Sales Skills: 9 Sales Training Courses In 1

Whatever you do in life, the ability to sell is a useful skill to have.

We often see the activity of selling as somehow 'dirty', but this could not be further from the truth.

Have you ever walked away from a sale because you felt uncomfortable about the person selling it? In this lecture Gavin discusses the implications of 'gut feel'.

If you fail to have the other party’s interest at heart, you risk short-term, and long- term, failure.

The stereotypical and often recited sales approach of 'Always Be Closing' or 'ABC' is rarely received warmly. There is now a more effective, and enjoyable, sales methodology.

Gavin describes that instead of being pushy and dishonest, a much more successful approach is to concentrate on positive mindset.

Even if sales doesn't come naturally to you and puts you out of your comfort zone, that does not mean that you cannot learn the fundamentals and truly revolutionise your results (and enjoyment) of the process.

Keeping track of your sales experiences can be an excellent tool to help you improve.

An active part of the sales process is to help the buyer to appreciate, and then realize their own unmet needs.

Selling is a two-way conversation, aimed at discovering the customer’s unmet needs and showing how your product or service can meet these needs by creating a desire to buy.

Great salespeople are not only alert to their customers’ state of mind. They also create an environment where the customer is able to make a clear and confident decision.

One of the biggest factors in sales success is your own state of mind. While our moods will always fluctuate, what is guaranteed is that beyond our conscious thought lie powers of creativity and innovation

The primary focus as salespeople should be on connecting deeply with the person to whom we are selling, and appreciating our own, and our customer’s state of mind.

In order to be a proactive part of a sales experience, you must understand where your customer is in his or her decision-making process, and how you can help them through that process

This quick exercise will help you come up with ways in which you may be able to support the customer more effectively in the sales process.

The sales process needs to follow a simple path towards the buying process. Here, Gavin, sets out a powerful path towards that goal.

Finally, Gavin wraps up the course with a checklist that looks back on what you've learned so far and how to properly implement it in the future.

In this first lecture Phil introduces the course and the concepts that you will be learning throughout the course. He also discuses the best approach to getting the most out of the course. 

So who is Philip Hesketh and why should you listen to what he has to say? Here Phil introduces himself properly and tells you why he is a trusted and respected instructor in this area. 

In this lecture Phil introduces the 'Columbo moment' and the killer question that you can use in countless situations to help improve your sales. 

How do we make sure that what we're offering our clients is what they expect? In this lecture Phil gives us another killer question to use to make sure that we understand precisely what the client is looking for. 

In this lecture Phil gives us the final killer question to add to the previous two. By using this approach we can assure that the client has become more and more interested in what we have to offer, and without us coming across as a pushy salesman. 

In this lecture, Phil discuses how important it is to understand that emotions play a huge part in the sales process. Logic certainly plays a part initially, but eventually it is the emotional connection that is of utmost importance. After all, people buy from people. 

In this lecture Phil explains that it can be a common pitfall to assume that you know what the buyer wants before investigating it properly. In order to get around this pitfall Phil gives us yet another killer question to elegantly ensure that you are put in a strong position to pitch correctly. 

But what do you do when it's not so easy to establish what the client wants? To unearth this information Phil provides us with another hugely useful question that you can use in many situations. 

In this lecture Phil shows us that truly understanding the implications for the buyer is paramount to ensuring that your sales pitch is optimally suited to them specifically. 

It can be easy to get derailed if we encounter objections. Phil shows us that it is important to be prepared for these objections and to know how to deal with them properly.

So what are the three most common objections? 

 - It's too expensive

 - I want to think about it

 - The timing's not right

In this lecture Phil confronts these objections head on and provides key tips on how to deal with them. 

Buyers are often confronted with a myriad of options. Sales can often fall through when buyers decide to 'think about it'. In this lecture Phil provides a very handy technique, based on recent research, that helps you help them make a more informed and speedy decision. 

In this lecture Phil explains that understanding egos can be very important element in the sales process. We have to understand what the 'key drivers' are for each of the players involved, and make sure that we're dealing with each person in the correct way. 

In this lecture, Phil introduces the concept of 'value'. He explains that there are many different types of value, including those that are logical and tangible, but also those that are illogical and intangible. Understanding both types are key to knowing the value of your business and services. 

In this lecture, Phil shows us that the motivation of losing something is far stronger than the motivation of gaining something. This information can be used to great effect if utilised at a particular, and delicate, moment during the sales process. 

Here, Phil discusses the importance of certain words and phrases during the sales process. Our choice of particular words can change the whole feeling of a sale, so it is critical that we are sure about which ones we would like to use and why. 

In this lecture, Phil tells us about a technique that can be used to help the price of your goods or services seem much more surmountable. In this way we help lower the boundary and improve our chances of making the sale. 

In this lecture Phil discusses the potential use (and pitfalls) associated with one of the oldest sales tricks in the book, the quick intake of breath. 

We are told that the tradition understanding of 'Win-Win' may be flawed. Phil argues that the most important thing to consider is whether you are making the other side feel like they have done well out of the deal. As such, you need to make sure you frame the deal in a way that makes the other side feel that they have squeezed you as much as possible. 

In this important lecture we are told about the common pitfalls in regards to discounting. In particular, Phil tells us that discounting for no reason can be a particularly poor decision and can weaken your hand considerably, as well as your ongoing relationship with the other side. 

Not feeling they are worthy of holding a high price is a common issue for businesses. In this lecture Phil discusses the importance of behaving as though you are worth it. In order to do this you must try and ensure you are two things; rare and special. 

Research and experience has shown that they neural pathways are open to buying at the moment of buying, so it is important to capitalise on this by offering additional items, upgrades or services at this pivotal moment. 

In this lecture Phil discusses a tried and tested sales technique that helps you frame the price of your services and goods in a favourable way. Specifically, this is achieved by offering 3 pricing options, from low, to high, knowing full well that 90% of customers will choose the middle option specifically because it seems cheap when compared to the third, expensive option. 

In this lecture Phil discusses the importance of time management. He argues that most courses that try to teach this skill get it all wrong. According to Phil, the most important thing is to allocate time to things that are important, but not urgent. 

By using the phrase 'will that be enough?' when discussing your price, you may be pleasantly surprised and find that in fact you are about to under charge. In using this phrase, you give the other side the opportunity to let you know whether this might be the case. 

In this important lecture, Phil tells us how to deal with a situation in which things are deteriorating quickly. He reminds us that it is not just the facts that matter, but also the feelings. 

If you want to really understand what people mean then you should always ask them to clarify it. Here, Phil shows us that this simple technique can hugely help you get to the bottom of the other party's intentions, and also help further develop a strong relationship. 

It is a common human characteristic that we like to do for others what they have done for us. This is called reciprocity. This can be used to our advantage in business but ensuring that you always do more than is expected of you. In doing this, we immediately make them indebted to us. 

Asking your clients to rate you on a scale from 1 to 10 can be a wonderfully simple technique to help find out what aspects of the relationship need work. Another great tip to use when discussing a sale is to say 'this may not be right for you....but'. In this way we help to further bolster the cabal and the feeling of being in it together. 

Phil argues that there 4 factors that we need to carefully consider before even sitting down to write any speech. These are Purpose, Action, Benefit, Consequence. 

We've all had to sit through presentations that have been based hugely around Powerpoint. In this lecture, Phil tells us why this is nearly always a bad idea and what we can do to avoid falling into common pitfalls and, as such, losing the interest of our audience. 

How many presentations have we all sat through that have gone in one ear and out of the other? Without careful consideration it is often very easy for our presentations to be forgotten almost immediately. In this lecture Phil shows us that there are 3 key things to factor in to your presentation. These are Repetition, Relevance and Difference. 

The real key to giving a great presentation is to tell a story. In this lecture, Phil discusses how powerful and useful it can be to base your key messages around true stories that have happened to you. This has the double benefit of helping you remember your lines, but also in adding authenticity and personality to your message. 

To finish this section Phil gives us some final key tips that will ensure our presentations are delivered effectively and are also within the parameters given to us, since going over on time is a huge no-no! 

As a final lecture, Phil wraps up the course and summarises what we've learned so far and why it is important. 

A welcome from Alan Stevens, and an explanation of why Pitching is important in everyday life

A pitch is a clear, concise and well-practiced description of your idea. The start must be delivered in the time it would take in no longer than 60 seconds. That’s time for 150-180 words. Use the first minute or two to make everyone feel safe.   

Choice, fairness and accountability are three of the most popular words in English - use them in your opening remarks. Keep it simple.

Avoid sounding like a solution in search of a problem. Explain how your unique solution fills a “must have” need. If you aren't solving a problem or filling a need, you're in for a tough sell.   

Give then a couple of statistics that are part of the problem and solution. 

Describe your product or service and its benefits succinctly. Depending on your audience, you may also have to:

• define and size the market   

• explain how you’re going to make money   

• tell who is behind the company and   

• frame the competitive landscape and your advantage in it.   

• talk about benefits, not features   

• find something to like about everyone in the room 

Talk in tangibles, not abstractions, throughout your pitch. Bring it down to the man on the street. Even if your product is complex, you’ll lose your audience if you use MBA-speak or technobabble.

If your listeners use a particular style, or phrase, be aware of it, but do not feel you have to use it.  

You might try developing a tagline to pique interest, something enticing that captures the imagination like "It's not just TV. It's the BBC". Or, make an analogy between you and a well-known company. "We're the Google for teens" is a good, short way to say that you're trying to create a search engine/directory/web portal for teenagers. 

Make sure that everyone is engaged. 

To ensure that you’re targeting the right person with the right message, ask a couple of questions. Focus on the main decision maker, and find something to agree with from their answers.   

Allow for silence as people think - don’t fire another question.    

To investors, the pitch focuses on your team and how you plan to make money. To customers, your focus should be on the problem you can solve for them. Potential partners want to know what you're building, why it's important, and why you’re going to be a success.    

Make your weakness your strength - get it on the table early.

A good pitch makes your heart race. Show the fire in the belly and your passion to succeed.

Avoid speaking in absolutes or hypotheticals. Be real and be present. 

Make sure that your managers and other key individuals, such as investors and board members, can also give your company's elevator pitch fluently. Nothing sounds worse than fumbling, inaccurate or contradictory company descriptions.

Always end your pitch with a call to action, but recognize that different audiences prompt different requests. You might ask friends and acquaintances if they know anyone who would be interested, anyone who's working on something similar, or anyone who's working in the investment world. 

ONCE UPON A TIME THERE WAS ...

EVERY DAY ...   

ONE DAY ....   

BECAUSE OF THAT ....   

BECAUSE OF THAT ....   

UNTIL FINALLY ....   

Take for example the plot of Finding Nemo.    

• Once upon a time there was … a widowed fish, named Marlin, who was extremely protective of his only son, Nemo   

• Every day … Marlin warned Nemo of the ocean’s dangers and implored him not to swim far away.   

• One day … in an act of defiance, Nemo ignores his father’s warnings and swims into the open water.   

• Because of that … he is captured by a diver and ends up in the fish tank of a dentist in Sydney.   

• Because of that … Marlin sets off on a journey to recover Nemo, enlisting the help of other sea creatures along the way.   

• Until finally … Marlin and Nemo find each other, reunite and learn that love depends on trust. 

Rhymes are easy to understand, so we unconsciously see them as more accurate, and they stick in our minds. Rhymes increase “processing fluency”, and are remembered long after you have pitched. For example – “Learn more to earn more”.

Using a single word repeatedly in your pitch helps the idea to be remembered. Make sure that it relates to your proposal and that it’s a little unusual. For example - “Rechargability” might be used in a pitch about a device that recharges quickly and easily.

Loglines are the phrases used by scriptwriters to sell a film script. For example:

A Las Vegas-set comedy centered around three groomsmen who lose their about-to-be-wed buddy during their drunken misadventures, then must retrace their steps in order to find him (The Hangover)   

A computer hacker learns from mysterious rebels about the true nature of his reality and his role in the war against its controllers. (The Matrix)   

Blacksmith teams up with eccentric pirate to save his love, the governor’s daughter, from the pirate’s former allies, who are now undead. (Pirates of the Caribbean; Curse of the Black Pearl)   

    Two imprisoned men bond over a number of years, finding solace and eventual redemption through acts of common decency. (The Shawshank Redemption)

When facts are clearly on your side, pitching with questions is more effective than pitching with a statement.

For example: “Wouldn’t it be great if instead of using credit cards, your fingerprint was all you needed to buy things?” 

Plan your pitch carefully

Set your ideas out early and concisely   

Be aware of the group dynamics   

Use the power of story to reach agreement 

Gavin welcomes you to the course and shares an overview of his unique and inspiring approach to selling more in time of economic decline, The Inspiring Challenger Sale. You will discover how the foundation of this approach came from research during the last recession, and how adding an element of positive inspiration to the approach has made it perfect to use today.

Gavin explains shares the importance of using his Insight Into Action exercises. He sets his first exercise for you to set your own personal objectives.

In this lecture, Gavin offers an overview of what will be covered in Section 2 including a focus on sales methodologies that have long been used but are now outdated and contextualises today's sales reality while navigating a global pandemic and economic downturn. He explains why a new approach is needed and shares the key qualities and three rules of the Inspiring Challenger Sale methodology. You will be introduced to a new approach to cold calling and learn how to identify key behaviours and profiles needed for successful selling.

Gavin sets an Insight Into Action exercise.

In this lecture, Gavin explores Five Sales Behaviours the Sales Executive Council found in their original groundbreaking research. You can learn to adopt the most effective sales behaviours for today's market conditions and your own target market.

Download the My Previous Sales Learning supporting document.

Gavin describes the principles and practices behind commercial teaching and will show you how to inspire customers towards your product or service rather than talking about it.

Download the My Sales Profile Learning supporting document.

Gavin explores what the Inspiring Challenger does during a sale, exploring the importance of the three keys actions you can take for exceptional results: to tailor, to teach and to take control.

Gavin introduces the 3 rules of the Inspiring Challenger Sale to provide you with a clear framework to apply the process in your sales.

Download the Adapting For Success supporting document.