Does Your Sales Team Have the Skills to Help Their Customers Win?

A wealth of evidence shows the differentiating factor between successful and struggling sales teams is effective training. One of the most impactful statistics shows that teams that engage in dynamic sales coaching have 28% higher win rates. Win rates are only one benefit of sales training. Consistent training also shows your team that you are willing to invest in their success, improving engagement and employee retention and resulting in substantial cost savings.

Reinforce the Importance of Sales Skills  

Increased revenue is a goal of every business. Sales managers across every industry want to how to increase productivity, engagement, and ultimately revenue and commissions among their sales teams. Here, we'll answer some of the most common questions about the importance of sales skills and which ones can help ensure your team's success. 

What Soft Skills Do Salespeople Need to Develop to Be Successful?  

First, let's define soft sales skills. These are the competencies that allow a salesperson to relate to others. Soft skills, also called people skills, help team members be more efficient in their interpersonal communication to achieve new levels of success. Some soft skills that you should look for, develop, and nurture in your salespeople include:

• Empathy - The ability to look at any situation from the buyer's point of view will give the salesperson insight into how to offer solutions that benefit both their company and their customer's business. 
• Communication - Understanding how to get salient points across concisely and in a manner that connects with the recipient, leaves no room for miscommunication and allows the salesperson to forge relationships that go much further than one sale.  
• Emotional Intelligence - Emotional intelligence involves self-awareness and the ability to regulate one's own emotions to potentially calm a stressed client and find common ground to open a dialogue. This is a critical skill for any leadership position and dealing with the public.  
• Resilience - Sales can be difficult. The ability to recover from rejection and find new ways to advance is a vital component of success. 
• Growth-oriented - A desire to consistently learn new skills, develop existing ones, and attain new goals will go far in making a salesperson a top-performer.
• Adaptability - Being adaptable to various situations and personalities gives the salesperson huge growth potential and lets them find new ways to serve their customers' needs.  

What Hard Skills Are Indicators of Success Among Sales Teams?  

Hard skills are easier to identify and measure than soft skills. These attributes are earned or learned, such as prior training or certifications indicating a level of proficiency in a skillset. These are the skills typically found on a CV or resume. Important hard skills for sales representatives include:

• Product knowledge - In wine and beer sales, product knowledge could include certifications or years in the industry that demonstrate broad understanding.
• Business software proficiency - Every business has software that they use in day-to-day business. Applications can range from presentation to communication, ordering, inventory, and more. Demonstrating proficiency in these or similar applications shows that the salesperson can be productive more quickly with fewer costly mistakes.
• Language skills - If you operate in a multicultural area, having a team with foreign language skills can be highly beneficial.  

How Can Sales Managers Help Develop Skills Among Their Sales Teams?  

There are many ways sales managers can teach, nurture, and develop skills among their teams. The first and most important step is to make learning a priority. When learning is adopted into the culture, employees are more engaged and more productive, resulting in less turnover. Learning and development are especially beneficial since disengaged workers cost businesses an estimated  $7 trillion each year in lost productivity.  

In a learning culture, employees are supported by the upper management and rewarded for their efforts. Coaching and training are considered investments, not expenses. Another critical element is personalized learning. Adapting the training to each employee allows your salespeople to take advantage of self-paced learning that is personally meaningful when they have uninterrupted time to focus.  

Make Accessible Sales Coaching Part of Your Ongoing Learning Culture 

Online sales coaching can help sales managers develop their sales teams and establish an ongoing learning culture. Not only does this create strong, productive, high-achieving teams, but it promotes employee engagement and a desire for continued self-improvement. When salespeople are rewarded through incentive programs and higher commissions, it encourages them to strive for excellence. By investing in online sales coaching, you can attract top talent, retain your high performers, grow your talent pool, and ultimately achieve higher profits.