Which competencies differentiate top sales performers?

Uhubs Research Team • Published 1 Jul 2026 • Updated 17 Sep 2026 • 500,000+ dual-scored assessments • Methodology • Data tables • Full report
Published by Uhubs

Finding

Execution habits, not closing ability. For Account Executives the largest top-to-bottom gaps are growth mindset (+11.9 points), time management (+10.4) and prospecting (+10.2).

The data

Top differentiating competencies by role group
Role group	Competency	Gap
Account Executives	Growth mindset	+11.9
Account Executives	Time management	+10.4
Account Executives	Prospecting	+10.2
SDRs	Objection handling	+8.4
SDRs	Market knowledge	+7.7
SDRs	Rapport building	+6.6
CS / Account Managers	Account expansion	+18.4
CS / Account Managers	Negotiation	+14.5
CS / Account Managers	Strategy	+13.7

What it means for revenue leaders

The performance gap is prospecting consistency, time discipline and pipeline hygiene — not closing ability. These are coachable habits, not traits you have to hire for. The AE programme and the CS/AM programme should not be the same programme.

How this was measured

Capability score differences between top-tier and bottom-tier performers within each role group, measured on the 0–100 composite index.

Source: Global Sales Capability Index 2026 (Uhubs). Based on 500,000+ dual-scored sales capability assessments across 45 countries and 30+ role types, 2020–2026. Published April 2026.