Last year, Written Inc. unveiled a personality profile test that analyzes handwriting to help companies screen job candidates. Now the Temecula firm wants to assist salespeople who wish to gain insight into their respective strengths and shortcomings.

The new product, Salesperson Insight, uses the company's proprietary handwriting analysis/body-language technique to tap the salesperson's subconscious mind. The purpose of the test is to reveal personality traits of which he or she may not be aware to improve salesmanship.

Handwriting "is just another form of body language," vice president Ryan Vener said. "It tells what's going on in someone's head by expressing it physically. Ninety percent of communication is body language, and our traits are physically manifested in handwriting."

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Photo By Dan Elliott

Written Inc. markets its handwriting analysis to sales people as a self-help tool and to companies for screening potential employees or training current employees.

Although personality tests have been popular for the past decade, many programs are too simplistic, and often their accuracy is compromised by human error and manipulation factors, Vener said. "To increase the accuracy, there are other characteristics that need to be present."

Customers who have tried the Salesperson Insight product agree.

Pat Cahill, partner at MAC Venture Group, a New York City-based management consulting and financial advisory firm, said he has tried numerous personality assessments in his years of sales and business consulting. "The biggest surprise with this product is how accurate it's been. We don't usually get as clear a report as we do with this."

Precise personality assessment is difficult because the test taker attempts to predict what answers the supervisor is looking for and answers accordingly. Cahill finds that Salesperson Insight eliminates this risk. "It gives you more insight into someone's personality, and unlike others, they obviously cannot manipulate the test based on what they think people want to hear."

At Jacob Tyler Creative Group in San Diego, owner Les Kollegian requires every employee to complete the Salesperson Insight analysis -- and few of those employees are salespeople. "The positions range from graphic designers, programmers and account executives," he said. Upon reviewing their results, most employees find a trait they want to improve. "Their usual reaction is, 'Wow! I can't believe how accurate this is.' "

Kollegian acknowledged some initial skepticism until he took the test himself. "I learned some traits I possessed that I would like to change to improve my selling ability, mainly dealing with my ego and listening skills."

The test screens for 48 traits but looks for hundreds of subconscious trait statements within the computer scripts used in the test process. Under the broad trait categories ("defensive," "ambitious," "manipulative"), the more specific trait statements are pinpointed ("relies on instincts and feelings rather than facts and figures").

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Ryan Vener

The benefits of corporate personality testing are significant from a branding standpoint, Cahill said. "The idea is to create consistency across the board," he said. The tests can help to ensure high branding standards. "If we want the same caliber of individual throughout the whole organization, we would use that test to match up the type of people we're looking for within these roles and functions."

In his consulting career, Cahill has recommended personality testing for nearly two decades. "It's a data point; if a company hires anywhere from 100 to 200 people a month and a lot of them wash out, it costs a fortune. So I suggest they do a couple of pre-hire tests, where 80 people out of 100 are identified as the best by assessing their strengths and weaknesses.

"I cannot believe every company doesn't do it," Cahill said. "If you think about it, they spend thousands of dollars developing someone."

The handwriting analysis costs about $150 a person. "It makes more sense to do it this way."

Personality assessment is more relevant for salespeople than ever, Vener said. "Especially in this economy, sales are so critical; if the sales aren't effective, the company can go under."

The test can assist all levels of sales staff. With 15 years of experience in high-tech sales and a psychology degree, developing the program was a natural venture for him, he said.

Salespeople are often genuinely appreciative of the outcome, Vener said. "People say they can read other people's body language, but they don't spend a lot of time on their own body language."

The program includes two instructional guides for further personal and professional growth: "The Salesperson's Guide to Body Language" and "Changing Your Thinking Workbook."

"In that selling environment, being aware of their traits has caused many of them to come back and say, 'It really helped me.' We gave trials to people who got their reports back and they said it changed their lives."