What is the primary purpose of a tell and sell appraisal interview?

The primary purpose of a tell and sell appraisal interview is to motivate employees through persuasion. This type of interview is structured in a way that the manager or appraiser first communicates the evaluation of the employee’s performance—essentially telling them how they are performing. Following this feedback, the interviewer seeks to persuade the employee to accept this evaluation and understand how they can improve.

In this approach, the emphasis is on motivation and guidance. The goal is to foster an open dialogue where the manager can highlight strengths and areas for improvement while using persuasive techniques to encourage the employee to take action. This contrasts with other methods that might focus more on just delivering feedback without the motivational component.

While discussing shortcomings or evaluating skills might occur during such an interview, they are not the primary focus; rather, they serve as a foundation for motivating the employee to enhance their performance. The emphasis is on helping employees to see how they can grow and develop within their roles.