If you've been in sales and sales management long enough, you've learned that when it comes to salespeople, one size doesn't fit all. It's rare to find a salesperson that fits seamlessly into every type of sales environment.

Different selling situations require different temperaments. The same temperament that allows a person to naturally do cold calls, open new accounts, or pioneer new sales areas isn't appropriate for a sales situation that requires the nurturing of existing accounts, retail selling, team selling, or a high degree of client service.

The Sales Temperament Assessment is a hiring tool designed to measure the basic temperamental qualities that make up a successful salesperson.

If a person has the right temperament for a particular selling situation, it will be natural for the individual to do what is required to succeed. If the right temperament is combined with proper sales and product knowledge training, the person can be a top producer.

However, if a person's temperament is not well suited for a particular sales situation, he or she will not find the job enjoyable but more of a chore, and who likes doing chores? The individual may succeed in the position, but it will take a lot of effort. It would be better for the person to find a sales position more suited to his or her temperament.

Of the eighteen STA sales styles:

• eight have a high probability of success (depending upon the selling environment)
• four are more appropriate for the retail environment
• four are going to look and sound good but usually don't perform well
• the remaining two selling styles should be avoided in all but the most specialized selling solutions
• The Sales Temperament Assessment is a great tool that will help you take the guesswork out of hiring salespeople. It's an inexpensive, cost-effective, independent second opinion as to the suitability of an individual's temperament and how well he or she might perform in your particular sales environment. The STA can also be used to help you fine-tune your existing sales team.

Find out more about this online sales assessment test and how it can help you make a better match between the candidate and the sales position.