The obvious way to measure sales performance is by results. If a salesperson is hitting or exceeding goal, that looks good on the surface. But what about the majority of your team who are not? Numbers alone tell you what is happening, but not why. That’s where a sales skills assessment comes in.
Key Data Points in a Sales Skills Assessment
To get a true picture of performance, you need to go beyond outcomes and evaluate behaviors, skills, and effort. Consider these areas:
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Critical ratios
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Effort: Are they making dials, networking, and using LinkedIn effectively?
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Effectiveness: What do ratios tell you? For example, if only 10% of conversations result in an appointment, is that good enough?
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Observation
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Joint calls: Are they following the company sales process?
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Execution of sales fundamentals: Are they asking enough of the right questions, weaving in stories and analogies, listening actively, and digging deeper to understand client problems?
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Role-playing
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Do they understand and demonstrate your sales process?
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Can they articulate what consultative, client-focused selling really means?
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Do they show the same skills in a practice setting that you expect in the field?
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Pipeline and activity data
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Is the pipeline growing in volume and reliability?
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How does their performance rank compared to peers?
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Are they putting in enough effort to create opportunities for success?
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The Honest Question: Would You Buy from This Salesperson?
An effective way to evaluate skills is to role-play or observe live selling situations and then ask yourself one honest question: Would I buy from this salesperson?
Your answer will likely fall into one of four categories:
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I would not buy from this person. In fact, I’d love to compete against them.
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I would not buy from them right now based on what I just saw or heard.
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I’m undecided. I need more information or more time to make up my mind.
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I would buy from this person. They engaged me, uncovered problems I need to address, and made me think about changing vendors or spending money I hadn’t planned to.
One client recently held a sales meeting with an hour of role-play around a single sales step. At the end, a product specialist remarked, “With the exception of two people, I don’t believe I would buy from anyone else I saw in that one hour.” That is the kind of courageous, honest feedback that defines a true sales skills assessment.
What Sales Leaders Must Bring to the Table
Performance management is not just about observing your team. It also requires the right mindset and habits as a leader:
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Supportive coaching beliefs – If you think people will only perform well if they like you, you’re in trouble.
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Resilience to rejection – You must be willing to tell someone the hard truth, even if it stings.
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Understanding of desire and commitment – If a salesperson isn’t fully committed, you’ll find yourself addressing the same problems repeatedly.
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Data analysis skills – Without digging into the right data, coaching is guesswork.
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Time allocation – If you’re not doing ride-alongs or role-plays, you’re missing two non-negotiable assessment opportunities.
The Bottom Line
Effective sales leaders know that an honest sales skills assessment must be done regularly. Ask yourself: Would I buy from this salesperson? The answer will drive deeper, more actionable coaching conversations. While it may be uncomfortable, and you may even lose someone along the way, it often inspires salespeople to sharpen their skills and elevate their performance.
FAQ: Sales Skills Assessment
What is a sales skills assessment?
It is a structured evaluation of a salesperson’s behaviors, effort, and skills beyond just sales results. It helps identify why someone is or isn’t performing.
Why is a sales skills assessment important?
Because results alone don’t show the root cause. Assessments uncover gaps in effort, execution, and understanding that you can address through coaching.
How often should sales leaders conduct a sales skills assessment?
Regularly. Role-plays, ride-alongs, and data reviews should be ongoing, not just once or twice a year.
What are common areas to measure in a sales skills assessment?
Critical activity ratios, joint call performance, role-play ability, pipeline strength, and sales activity levels.
How can a sales skills assessment improve results?
By identifying specific skill gaps, leaders can coach more effectively, leading to stronger pipelines, higher conversion ratios, and better long-term performance.
