Updated October 2026.
The short answer: A behavioral assessment shows how a sales candidate is likely to work: how they handle rejection, how hard they push to close, and how they treat customers. A resume cannot show that. Use a validated test before the first interview, compare candidates with your best salespeople, and turn any low scores into interview questions. For car salespeople, look for drive under pressure, resilience and people skills.
This guide is for owners and sales managers who hire salespeople, from insurance producers to car sales consultants. It covers the traits that predict sales success, how to pick a personality test, how to use one in your hiring process, and what to watch out for.
Why behavioral assessments matter in sales hiring
Resumes and interviews show what a candidate has done and how well they interview. They do not show how the person will act after the tenth no of the day. Behavioral assessments add a consistent view of each candidate’s working style, so every applicant is measured the same way. Businesses that use them in hiring and development can:
- Spot the traits that matter in sales, like resilience, adaptability and confidence, before they hire.
- Compare every candidate on the same scale, which keeps first impressions from deciding alone.
- Coach new hires based on how they naturally work.
- Keep people longer by putting them in roles that fit their strengths.
What is a sales personality assessment?
A sales personality assessment is a short test that shows how a candidate is likely to work in a sales job. It shows how driven they are, how they handle rejection, how they build rapport with customers and whether they prefer routine or variety. It does not test product knowledge or selling skills. It shows the working style a person brings to the job, which is hard to see in a resume or a single interview.
A sales personality assessment works best next to other pre-hire tests. Each one shows something different:
| Test | What it shows | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Personality assessment | Working style: drive, resilience, people focus, need for structure | Before the first interview, for every applicant |
| Cognitive or problem-solving test | How quickly a person learns and solves problems | For roles with a lot to learn, such as complex products or many carriers |
| Skills test or role-play | What the person can do today, such as a sales call or a quote | In the interview, for your shortlist |
The IdealTraits personality assessment places each candidate in one of 16 personality results, such as Sales Leader, Sales Person, Closer, Networker, Organizer and Nurturer. Each result comes with a plain summary. The Sales Person result, for example, lists strengths such as being a go-getter who enjoys a challenge and can gain and keep clients’ trust. It also lists areas that need support, such as talking more than listening and missing details, and says a Sales Person can do well at cold calling but may struggle with rejection.
Use the result to plan the interview, not to make the decision. Compare each candidate with the result of your best salesperson, and turn any area that needs support into an interview question. For example, ask a candidate who may struggle with rejection to describe the last deal they lost and what they did the next day.
Key behavioral traits of top sales performers
Successful salespeople share a set of working traits. A good assessment measures them, so you can see which candidates have them before you invest in training.
1. Resilience and grit
Salespeople hear no every day. Resilient people bounce back from a lost deal, stay motivated and keep following up.
2. Empathy and active listening
Good salespeople ask questions and listen before they pitch. They find out what the customer needs and fit the offer to it.
3. Adaptability
Products, prices and customers change. Top salespeople adjust their approach instead of repeating the same script.
4. Drive and self-motivation
Self-driven salespeople keep working when no one is watching. They set their own goals and chase them, which matters most in commission jobs.
5. Confidence and persuasiveness
Confident salespeople ask for the sale. They can explain the value of a product clearly and handle objections without backing down.
6. Relationship building
Repeat business and referrals come from relationships. People who enjoy staying in touch with customers build a book of business that lasts.
7. Time management
Leads, follow-ups and paperwork pile up fast. Organized salespeople work the right lead at the right time.
Which personality test should you use to hire car salespeople?
The best personality test for hiring car salespeople is one that is validated, measures the traits that matter on a sales floor, takes candidates only a few minutes, and gives managers results they can read without a psychologist. It should also run inside your hiring system, so every applicant gets it automatically before the interview. Use this checklist to compare tests:
| What to check | Why it matters for a dealership |
|---|---|
| Validated by an independent study | A validated test has been checked to measure what it says it measures. Ask the vendor for the study. |
| Tied to the job | The test should measure traits that matter for selling cars, such as drive under pressure and people skills. The EEOC says a test must be job-related and fit for the employer’s purpose. |
| Short for candidates | Good candidates apply to several stores. A long test loses them before the interview. |
| Easy for managers to read | Sales managers need a clear picture and interview questions, not a long report. |
| Built into your hiring system | When the test goes out with every application, you never have to remember to send it. |
| Results you can compare with your best people | Testing your top salespeople shows what a strong score looks like at your store. |
Traits that matter most on a dealership floor
Car sales asks a lot of one person. A sales consultant greets walk-ins, works through objections on price and trade-in, and follows up with people who left without buying. Commission pay means slow weeks hit their paycheck. O*NET, the U.S. Department of Labor’s job database, lists car salesman as a job title for retail salespersons and names optimism and social orientation as top work styles for the role. That makes four traits stand out: drive under pressure, resilience after a lost deal, comfort talking with strangers, and the follow-through to keep working a lead for weeks. A test that measures these helps you pick people who will last past the first slow month.
How IdealTraits does it
IdealTraits includes validated personality tests on every plan, along with cognitive and short-answer assessments. The personality assessment was independently validated by Central Michigan University. Candidates take it when they apply, and managers see the results next to the resume. Dealerships use it to hire sales, service and F&I staff who fit. Learn more about pre-hire assessments.
“I was going to hire someone for sales but changed my mind because the IdealTraits test clearly indicated that they did not have the traits necessary to be a salesperson. I believe this will save me a lot of time and money in training people not qualified to be in sales.”
Bonnie Schmidt, IdealTraits customer at an insurance agency
Hiring for a dealership? See how IdealTraits works for dealerships.
How to use a sales assessment in your hiring process
- Test before the first interview. Send the assessment with every application, so you only spend interview time on people with the right traits.
- Test your best salespeople first. Their results show what a strong score looks like for your store and your pay plan.
- Turn low scores into interview questions. If a candidate scores low on resilience, ask them about the last deal they lost and what they did next.
- Use it with the interview, not instead of it. The test is one input. Interviews, references and a role-play complete the picture.
- Use the results after the hire. Share them with the new salesperson’s manager to plan coaching for the first 90 days.
Using behavioral assessments for sales team development
Assessments are useful after the hire too. Managers can see how each person on the team works and coach to it.
Find skill gaps
Results show which behaviors a salesperson relies on and which they avoid. Managers can then design training programs around the gaps.
Improve communication and recognition
Knowing how each person likes to get feedback helps managers coach and thank people in a way that lands.
Keep good people longer
People who work in roles that fit their strengths are more likely to stay. Assessments help you put each person in the right seat.
Challenges and considerations
Behavioral assessments help, but they work best when you use them carefully:
- Use the same process for every candidate. Give the same test at the same step to everyone who applies for the role.
- Do not decide on the score alone. A test shows how someone tends to work. It does not measure skills you can teach.
- Follow the fair hiring rules. The EEOC says employers must not use tests that unfairly screen out people by race, sex or another protected group, and must offer reasonable accommodations for people with disabilities (EEOC, Employment Tests and Selection Procedures).
Common questions
What assessment test should a dealership use to hire salespeople?
A dealership should use a validated personality test that measures the traits car sales needs, such as drive under pressure, resilience and people skills, and that candidates can finish in a few minutes when they apply. Pick one that runs inside your hiring system and gives managers interview questions. Test your best salespeople first to see what a strong score looks like at your store.
Are personality tests legal for hiring?
Yes. Personality tests are legal for hiring in the United States when they are job-related and used the same way for every candidate. The EEOC says employers must not use tests that unfairly screen out people in a protected group, and must offer reasonable accommodations for people with disabilities. Use the test as one part of the decision, together with interviews and references.
Can a personality test predict sales success?
A personality test cannot guarantee sales success, but a validated one shows how a candidate is likely to work, such as how they handle rejection and pressure. Combined with interviews and a role-play, it helps you pick candidates who are more likely to succeed and stay.