With the rise of technology, it would seem that time spent developing “hard skills” would be useful. It’s easy to think that future-proofing your sales career would come from product knowledge and getting the latest industry certifications. Likewise, learning the ins-and-outs of AI, CRM platforms, and marketing automation stacks seems an obvious place to focus your professional development.
But those areas will only get you so far. Industry knowledge and digital fluency are critical, but they’re just a start.
The Six Skill Gaps You Can Work on Today
When focusing on your professional learning, it’s important to focus on these soft skills. The market is making it clear they want professionals who can master these less-quantifiable business areas. They are harder to define and quantify, but they are key to driving business.
The six soft skill areas that the report lists are key places to focus. As the report outlined, “people with these skills are hired faster than people without these skills.” Whether you are trying to get a new sales job, keep the one you have, or move up in your organization, it’s valuable to grow in one or more of these areas to move your career forward.
