Sales Test Facts You Need to Know
Discover What Really Holds Your Sales Candidates Back
What you'll learn from this assessment:
- Whether candidates have the energy to prospect consistently
- Specific emotional blocks preventing cold calling success
- How candidates handle rejection and setbacks
- Their comfort level with self-promotion
- Ability to navigate complex sales scenarios
What is Sales Call Reluctance?
The Hidden Performance Killer
Sales Call Reluctance is a psychological barrier that causes fear in salespeople when making calls to prospective customers. This significantly affects their ability to make and close sales.
It’s especially common in cold calling and new business development where there is no existing relationship between the sales representative and the prospect.
Critical Hiring Risk: Your candidate may come across as confident in their interview, but if they are hiding Sales Call Reluctance, you may not choose the best candidate. They’ll excel in interviews but fail in prospecting.
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The Interview Paradox
Candidates with high Call Reluctance often interview extremely well. They’re personable, articulate, and confident in controlled environments.
But put them on the phone with a cold prospect? They freeze, avoid, procrastinate, or simply won’t do it.
Personality Tests vs. Behavioral Competencies
Why personality alone doesn’t predict sales success
Personality Tests
- Measure who you are (traits)
- Extrovert ≠ good prospector
- Don't predict behavior
- Miss hidden barriers
- Can be faked in interviews
SPQ/FSA Assessment
- Measures what you DO (behavior)
- Tests actual prospecting competencies
- Predicts real performance
- Reveals emotional barriers
- Difficult to fake
- Sales-specific focus
Key Insight: Just because a sales candidate has the personality traits of an extrovert does not mean they have the competencies to bring in new business. Prospecting takes both physical and psychological energy.
How the SPQ/FSA Assessment Works
Online Assessment
Receive Results
One-on-One Interpretation
The Virtual Selling Challenge
Why digital tools amplify Call Reluctance – and how to identify it
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Why digital tools amplify Call Reluctance – and how to identify it
Behavioral Sciences Research Press study of 6,764 US salespeople
The Digital Divide in Sales Performance
Salespeople must adapt to new market conditions with the skills to integrate traditional and digital channels to engage prospects and customers.
Sales reps with the competencies to make direct phone contacts or social media communications have higher sales performance. However, not all salespeople are comfortable with video conferencing tools for presentations and demos.
Why This Matters
What separates salespeople who embrace video tools from those who struggle? Their level of fear of initiating contact with prospects. Call reluctance prevents them from embracing these essential tools.
Although they may prefer face-to-face meetings, digital technologies eliminate time and geographical restrictions – but only if they can overcome their reluctance to use them.
Ready to Hire Top Performers?
Stop guessing. Start measuring. Use the only assessment that predicts prospecting success.