Coachability Self-Assessment for Sales Candidates

Instructions for the candidate

Answer honestly — several questions are designed to check consistency, not to catch you out. Pick the response closest to what you'd actually do, not what sounds best.

Scale for statement items: 1 = Strongly Disagree, 2 = Disagree, 3 = Neutral, 4 = Agree, 5 = Strongly Agree

Part A — Scenario questions (choose the closest response; points shown in parentheses)

1. Your manager listens to a call recording and tells you that you talked over the prospect four times in twenty minutes. Your first reaction: a) Defend it — the prospect was going down a rabbit hole (1) b) Acknowledge it but explain the context (2) c) Say thanks, ask which parts specifically (4) d) Ask to listen to the clip together and identify the pattern (5)

2. You just lost a deal you were confident about. Your manager asks for a post-mortem. You: a) Say it was mostly the prospect's budget/timing (1) b) List a mix of your factors and external factors (3) c) Come with your own list of 2–3 things you'd do differently first (5)

3. A peer who closes less than you gives you unsolicited advice on your talk track. You: a) Ignore it — they close less than me, why would I listen (1) b) Listen politely, don't use it (2) c) Try the one piece that seems most useful (4) d) Ask them to elaborate and watch them do it live (5)

4. Your manager corrects the same thing twice in one month. You: a) Feel like they're nitpicking (1) b) Feel embarrassed but don't say anything (2) c) Ask them to help you build a checklist so it stops recurring (5)

5. You get "Meets Expectations" when you expected "Exceeds." You: a) Push back on the rating in the moment (1) b) Accept it and move on without discussing it further (2) c) Ask specifically what separates Meets from Exceeds and what evidence they'd need to see (5)

Part B — Statement items (1–5 agreement scale)

6. I'd rather get blunt, specific feedback than gentle, vague feedback. (straight-scored) 7. I've changed a core part of how I sell based on something a manager or peer told me in the last 6 months. (straight-scored) 8. When I disagree with feedback, I say so directly rather than nodding and doing my own thing anyway. (straight-scored) 9. I generally know my numbers/metrics without being asked. (straight-scored) 10. Most of the feedback I've gotten from past managers has been off-base. (reverse-scored — high agreement is a red flag) 11. I ask my manager or top performers to review my work (calls, emails, proposals) without being told to. (straight-scored) 12. I've asked a manager directly, "What's the one thing holding me back from the next level?" in the last year. (straight-scored) 13. I find it hard to hear criticism without getting defensive, even if I don't show it outwardly. (reverse-scored) 14. I keep a running list of things I'm actively working to improve. (straight-scored) 15. If two managers gave me conflicting feedback, I'd assume one of them was wrong rather than try to reconcile both. (reverse-scored)

Scoring key

• Scenario items (1–5): score exactly as marked next to each chosen option.
• Straight-scored statement items (6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12, 14): score as given, 1–5.
• Reverse-scored items (10, 13, 15): score = 6 minus the candidate's answer.
• Total possible: 15 items × 5 points = 75

Interpretation bands

• 63–75 — High coachability. Actively seeks feedback, cites real behavior change, low defensiveness. Strong ramp-speed predictor.
• 50–62 — Moderate. Generally receptive but some defensiveness or passive follow-through. Probe further in interview.
• 37–49 — Guarded. Accepts feedback outwardly with little evidence of actual behavior change. Treat as a yellow flag requiring reference verification.
• Below 37 — Low coachability. High defensiveness and/or blame externalization. Historically correlates with slow ramp and early performance plateaus regardless of raw talent.

Built-in consistency check

Compare answers on items 7 and 10, and on items 12 and 15. A candidate scoring high on "I actively seek feedback" items while also agreeing with reverse-scored items 10/13/15 is giving inconsistent answers — flag for the interview.

3 follow-up interview questions to verify the self-report

1. "You said you've changed something core based on feedback in the last 6 months — walk me through exactly what it was and what changed."
2. "Tell me about the last time a manager corrected you on the same thing twice. What did you do differently the third time?"
3. "What's the most direct piece of feedback you've ever been given, and who gave it to you?"

Score the specificity of these live answers against the self-assessment score — a high self-report score paired with vague, generic answers here is the biggest tell of social-desirability faking.