AMA: Fastly Senior Director, Global Sales Enablement, Andrew Zinger on Sales Soft and Hard Skills

Let me answer this from the perspective of one of my key cross-functional partners—Product Marketing (PMM). When we first sit down with PMM teams, they usually have a lot of information they think will be helpful for sellers regarding a new product launch or initiative. However, much of it tends to be 'fluff'—nice-to-have details that often overshadow what sellers actually need. I always ask PMM to think like our sales teams and focus on two key questions: 1. "What's in it for the seller?"—Essentially, how can sellers make money? 2. "What's in it for the customer?"—How can sellers use this to make money? If their content doesn't answer these questions, it’s likely just noise. At the end of the day, content creators want their work to be consumed, and helping cross-functional teams understand this sales-focused perspective ensures that everyone wins.

Great question. I will frame my answer with what I see is the biggest transition most sales organizations are looking to make in today's economic climate - trying to move away from 'vendor-like sales' to a more 'consultative / trusted advisor' sales organization. Where i see the most vital ingredients to do that include the following: To be successful in sales going forward, professionals need a blend of both hard and soft skills to navigate the evolving landscape. Here are the most important ones: Soft Skills 1. Emotional Intelligence (EQ): The ability to understand and manage your emotions and the emotions of others is crucial for building relationships and trust with customers. Additionally, show up constantly with a perspective to your calls (you don't really care about the weather! Talk about trends you are reading about in their industry instead) and be authentic in your curiosity (every time you talk to some one its an opportunity to do discovery). 2. Active Listening: Listening to customers’ needs and challenges, and truly understanding their pain points, is key to offering relevant solutions. Also, be sure to multi-thread and learn from more than just one 'champion' - build the army of those who can do the selling for you when you're not in the room! 3. Adaptability: The market, products, and customer needs change rapidly. Being flexible and open to learning helps you stay ahead. Get out to industry events, read blogs, do some research in order to stay on top of what's happening....it shows you care 4. Become a Maser Storyteller: Clear, concise & persuasive customer stories helps in delivering compelling value propositions and negotiating deals effectively. 5. Relationship-Building: Cultivating strong, genuine relationships with clients helps in driving long-term business and trust. This will lead to more business over the duration of the account. Deals take time....don't just show up for when customers initially sign on the line that is dotted - show them you are there for the long term and that your focus doesnt open happen when you see potential dollar signs Hard Skills 1. Sales Methodologies: Mastering value selling frameworks like MEDDIC, Sandler, or Challenger allows professionals to follow a structured and repeatable process for closing deals. This is the future of sales - the days of 'feature function selling' are dwindling - you need to earn the right of customers time and wallet share by demonstrating value 2. Data Analysis: The ability to interpret sales data and analytics can help professionals identify trends, improve strategies, and make data-driven decisions. It can also lead to a repeatable and scalable sales play for others to follow 3. Digital Literacy: Understanding and leveraging digital tools, from automation to social selling, can help sales teams work more efficiently and engage with customers across platforms. 4. Product & Customer Success Knowledge: Deep understanding of your own products, services and how your customers are being wildly successful with them is critical to articulating value to your potential customers and aligning your solution with their needs. Together, these skills and approaches equip sales professionals to meet changing customer expectations and succeed in an increasingly digital sales environment.

The lost successful leaders I have worked with all seem to be able to have a healthy mix of the following: Must Have 1. Sales Strategy Development: For CRO's, its imperative that they have the ability to work with their partners in enablement to design and implement effective sales strategies that align with company goals, including setting KPIs, sales targets, and go-to-market plans. These strategies need to be clearly communicated and must be repeatable, measurable and scalable across regions 2. Data-Driven Decision Making: Proficiency in analyzing sales metrics and performance data to identify scalable and repeatable trends, forecast results, and make informed decisions. This includes budgeting, revenue forecasting, and optimizing team performance. 3. Coaching & Feedback Techniques: Knowledge of coaching frameworks (such as GROW or SBI) and the ability to mentor teams effectively to improve individual and team performance is a must. This needs to be a constant part of the conversations with your teams, and feedback should never be a surprise. Do team selling events: mid stage deal reviews, practice upcoming discovery calls together - not every meeting needs to a pipeline review! 4. Product and Market Knowledge: Deep understanding of the company's products/services and the competitive market landscape, enabling strategic positioning and selling. Nice to Have: 1. Marketing Org Alignment: Understanding of marketing programs & principles to help collaborate effectively on important programs like lead generation, content creation, and aligning sales efforts with marketing campaigns. 2. Financial Acumen: Familiarity with P&L management, margins, and revenue impact analysis, to ensure that sales efforts align with overall financial goals. 3. Digital Sales & Social Selling: Proficiency in digital selling techniques and platforms (e.g., LinkedIn Sales Navigator) to enhance prospecting and lead nurturing in today’s online-driven sales environment. Hope this helps!

For me personally, its having a strong foundation of soft skills. You can learn new products, new industries and about new personas you'll sell into. However, having emotional intelligence, curiosity, empathy and drive needs to be a part of your DNA almost. I have seen this often when trying to transition a sales organization from a 'vendor like' selling motion, where they sell 'licenses', to a more 'consultative like' selling motion that is there to partner with customers to solve their challenges and add value to their business. Often times you'll need to turn over the majority of the field to be able to bring in those sellers who inherently have the right skills to be a trusted advisor.

The best sales candidates often share several key traits and skills that set them apart. As a hiring manager, you can identify high-potential candidates by looking for the following common characteristics: 1) Strong Communication skills * Clarity and Persuasion: Top candidates can clearly and confidently articulate ideas, products, and value propositions. * Active Listening: They listen carefully to customer needs and feedback, showing empathy and understanding. 2) Adaptability * Handling Rejection: The best salespeople are resilient in the face of rejection, using it as an opportunity to learn and improve. * Adaptability: They are able to pivot strategies quickly based on new information or market conditions. 3) Ability to problem solve * Customer-Centric Approach: Great sales candidates approach challenges as problem-solvers, focusing on how they can add value to the customer. * Critical Thinking: They can analyze a situation and develop creative, strategic solutions to meet customer needs. 4) Work Ethic * Self-Motivation: They consistently demonstrate initiative and are driven to exceed targets and expectations. * Tenacity: Top performers are persistent, proactive, and consistently follow through on their goals. 5) Curiosity * Continuous Learning: They have a growth mindset, regularly seeking to improve their skills, learn from peers, and stay updated on industry trends. * Product Knowledge Mastery: The best candidates display a deep understanding of the product or service they are selling, and they are committed to staying informed. 6) Empathy * Relationship Building: High-performing sales candidates excel at building trust and long-term relationships with clients. * Emotional Awareness: They understand the emotions and motivations of others, which helps them navigate complex sales interactions and negotiations. 7) Confidence * Self-Assured: Top candidates are confident in their abilities and knowledge but remain humble and open to feedback. * Team Collaboration: They work well with cross-functional teams, understanding that collaboration often leads to better outcomes.