Sales skills vital to career progression in any business

Skills most associated with salespeople such as negotiation, persuasion and being a good listener, have been named as vital to career progression amongst senior business leaders in the UK.

A recent study revealed just how valuable the skills possessed by successful salespeople are. From negotiation and persuasion to listening and asking intelligent questions, sales roles equip people with some of the most important skills for career advancement.

It is unfortunate however that sales still suffers from people mistakenly believing that it’s simply wheeler-dealing or being pushy. Instead, being an effective salesperson requires a broad range of skills. You must ask the right questions to probe and test people’s needs; you must be able to make the connection in the client’s mind as to why your product or service solves a problem they are having; and you must be able to negotiate so that both parties come away feeling happy with the deal.