Too often, companies assume they just need to hire someone with sales training to succeed in sales. But you don’t just need “someone with sales training,” you need someone with the appropriate sales skills and abilities that fit your organization’s needs. 

For example, if your company works remotely, someone who has a strong background in phone sales might be more suitable than an experienced salesperson who has always worked out in the field. In another case, if you have an advanced CRM system, someone who lacks basic computer skills will have a harder time getting up to speed than someone who has worked with similar systems before.

Hiring the right person with the right skills for your sales system is often the best long-term strategy. But what are those sales skills? In the realm of sales, there’s not one definitive standard skill set all salespeople should possess. But, there are a handful of must-haves.

An Understanding Of Buyers And What They Want And Need

Knowing the buyer is the foundation of selling. A great salesperson should be able to identify the experience a customer wants to have as they consider buying something. They should understand the expectations of the customer, so they can set out to exceed them.

The Ability To Personalize Their Sales Approach

Rather than treating every buyer the same way, a professional salesperson should know how to personalize each sales call. Whether that’s through making a personal connection, establishing trust, or active listening, they should be able to switch up the conversation as needed.

Possession Of True Subject Matter Expertise

A salesperson should understand the core values of sales — not just product knowledge. Yes, they need to know what they’re selling to potential customers like the back of their hand, but that’s not where their skillset should end. They need to understand sales like the back of their hand, as well as insight into potential customers, their needs, and the market as a whole.

The Ability To Be Just As Effective Selling Remotely As In-Person

As a phone-based inside sales representative, the stakes are a bit higher when it comes to sales skills. A person in this role needs to be technologically savvy and highly organized first and foremost. But they also need to have a strong phone presence and be able to interpret verbal cues. It can sometimes be more challenging to be a remote salesperson than an outside salesperson strictly because there’s no physicality to making a sale.

There’s no shortage of resources out there that will give you insight into the common skill sets required to sell. But as far as knowledge and experience go, remember that this will be more subjective to your specific small business needs. 

The bottom line: If you want to see great results in sales, you need to hire the right people with the right sales skills.

Have a question related to this topic or anything else?