Soft Skills Every Salesperson Needs

There is one skill that successful sales reps share – soft skills. A salesperson must possess these qualities in order to build relationships, promote productive conversations, and provide an exceptional customer experience.

The good news is that soft skills are not taught in a formal training session, and there are no hard-and-fast rules for learning them. Some ways you can learn soft skills is by getting exposed to and practicing them.

This article will discuss how to acquire certain soft skills to ensure success as a salesperson.

Mindset for growth

You have a knack for building relationships. Relationship building is a skill that you possess – or did you develop it through hard work, practice, and feedback from others?

Choosing the second option indicates you are in a growth mindset. Growth-minded individuals believe over time. They can enhance their natural talents and develop new skills. On the other hand, those with fixed mindsets see their skills as set in stone. There is nothing they can do about the hand dealt to them.

Flexibility

Salespeople who are good at getting feedback and implementing it are usually the ones to rise to the top of the leaderboard and remain there. Using their manager’s insights, wisdom, and experience: they combine the strength of a great rep and the wisdom of a superior.

Compassion

It is possible for a sales rep to become a star performer by imagining themselves in their prospect’s shoes. You can tailor your message to your prospect’s specific pain points and motivations once you know and understand what their thoughts and feelings are. Additionally, you’ll also be able to tell when to push and when to pull back when conversing with your prospect.

Communication

The average sales representative spends at least 90% of their day communicating, whether it’s on the phone, through emails, giving demos, or speaking in meetings. Therefore for salespeople, communicating well is crucial. The ability to clearly and convincingly convey your ideas is important and this must be done without indulging in self-indulgent rambling or using meaningless buzzwords.

Humbleness

Your prospects will automatically trust and respect you more when you reveal your vulnerability or admit that you don’t know something. When that happens, you will be seen as a trusted advisor, if not a partner in their success (which is ideal).

Acknowledging your mistakes is also a part of humility. Don’t point the finger at someone else or external factors when something goes wrong. 

Emotional Intelligence

Relationship building requires high Emotional Intelligence (EQ). EQ consists of six elements:

• Emotional awareness: You are in tune with your emotions.
• Self-confidence: You boast self-assurance and assertiveness without being arrogant.
• Self-regulation: You are able to regulate how you react to external events.
• Adaptability: You are capable of responding quickly to changes.
• Influence: You can influence others to see your point of view and follow your recommendations.
• Leadership: You are able to bring people together and inspire them.

People are naturally drawn to those with high EQ – since they like to follow them.

Resilience

Resisting adversity isn’t the test of resilience; it’s how you handle it afterward. The average salesperson faces more rejection than most other professionals. In the face of adversity, their resilience and tenacity help them stay the course.

Having resilience does not mean ignoring negative feelings or pretending a difficult sales call did not happen. But, it’s important to work through those emotions in a healthy way without burning out. Resistant sales representatives can then move on to the next prospect and give them 100% of their attention.