ARTICLE SUMMARIES
The Cost of Failure Calculator: Hiring the Wrong Sales Person Costs! Find out how much.
This is not actually an article but an online calculator that enables one to input and calculate the cost of hiring a failed sales person. The calculator is divided into 3 broad categories with approximately 40 sub categories. Once one inputs the numbers the calculator computes your company's specific cost of a sales hiring failure. While not specifically suggesting one use a personality test for sales or other psychometric test for sales, the implication is quite clear that without such sales profiling tools one is likely to make a very expensive sales hiring mistake.
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7 Ways to Hire Better Employees
The focus of this article is to highlight 7 practical measures that can be taken to improve sales screening and assessment of sales people. The article lists various practical suggestions that cost nothing including sales simulations such as the tried and true "sell me the pencil" test to measure sales skills. Another test for sales, having the sales candidate call and attempt to obtain an appointment, is described. As well, having the candidate demonstrate their sales skill by writing an assignment explaining why they are the best sales candidate is suggested. Other suggestions are to analyze the job to determine it's sales profile and necessary sales skill. This is likened to a casting director defining the role to be played. The 7th item in the article suggests managers test for sales by using sales exams or other forms of sales psychometric testing when in the hiring mode.
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7 Common Mistakes Managers Make When Hiring Salespeople
The focus of this article is the mistakes that are made when hiring sales people. The article begins by emphasizing how important it is to understand the role in terms of its necessary sales personality traits. Unless one defines this it is impossible to hire effectively even if a sales competency test or other test for sales is used. Readers are cautioned that sales personality traits are similar to two edged swords. A high quality personality test for salespeople will show this. Another issue the article highlights is the unfortunate fact that some sales personality traits in sales people look like other sales personality traits. Unless you use some form of psychometric test for sales to counter this you will be fooled by sales candidates. Specific mention is made of introverts and how they may come across poorly in sales interviews even if you are using some form of sales interview test. These atypical salesman personality traits may cause one to wrongly disqualify good candidates. The article finishes by suggesting one use a set of questions or sales assessment tool kit in order to maintain consistency. Finally, the article suggests that successful sales rep assessment involves having sales profiling tools such as work assignments for the applicant.
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Why Sales Assessment Tests are Becoming More Popular With Hiring Managers
This article explains the growing popularity of sales assessment testing. Different sales assessment test examples are explained as well as the benefits of online sales assessment tests vs the paper and pencil sales assessment testing of the past. It is recommended that if one is to utilize sales assessment testing to identify sales personality that one verifies it's validity and reliability. Another point of the article is that one clearly understands what one wants measured. There are many sales assessment test examples in the marketplace and many of these sales tests are measuring different aspects of the sales candidate. To make the proper decision one must know whether to measure sales skill, sales aptitude, sales personality or sales competency. Without this understanding it is similar to comparing apples to oranges. This article ends by making the point that a sales exam is not a panacea. They should be thought of as tools to be used along with other tools.
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Can Our Sales Assessment Test be Cheated?
This article answers a common question that potential clients have about whether a personality profile test for sales can be cheated. The article explains that if a business is selling this kind of personality profile and if it was easily cheated then this would be a rather tenuous business offering. Validation of the personality profile test is explained and it is also explained that the personality profile test would typically be used along with other pre employment testing and personality assessment. It is not meant to be relied on as the sole sales hiring criteria. By using other pre-employment assessment testing along with any other sales hiring tools means that one has a "safety net" in case a sales candidate is successful in manipulating the salesperson test. While true cheating is rare, it is common for sales candidates to attempt to "play the role" when completing an interview test for sales. Reputable vendors of sales psychometric testing ensure that their sales tests allow for this. "Trust but verify" is the suggested approach to their use.
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How Much Emphasis Should be Placed on the Results of a Sales Assessment Test?
This article explains the context and the amount of weight one places on a sales assessment test when used for hiring sales people. Various scenarios are described where one would use the sales assessment test and place great credence on the sales test results. Other scenarios are described where one would use the same sales assessment test but, based on the candidate's experience, the results of the sales evaluation would be downplayed. In other situations the sales assessment test results should be used as more of a developmental tool. The major conclusion to be drawn from this article is that if you are using a sales assessment test (aka sales personality test) in your hiring you should remain quite flexible about how much emphasis to place on the results.
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Challenges to Using a Sales Assessment Test When Hiring Telephone Sales People
This article explains the unique challenges to be addressed when using a sales assessment to test telephone sales people. The gist of the article is that the personality traits of the most effective telephone sales people are at odds with the daily requirements of telephone sales. The result of this conundrum is that when you hire for these roles you are attempting to place a "round peg in a square hole". This is opposite to your goal when using a sales assessment (aka sales personality test) for other sales roles. The article focusses heavily on and describes the sales personality traits of hunter-closer types. Suggestions are made about how to keep the sales person happy in their job. The conclusion: If you are using pre-employment assessment testing for telephone sales people, the sales evaluation results should be used to understand how to work around the areas that cause job turnover.
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Don't Forget Your Audience When Writing Your Next Job Advertisement
This article addresses the need to write a job advertisement while taking into consideration the sales personality of the type of sales person you would like to attract. Examples are provided using the sales personality traits of various styles of sales people. As an example, an ad for a sales hunter who would typically have a sales personality that is quite assertive and independent would emphasize freedom from rules and procedures and an almost entrepreneurial working environment. Conversely, an ad for a sales farmer (customer service) whose sales personality is more rule bound and who relies on management, should emphasize a more nurturing and supportive sales environment. An important point of the article is that typically job ads for sales roles are often laundry lists of the technical requirements but tend not to take into account the personality profile of the ideal salesman. If writers of these ads wish to attract the ideal sales personality then they need to take this into account.
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Why Some of the Very Best Sales People are Introverts
This article deals with the common misconception that sales people must be extroverts in order to be successful in sales. Whether one is using pre-employment assessment testing for sales or not, the less people oriented (more introverted) candidates are seen as having an insurmountable weakness. The article explains that in more technical or consultative roles, those who have the more introverted sales personality traits are often highly effective. Readers are cautioned though, that the entire package of the salesman's personality traits must be evaluated since other sales personality traits can mitigate the so called weaknesses; in this case the introversion. The article explains the many positives of these sales introverts and clearly outlines how to work with them to mitigate the problems of their sales personality traits and how to build on their strengths.
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Why Small Companies Can't Afford NOT to Use a Sales Assessment Test
The focus of this article is pre employment testing and personality assessment and its relative importance to the specific needs of smaller businessess. The case is presented that it is even more imperative that smaller businesses use a personality test for sales people in their hiring regime. Since the cost of a sales hiring failure is so much more critical to a small employer than a large business the relative cost of using such sales psychometric tests is a drop in the bucket and is therefore well worth the expenditure. The article describes numerous other benefits of using a sales interview test or what is often referred to as a sales talent indicator test. Aside from the obvious benefit of ensuring the right fit of the salesman personality traits to the role there is the often overlooked side benefit of the value added insights, advice and counsel offered by the vendors of these sales psychometric tests. The article also describes another overlooked benefit to using a sales rep assessment or sales rep test in the hiring process which is that the information in the sales evaluation report will ensure you get the new sales employee up and running much quicker. One of the more critical and little understood aspects of using a salesperson test is also addressed in the article. Specifically that when such sales profiling tools are used to identify salesman personality traits it is critical to analyze the role for which you are hiring in order to ensure the best fit between the sales person and the sales role. The article ends by pointing out that using a salesperson personality test today is very economical compared to using the sales profiling tools of the past.
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Hunters Defined
The focus of this article is the definition of the traits of a sales hunter. Many sales hiring managers use the terms sales hunter or sales farmer yet most are unable to actually articulate their actual sales traits. This article spells out what those sales traits are by using descriptions of the scales on our salesperson personality test. The article specifies where on these scales hunters typically fall. While not specifically suggesting that one should use a salesperson test when hiring, the article describes the sales personality traits of a type of applicant that can fool you in the interview that looks like a sales hunter but is not. The article suggests that if you do not use a sales profile or some other form of salesman personality profile then you run the serious risk of hiring a failure.
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A Sales Personality Test will eliminate these 5 Sales Hiring Mistakes
This article explains how using a sales personality test can eliminate 5 common sales hiring mistakes. The cost of these sales hiring mistakes is touched on and there is a link to a cost of failure calculator. It is explained that personality sales tests are tools and not a panacea. The 5 sales hiring mistakes that can be avoided by using a personality test for sales people are described in some detail. One of the more common benefits of sales testing is eliminating the chance of being fooled in interviews. Another benefit that a sales assessment test brings to the table is to gain insight into the positives of more introverted sales people who do not come off very well in sales interviews. The article describes how often times managers who do not use pre employment assessment testing for sales do not have clear idea about the kind of sales personality they require. The article concludes by explaining that using a personality test for sales people assists you to get the new rep up and running quickly.
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3 Reasons to use a Sales Personality Test with your current sales people
This article explains 3 compelling reasons to use sales personality tests to clarify the sales personality traits of your current sales staff. An explanation of how the sales test will provide insight into the common elements of sales personality of these A players is explained. Knowing these salesman personality traits, you can expect to hire more effectively in the future. The benefit of using the sales personality test with B players is also explained. Some of the B players will have the same sales personality traits as the A players whereas others will lack some of these key salesman personality traits. Finally it is explained that when using a personality test for sales people with the poorest performers you will confirm that many are lacking important elements of sales personality that are present in the A players.
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5 Personality Traits of top sales people (closers)
This article explains the results of a study of 150 top sales closers. Five sales trait drive scales are described and the results of where these top closers rate on the scales as a result of taking sales psychometric tests. It is shown in the sales testing that top closers have a high level of assertiveness. As well the sales personality test results show they have a high level of sociability and low patience. In addition, the sales psychometric tests show a rather independent sales personality. The article concludes by explaining how clearly identifiable these top salesman personality traits are but cautions the reader that the specific sales personality you require may be different.
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Does Sales Personality Matter?
This article asks and answers the question about the relationship of sales personality to sales success. It explicitly asks the question about sales personality and it's importance and not whether one needs to conduct sales personality testing to measure it. Whether to use a sales test is left as a separate question. The view of other commentators is mentioned and how some seem to feel that sales tools make the need to even consider sales personality a redundant issue. Still, other commentators are mentioned who seem not to really have much insight into how varied sales personality can actually be. The article uses a very brief description of sales hunters and sales farmers in order to rebut these erroneous views of sales personality. The article concludes by stating that hiring sales people without identifying sales personality traits can be very costly. It further states the need to know the necessary sales personality traits of the role itself is paramount. Finally, and naturally, the article gently suggests that the few dollars it would cost to use a sales personality test is 'money well spent'
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Sales Personality Test – At what point to use in the Hiring Process?
This article about sales assessment testing addresses the question about when to use the sales test in the hiring process. Many vendors of sales exams and other sales psychometric tests of the past used them very late in the sales hiring process. Since it is an online sales assessment test they can now be taken 24/7 anywhere in the world. Using a sales personality test never used to be so economical so the article expalins that these two aspects, low sales assessment cost and web enablement of the sales testing mean one can use it very early on. The additional benefits of using a personality test for sales people at the 'top of the funnel' are explained.
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