Essential Selling Skills Series
A comprehensive overview of the essential skills needed to become a successful sales professional. Twelve 30-minute online modules include practical exercises and planning forms
This online sales training series offers a comprehensive overview of Essential Selling Skills broken down into manageable and practical online and on-demand training sessions. Your registration provides access for one full year to all 12 of the practical skill-based online selling skills modules, on your schedule, at your location.
The entire Essential Selling Skills series includes almost 6 hours of training divided into 12 sessions, each about 30 minutes in duration. The series includes a 1 year subscription for the discounted price of $175 for all the modules. Individual modules include a 6 month subscription and can be purchased for $20 each.
The instructor is available to answer questions at [email protected] or 339-832-8666.
Essential Selling Skills Sessions 1-12 are described below.
Essential Selling Skills Session 1: How Selling Has Evolved (28 minutes) The skills and approach used by sales professionals have evolved. Participants will learn which selling methods are out-dated and should therefore be avoided. You should never use high-pressure closing techniques. To be successful today, sales professionals must learn to build relationships with their customers that are more consultative and value oriented, and utilize team selling when appropriate. Participants will learn about a 6-stage sales call process and hear examples that reinforce how and why selling has evolved, with an emphasis on the selling skills that are now essential for sales professionals and sales support personnel. A downloadable Planning Form is included for your use as a resource for upcoming sales calls.
Improve your skills needed to sell effectively in today’s business environment, including how to:
Essential Selling Skills Session 2: Stages and Critical Tasks of Selling (30 minutes) Essential Selling Skills Module 2 on the Stages and Critical Tasks of Selling teaches a 6-stage sales call process that can be used as a roadmap to prepare, conduct, and follow up for sales calls. Participants will learn the critical tasks for each of the stages in the sales call process. The best sales professionals excel at all six stages so one of the important takeaways is for each person to self-assess what they do well and how they can improve. This is why two self-rating activities take place in this module.
Essential Selling Skills Session 3: Pre-Call Planning (30 minutes) Every sales call should be purposeful, otherwise you are simply making sales visits. This session will teach three critical tasks that should be done before every sales call: 1) Setting clear sales goals and objectives; 2) Confirming appointments with the right person(s); and 3) Doing the appropriate homework and research. Practical examples will be used to reinforce how the best sales professionals plan and prepare. You also will receive a Pre Call Planning Form that you can use as a resource to plan for upcoming sales calls.
Essential Selling Skills Session 4: The Opening Stage and Relationship Building (30 minutes) Essential Selling Skills Module 4 on the Opening Stage and Relationship Building teaches how to get off to a great start during a sales call, with emphasis on building and strengthening relationships with current and new customers. The Opening Stage is extremely important because you only have one chance to make a favorable first impression and you will set yourself apart by doing this well. Several practical relationship-building guidelines will be highlighted, such as how to connect with customers by using a behavior called “expressing commonalities.” Participants will learn the factors that determine how much time to spend in the Opening Stage and Relationship-Building because it varies for each sales call and different types of customers. A downloadable planning form is included to help you prepare for upcoming sales calls.
Improve your ability to do relationship-building in the Opening Stage of each sales call, including how to:
Essential Selling Skills Session 5: Elevator Speeches (28 minutes) Essential Selling Skills Module 5 on Elevator Speeches teaches how to prepare and deliver concise and compelling elevator speeches for different sales situations. When done well, an elevator speech creates a favorable first impression that can help you to generate interest and advance the sales process forward. We will highlight the importance of tailoring an elevator speech in order to communicate the most relevant value and credibility statements for different customers and sales situations. Participants will prepare an elevator speech and practice it during the session. A downloadable planning form in included as a resource for upcoming sales calls.
Essential Selling Skills Session 6: Questioning Skills(33 minutes) The best sales professionals ask more questions and better questions than average sellers. You will learn four foundation guidelines for asking questions that can be used on every sales call. We also will highlight practical tips and examples for three categories of questions – Informational Questions, Opportunity Questions, and Commitment Questions – to ensure that you gather the most critical information about the customer’s needs and willingness to take action. A downloadable planning form is included that you can use as a resource for upcoming sales calls.
Improve your ability to plan and ask great questions, including how to:
Essential Selling Skills Session 7: Listening Skills(27 minutes) Essential Selling Skills Module 7 on Listening Skills teaches one of the most essential selling skills. The ability to listen – really listen – to customers will set you apart. Many salespeople don’t listen well because they focus instead on what they want to tell the customer and miss critical information that would otherwise help them to win a sale. You will learn how to be an active listener rather than a passive listener, as well as how to avoid common mistakes such as talking too much, using jargon, and overcoming external distractions. Participants will have an opportunity to self-assess strengths and areas for improvement as a listener.
Essential Selling Skills Session 8: Presenting Information as Benefits (29 minutes) Presenting information seems like the easiest thing for a salesperson to do well yet many sellers make common mistakes such as presenting features, rather than describing benefits. Participants will learn the distinction between features and benefits, and how to clearly communicate to customers in benefit language. You also will learn how to avoid common mistakes made by average sellers such as information overload, use of jargon, and feature dumping.You will receive a downloadable planning form that you can use as a resource for upcoming sales calls.
Essential Selling Skills Session 9: Selling on Value(32 minutes) Selling on value is something that many salespeople say that they do, but it is often not done well. This session will highlight many practical tips and examples on how to sell on value, not on price. You will learn how to use value selling to differentiate your company and products/services. We will provide a process that you can follow to prepare and present a compelling value proposition. You also will receive a downloadable planning form that you can use to prepare for upcoming sales calls.
Essential Selling Skills Session 10: Agreeing to Action and Follow Up(30 minutes) The best way to tell if a sales call has gone well is if the customer agrees to an action or commitment, so it is essential to excel at the Agreeing to Action Stage of Selling. You will learn several ways to advance the sale forward, with emphasis on selecting the method that fits the personality style of the customer. Because it often requires multiple sales calls to eventually win a sale, the Agreeing to Action and Follow Up Stages are usually linked so we also will provide some guidelines on how to follow up effectively with customers. A downloadable planning form is included so that you can apply the concepts of agreeing to action and follow up when preparing for a real life sales call.
Essential Selling Skills Session 11: Handling and Preventing Objections(29 minutes) All salespeople encounter objections but the best sales professionals respond more effectively. They follow a process that increases the likelihood that the customer’s concerns will be addressed and that the sale will move forward. Participants will learn how to respond to different types of objections, notably with a lot of practical examples. You also will become better at preventing and minimizing the likelihood that customers will express objections by avoiding mistakes that average sellers make. A downloadable planning form is included so that you can practice how to respond to the most likely objections that you may encounter.
Essential Selling Skills Session 12: Varying Your Selling Style(31 minutes) The best sales professionals vary their selling style to fit different types of customers. For example, how you sell to a customer who is very sociable and relationship-oriented should be different than how you sell to a customer who is very direct and wants to get down to business. This may sound obvious but it is not common practice – average sellers tend to use the same selling style with everyone, which limits their effectiveness. Participants will learn four distinct Customer Personality Types and some practical tips on how to assess what type of customer you are interacting with. A self-survey is included in this teaching session so that you can identify your natural selling style.
Bill McCormick
Print Handout: ESS 1 How Selling Has Evolved Handout
Print Planning Form: ESS 1 Planning Form
Play Video: ESS 1 How Selling Has Evolved
Download and Save: Planning Form in Word - ESS1 Planning Form
Take the Quiz: ESS 1 - Test Your Knowledge on How Selling Has Evolved
Print Handout: ESS 2 Stages and Critical Tasks of Selling Handout
Play Video: ESS 2 Stages and Critical Tasks of Selling
Take the Quiz: ESS 2 - Test Your Knowledge on the Stages and Critical Tasks of Selling
Print Handout: ESS 3 Pre Call Planning Handout
Print Planning Form: ESS 3 Pre Call Planning Form
Play Video: ESS 3 Pre Call Planning
Download and Save: Planning Form in Word - ESS 3 Pre-Call Planning Form
Take the Quiz: ESS 3 - Test your Knowledge on Pre-Call Planning
Print Handout: ESS 4 Opening Stage and Relationship Building Handout and Planning Form
Print Planning Form: ESS 4 Building Rapport and Relationships
Play Video: ESS 4 Opening Stage and Building Relationships
Download and Save: Planning Form in Word - ESS4 Building Rapport and Relationships
Take the Quiz: ESS 4 - Test Your Knowledge on The Opening Stage and Relationship Building
Print Handout: ESS 5 Elevator Speeches Handout
Print Planning Form: ESS 5 Elevator Speech Planning Form
Play Video: ESS Module 5 Elevator Speeches
Download and Save: Planning Form in Word - ESS 5 Elevator Speech Planning Form
Take the Quiz: ESS 5 - Test Your Knowledge on Elevator Speeches
Print Handout: ESS 6 Questioning Skills Handout
Print Planning Form: ESS 6 Questioning Planning Form
Play Video: ESS Module 6 Questioning Skills
Download and Save: Planning Form in Word - ESS 6 Questioning Skills Planning Form
Take the Quiz: ESS 6 - Test Your Knowledge on Questioning Skills
Print Handout: ESS 7 Listening Skills Handout
Play Video: ESS Module 7 Listening Skills
Take the Quiz: ESS 7 - Test Your Knowledge on Listening Skills
Print Handout: ESS 8 Presenting Information as Benefits Handout
Print Planning Form: ESS 8 Features and Benefits Planning Form
Play Video: ESS 8 Presenting Information as Benefits
Download and Save: Planning Form in Word - ESS8 Features and Benefits
Take the Quiz: ESS 8 - Test your Knowledge on Presenting Information as Benefits
Print Handout: ESS 9 Selling on Value Handout
Print Planning Form: ESS 9 Value Selling Planning Form
Play Video: ESS 9 Selling on Value
Download and Save: Planning Form in Word - ESS 9 Selling on Value
Take the Quiz: ESS 9 - Test Your Knowledge on Selling on Value
Print Handout: ESS 10 Agreeing to Action and Follow Up Handout
Print Planning Form: ESS 10 Planning Form for Agreeing to Action and Follow Up
Play Video: ESS Module 10 Agreeing to Action and Follow Up
Download and Save: Planning Form in Word - ESS 10 Planning Form for Agreeing to Action and Follow Up
Take the Quiz: ESS 10 - Test Your Knowledge on Agreeing to Action and Follow Up
Print Handout: ESS 11 Handling Objections Handout
Print Planning Form: ESS 11 Handling Objections Planning Form
Play Video: ESS Module 11 Handling Objections
Download and Save: Planning Form in Word: ESS 11Handling Objections Planning Form
Take the Quiz: ESS 11 - Test your Knowledge on Handling and Preventing Objections
NOTE: This Prework Survey should be done before proceeding!
Print Handout: ESS 12 Selling Styles Handout
Play Video: ESS Module 12 Varying Your Selling Style
Take the Quiz: ESS 12 - Test your Knowledge on Varying Your Selling Style