SKILLS AND TRAINING SURVEY
In this phase, CustMaS project investigates the evolving role of sales professionals and the diverse skill sets required for success beyond financial performance.
It identifies a gap in existing research, which predominantly focuses on the relationship between sales skills and financial achievements, while neglecting other critical performance areas like customer relationships, administration, innovation, delivery, and cost management. To address this, the study undertakes a comprehensive literature review, analysis of job advertisements, interviews with sales professionals, and a survey of 318 respondents. This approach results in a taxonomy of 14 key sales skills and models that link these skills to six dimensions of sales performance.
The research emphasizes the changing landscape of sales, driven by technological advancements, evolving customer expectations, and complex market dynamics. It highlights that modern sales roles now demand various skills, including soft skills like relationship-building, resilience, and adaptiveness, as well as technical competencies like data-informed decision-making and technology use. For instance, while financial performance still requires traditional sales skills such as negotiation and closing, customer relationship management increasingly depends on interpersonal and analytical skills. Similarly, administrative and innovation performance benefit from skills in task prioritization and creative problem-solving.
A major outcome of this study is the differentiation between "must-have" and "should-have" skills. Must-have skills are deemed essential for achieving baseline performance in specific areas, while should-have skills contribute to further enhancing performance levels. For example, basic selling skills and communication are identified as must-haves for financial success, whereas data analysis is crucial for maintaining strong customer relationships.
The results of intellectual output 3 are presented in a white paper that can be downloaded here.