The Art of Sales - Course 1: Prepare to Stand Out

In Course 1, we set the foundation for the Art of Sales Specialization and offer a new mindset for becoming a high-performer in sales. We will discuss the Knowledge, Skill and Discipline that you need to stand out in your industry, and create a goal for you to reach by the end of the specialization. Finally, you will learn how to talk about yourself and your business. You will build your personal Sales Trailer and learn how to get into and out of sales conversations quickly and effectively.

About the Specialization:
The purpose of this Specialization is to make you as efficient and effective in selling as possible. You will gain several critical skills and disciplines that will accelerate your success with your small or large company and your life. The ability to sell is a necessity in this world. Whether it’s standing out in a crowd, selling yourself to a new employer, or winning new customers; selling is something we do every day, and we should be great at it! This Specialization is designed as an adventure of discovery. You will be tested, taught and transformed through a series of lectures, discussions and exercises that are designed to push you up and out of your comfort zone. You will learn how to target and acquire customers and get them to fall in love..

Week 1: It All Starts With a Goal
Week 1 will cover the purpose of the course and the foundational framework of knowledge, skill and discipline. We will tackle the expectations for the course and what to anticipate over the next several weeks. Finally, we will discuss the flow of the course and the assignments required for success.

Week 2: Selling is a Contact Sport
Week 2 gets you ready to make contact with the market. What problem are you solving? What is your target market? Who are the customers within that target market and how will you talk to them? We will discuss and determine several ways to narrow your target list and learn how to write the perfect introductory email.

Week 3: Selling Happens in a Conversation
Week 3 will equip you with a framework for a sales conversation that you can use in social situations and many other settings. This part of the sales process is where you are trying to generate leads and determine which prospects are potential customers and which are dead-ends. We will explore how to “on-ramp” a prospect into the right kind of conversation such that you can quickly determine whether this person has potential.

Week 4: Qualify, Hard and Early
In Week 4 we explore the actions to take if the person you are talking to turns out to NOT be a prospect. We will also look at what changes when someone might be a prospect. Finally, we will talk about qualifying which helps quickly determine if someone can and will do business with you.