CPQ Sales Aptitude Assessment – 50% of Predicting Sales Success

As a sales trainer, my livelihood depends on the steady stream of businesses, large and small, that entrust me to drive better performances from their sales teams.

And 30 years in this business proves that results and greater revenue are definitely obtainable through formal sales training.

However, there is one fact which is a little tough to admit, and very few sales trainers do.

Here it is: no matter the expertise in sales that we impart, and regardless of the sophisticated technology and techniques we prescribe, the biggest factor in sales success has nothing to do with us.

I said earlier, results are definitely obtainable with sales training.   You might be wondering just what I am talking about, let me explain.

There are 5 Factors of Sales Success.

These are:

1. Product Knowledge
2. Selling Skills (that’s where sales training comes in)
3. Sales Processes (we also work on these with clients)
4. Motivation

And the final, most important factor — the one which accounts for a FULL FIFTY PERCENT OF SALES SUCCESS — is:

          5.  Natural ability. (Aptitude)

That’s right, even without a lick of training, someone with natural ability can just sell. They might not be the most refined, and will blow a lot of deals, but they can still make some money.

The opposite is true as well. Someone without natural ability, or aptitude, will likely never be a successful salesperson no matter how much training you give them. And this is why identifying those with natural sales ability is THE most important thing someone trying to build a successful sales team should do.

The CPQ Sales Aptitude Assessment

The other factors for sales success listed above are subjective and difficult to measure, but we CAN measure aptitude and predict performance using the CPQ Sales Aptitude Assessment.

This 75-question assessment plots a subject’s answers against known ranges of success for certain job roles, from outside sales hunter, to receptionist, to CEO. It illuminates the strengths and weaknesses in personality for these traits:  Need for Control, Skepticism, Need to Nurture, Social Drive, Goal Orientation, Social Confidence, Detail Orientation, and Good Impression.

It also very clearly indicates whether a person is suitable for the specific role being tested for, or whether another job might be more suitable. All this is delivered without a ton of complicated psychobabble, which makes interpretation a no-brainer for your average hiring manager.

So there you have it. All my expertise as a sales trainer is for naught if there is no natural sales ability there in the first place.

As CPQ creator Dr. Larry Craft, says, “You will succeed or fail by the extremes of your personality.” I highly recommend you familiarize yourself with the personality extremes of your potential hires before you invest much time or money in them — and therefore end up on the successful side of the equation.

Find out more about the CPQ Sales Aptitude Assessment today by contacting us today. Twelve thousand companies and counting already have.