Sales Skills Self-Assessment Quiz

Complete this on your own, honestly, before your next 1:1. There's no "passing" score — the point is to walk into the conversation with your own map of where you're strong and where you want to grow, instead of waiting to be told.

How to Score Each Question

Rate yourself 1-5 on how true each statement is of your current behavior (not your intention — your actual, observable behavior over the last 4-6 weeks):

• 1 — Not true of me at all
• 2 — Rarely true
• 3 — Sometimes true
• 4 — Usually true
• 5 — Consistently true, and I could show someone else how

Cluster 1 — Discovery & Diagnosis

1. I ask questions that uncover the business impact of a problem, not just the problem itself. ___
2. I let silence sit after a question instead of filling it with more talking. ___
3. I can summarize what a buyer told me in their own language, accurately, without notes. ___
4. I notice when an answer is vague and know how to follow up to get specificity. ___

Cluster 1 total: ___ / 20

Cluster 2 — Value Articulation & Positioning

1. I connect what I'm offering to the specific problem the buyer just described, every time. ___
2. I use a relevant proof point (customer story, data) rather than a generic pitch. ___
3. I check for the buyer's reaction before moving to my next point. ___
4. I can explain my offering without jargon the buyer hasn't already used themselves. ___

Cluster 2 total: ___ / 20

Cluster 3 — Objection Handling & Negotiation

1. I let an objection be fully stated before I respond to it. ___
2. I ask a question to find the real concern behind a stated objection, rather than answering the surface version. ___
3. I stay calm and curious when I hear pushback, rather than defensive. ___
4. In a negotiation, I know what I can trade and what I won't, before the conversation starts. ___

Cluster 3 total: ___ / 20

Cluster 4 — Pipeline & Deal Management

1. My forecast for this quarter reflects what I actually believe will close, not what I hope will close. ___
2. I know the next concrete step on every deal in my pipeline right now, without checking notes. ___
3. I proactively flag deals that are stalling before someone asks me about them. ___
4. I keep my CRM data accurate enough that someone else could pick up my pipeline cold. ___

Cluster 4 total: ___ / 20

Cluster 5 — Relationship & Account Growth

1. I have a plan for staying in touch with past customers, not just active deals. ___
2. I ask for referrals or introductions as a normal part of my process, not an afterthought. ___
3. I understand my accounts' business well enough to spot expansion or renewal risk before it's obvious. ___
4. I build relationships with more than one person in an account, not just my primary contact. ___

Cluster 5 total: ___ / 20

Your Skill-Gap Map

Interpretation Bands (per cluster)

Before Your 1:1

1. Circle your lowest cluster total — this is your honest starting point for a growth conversation, not a confession.
2. Circle your highest cluster total — name it out loud in your 1:1. Strengths deserve airtime too, and they often point to a mentoring opportunity for someone else on the team.
3. Bring one specific recent example (a real call, a real deal) that illustrates your lowest-scoring cluster — this turns a number into something coachable.