T-shaped, M-shaped, there are plenty of models to define what the CRO skillset should include. Just take a look at a standard job posting for a CRO specialist:

We are looking for a CRO Specialist with excellent analytical and statistical skills, knowledge of behavioral psychology and user experience, experience working with CRO tools and platforms, and preferably an understanding of HTML, CSS and Javascript. You should have strong project management and communication skills, a multidisciplinary approach, customer focus, and an understanding of ethical and legal standards related to data and privacy.

How do you distinguish a good CRO specialist from an average CRO specialist?

How do you distinguish a good CRO specialist from an average CRO specialist?

Many of these skills can be learned. Through courses and also learning by doing. But how can you distinguish a super good, talented CRO specialist from an average CRO specialist? This distinction often comes from soft skills. The consulting role in someone. Unfortunately, this is much harder to learn. Over the years, I have worked with an awful lot of CRO specialists. The ones that stood out head and shoulders above them for me were very strong on the points listed below:  

• Critical curiosity
  Someone who keeps repeating the why question. We want to know everything, but also the why behind it. Not only of the assumptions of others, but also of our own work. Because of this critical attitude, we are open to feedback. There is always room for improvement, even in ourselves!
• Curious
  The “I've never done this before, so I think I can do this” - mentality.
• Contagious enthusiasm
  No matter what the person is talking about, you get excited about it yourself. Stakeholder management is such a big part of the field that this is perhaps the most important point. Without stakeholder management, there is no culture of experimentation. If you as a CRO can't already get the message across, how can you expect others to?

  This also applies to adapting your language/communication to the target audience. That you make the effort to display or explain your test results in different ways, for example. A manager doesn't want to see extensive statistical analysis at all. Get to the point. But if the head of data asks how it's put together, you should be able to explain it in peak detail.

  Someone who knows how to get the story across in such a way that your interlocutor himself sees the self-importance of. “What is in it for me?”

• Ability to explain complicated matters simply
  If your grandmother can explain the difference between bayesian and frequentist statistics and why you should choose one or the other, you've done well. We have an awful lot of jargon and sometimes forget what terminology we are actually talking in. And what effect that has on others. Interlocutors don't want to feel stupid. It's hard to ask about the meaning of something if you think it's a stupid question. Talking along and pretending is easier! By continuing to talk in simple language, you come across as accessible.

Bullshit Bingo for CRO specialists

Take a look at the bullshit bingo card below. How many can you tick off in 1 day or 1 week?

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• Break the trajectory into small parts and prioritize.
  In our field, it is often complex. They are long trajectories full of continuous optimizations. An excellent CRO specialist does not panic about this and knows how to break this trajectory down into sub-problems/sub-topics and which ones are most important to start with. You can use the criteria below to make your initial prioritization with.

  - Start immediately
  - Further research needed
  - Outsourcing
  - Delete

Never being dejected by limitations
There is always a reason something cannot be done. Lack of capacity, house style police, technology complications. A good CRO'er knows how to find a YES in the landscape of NO anyway. Still realize a way to validate an idea. “This wasn't allowed/couldn't be done, but I solved it this way”.

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• Speed of approach
  An excellent CRO specialist is someone who is intrinsically motivated to tackle things. No waiting a week, but “after your explanation yesterday, I tried this right away and these are the results.”. 

So, while technical skills certainly play a role, it is precisely these soft skills and attitudes that distinguish the true excel CRO specialists. It is these traits that make the difference between a good CRO specialist and an excellent CRO specialist. Can you already plot yourself on these skills? In what areas would you like to develop further?

In conclusion

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