What are the odds that the next salesperson you hire will be a top performer? If you take a look at your current sales team, you will probably find 20 percent of them are top performers. What about the other 80 percent? They probably could be doing a lot better.

Unfortunately the "20/80" rule seems like an inevitable fact of life, and an expensive one at that. An under-performing sales rep costs you money. By the time you exit under-performing sales reps, they will have cost you double or triple their salary, not to mention lost revenue.

Sales Simulator, the newest assessment software from Upward Motion Inc., can substantially increase the number of top performers organizations select and develop. The results are outstanding: Sales Simulator is able to predict future sales success four to five times better than traditional interviews. The "20/80" rule is no longer a reality.

A flight simulator presents a pilot with a number of challenging situations in which a wrong decision can have disastrous consequences. Sales Simulator operates in a similar manner; however, instead of trying to land a plane in a snowstorm, the sales rep must handle customer complaints and objections, make cold calls, tell customers something they do not want to hear and most importantly, close the sale. All these real life situations are critical to the success of any sales rep, no matter what industry they work in or how large the customer.

Sales reps are presented with scenarios via video. At a critical point during each scenario, the video stops and the sales reps are presented with a set of responses and asked to identify the best and worst among them. The correct answers are never obvious and a timer heightens the pressure, so sales reps must rely solely on their skills to make the correct choice. There is no opportunity to "fake it" or to "tell them what they want to hear" because sales reps are forced to behave as they would in real life.

Once the simulation is over, the software automatically analyzes the responses and generates a comprehensive report of each sales rep's strengths and weaknesses. The report is broken down into the core competencies that every sales rep requires:

* Analyzing the customer's needs.

* Active listening.

* Managing the sales process.

* Influencing and closing.

The sales rep is ranked in each of these categories and is also given a combined general score.

Smart sales managers are integrating Sales Simulator into their hiring practices to ensure they hire top performers. In a slow economy, a job posting attracts hundreds of applicants, each one promising to be the next member of your President's club. Instead of spending valuable time sorting through a pile of resumes, companies are now asking applicants to take the Sales Simulator. Because the simulation is available on the Internet 24/7, candidates can take it anywhere and at anytime.

The results of all the candidates' simulations are stored in an online database where they are sorted and ranked by score. From a pool of hundreds of candidates with unknown and differing levels of skill, the simulator instantly identifies the top performers and creates a "hot list" of applicants. Sales managers then invite only the best candidates for an interview.

The simulation also creates a "structured interview" guide that assists sales managers in asking the right questions. This guide is tailor-made for candidates based on their performance in the simulation.

Not only are sales reps chosen with more precision, specific recommendations for training and development are provided. Using the report provided by Sales Simulator, sales managers can target training to the areas where it is needed most. Not only does it help get your new reps up to speed and performing quicker, you are getting the greatest value from your limited training budget.

Sales Simulator will help you hire top performers and develop the skills of existing staff. Sales managers have found they can double or triple the number of top performing sales reps in their organization and directly impact the bottom line. For more information, visit this Web site at www.SalesSimulator.com.

by Alex Hatzivassilis and Dr. Igor Kotlyar

Alex Hatzivassilis and Dr. Igor Kotlyar have been developing simulation-based assessments that help select and train top performing sales people since 1995. Their company, Upward Motion (www.upwardmotion.com) provides world class, state-of-the-art technologies for assessment and training using simulation technology to recreate real-life business challenges.