Since the change in buyer behavior has become more commonly known, there has been a lot of talk about what skills are required of modern sales professionals. Less talked about, however, are the skills the modern buyer is demanding from sales leaders.
Great leaders are emotionally intelligent, exhibit communication, interpersonal, teamwork, critical thinking and creative-problem solving skills. But is that enough?
In today’s world, technical proficiency is a given; what digital skills do B2B sales leaders need to take their transformation efforts to the next level? To start, they need to…
Be Technology Savvy: This doesn’t just mean using email as a form of communication. Sales leaders should be able to track a buyer’s digital path to purchase using their CRM system, and have an understanding of what assets facilitated or hindered their journey.
Harness Digital Best Practices: If leaders want their diverse and multigenerational salesforce to stay relevant, they need to invest in training. It’s no wonder social sellers, for example, blow their competitors out of the water 72% of the time.
Have Analytical Skills: Effective sales strategies require an emphasis more on selling through service and insights, rather than pushy, in-your-face closing skills. This means leveraging data-driven insights tailored to each prospect, rather than open-ended and clueless questions.
The following infographic combines insights from Salesforce, Forrester and McKinsey so today’s business leaders can set themselves up for success amid the digital disruption.
P.S. – If you think we missed something, feel free to leave a comment below!