Sales Aptitude Tests

December 17, 2018

If you are looking to hire a salesperson, being sure they can sell is important. They may be promising during the initial interview, but when the time comes to perform, they may have the wrong sales style for your customers and are not hitting the numbers you expected. If this is the case, how do you hire better salespeople? The secret is to integrate a sales aptitude test in your hiring process.

What Is a Sales Aptitude Test?

A sales aptitude test measures important sales traits that your potential hire needs to have. All successful salespeople follow a simple process in order to help them effectively make a sale. For this reason, it is important to determine if the candidate you’re looking into possesses several essential skills to help them succeed including sales ethics and their ability to overcome objections. Gathering this information will help you evaluate which candidates have the necessary traits, abilities, and knowledge to help you succeed in your sales goals, and who has the most potential for maintaining this success long-term.

A key component of an effective salesperson is having a thorough understanding of the steps of the sale. From the initial approach through to the presentation, questions, and close, each step is important and must be carefully evaluated to match the needs of the client. This is true no matter if you are selling material objects such as cars, or services your company offers.

An aptitude test will also help you to determine what type of sales role each candidate will do best in. Are they excellent and relaxed communicators in person? Consider utilizing them for client meetings where face-to-face interaction is important. Are they nervous when explaining themselves in person, but have a great way with words on the phone or through written communication? They may fit better in a background sales role, helping to create leads for your more charismatic salespeople.

Be aware of the personalities of your clients and the types of people you’re looking to attract when you’re browsing through your candidate list. You want to be sure that they have traits that will mesh well with your clientele.

Why Employers Should Use a Sales Aptitude Test

• Helps You Hire Quicker and More Effectively – Conducting interviews takes a lot of time. By using a sales aptitude test, you can narrow down your list of applicants to only the ones who have the requirements necessary to fill the role you have in mind, thus giving you a shorter and more precise list of individuals to schedule an interview with.
• Saves You Money – When you calculate the cost of hiring, training, and wages, hiring a new person adds up quickly. If that individual doesn’t meet your expectations, you will have to begin the process over again. By using an aptitude test, you can ensure that the candidate can perform as well as they talk.
• Increases Sales – If you do not conduct a sales aptitude test, you may potentially hire someone who lacks the necessary drive to fill the role correctly. Not only will this impact your overall sales, but it may also lead to a contagious effect of underperformance from the rest of your sales team.
• Helps to Identify High-Quality Candidates – Utilizing a sales aptitude test allows you to ensure that the candidate is assessed on all of the qualities that matter most in sales. It lets you determine who possesses the natural skills to be effective, and if they will be able to sell.
• Identifies Candidates Who Have Potential – While you may be inclined to hire someone based on their previous experience alone, there may be someone with incredible untapped potential in your applicant pool. This test lets you determine who has the potential to lead your sales team.

Whether bringing on a new hire or working with your existing sales staff, you want to be sure that these individuals have what it takes to achieve great success for your company. The best way to do this is with the help of RightFit Plus. Our sales aptitude testing services deliver quick results that you can use to make better management and hiring decisions. For more information about our testing services, contact us at 905-604-4951 or toll-free at 1-888-604-4951.