Skills - Search Salary Guide

Soft skills in Sales
98% of Sales staff believe
they have the ‘hard’ skills
to do their job

Those who don’t said it was
due to a lack of training

Top skills employees would like
to develop are critical thinking,
communication and flexibility

Two thirds of employers
believe they have skills shortage
in their current teams

Employers are looking for
people with change management
experience, who can work
effectively with others
Do Sales staff have the
skills to fulfil their role?

The 2% of Salespeople who believe they don’t have the skills to do their job also said they have a lack of clarity on their role and responsibilities, as well as not enough development opportunities.
Which skills do employees
want to develop?

The vast majority of Sales employees are confident that they know everything they need to do their job effectively. Unlike the benchmark figures across all Professional Service sectors where employees felt they had a wide range of development areas.

In an industry built on maintaining relationships, it’s not a surprise that communication and interpersonal skills are the top soft skills Sales professionals want to work on to thrive in their role. Flexibility and adaptability and critical thinking are also keys skills needed by successful Salespeople, so it is no wonder that both of them score highly in terms of key development areas.
Skills employers are seeking
Our data shows employers and employees are on the same page when it comes to personal development. The top skills employers are seeking from their employees are working effectively with others and influencing – two skills that are key to progressing in Sales.
Businesses are also looking for talent with change management experience, not just in the Sales discipline, but in the working world in general. Following the pandemic, Brexit and the cost of living crisis, it’s clear that change is inevitable across all Professional Services, but Sales in particular (as discussed in the introduction), so having employees who can handle transformation is vital.

All employers who took part in our survey said they are planning to recruit in the next 12 months, with two thirds saying they have a two stage or fewer interview process. It’s therefore clear that businesses specialising in Sales understand the need to have simple and efficient recruitment strategies to quickly hire talent. Although they’re under no illusions; businesses also told us they believe recruiting the right staff will be a challenge in the next 12 months.

Skills most sought
after by employers
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The future

Soft skills in Sales

98% of Sales staff believethey have the ‘hard’ skillsto do their job

Those who don’t said it wasdue to a lack of training

Top skills employees would liketo develop are critical thinking,communication and flexibility

Two thirds of employersbelieve they have skills shortagein their current teams

Employers are looking forpeople with change managementexperience, who can workeffectively with others

Do Sales staff have theskills to fulfil their role?

Skills employers are seeking

Read next section

98% of Sales staff believe
they have the ‘hard’ skills
to do their job

Those who don’t said it was
due to a lack of training

Top skills employees would like
to develop are critical thinking,
communication and flexibility

Two thirds of employers
believe they have skills shortage
in their current teams

Employers are looking for
people with change management
experience, who can work
effectively with others

Do Sales staff have the
skills to fulfil their role?