Sales Assessments Are Not Created Equally

I just had a conversation yesterday with a high performing Sales Manager about the use of assessments with her sales team. This is a frequent conversation I have with company and sales leaders so I thought I would share. Those of you that know me, know I am a devotee of the Objective Management Group (OMG) battery of assessments for many reasons. I want to highlight the differences between OMG sales assessments and personality-type tests, to help clarify why I trust OMG sales assessments above all the others.

Differences Between OMG and Personality-Type Tests:

1. OMG assessments were created specifically for the selling situation. Personality tests were created for a social setting and must be adapted for use in a business setting. All personality tests have their foundation in the same methodology ─ regardless of type, name, or branding ─ and that methodology was formulated for a social setting. Since OMG burst onto the scene in 1994 with the first-ever assessment designed specifically for sales, most assessment companies have now adapted their tool for the business setting. The operative word is adapted rather than created for the situation in which the information is to be applied.

2. OMG carries a 95% predictive validity rating which is the highest standard of validity testing available. Again, the assessment was created specifically to identify who WILL sell the products and services to a particular market under a specific environment. Typically, personality tests only give an indication of whether or not a person has the “right” personality to sell. They won’t predict whether or not they will actually sell, since there are many other factors that go into whether or not a person will be successful selling your products and services.

3. The OMG tools are completely customized to the position, the company, the market, and the behaviors needed. Popular personality tests are a one-size fits all model which indicate little about a particular situation.

4. By using OMG assessments, a Senior Manager can also learn how much more revenue a particular salesperson can generate. The tool precisely calculates the upside selling potential of each individual. Personality tests merely indicate how a person likes to operate and communicate, with no indication of selling capabilities and future growth.

Don’t get me wrong, I am not opposed to the use of personality-type tests for understanding one’s self and for getting an idea of how a person will operate inside your company. I like using them to help salespeople learn how to connect with their prospects, customers and co-workers better, but their reliability as a good tool for assessing sales ability is unproven.

If you have used any of these tests, please let us know about your experience with them in the comments!

Braveheart Sales Performance is proud to have gold-level partner status with Objective Management Group (OMG). OMG is a nationally-recognized pioneer and industry leader in sales force evaluations and sales candidate screenings, having won the Gold Medal for 2013 Top Sales Assessment Tool for three consecutive years (among other honors).