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Soft Skills or Hard Skills: Which is More Vital in Business?

man and woman shaking hands over business dinner

The answer to this trick question is “neither.” They’re equally important in business.

Soft Skills vs. Hard Skills

Hard skills are the ones we have mastered, such as math, a foreign language, programming, reading, or expertise with powerpoint. These skills are easy to quantify and measure, while soft skills are harder to quantify because they can be so subjective. Skills like persuasion, listening, questioning, building rapport, and building business relationships are subject to individual judgement and interpretation. They are also crucial to an individual’s and a company’s success.

Both Skills Needed for Success

In business, both types of skills are necessary for incredible success. Often, the hard skills get you the interview, as they’re printed on a resume. However, what gets you the job are the soft skills, which are demonstrated in the interview. The hard truth: soft skills are far more likely to elevate you at work than another certificate.

At most companies, employees are taught the hard skills needed to succeed there. Once we learn how to do those critical duties, they become hard skills. Without these skills at any job, there simply is no job. So, if you aren’t receiving the hard skills training that you need, turn to the internet. For example, Khan Academy can teach you math for free, and there are plenty of other learning mediums that can be found online to gain those skills you’re searching for.

Soft Skills Move You Up the Ladder

Soft skills are the gateway to promotions, raises, and a bright future. It’s important to recognize that, if a person is more persuasive, builds great business relationships, is truly customer-focused, and a great team player, they would have the key self-taught skills necessary for growth and a bright future.

Knowing that, what are you waiting for? The wonderful reality in 2017 is that access to soft skills training is readily available to anyone with desire, a computer, and internet access.

Virtual Learning, Tangible Success

If you want to learn to be an entrepreneur, you can buy a virtual training program like that of Daymond John. In only a few weeks, a person’s soft skills and hard skills IQs soar because they learn the secrets to his huge success. Similarly, if you want to learn how to set and achieve incredible goals, then you can buy my goal-setting training at jerryacuffVT for $49. There, individuals learn how I used this goal-setting process to go from being a district manager to running a large company in 5 years. I also discuss how I built a successful consulting company with 30 employees after being fired at 51 years old and unable to find a job.

Scary, huh? Yeah, it was. But I made it – only because I fought for my skillset and my goals.

Be A Sales Superstar

If you want to learn how to be a sales superstar or just be more persuasive, you can learn that as well from jerryacuffVT. There, I share everything I know about selling by thinking like a customer, while never being seen as pushy or aggressive – which, we all know is the greatest fear for an aspiring salesperson.

These soft skills have enabled me to be recognized as one of the top 5 sales experts in the world and named one of the 50 greatest salespeople of all time. I tell every audience I speak to (thousands each year) that, to be more successful, you must find someone who has done what you want to do and simply learn from them. That is 100 times easier today than it was just 10 years ago.

There are, in fact, so many ways to get better at soft and hard skills via technology, that very few of us have a legitimate excuse for being mediocre at anything. We need them both, and they can be learned. They must be learned because they determine our success. Go get them, and watch what happens to your work life, and well, your life in general.

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