IPV Test: Personality Profile for Successful Salespeople

The IPV test is very useful for identifying candidates' preference for sales. The test was developed by "Les Éditions du Center de Psychologie Appliquée" of Paris in 1977.

It is widely used by human resources recruitment and selection staff when they have a particular interest in hiring sales profiles.

Applicants use it to get to know themselves better and to prepare answers and arguments for the job interview.

This test assesses the personality typology related to success in the sales profession. It measures nine personality traits in addition to two general factors: receptivity and aggressiveness.

What the IPV test measures

This recruitment test measures a salesperson's potential. The test consists of nine dimensions:

• Empathy

• Flexibility

• Mastery

• Extraversion

• Acceptance

• Confidence

• Sales aggressiveness

• Right of way

• Energy

All of these elements are related to three elements:

• Fighting spirit

• General sales aptitude

• Sensitivity

The three elements of the IPV

The employer then combines all of these character traits with three elements:

• Aggressiveness

• Receptivity

• Willingness to sell

Purpose of the IPV

The purpose of this test is to learn the individual profiles of salespeople and to analyze their strengths, interests and weaknesses, and in this way to place them in effective teams that improve their chances of success in the company.

Administering the test

In this psychographic test there are no right or wrong solutions. The test is presented as a set of situations to which the person must respond by choosing among three or four options. In its selection and recruitment mode, it must be answered in half an hour.

The premise is to ask the subject questions without addressing them directly. However, they must answer based on what they themselves would do and not on what anyone else would do.

This test has 87 different situations that the applicant must face, choosing among three or four answers. The duration of this test is approximately thirty minutes, depending on the patterns.

At the end of the test, the interviewer records the subject's level of aptitude and classifies them into the type of sales that suits them best.

IPV test factors

Among the factors of this test, the following stand out:

Aggressiveness

It is related to strength and self-confidence. An appropriate attitude in highly competitive circumstances. It is associated with the resilience needed to overcome adverse scenarios.

Self-control

It refers to the candidate's ability to organize their resources. Elements such as perseverance and the use of their skills to achieve goals through their psychological and emotional balance.

General disposition

Ease in selling. It indicates the social skills shown to the customer in order to close sales.

Self-assurance

Confidence in oneself in relation to the performance of one's work. It makes it possible to measure the ability to face situations that involve some risk and unprecedented circumstances.

Frustration tolerance

Understanding frustrating situations, and the ability to deal successfully with failure. It is related to empathy, which is the ability to put oneself in the customers' place and thus understand their requirements.

Sociability factor

Ease in making new contacts. Good personal relationships and the ability to get along in a highly competitive environment.

Receptivity

It refers to the ability to adapt to different circumstances. It is based on self-control.

Dominance

The ability to "manipulate" customers through argumentation and persuasion.

IPV test results

The test results are oriented to the requirements and demands of the position that needs to be filled. According to specific criteria, the results of this test indicate the degree of sales ability. They also make it possible to picture the type of sales in which the person would have the best chance of success.

Benefits of the IPV

Among the benefits of this test, the following stand out:

• Hiring the right applicant

• Optimization of resources

• Timely training

• Strong and ambitious teams

Hiring the right applicant

The test makes it possible to detect and point out some psychological traits of the candidate's personality. As a result, the benefit lies in preventing wrong hires and the associated costs.

Optimization of resources

The IPV test allows companies to successfully meet the specific needs of sales positions.

In addition, it also makes it possible to identify the salespeople most likely to deliver better results in a sales position within the company. This can effectively help avoid staff turnover, since applicants have a better chance of developing their potential effectively.

Timely training

This test has the benefit of providing very useful information even after the candidate has been hired.

The test results can be used to draw up training plans according to the company's real training needs.

Building strong and ambitious teams

This test lets you learn the individual profiles of your salespeople and analyze their strengths, interests and weaknesses. This makes it possible to place them in effective work teams that help optimize their chances of professional success.

Finally, it is important to have qualified professionals to administer the test. This will ensure that the results are truly useful for improving the sales team's performance, and thus achieving sales goals efficiently.

In conclusion, we can say that the IPV test has proven to be very useful for identifying candidates' preference for sales. Hence its widespread use among human resources recruitment and selection staff when they have a particular interest in hiring sales profiles.

Applicants can also benefit from the test to get to know themselves better and to prepare answers and arguments for the job interview.

Through nine traits, the test assesses the personality typology related to success in the sales profession.

In addition, the IPV test provides important benefits, such as helping to find the right applicant.

It makes it possible to optimize the resources in the process, helps to draw up a training plan that meets employees' real needs, and helps to form strong and ambitious sales teams.