The Top Soft Skills You Need To Succeed In A Salesforce Role: Communication

Soft skills refer to the social skills, character traits, and professional attitudes that all jobs require. They complement the hard skills related to your role, such as technical capabilities and industry-specific qualifications.

This article marks the beginning of our series: “The top soft skills you need to succeed in a Salesforce role”. First up, we’ll show you how to develop one of the key soft skills that hiring managers look for in Salesforce professionals: communication.

According to our recent Salesforce Careers and Hiring Guide 2022 - 23, communication is a crucial skill for each of these Salesforce roles:

• Salesforce Developer
• Salesforce Functional Consultant
• Salesforce Technical Consultant
• Salesforce Solution Architects

Communicating effectively isn’t just about what you say – it's also important to consider how it might be interpreted. We all have our own ways of communicating, but learning more about the various communication styles helps ensure that your message is received in the way it’s intended.

There are four main communication styles:

1. Passive
2. Aggressive
3. Passive-aggressive
4. Assertive

Passive

Passive communicators tend not to assert themselves and allow others to take control of the conversation. They tend to be quiet people and rarely express their needs or share their feelings. Misunderstandings can be more common when speaking with a passive communicator as they find it difficult to say what they really mean.

So how do you identify a passive communicator?

Here are some traits to look out for:

• Inability to say no – This can result in burnout due to taking on too many tasks.
• Fidgeting – This might look like shuffling in their seat or shaking their leg.
• People-pleasing attitude – Agreeing just to please others, regardless of their own feelings or needs.
• Apologetic – They often believe they’re in the wrong and are more likely to apologize, even when it’s not necessary.
• Lack of eye contact – Usually due to shyness or discomfort.

How to communicate with them effectively:

• Reassure their doubts – This will help build their confidence.
• Be direct – Address them by name and allow them to speak while listening intently.
• Offer different methods of communication – For example, inviting them to share their thoughts in an email rather than calling on them in a meeting.

Aggressive

Aggressive communicators aren’t afraid to make their opinions known and usually appear confident. While these are positive traits, what sets them apart from assertive communicators (as you’ll see below) is that they can also be guilty of interrupting, not listening to others, and being abrupt. They react before thinking, sometimes at the expense of others, which can make their colleagues nervous or uncomfortable.

Signs of an aggressive communicator:

• Interrupting others – Talking over people makes them feel like their opinions don’t matter.
• Overlooking others’ feelings – Usually dismissing others to express their own opinions.
• Intense eye contact – This can intimidate others into agreeing with what they’re saying.
• Challenging other people’s opinions – They often believe that theirs is the only correct opinion.

How to communicate with them effectively:

• Keep things professional – Steer the conversation in the right direction and keep them on topic.
• Enforce boundaries – Outline what is and isn’t acceptable.
• Walk away when needed – If the conversation is no longer productive, know when to end it.

Passive-aggressive

Passive-aggressive communicators appear passive at first, but they often feel powerless, resulting in feelings of anger. They act in more subtle, discreet ways than aggressive communicators. They may seem nice to some, but unfriendly to others as they avoid confrontation when conflict arises.

How to spot a passive-aggressive communicator:

• Sarcasm – Their words sound pleasant, but their tone suggests otherwise.
• Heavy sighing  – They will use non-verbal signals instead of voicing their discontentment.
• Denial – They may deny their involvement in a mistake or an issue someone else is having.

How to communicate with them effectively:

• Welcome feedback – Ask for feedback and open up an opportunity for honest conversation.
• Approach them – Ask if they’d like to talk, especially if you sense they’re being evasive.
• Redirect – Suggest that they discuss anything that may be bothering them with the appropriate people.
• Be specific – Leave no room for misinterpretation.

Assertive

Assertive communicators are calm and respectful of others. They make their boundaries clear while addressing problems directly. The assertive communication style creates the best outcomes in the workplace and is the ideal communication style, as it ensures needs are met on both sides without being overbearing.

Common assertive behaviors:

• Being clear and direct – This means instructions are understood and carried out efficiently.
• Friendly eye contact – They use eye contact to read facial expressions and understand how someone is feeling in situations.
• Actively listening – This helps ensure others feel understood and supported.
• Open body language – Facing the people they are talking to, offering affirming nods and seeming relaxed.
• Motivating others – They encourage and support others and are happy to share their ideas.

Read all of our findings in our blog post here.

Keep an eye out for our next article, where we’ll discuss different problem-solving strategies to implement in your Salesforce role.