The goal of this assessment is to identify people who are socially aggressive, exhibit a take-charge attitude where they like to influence others, and have the confidence to deal with others when there is social ambiguity and the possibility of rejection. They are usually achievement oriented, feel responsible for their own successes and are often socially demonstrative about their successes (e.g., display the trappings of success which is related to ego needs as they seek the success image). They are not reliant upon others for direction, support or motivation but are more internally driven. Often their strong social skills are secondary to their desire to influence others and sell their product. They are independent (need little external structure) and have less need to join organizations (i.e., entrepreneurial) or work on teams.

This is different from CUSTOMER SERVICE where they exhibit a strong motivation to help others and meet the needs of CUSTOMERS as they define them. Salespeople drive from their PRODUCT (opposed to stated customer needs) and assume that a shopper or client may/may not have an interest in any particular item (making a purchase at that time) but your goal is to help identify their unstated needs and make a sale. The assumption is that if a person is shopping, they are probably interested in purchasing (rather than just looking) so the goal is to meet those expectations even if the customer is indecisive.

Sales Potential Definitions

1. Assertion

   1. People who are assertive are more willing to stand up for their views and are not afraid to overtly deal with conflict. This scale is a continuum that runs from passive (active avoidance of conflict) to aggressive (potential creator of conflict). Salespeople do not want to create conflict but must not be afraid to deal with objections, indecisiveness or even criticism.

2. Confidence

   1. Those who score high on this scale cannot be shaken in either their confidence (e.g., by rejection) or in the product they represent. They feel confident in their own abilities that they can discern a potential need, show the product benefits, counter the objections and close the sale.

3. Achievement

   1. The primary goal in sales is not to develop relationships but to identify a potential selling opportunity and either move on or achieve results. Therefore, a good sales candidate is less driven by relationships (e.g., customer service) and more by achieving results (e.g. making sales and making money).

4. Initiative/Risk-Taking

   1. Sales is not where you wait for something to happen but you take charge of the situation and make it happen. You must have the initiative to step up to a potential opportunity and define a positive outcome. Additionally, since a  sale may not be the customer stated agenda, there is an element of risk/rejection that you must feel at ease dealing with.

5. Independence

   1. Successful salespeople know that sales situations are unique and there are many types of customers and situations. You must be capable of providing your own structure, not be afraid of doing it on your own, and you must have the fortitude and confidence to deal with a lack of social structure.

6. Egoist Dynamic

   1. Someone who scores high on this scale is driven by their confidence because their self-esteem is based on their ability to do something well. They want to be the best at whatever they do and take great personal pride in their success. They are not casual in accepting a mediocre performance but push to personally excel. They are competitive and like to be a winner. They identify with their successes as this often defines who they are (e.g., a very successful salesperson).

7. Leader Dynamic

   1. This person is very motivated by taking control of a social situation and not necessarily by helping others. Their goal is to take charge and achieve their agenda. This does not suggest they are socially offensive but the driver is not for the customer to define the setting but rather to get the customer to make a purchase.

8. Anchor Cherry Picking (ACp)

   1. Some people use extreme scores creating a True/ False test which may not invalidate it. However, with a HIGH overall score (>85%) and an ACP score is  (>80%), they may be "Cherry-picking" answers that may not reflect their real style.