Sales assessment: honestly measure whether someone is really cut out for the sales job
Sometimes everything seems to add up.
A candidate comes across well. Smooth, likeable, strong CV, experience in a similar industry. You think: this could actually work.
And then, six months in, the doubt creeps in.
The numbers lag behind. Prospecting does not get going. Clients are not properly followed up. Or you find out the person is mostly good at talking about sales, less so at doing it.
I see this happen often. And usually not because someone made a foolish choice, but because an interview never tells the whole story.
A job interview shows you how someone sells themselves to you. A CV shows where someone has worked. Neither shows fully how someone behaves in an actual sales job.
That is why I built this sales assessment. Not to replace your gut feeling, but to put a second pair of eyes next to it that is not swayed by a smooth pitch.
Whether you recruit yourself or work with an agency, in sales recruitment this assessment makes the difference between someone who talks a good game and someone who actually delivers.
What is a sales assessment?
A sales assessment is an online test that measures whether someone has the commercial skills and behaviour needed for a specific sales role.
It is not a knowledge test, not an IQ test, and not a job interview on paper.
The TalentTester sales assessment measures 12 commercial competencies through 180 behavioural questions. The test maps out what kind of seller someone is and gives a clear verdict per commercial role:
- fits
- fits with points of attention
- fits less well
That way you see faster how good the match really is between the person, the role and the commercial context.
Which sales skills does this sales test measure?
The test maps 12 commercial behaviours. They are the behaviours I keep seeing come back in salespeople who actually perform.
Drive and perseverance. Assertiveness and handling rejection. Stress resilience and autonomy. Relationship orientation, structure and follow up. Prospecting, closing and ownership. And finally, analytical capacity and technical affinity.
The test looks at questions such as:
- Does the person keep taking action after a rejection?
- Do they enjoy building long term relationships, or do they prefer quick wins?
- Do they follow up on clients and prospects in a structured way?
- Do they take ownership of their own pipeline?
The test does not stop at scores on those 12 competencies. Based on the overall pattern, the test places each candidate into one or more commercial archetypes: hunter, farmer, deal maker, solution seller, technical sales or executor. And for each commercial role, for example account manager, business developer or technical sales profile, you get a grounded verdict on whether that person fits, fits with points of attention, or fits less well.
The candidate answers 180 questions. That takes about 25 to 30 minutes. No knowledge questions, no trick questions. Just recognisable behaviour in commercial situations.
What do you get in the report?
Based on the scores, you see what kind of seller is in front of you.
Some people are strong in cold prospecting and opening new markets. Others come into their own in account management, where trust and long term relationships matter most. Others again do well in complex sales tracks, where technology, analysis and commercial insight come together.
The report tells you, per commercial role, whether someone fits, fits with points of attention, or fits less well.
No vague conclusion. No fluffy text. Instead sentences like "strong in follow up, cautious with cold calling". Concrete enough to actually use, whether it is for a new hire or for a coaching conversation with someone already on the team.
Why use an assessment in sales recruitment?
Sales and recruitment is a tricky combination. With commercial profiles especially, it is tempting to go on a smooth talker, and that is exactly where things go wrong. Recruitment in sales is not about who sells themselves best in an interview, but about who will hit the numbers later.
That is why I use this assessment as a second pair of eyes in sales recruitment. You see in advance what type of salesperson is in front of you and whether they fit the role you want to fill. That lowers the risk of a costly mishire and backs up every decision with more than gut feeling.
Who I built this sales assessment for
This test is made for people who want to assess commercial profiles more accurately.
- HR managers and recruiters who want to screen sales candidates faster and more honestly.
- Sales managers and business owners who put together their own commercial team and want more to go on than a good chat.
- Recruitment agencies that want to back up their candidate proposal with something more solid for their client.
- People and L&D leads who want to support their existing salespeople more precisely in their commercial growth.
Where it often goes wrong with a sales test
Two mistakes I see come back time and again.
The first: using a general personality test as a sales test. A 4-colour personality test or a Big Five personality test is highly valuable for opening up conversations about communication, collaboration and preferences. I use those instruments for that myself. But they are not built to predict whether someone will deliver in a sales role. Every tool has its value, as long as you use it for what it was built for.
The second: looking for the perfect salesperson. They do not exist.
A strong hunter is not automatically a strong account manager. A great farmer is not necessarily happy in cold prospecting. Someone who excels in technical solution sales does not necessarily fit fast transactional sales.
What you are looking for depends on the role, the market, the sales cycle and the type of clients.
How I use the sales assessment myself
In selection and in coaching, I always combine the report with a conversation. The report is not a final verdict. It mostly opens the right questions.
A low score on prospecting does not automatically mean someone will never bring in new clients. It does mean you need to dig deeper. How did this person get their first clients in the past? What approach worked? What was avoided? Where was the threshold?
Sometimes you get a strong story that adds nuance. Sometimes you get silence. Both tell you something.
No test catches everything. But in all those years, I have seen the mismatch rate drop significantly when you use assessments alongside the decision.
Sales assessment for recruitment and for development
You can use the sales assessment for selecting new candidates, and just as well for people already on your team.
In recruitment, the test helps you assess the commercial match better before hiring. That matters, because a wrong sales hire often costs a lot of time, energy and money.
In development, the report brings to light the growth areas of the people already on board. You see where someone is strong and where coaching makes sense, so you can work in a more targeted way.
How it works: online, three languages, no subscription
Our sales assessment is fully online and available in Dutch, French and English.
No subscription needed and no minimum order. You buy single credits or a more affordable bundle through our portal, depending on the volume you have in mind.
Frequently asked questions about the sales assessment
What exactly is a sales assessment?
A sales assessment is an online test that measures whether someone has the behaviour and the commercial skills for a sales role. The test does not look at how likeable someone seems in a meeting, but at how they are likely to act in real commercial situations.
Which commercial competencies are measured?
The TalentTester sales assessment measures 12 commercial competencies: drive, assertiveness, relationship orientation, stress resilience, structure and follow up, autonomy, analytical capacity, emotional intelligence, prospecting, closing, ownership and technical affinity.
Based on those, the test places each candidate into one or more commercial archetypes: hunter, farmer, deal maker, solution seller, technical sales or executor. And for each commercial role, for example account manager, business developer or technical sales profile, you get a grounded verdict on whether the candidate fits, fits with points of attention, or fits less well.
How do you know if someone is suited for sales?
By looking beyond a smooth interview or a strong CV. A good salesperson takes action, keeps going after rejection, follows up with clients, takes ownership for their own numbers, and matches the type of sales role you actually need.
What is the difference between a hunter and a farmer?
A hunter focuses on new clients and new markets. A farmer grows existing client relationships. Both profiles are valuable, but they require different behaviour. That is why it matters to test not just whether someone is commercial, but also which type of commercial role suits them best.
Which test do you use for an account manager?
For an account manager, you mainly look at relationship orientation, structure, follow up, emotional intelligence and enough commercial drive. The TalentTester sales assessment measures these competencies and indicates whether someone fits an account manager role or comes into their own better in a different commercial function.
Does this sales assessment work for B2B?
Yes. The test is built around commercial roles that come up often in B2B, such as account management, hunter sales, solution sales and technical commercial functions.
How does this assessment help with sales recruitment?
In sales recruitment, a CV or interview rarely predicts how someone actually behaves in sales. This assessment does measure that behaviour, and indicates per commercial role whether someone fits, fits with points of attention, or fits less well. That makes recruitment sales considerably more objective and faster.
How long does the online sales test take?
The online sales test takes about 25 to 30 minutes and consists of 180 behavioural questions. The candidate does not need to prepare.
How do I prepare for a sales assessment as a candidate?
You do not need to prepare. The questions measure recognisable behaviour, not knowledge. Answer honestly and consistently. That gives you the most reliable picture of the commercial role in which you naturally come into your own.
In which languages is the sales assessment available?
The sales assessment is available in Dutch, French and English.
How much does a sales assessment cost?
It depends on how many tests you want to run. You can work with single credits or a more affordable bundle. No subscription.
Want a tailored quote or a sample report? Drop me a line at nancy.steels@talenttester.be.
Want to try the sales assessment?
Want to try the sales assessment on a candidate or on someone from your own team?
Drop me a line at nancy.steels@talenttester.be.