People frequently ask me about the advisability of testing sales people for pre-employment or succession planning. Don’t do it!

I discourage the practice for several reasons. First, the skill set of sales people differs from that of others in the organization. Certainly, the battery of tests I use would determine if a given sales professional has some of the requisite personality traits for success: high achievement drive, a willingness to overcome obstacles, a competitive attitude, an ability to bounce back from disappointment, and the talent for “reading” people and situations.