What are the most important soft and hard skills sales professionals can build to become successful in their field going forward?
The most important soft skills a sales professional can build upon everyday are the following:
Excellent verbal and written communication skills are crucial. Whether this be via slack, teams, over zoom, or with accounting and finance. You have to be able to drive next steps in the sales cycle with prospects as well as internally within your organization.
Active Listening. My dad use to say, "God gave you two ears and one mouth for a reason."
A deep understanding of where the prospect is coming from. Whether it be an inbound or an outbound lead. You have to be able to address pain points effectively and be a chameleon in your sales cycles with different industries and titles.
Persuasion! When you're addressing an objection, you have to posses the ability to influence and educate prospects throughout the entire sales cycle
Relationship Building. Use holidays and zoom backgrounds to your advantage. It cannot be forced rapport, it has to be natural like you met them in the wild. One of my favorite sales cycles an AE on my team donated to a prospect's New York Marathon fundraiser. It wasn't a ton of money, but it was a personal touch that made all the difference to stand out in the sales cycle. If you don't take care of the customer in a special way, your competition will.
Problem Solving Skills. Being able to think critically and provide creative solutions is what the top sales people do on a daily basis. Treat each problem as an opportunity or problem-tunity to sell your services with a smile.
Adaptability. The market will always be changing. Adaptability ensures your sales team can quickly address unexpected prospect issues. This also unlocks the potential for new revenue growth.
Resilience. The highs are high and the lows are low in sales. Your job starts at no. In candidate interviews I always ask, "Why get up and get told no everyday?" There's nothing worse than a pipeline of maybes. You need to be able to push prospects to a yes or a no & understand why a prospect isn't building immediately in the sales cycle. At that point, it's ok to ask for help from other colleagues who have seen it before and get innovative to get the contract signed.
Time Management. Your ability to over achieve your monthly or quarterly quota is your ability to manage your time.
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Teamwork. A lone wolf of a sales person is outdated and not scalable. In 2023, you need a wingman or wingwoman to manage the zoom chat while you're addressing the prospects over zoom. The best deals and biggest deals are multi threaded in an organization. You have to treat your teammates with respect and work with multiple departments.
The most important hark skills a sales professional can build upon everyday are the following:
Product Experts. Know it as good as the back of your hard. Immerse yourself in usage and customer stories. In order to sell effectively and communicate the value prop AND address customer questions, you have to be a product wizard.
Industry Knowledge. Break out the flashcards like you're a sophomore in high school. What terms do your prospects use? Engrave them in your brain and don't be afraid to use them.
Sales Techniques. Sharpen your tool belt on a monthly basis with what's getting your prospects to buy in different industries. Whether it be negotiation or early selling techniques to build value, both are important to increase your ASP and decrease your time to sell.
Presentation Skills. Are prospects looking forward to your demo? An engaging presentation never gets old and you do less of the talking.
Prospecting. The best sales people are always on the hunt. It's not just a volume game, you have to make sure you're bringing the right leads into your pipeline.
Closing. Always ask for the business.
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
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).
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!
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
Become a Maser Storyteller: Clear, concise & persuasive customer stories helps in delivering compelling value propositions and negotiating deals effectively.
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
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
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
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.
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.
To be successful in sales going forward, professionals need a mix of both soft and hard skills. Here are the most important ones to focus on:
Soft Skills:
1. Emotional Intelligence (EQ):
• Understanding customer emotions, handling objections, and building rapport are critical to gaining trust and maintaining strong relationships.
2. Active Listening:
• Listening to what the customer says—and doesn’t say—helps identify their true needs and allows sales reps to tailor solutions effectively.
3. Resilience & Grit:
• Sales is full of rejection. The ability to bounce back and maintain a positive attitude in the face of adversity is key to long-term success.
4. Adaptability:
• The market, customer demands, and technologies are constantly changing. Sales professionals need to be flexible and able to pivot quickly.
5. Effective Communication:
• Clear, concise, and persuasive communication, both written and verbal, is essential to conveying value propositions, closing deals, and maintaining client relationships.
6. Problem-Solving:
• Customers are looking for solutions to their pain points. Being able to identify problems and provide tailored solutions separates top performers from the rest.
7. Collaboration & Teamwork:
• Sales is increasingly collaborative, requiring coordination with marketing, product teams, and customer success. Building strong internal relationships helps sales professionals deliver better results.
Hard Skills:
1. CRM Mastery:
• Knowing how to efficiently use Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tools like Freshworks CRM for tracking leads, managing pipelines, and analyzing sales data is critical for sales effectiveness.
2. Data-Driven Decision Making:
• Sales teams now rely heavily on data to inform their strategies. Sales professionals must be comfortable interpreting analytics and using data to drive decisions and forecast accurately.
3. Sales Automation & Technology Tools:
• Familiarity with sales automation tools, email marketing platforms, and lead-generation software helps streamline workflows and increase efficiency.
4. Product Knowledge:
• Deep understanding of the product or service you’re selling is essential. This enables you to articulate its value, answer technical questions, and position it against competitors.
5. Negotiation Skills:
• The ability to navigate complex negotiations and find win-win solutions is a crucial skill for closing larger, more complicated deals.
6. Social Selling & Digital Presence:
• The ability to use platforms like LinkedIn and other social networks to engage prospects, build personal brands, and generate leads is becoming increasingly important in modern sales.
7. Market & Industry Knowledge:
• Understanding the broader industry landscape, competitors, and trends helps sales reps anticipate changes and position their products more effectively.
Conclusion:
• Soft skills such as emotional intelligence, communication, and resilience will help sales professionals build relationships and navigate challenges.
• Hard skills like CRM proficiency, data analysis, and product knowledge ensure they can operate effectively and strategically.
Balancing and developing these skills will help sales professionals succeed in an evolving sales environment.
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