Effective sales skills are more important today than ever. Salespeople who work on their soft skills are 11 percent more likely to achieve their sales quotas than those who don't. Yet sellers face a particular challenge: According to LinkedIn's State of Sales Report, only 40% of consumers think sellers are generally trustworthy.
In today's digital business world, the requirements for sales managers have become more complex. The typical career path starts as a sales assistant and leads through various stages to the position of sales manager. Potential customers spend an average of 27% of their time doing independent online research, but only 17% of their B2B buyer's journey with salespeople. This underlines how crucial the human factor and the right skills are in sales.
While technical skills remain important - using a CRM systems is standard practice for 79% of sales staff - it is increasingly soft skills that make the difference. After all, successful sales work is a prerequisite for turnover and growth in the company.
In this article, you'll discover the key sales skills for 2025 that will make you more successful as a salesperson or sales manager. From convincing communication to using digital tools like Bliro, which help you focus on what's important - talking to the customer - instead of wasting valuable time on administrative tasks.
The 7 most important soft skills for sales managers 2025
Soft skills are becoming increasingly important in sales. While hard skills form the basis, it is interpersonal skills that determine long-term success. Let's look at the seven most important soft skills for sales managers in 2025.
1. Empathy: Really understand customers
Empathy is the ability to put yourself in the customer's shoes and not only to inquire about their needs, but to actively understand them. At a time when products are interchangeable and prices are comparable, empathetic sellers who offer real solutions win. By understanding the emotions and unexpressed needs of your customers, you build trust and strengthen customer loyalty in the long term.
2. Persuasive power without pressure
Modern sales works without manipulation. Instead of persuading, it's about empowering customers to make good decisions. “Nobody wants to be sold anything - but everyone wants good advice.” Show genuine interest, build trust and remember: People buy from people, not from companies.
3. Flexibility in dealing with different types of customers
The ability to focus on hiring different personalities will be crucial in 2025. Whether reserved, self-confident, or skeptical - every type of customer requires a different approach to communication. By specifically monitoring and adapting your strategy, you create individualized customer experiences that lead to a conclusion.
4. Organization and self-management
In sales, you often work independently. Without effective time management priorities can be set incorrectly, which ultimately leads to a decline in sales success. Strategic planning, meaningful prioritization and the right balance between customer service and new customer acquisition are crucial here.
5. Resilience in stressful phases
According to a study, resilience is considered more important than expertise - 90% of interviewees consider it crucial that new employees have this characteristic. Salespeople are under consistent priessure due to tight deadlines, high performance requirements and dealing with demanding customers.
6. Clear and active communication
Effective communication helps to communicate ideas clearly and build trust. Particularly important: active listening - not just listening, but understanding and reacting. Through techniques such as nodding, confirming and targeted inquiries, you show interest and create a trusting atmosphere.
7. Storytelling as a sales tool
With vivid stories, products can be experienced emotionally. A strong narrative is not simply a story, but a compelling narrative that focuses on your customer. The feel felt found technique uses the persuasive power of personal experience and builds trust at the same time.
The 6 most important hard skills in modern sales
In addition to interpersonal factors, concrete hard skills play a decisive role in sales success. Here are the six key technical skills that sales managers should master in 2025.
1. Presentation skills for compelling demos
A customer-oriented, data-driven presentation convinces prospects that they need your product. Start with something out of the ordinary instead of saving the highlights for the end. Show what the customer's future will look like with your product and back up your statements with specific case studies. By the way, the ideal length for virtual product demos is between 15 and 20 minutes.
2. In-depth product and industry knowledge
Sales professionals must be able to discuss with company buyers on an equal footing. This includes not only memorizing Product features, but a profound understandings for how your product performs compared to competitors and meets specific customer needs. This knowledge provides self-confidence and significantly increases credibility with customers.
3. Negotiation skills with a win-win focus
Successful negotiation strives for Win-win situation in which both parties benefit. Focus on interests instead of positions and develop creative solutions together. Use objective criteria such as market prices or quality standards to make discussions objective and build sustainable business relationships.
4. Social selling on LinkedIn & Co.
Social selling is now essential: 89% B2B marketers use LinkedIn to generate leads, while 75% of B2B buyers use social media to make buying decisions. In the DACH region alone, LinkedIn has over 16 million users - a golden opportunity to build relationships and build trust.
5. Technological know-how (e.g. CRM, Bliro)
Modern sales tools such as Bliro automate administrative tasks and allow you to fully concentrate on the customer conversation. The correct use of AI-supported technology is a key success factor that helps you identify purchase intentions in real time and adjust your sales strategy accordingly.
6. Active listening as a key skill
Although 68% of buyers are strongly influenced by good listeners only 26% believe that salespeople are really good listeners. Active listening means focusing completely on the interlocutor, giving verbal feedback and recognizing emotional signals. People who listen sell better - because they understand first before they convince.
What makes a good sales manager?
Behind every successful sales team is a strong sales manager with special qualities. While sales techniques can be learned, it is certain character traits that distinguish exceptional sales managers.
Take responsibility and pursue goals
A successful sales manager not only sets clear, measurable goals, but also assumes responsibility for achieving them. Employee satisfaction increases significantly when they feel personal responsibility for their projects. SMART goals are particularly effective: specific, measurable, attractive, realistic and timely.
Self-motivation and initiative
Self-motivation is the inner motivation that drives sales managers on a daily basis. Top salespeople don't wait for external incentives, but find their motivation in personal goals and the quest for success. This intrinsic motivation helps them navigate even through challenging phases.
Determination despite setbacks
Setbacks are inevitable in sales. 90% of salespersons give up after just four sales calls - an average B2B sales cycle takes 102 days. Successful sales managers therefore develop strong resilience and regard rejections as a learning opportunity, not as a personal failure.
Inquisitiveness and willingness to learn
The best salespeople are always ready to learn. This feature not only helps you quickly familiarise yourself with new topics, but also enables continuous improvement. Inquisitiveness means keeping pace with modern trends and proactively developing.
Kindness as a basis of trust
Customers only buy from sellers they trust. Authenticity is the key - genuine kindness creates trust, while “slippery” sellers are constantly confronted with suspicion. This basic trust forms the basis for long-term customer relationships.
How Bliro supports modern sales skills
Modern technology is revolutionizing the work of successful salespeople. As an AI-supported meeting assistant, Bliro specifically supports the most important sales skills and relieves sellers of administrative tasks.
Automated call notes for better organization
Bliro records sales calls and automatically creates detailed transcripts and concise summaries. Particularly valuable: The software automatically extracts action items and next steps from the conversation, meaning that important tasks are no longer forgotten.
More focus on customer conversations instead of notes
While many sales representatives have to switch between 1,100 different applications in a day, Bliro allows to concentrate fully on the customer conversation. Different from conventional Tools no AI bot joins the meeting, everything runs discreetly in the background. In addition, sales representatives can also have on-site conversations with customers transcribed in real time.
Integration with CRM systems for smooth processes
After every meeting, Bliro automatically updates your CRM system with all relevant data. This eliminates time-consuming manual entries and keeps all customer information up to date - a decisive advantage for structured sales processes.
Saving time during follow-ups and follow-up
With Bliro's AI-supported summaries of past interactions, sales representatives are well prepared for follow-up calls. In addition, personalized follow-up emails can be automatically created in less than a minute, freeing up valuable time for actual sales work.
Conclusion: The future of sales skills is hybrid
In summary, successful sales in 2025 require much more than just sales techniques. The combination of human soft skills such as empathy and resilience as well as technical hard skills such as negotiation skills and CRM usage makes the decisive difference. Particularly noteworthy is the importance of active listening - a skill that, despite its importance, is still too rarely found among sellers.
At the same time, it is clear that the administrative burden is slowing down modern sales. Tools like Bliro therefore offer a practical solution to this problem. Instead of wasting valuable time with notes and CRM entries, focus entirely on the customer conversation while the AI-powered technology works discreetly in the background.
In fact, the most successful sales managers of the future will be those who both develop their human skills and skillfully use digital tools such as Bliro. With automated call notes, CRM integration and AI-supported follow-ups, you not only gain time, but also deeper customer relationships.
Ultimately, sales remains a discipline that thrives on interpersonal interaction. While products, markets, and technologies are constantly changing, one thing remains constant: People buy from people they trust. The skills presented here will help you build this trust and at the same time increase the efficiency of your sales work through modern technology.
