How to Assess Sales Skills

Hiring a top sales team is a priority for organizations because they need to meet revenue and growth goals. This is why U.S. businesses spend $800 billion annually on sales salaries and commissions and $15 billion on sales training. 

Sales managers hate hearing that a top performer is leaving for another opportunity since they will lose not only the team member’s talent but also their product knowledge and client relationships. Another problem is turnover. Turnover is expensive, but the impact of sales rep turnover is particularly negative because losing good sales talent directly affects the bottom line.

Organizational leaders know hiring the right people is the best way to build and retain a good sales team. This is why more and more businesses are implementing an industry-leading testing solution like the eSkill Talent Assessment Platform^TM and using sales aptitude tests in their hiring process.

The Benefits of Using Online Sales Aptitude Tests

HR teams can screen candidates quickly and efficiently with online sales aptitude tests. Instead of manually reviewing hundreds of resumes, they can instantly screen applicants and determine which ones are best qualified for the job. They can also decide which candidates are the best fit for the job and corporate culture. This enables them to build a “rock star” sales team that will develop business, build relationships, and close sales. These are some of the benefits of using sales aptitude tests:

Streamline Candidate Screening

Businesses may receive thousands of applications in response to a single sales representative job posting. HR teams must be able to quickly identify top applicants and weed out those who lack the necessary skills and experience. Sales skills assessments allow HR leaders to eliminate unqualified applicants and focus on top candidates.

Customize Sales Skills Assessments

The eSkill Talent Assessment Platform^TM allows hiring teams to use pre-prepared sales aptitude tests or build custom assessments by selecting questions from multiple job- and subject-based skills tests. They can choose from hundreds of validated skills tests in the eSkill Assessment Library. For example, if hiring sales account executives for a software company, you can use questions that measure applicants’ sales ability and include questions from the Technical Consultant and Software Testing skills tests to ensure candidates have a basic understanding of software development.

Simulations and Video Response Questions

Online sales aptitude tests confirm that candidates have the right skills but need to show whether they can apply the knowledge on the job. This is why HR teams include simulations and video response questions in assessments.

Simulations replicate job scenarios the candidates will encounter on the job if hired. HR teams can then observe their responses and evaluate their performance. For instance, presenting applicants with situations where they must work with difficult clients, overcome objections, or sell against competitors to win or win back business will show you how they will perform if hired.

Video response questions evaluate skills that are difficult to measure using a written assessment. Verbal communication skills are a good example. Sales representatives must sound pleasant and professional in person, on the phone, and during video meetings. Video response questions help you ensure candidates are articulate and easy to understand. You can also evaluate other attributes that might be important, such as foreign language proficiency.

How to Assess Sales Skills Using Sales Aptitude Tests

Sales representatives must be able to sell the value of products and services to customers and prospects. They must also be good at building relationships, negotiating, and closing. So, when HR teams ask how to assess skills and what types of questions to include in sales aptitude tests, these are some of the assessments we recommend:

• Sales Representative: This is a general assessment that evaluates applicants’ ability to follow up on sales leads, build relationships with customers, sell and promote products and services, and close deals.

• Sales Concepts: This assessment measures candidates’ knowledge of sales tactics, strategies, and closing skills and determines whether they can work effectively with customers and prospects.

• Negotiating: Sales representatives must be good negotiators to be successful. This test assesses candidates’ ability to think strategically, solve problems, and make decisions and their persuasion and analytic skills.

• Emotional Intelligence: Good sales representatives are aware of their emotions and how they can impact their relationships with customers and prospects. This assessment measures candidates’ social intelligence skills and their ability to apply them while working with customers, prospects, and colleagues.

• Email Etiquette: One poorly written email message can cause misunderstandings and even ruin a strong business relationship. This assessment confirms candidates understand basic email etiquette and can compose clear, complete, and diplomatic messages.

• Video conference Communication and Etiquette: In most companies, many sales presentations are conducted online. This assessment confirms that applicants understand videoconference etiquette, can use video conferencing applications, and can engage participants effectively.

Get Started with Online Sales Aptitude Tests

Online sales aptitude tests help companies build a sales team to generate leads and close business. They also help businesses improve quality-of-hire, reduce recruiting costs, and decrease time-to-hire. Many eSkill clients have decreased hiring costs by about 70% and reduced time-to-hire by around 60%.

Do you want to learn how to assess sales skills using the best sales aptitude tests? Contact us to request a demo.