problem, I'll be brief. I'm calling about slow purchase approvals. Is there a better time this week for a 10-minute chat?
“We're not interested.”
→ Understood. Just to check, is your team happy with how long purchase requests take to get approved?
“We already use something for procurement.”
→ Good, so you have a process in place. Many teams use Zip on top of existing tools like their ERP to fix the intake and approval part. How do employees start a request today?
“Just send me an email.”
→ Of course. So I send the right thing, is your bigger pain approval speed, spend visibility, or compliance? Then we can set a quick follow-up.
Competitors worth knowing
Coupa, SAP Ariba, Ivalua
Interview tips for this company
- Understand the words 'procure-to-pay', 'intake', and 'maverick spend' (buying outside the rules) before the interview.
- Procurement leaders get pitched often, so practice a short opener that shows you know their world.
Written from public information about Zip to help you practice. Ask an insider what their role play looked like; it's the best prep there is.