# Skill Mastery Self-Check Quiz

> A monthly, three-skill diagnostic across Discovery, Negotiation, and Objection Handling, scored against specific behaviors you either did or didn't do on real calls, not vague self-perception.

Free assessment/quiz for sales reps. Topic: [Sales Kickoffs, Training & Enablement Programs](https://www.peerlab.ai/library/topic/sales-kickoffs-training-enablement-programs/). Published by PeerLab in the [Sales Enablement Resource Library](https://www.peerlab.ai/library/). Source: https://www.peerlab.ai/library/skill-mastery-self-check-quiz/

## How to use it

Score yourself honestly against your last 10 real calls, retake on the same date each month, and let the single lowest-scoring statement (not the overall number) tell you what to drill next.

## What's inside

- 8 behavior-specific statements for Discovery, scored 0-4
- 8 behavior-specific statements for Negotiation, scored 0-4
- 8 behavior-specific statements for Objection Handling, scored 0-4
- Scoring bands: Developing / Practicing / Proficient / Advanced per skill
- A rule requiring evidence from your last 10 real calls, not intention
- A peer/manager co-rating check to catch blind spots
- A why-it-matters line per skill (career, role, results)
- A monthly tracking log to plot the same 3 scores over time
- Guidance on picking one drill-behavior per month from your lowest-scoring item

A short, repeatable diagnostic across three core selling competencies: **Discovery**, **Negotiation**, and **Objection Handling**. Retake it monthly. The point isn't the score, it's watching the same score move because you deliberately drilled one behavior.

## How to score yourself honestly

- Base every rating on your **last 10 real calls or deals**, not on how you'd like to behave.
- Scale for every statement: **0 = Never · 1 = Rarely · 2 = Sometimes · 3 = Often · 4 = Consistently**
- If you're unsure, score lower. Optimistic self-scoring defeats the purpose.
- Once a quarter, have a manager or peer who has actually heard you on a call score you on the same statements using a recording. A gap of 2+ points on any single item is a blind spot, trust their score over yours.

---

## Module 1: Discovery

*Why master this: Discovery is the skill that determines whether every downstream stage: proposal, negotiation, close, is built on real information or on guesswork. **Career:** discovery mastery is what moves you from single-threaded transactional deals into complex, multi-stakeholder sales, the deals that get you promoted. **Role:** it's what lets you run a call without a script, because you're actually curious and know what to listen for. **Results:** weak discovery is the single most common root cause of stalled deals and late-stage "surprise" objections.*

| # | Statement | Score (0-4) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | I identify the prospect's current state: metrics, process, tools in use: before proposing anything, on every call. | |
| 2 | I ask at least one question that surfaces the cost of inaction (what happens if nothing changes). | |
| 3 | I uncover the decision process and other stakeholders before I'm asked "who else is involved?" | |
| 4 | I ask about a previously attempted or failed solution and why it didn't stick. | |
| 5 | I connect at least one discovered pain to a business metric the prospect already tracks. | |
| 6 | I let silence sit after an open question instead of filling it with my own commentary. | |
| 7 | I summarize what I heard back in the prospect's own language before moving to my pitch. | |
| 8 | I leave every discovery call with a mutually agreed next step tied to a business reason, not just a calendar slot. | |

**Discovery total: ___ / 32**

---

## Module 2, Negotiation

*Why master this: Negotiation is the skill that protects everything discovery and the pitch built. **Career:** reps who negotiate well are trusted with the deals that carry margin risk and board visibility. **Role:** it's the difference between a deal that closes on your terms and one that closes on theirs. **Results:** negotiation skill shows up directly in discount leakage, average deal value, and how often "one more approval" quietly kills a quarter.*

| # | Statement | Score (0-4) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | I know my walk-away point and my ideal outcome before the conversation starts. | |
| 2 | When asked for a discount, I trade it for something of value (scope, timeline, term, referral) rather than giving it away. | |
| 3 | I separate the person from the position, I stay warm while holding firm on terms. | |
| 4 | I let the other side name the first number on price wherever possible. | |
| 5 | I identify the economic buyer's real constraint (budget cycle, board approval, competing priority) before negotiating around it. | |
| 6 | I use silence after stating my position instead of negotiating against myself. | |
| 7 | I confirm agreed terms in writing within 24 hours to prevent renegotiation drift. | |
| 8 | I know at least two real alternatives (my BATNA) if this deal doesn't close, and it shows in my composure. | |

**Negotiation total: ___ / 32**

---

## Module 3, Objection Handling

*Why master this: Objection handling is a listening skill wearing a rebuttal costume. **Career:** it's what separates reps who get rattled from reps who get calm, the latter get the harder accounts. **Role:** it stops you from arguing with a prospect who was never objecting to what you think they were objecting to. **Results:** unresolved objections don't disappear: they resurface as silence, ghosting, and "going with someone else."*

| # | Statement | Score (0-4) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | I let the prospect finish the objection completely before I respond. | |
| 2 | I distinguish a real objection from a stall or a smokescreen before I answer it. | |
| 3 | I acknowledge the objection's validity before I pivot to addressing it. | |
| 4 | I ask a clarifying question to find the objection behind the objection at least once per call. | |
| 5 | I have a specific proof point (case study, data point, reference) ready for the 3 objections I hear most. | |
| 6 | I check that my response actually landed ("does that address the concern?") instead of assuming it did. | |
| 7 | I don't take objections personally, and it doesn't leak into my tone or pace. | |
| 8 | I track which objections recur across my pipeline so I can prep for them proactively. | |

**Objection Handling total: ___ / 32**

---

## Scoring bands (apply to each module separately)

| Score | Band |
|---|---|
| 0–11 | Developing: pick one statement and drill it daily for 2 weeks |
| 12–19 | Practicing: behaviors are inconsistent; look for the pattern in when they slip |
| 20–27 | Proficient: behaviors are your default; refine under pressure (big deals, senior stakeholders) |
| 28–32 | Advanced: you could teach this module to someone else |

## Monthly tracking log

| Month | Discovery /32 | Negotiation /32 | Objection Handling /32 | Lowest-scoring item this month | One behavior I'll drill next 30 days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | | | | | |
| | | | | | |
| | | | | | |
| | | | | | |
| | | | | | |
| | | | | | |

**Rule:** pick exactly one behavior to drill each month: the single lowest-scoring statement, not the lowest module. Mastery is built one behavior at a time, not three skills at once.