In a data-driven world, it’s easy to forget that we sell to humans, not bots. If the buyer is a human, then the selling process also has to be humanized to include the elements of emotions. If a pitch lacks a message that can connect with the prospect, the deal is unlikely to close. The solution to this problem is for SDRs to pay attention to their soft skills apart from the numbers and targets they have to meet. This is why we’ll look at 5 crucial soft skills for every SDR.
How essential are soft skills in sales?
Statistics have repeatedly pointed to a correlation between the quality of customer relationships and sales revenue generated. During a pitch, for example, the prospect retains about 5% of the information given during the pitch. This means most of the influence is with soft skills. With good soft skills, retaining customers, converting leads, and maintaining trustworthy customer relationships will be possible with little effort.
If a faithful relationship is established, but a deal isn’t closed, it’s still a win for you. That’s because a good rapport opens the doors to future deals and pitches without you having to start all over again. Therefore, the humanized aspect of sales is more relevant now than ever before. People who know the art of mastering them will end up making big bucks and leveling up in their careers a lot faster than their peers. That’s because the information isn’t hard to find. So, prospects will need you to convince them more than they’ll need information. Soft skills have been and will continue to be indispensable tools for SDRs.
5 soft skills that can increase conversions
Several soft skills can help an SDR sound more pleasant and convincing to prospects. Here’s a list of some of them.
1. Creative aptitude
Sales demand problem-solving skills. Most of the problems encountered by an SDR need creative abilities. What follow-up approach to adopt if a prospect has been continually unresponsive? Which presentation style will suit a particular product the best during a sales demo? These are questions that can be answered through creative thinking only. There are several examples of how creative pitching ended up converting stubborn prospects. So, being inventive and resourceful with one’s ideas can lead to excellent results in sales.
2. Flexibility
No SDR gets a specific type of client and only particular kinds of people in their team. People are different in their personalities, likes, dislikes, and thinking. Hence, learning to adapt to any environment is a quality worth envying in an SDR. The quicker one can adapt, the faster one can move a deal ahead. Unexpected issues can crop up anytime, and this quality will come to your team’s rescue each time. A flexible SDR can also retain customers and maintain a good rapport over the years.
Another place where flexibility is critical is dealing with the market for a particular product. Adapting to the current trends will multiply revenue, and failing to grasp the market’s status will result in disastrous failures. So, being open to dealing with different kinds of situations, markets, and people is absolutely key to becoming a top SDR.
3. Tactfulness
Sales consist of various steps. Roadblocks are bound to pop up along the way, and tact should be the weapon of choice for defeating them. Tact combines critical thinking and empathy, a mix of analytical and emotional abilities. Hence, tactfulness is very important to retain good customer relationships. Being cautious in what you say and how you present yourself while being loose and relaxed enough to build trust and comfort with the prospect takes some time to perfect. But once achieved, this can tremendously transform an SDR’s conversion potential.
4. Teamwork
SDRs often work in a team. While SDRs are primarily responsible for lead generation and qualification in their team, they also coordinate with the marketing teams. Sales and marketing teams in an organization must work in a close-knit fashion for great results. Marketing teams focus on branding the company, and the sales team utilizes that brand value by translating it into conversions from leads.
Maintaining smooth communication with your team makes targets more achievable and increases output efficiency in the long run. Working in a team requires understanding, cooperation, and crisis-handling skills. If an SDR works on these, the sales operations will go smoother than ever. When a team works cohesively, each member’s unique abilities are put to good use, and there’s no friction.
5. Persistence
This is the most underrated quality an SDR can have. That’s because persistence is an essential ingredient for getting leads to convert. Following up with a prospect, retaining customers, or pushing through a tough quarter demands persistent effort from an SDR. So, having a tendency to keep at it and revisiting losses to learn and evolve is the recipe for a successful SDR.
Read More: 5 Follow-up Techniques For Maximum Results In 2023
Conclusion
There’s truly no limit to how much one can achieve in sales. However, things can get rocky along the way sometimes. Whenever there’s a crisis to resolve, going back to basics always works. So, hitting the right balance between technical and humanized sales aspects drives a successful campaign. Everything is a part of the learning curve, so take things slow and keep leveling up.
