First of all, you could give me 5 back up parachutes and I would still not jump out of an airplane! Unlike the brave souls who get their thrills from skydiving I remain perfectly content to keep my feet firmly planted on the ground. Recently though while watching a skydiving demonstration from the safety of good old terra firma, it crossed my mind that using a sales assessment test can be likened to packing a back up parachute. Okay I have to admit it is a big stretch when you compare the failure of a parachute with a failed sales hire but I really needed a good visual image to go along with this article.
Seriously though, when interviewing and hiring sales people, a lot can go wrong in your efforts to understand the candidate and hence to make the right decision. Given the financial consequences of a bad sales hire isn’t it just sensible to use a sales test in order to provide additional peace of mind and to ‘just make sure’? Here are five ways a sales assessment test will do just that.
Improved Reference Checking
Most reference checking is useless because it is basically just a verification of facts-dates, positions etc. Having access to the results of a sales assessment can make your reference checking much more effective. Why? Because when you talk to the reference you have the ability to exhibit a far greater understanding of the applicant. When you exhibit insights about the candidate and frame these insights around job activities the reference is more likely to open up and give you useful and job relevant feedback.
Better Interviews
The same insights that make you better at reference checking will definitely improve your interviews. Firstly, you can, if you wish, restrict your interviews to only the most qualified candidates by using the sales assessment early on. This means you can have fewer but more comprehensive interviews. Secondly, by having the sales assessment results at hand you can zero in on any red flags. In essence the sales assessment results will put you firmly back in control of the interview.
Uncover Concerns
A sales assessment provides insights into areas that are just not apparent to even the best interviewer. Whether these concerns are ‘deal breakers’ or not, just having the information helps.
Confirming What You Know
For better or worse sometimes a sales assessment confirms what you already think and feel about the candidate. If your negative view is confirmed at least you can feel comfortable that you have done what you can to make sure. If your positive impressions are confirmed the sales assessment results will lend some objectivity to your positive impressions.
Shorter Ramp Up
The results of a sales assessment can be particularly useful with new sales employees even just as the catalyst for starting an open and frank dialogue. Better communication will usually mean a better working relationship. Furthermore, the results will be particularly useful in understanding how to manage, train and motivate the new hire.
Conclusion
When you contrast the financial costs to make a bad sales hire against the many benefits of using a sales assessment test, hiring a sales person without using one makes about as much sense as jumping out of airplane with no back up chute. You wouldn’t do that, would you?
