Sales Force Selection

8/7/2019 Sales Force Selection

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SALES FORCE SELECTION


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Sales force selection

A selection system is a set of successive

screens at any of which an applicant may be

dropped from further consideration.

Selection system for sales personnel simple

one-step system, consisting of nothing more

than informal personal interview


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Preinterview &Preliminary interview

screening

Pre interview screening

It is for the purpose of eliminating unqualifiedapplicants

Saves the time of interviewers and applicants

Preliminary interview

Interview is short ,perhaps no more than

twenty minutes If this hurdle is passed, he or she is asked to fill

out a formal application form.


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FORMAL APPLICATION

Application form serves as a central recordfor all pertinent information collected

Items included in the form should be basedupon analysis of the existing sales force

Included are present job, dependents ,education, employment status, time with last

employer, membership in organization,previous positions, record of earnings, reasonfor leaving last job, net worth, living expenses

Based upon information on application. list isdivided into good, average &poor performers.


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INTERVIEW(S)

The interview is the most widely used

selection step and it comprises the entire

selection system

Interview techniques

- Patterned interview

- Non directive interview- Interaction (stress) interview

- Rating scales


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Patterned Interview

The interviewer uses a prepared outline of

questions designed to elicit a basic core of

information.

Widely used for a sales position

Interviewer may work directly from the

outline, recording answers as they are given

This may make conversation stilted and the

applicant nervous.


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Nondirective interview

In this technique applicant is encouraged tospeak freely about his or her experience,training & future plans.

The interviewer asks few direct questions and,it does not provide answers to standardquestions, much time spent on outwardlyirrelevant subjects.

This is the best method for probing anindividuals personality in depth.


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Interaction (Stress) interview

It stimulates the stresses the applicant wouldmeet in actual selling and provides a way toobserve the applicants reaction to them.

Interviewing technique has long been used bythe sales executive

Ex: sales personnnel, hand the applicant anashtray and say here, sell this to me.

Objective is to see how the applicant reactsthe surprise situation and to size up the

selling ability.


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Rating scale

Companies encouraging rating scale as atechnique to assess job suitability .

One much-used form forces an interviewer tochoose one of five descriptive phrases:

very neat, nicely dressed, presentable, untidy,slovenly.

In accordance with guidelines issued by the EEOC

& OFCC-that they need empirical data todemonstrate that the technique is predictive ofor significantly correlated with succesful jobperformance


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REFERENCES

Applicants tend to name as references thoseon whom they can relay to speak in theirfavor.

These people often are excellent sources forcandid appraisals and fall into fourclassification

- Present or former employeess

- Former customers- Reputible citizens

- Mutual acquaintances


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CREDIT CHECKS

Many company run credit checks onapplicants for sales position.

Credit checks are compiled by local credit

bureaus, and special credit are provided byorganization.

In analyzing the credit report, the executivelook for the danger signals-chronic lateness in

making payments, large debts outstanding forlong periods, or a bankruptcy history-any ofwhich signal the need for additional probing


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Contd..

Financial irresponsibility may or may not be

indicative of irresponsibility in meeting job

obligation

Information on all aspects of the applicants

behaviour, nonfinancial as well as financial,

needs considering.


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PSYCHOLOGICAL TEST

In recent years , companies have tended to

abandon or to rely less upon psychological

tests as an aid of making selecting decisions.

Types of tests

- Tests of ability

- Test of habitual characteristics- Interest tests

- Achievement test


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Test of ability

Test of ability includes test of mental ability

are timed tests, they indicate an applicants

ability to learn quickly and to arrive at

accurate answers under pressure.

It measures primarily ability that make for

success in educational or training situations,

namely, language comprehension, abstract

reasoning or problem solving ability.


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Test of habitual characteristics

Attitude test are more appropriate as morale

measuring techniques than as selection aids.

They ascertain employees feelings towardsworking condition, pay, advancement

opportunities, and the like.

Used as sales personnel selection devices, to

identify psychotic tendencies.


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Interest tests

Interest tests is that a relationship exists

between interest and motivation, if two

persons have equal ability, the one with

greater interest in a particular job should be

successful in that job.

It is useful for vocational guidance, device for

predicting selling success.


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Achievement tests

To determine how much individuals know

about a subject

In test for sales applicants achievement testscan assess the knowledge applicants possess

in such areas as the product, marketing

channels and customer relations.


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PHYSICAL EXAMINATIONS

Sales jobs require sound basic health, stamina and

the physical ability to withstand stress

Caution should be exercised in requiring medical

examinations and other specific tests for such

things as drug use or the HIV virus

A physical exam can be performed only afterextending a job offer

Managers deem using a standard physical

examination for all positions ill-advised


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Legislation Impacting selection

Mark W. Johnston and Gary W. Marshall, Sales Force Management,

McGraw Hill, 2006


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THANK YOU

Sales Force Selection

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