The most successful marketers are those that have a broad range of personal and business skills. While certain attributes can’t be learned, essential skills in these categories can be. Through seminars, webinars and workshops, you can learn skills that may seem unrelated, but in the end provide you with valuable information and insight into the art of marketing. Here’s a look at three skills every marketer should learn:

1. Take the First Step for Better Critical Thinking

Marketing takes a keen eye and requires you to think critically about your work. In a 2010 survey by the American Management Association (AMA), a majority of executives agreed they looked for employees with good critical thinking skills. Critical thinking and creative solutions are also closely linked. People who can evaluate their own work objectively and improve upon it without micromanagement are desirable in the marketing field.

However, critical thinking comes more easily for some than others. There are workshops that focus on critical thought. In fact, The Critical Thinking Community offers workshops that hone critical thinking skills. Everyone can improve in this area, so take the initiative to better yourself and become a more well-rounded employee.

2. Understand Your Consumers’ Emotional Needs

All marketing needs an emotional hook because consumers purchase items based on their emotions. Some of the most powerful emotions are greed, guilt, anger, flattery, fear, exclusivity and salvation. When you prepare a marketing strategy for a product or service, put yourself in a buyer’s shoes and ask yourself how one or more of these emotional needs are met. When you learn to identify and use these hooks, you also learn how people buy emotionally.

3. Expand Your Knowledge Base

Many skills can be learned though webinars, seminars and conferences. However, some people question whether these strategies are actually worth the money or are just hot air. The truth is, you most likely can’t advance your skills, your career or your knowledge deeper than surface level with free blogs and cheat sheets. Conferences, on the other hand, pull experts from respective fields. For instance, if you are working on a marketing campaign for a client in the field of corporate debt restructuring, you should attend a session from Moody’s Analytics on this topic. These sessions cover migration risk, elements of typical debt structures, how to structure a reorganization plan and the alternatives. While corporate debt restructuring might not be your area of expertise, a deeper knowledge of the industry is invaluable. Furthermore, taking the initiative to better understand your client and his or her field will help you develop a more successful campaign as well as boost your reputation and advance your career.

While there is always more you can learn, you should do your best to stay current in your marketing strategies and skills. Especially with the fast-pace of the digital world, you need to take extra steps to keep up with the marketing industry, stay up-to-date on current and future trends and be ready to improve yourself in any way possible.