two sales professionals sitting at a desk looking happy because they have the soft selling skills they need to succeed thanks to richardson's six critical skills training program

Six Critical Skills Training

Build the core soft skills that fuel every sales dialogue. Develop presence, relating, questioning, listening, positioning, and checking to create trust, uncover needs, and position value.

Program Overview

Richardson’s Six Critical Skills Training develops the conversational and critical thinking abilities sales professionals need to succeed in today’s market. With traditional competitive advantages eroding, these soft skills are what elevate the quality of customer interactions and differentiate your team. The program gives sellers and customer-facing professionals the ability to establish credibility and build trust quickly, foster openness in conversations. uncover and understand customer needs at a deeper level, and position solutions persuasively and gain alignment. The Six Critical Skills also extend beyond sales. Managers apply them in coaching, while non-customer-facing employees use them to strengthen internal dialogues and collaboration.

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For Who

Service Professionals

Sales Professionals

Marketers

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Format

Digital Learning

Virtual instructor-led

Instructor-led

Blended Learning

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Duration

Half-day ILT or 1, four-hour VILT workshops with pre and post digital learning

Why are the Six Critical Skills important?

In today’s market, technology and product advantages are widely available. What sets top performers apart is their ability to be conversational, adaptable, and apply critical thinking.

The Six Critical Skills are the foundation of effective selling because they:

They are universally applicable across sales, management, and internal business dialogues.

click here to download the article - everything begins with soft skills - to learn more about the importance of building critical selling skills

What are the Six Critical Skills?

The Six Critical Skills are observable behaviors that create stronger dialogues and better buying experiences:

  • Presence: Projecting confidence and credibility to inspire trust.
  • Relating: Building rapport, acknowledgment, and empathy to connect.
  • Questioning: Using purposeful questions to uncover and shape needs.
  • Listening: Actively understanding both content and emotion.
  • Positioning: Presenting tailored, persuasive recommendations.
  • Checking: Eliciting feedback to confirm alignment and next steps.
6 critical selling skills richardson

Expected Business Outcomes

Training in the Six Critical Skills delivers measurable impact through:

  • Enhanced Agility: Ability to adapt to changing customer demands.
  • Sustainable Differentiation: Trusted-advisor credibility that competitors cannot replicate.
  • Process Consistency: Common language and behaviors across the salesforce.
  • Improved Performance: Better conversations that lead to more wins and profitable growth.

Watch the video below to learn how Six Critical Skills Training has improved business at Strat Hotel and Casino Tower.

Connection to Richardson’s Portfolio

The Six Critical Skills are the bedrock of Richardson’s methodology. They prepare teams for advanced programs such as:

They are reinforced through Richardson’s Accelerate Sales Performance System, which sustains skills with ongoing practice, coaching, and measurement.

click here to contact richardson's team to learn about implementing the six critical skills training program for your team

FAQ: Richardson's Six Critical Skills Training Program

Q. What are Richardson’s Six Critical Skills?

A. They are presence, relating, questioning, listening, positioning, and checking. Together, they form the foundation of effective sales and internal business dialogues.

Q. How long does the Six Critical Skills Training take?

A. The program can be delivered as a half-day instructor-led session, a four-hour virtual workshop, or a blended learning journey with digital reinforcement.

Q. Is the training available digitally?

A. Yes. The Six Critical Skills can be developed through Richardson’s Accelerate Sales Performance System, which offers modular, video-based, mobile-friendly learning.

Q. Who should attend this program?

A. It is designed for sales and service professionals, marketers, sales managers, and internal employees who need to improve dialogue and communication skills.

Q. What business results does this training deliver?

A. Organizations gain agility, improved differentiation, stronger customer trust, and consistent selling behaviors that lead to more profitable growth.

Q. How does this program fit with other Richardson training?

A. It is a foundational program that prepares teams for advanced courses such as Consultative Selling, Challenger, and Consultative Opportunity Pursuit Training.
six critical skills for professional selling

Six Critical Skills Training Program Brochure

Learn about our training program that builds the soft selling skills every seller needs to practice and perfect.

Key Areas Covered

Critical Skills for a Sales Dialogue

The moment of truth is in the dialogue. The Six Critical Skills are the observable behaviors that support a sales dialogue. They allow sales professionals to leverage their natural strengths to create a dialogue, foster the openness and trust needed to understand customer needs, communicate in a compelling way, and close profitable business.

Demonstrating Emotional Intelligence

Consultative Selling is human and natural. Sales professionals need a process and skills to leverage their natural styles, not a rigid set of steps or manipulative tactics that suppress their natural styles. We work with sales professionals to generate self-awareness, the foundational building block for increased emotional intelligence and more effective human interactions.

Winning Profitable Business

Growth is about getting to the next level and increasing confidence. These critical skills help sales professionals to use their unique set of strengths and opportunities for improvement to foster positive relationships, create exceptional buying experiences, and build trust to win more business.