The best promo pros never stop growing. They’re always advancing their skills and love connecting with other promo pros. They know that staying sharp isn’t optional but what sets them apart. And when it comes to winning over prospects, they know it takes more than charm — it requires advanced skills that build trust.

Elay Cohen, the CEO and co-founder of SalesHood, says the difference between hitting quota once and building a career of consistent wins comes down to advanced sales mastery. This means moving on from a “wing it” approach to one that uses advanced sales skills like emotional intelligence. In this issue of PromoPro Daily, we outline Cohen’s thoughts on the 6 skills that can help you most right now.

  1. Emotional intelligence. This skill is all about adaptability, empathy and self-awareness. Cohen says the best sales reps can read the room, sense hesitation and adapt their pitch in real time. Emotional intelligence is what turns a transactional conversation into a trusted partnership.

  2. Negotiation skills. Average sales reps cut prices to win deals, Cohen says, while top-performing sellers create value to build lasting partnerships. The difference? One erodes margins. The other builds trust and long-term growth. According to Cohen, modern negotiation is about value exchange and not discounts.

  3. Data-driven selling. Data helps you understand what resonates. It shows you what works, what doesn’t and where to focus your efforts for the biggest impact. Cohen points out research that shows that companies that embrace data see big improvements in win rates and deal velocity.

  4. Storytelling. According to Cohen, the best sales reps know how to weave narratives that connect a buyer’s business challenge directly to the solution’s impact. Don’t just tell prospects about your promo solution but paint a picture of transformation.

  5. Prospecting. This is another great sales skill that can help you continue advancing in your career. It’s not about cold calling into the void, Cohen says. Rather, it’s about leveraging buyer signals, industry triggers and account intelligence to prioritize the right prospects at the right time.

  6. Discovery. Curiosity and discovery aren’t just soft skills, Cohen says. Instead, they’re advanced sales skills that separate top performers from the rest. Great sellers know that asking the right questions uncovers issues, impacts and opportunities that buyers may not even see themselves.

Skill development shouldn’t be a one-time thing but a habit you work on every day. Focus on how you can develop the advanced skills above, like incorporating more data into your conversations and using storytelling to bring it all together.

Compiled by Audrey Sellers
Source: Elay Cohen is the CEO and co-founder of SalesHood. He is recognized as a Top Innovative “Mover and Shaker” in sales leadership by Entrepreneur magazine and by LinkedIn as one of the world’s top sales experts.