Courses

Field Sales Skills

1. Field Sales Foundations

   		Expected Duration:	3.5 hours
   Description: Many field sales representatives are set loose on their assigned territories armed only with a few sales tips and some information about the products and services they're selling. This course builds the foundation for a strategy that changes the customer's perception of the salesperson from a mere vendor to a consultant and true business resource. Field Sales Foundations introduces you to the basics of the field sales approach. You'll learn about its value and the importance of customer perceptions, premises for choosing the field sales approach, how it compares with a purely product-focused approach, and the planning, implementation, and closing steps for superior field sales performance. The course also gives you opportunities to apply field sales approach basics.

2. Planning Your Field Sales Approach

   		Expected Duration:	4.5 hours
   Description: What factors mark the difference between mediocre and great field sales performance? One characteristic of highly effective field sales representatives is their ability to efficiently plan their sales approach for both existing customers and prospects, as well as managing their time and territories effectively. Planning Your Field Sales Approach provides practical tools for determining call and meeting objectives and developing appropriate openings for face-to-face selling situations. Included in the course are detailed descriptions of the six customer buying roles a field salesperson typically encounters and tips for working effectively with each. This course demonstrates how to generate effective account profiles, emphasizing the information needed for effective field sales pre-call planning. Finally, the course offers tips for managing time, territory, and paperwork in ways that will enhance performance and the bottom line.

3. Applying Your Field Sales Approach

   		Expected Duration:	4 hours
   Description: A unique quality of effective field sales representatives is their ability to assess their customers' needs, determine sales opportunities, and access the decision makers--often in one or two sales calls. Sound impossible? It's not if the sales professional applies the essentials presented in Applying Your Field Sales Approach. This course provides sales strategies to change your customers' perceptions of you from vendor to sales consultant by addressing these important factors: asking the right questions and listening to customer needs, avoiding actions that impede sales calls, identifying sales opportunities, and targeting the decision makers.

4. Completing Your Field Sales Approach

   		Expected Duration:	3.5 hours
   Description: What does it take to successfully present valuable solutions and close sales while achieving a sense of accomplishment and trust between you and your customer? Completing Your Field Sales Approach highlights how to present sales solutions and close sales with your customers. Included in the course are steps and tips for overcoming customer objections effectively. You'll have opportunities to improve the flow of a sales call, handle objections and close a sale as you participate in role plays.

5. Field Sales Skills Simulation

   		Expected Duration:	.5 hours
   Description: You are a salesperson for a wholesale supplier of natural herbs and remedies called Vita-Boost. With allergy season right around the corner, Vita-Boost's latest product, Ally-Tabs, looks to be a promising product. These tablets are just as effective as a preventative measure as they are at treating symptoms. Since they are all natural, there are no side effects associated with taking the pills. Because it's a new product, you have your work cut out for you to educate your customers and to get them to commit to an order.In this simulation, you are working in the field, and your boss has entrusted you to make two sales calls for her. Your first call is to Rick's Pharmacy and your second call is to a supplier of vitamins and minerals called Supplement Alley.This simulation is based on the SkillSoft Series "Field Sales Skills" and has links to the following courses: SALE0101, SALE0102, SALE0103, and SALE0104.

Territorial Account Sales Skills

1. The Territorial Account Sales Approach

   		Expected Duration:	3 hours
   Description: A successful sales track record doesn't come from a hit-or-miss approach. It comes from the implementation of step-by-step processes that help to ensure predictable, repeatable, and measurable results. In this course, you'll learn about the territorial account sales approach for successful sales. You'll start by gaining an understanding of the premises and strategy behind the approach. Then, you'll learn how to select target accounts based upon specific selection criteria and start the process of account planning.

2. Understanding Your Target Customer's Business

   		Expected Duration:	3.5 hours
   Description: Imagine trying to sell a product or service to a customer that you know nothing about. Do you think it would be an easy process? Probably not. The better you know your customer, the better your chances for success. In this course, you'll learn about the first major component of the territorial account sales (TAS) approach--research. You'll gain an understanding of the benefits of good research and how to gather information from public sources, as well as how to gain an insiders view. You'll then explore the five TAS search elements and how to apply them to researching your customer's business structure, key players, and business fit.

3. Effectively Using Customer-focused Research Meetings

   		Expected Duration:	3.5 hours
   Description: In this course, you'll learn about bringing your research and communication skills together in territorial account research meetings. By conducting research meetings, you'll get the inside perspective you need to truly understand your customer. You'll start by learning how to prepare for an effective research meeting. Next, you'll explore how to conduct research meetings to gather desired information. And finally, you'll learn how to effectively close and follow up on your research meetings.

4. Gaining Access to Key Personnel at Your Target Accounts

   		Expected Duration:	3.5 hours
   Description: In this course, you'll learn about the second major component of the territorial account sales approach: communication. You'll start by learning about coaching relationships. A vital part of your sales effectiveness depends on finding a key contact in each target account that can become your internal coach for the sales process. Then, you'll learn about gaining access to the right level at your target account and dealing with "gatekeepers." By effectively communicating with the right people, you'll help to ensure positive sales results.

5. Delivering High-impact Territorial Account Sales (TAS) Presentations

   		Expected Duration:	5 hours
   Description: In this course, you'll learn about the third major component of the territorial account sales approach--presentation. Your presentation is the most important meeting you'll have with your client. This is when you show the decision makers that you have the right product and business fit for their needs. You've done a lot of hard work, so when you make your sales presentation, you want it to practically close the sale for you. First, you'll learn how to plan and develop a high-impact presentation. You'll then explore ways to successfully deliver the presentation to your client audience. And finally, you'll learn how to follow up your presentation and maintain your sales momentum.

6. Territorial Account Sales Skills Simulation

   		Expected Duration:	.5 hours
   Description: You're a salesperson for Soft Hands Shipping Company, a San Francisco, California based firm that specializes in the ground transportation of fragile items. You sell the company’s shipping services to all types of organizations.Wine Cellar of California sells wine to restaurants throughout the state, and it becomes one of your target accounts. You will do some preliminary research on this company and then request a research meeting with a contact there. Then you will try to develop this contact into a coach in the hopes of enlisting her help in getting past a gatekeeper to gain access to your target account's decision maker.If you gain access to the decision maker, you will need to emphasize your company’s business fit with Wine Cellar of California, and then attempt to arrange to give a sales presentation.This simulation is based on the SkillSoft series "Territorial Account Sales Skills" and contains links to the following courses: SALE0111, SALE0112, SALE0113, and SALE0114.

Inside Sales Skills

1. Preparing for Outbound Sales Calls

   		Expected Duration:	6 hours
   Description: The most successful outbound sales calls begin long before the salesperson places the call. Successful inside selling is all about planning and being prepared. Being prepared means knowing what to expect from your customer and planning your responses. In this course, you will learn about the common perceptions customers have of salespeople. You will also learn the three premises of the inside sales approach, the structure of this approach, and the six buying roles. The course outlines the steps involved in precall planning, including recognizing call types, creating call objectives and a call opening, and preparing the account profile. The course also covers the strategies for questioning and listening that you can use in account profiling and provides strategies for avoiding common temptations.

2. Initiating Outbound Sales Calls

   		Expected Duration:	3.5 hours
   Description: Fifteen seconds doesn't sound like very much time, does it? As an inside sales consultant, you will have a lot riding on what happens in those few seconds. That is usually all the time you have to make a solid, positive impression on your customer. Knowing how to initiate an inside sales call is a key to your success. In this course, you will learn the strategies for dealing with voice mail and call screeners and for making a successful initial contact with a customer. You will also learn the four profile types and strategies for creating account profiles. In this course, you will learn how to assess a sales opportunity, the four factors used to qualify an outbound sales opportunity, and strategies for qualifying a sales opportunity. The course also addresses strategies for making an effective transition to the next stage of the inside sales approach.

3. Completing Outbound Sales Calls

   		Expected Duration:	5 hours
   Description: You might have heard the saying, "it ain't over 'til it's over." This is especially true with inside sales calls. To be a successful inside sales consultant, you need to know how to keep your customer's attention all the way through the close of the sale. In this course, you will learn strategies for contacting the decision maker and for dealing with gatekeepers. You will learn the steps involved in a sales presentation, how to determine the most effective sales strategy for your sales call, and how to determine the customer's valuation of your product or service. In this course, you will learn the seven characteristics of effective sales presentations, the steps for effectively conducting a sales presentation, and strategies for presenting to different buying roles. This course also addresses strategies for successfully facilitating the close of the outbound sales call, including strategies for handling customers' objections.

4. Preparing for Inbound Sales Calls

   		Expected Duration:	5 hours
   Description: Do you think selling means waiting for the phone to ring? A successful telephone sales agent begins planning long before the customer calls. Successful inside selling is all about being prepared, and that means thinking ahead on customer inquiries and responses you will give. This course identifies the common perceptions that customers have of salespeople. In the course, you will learn the three premises of the inside sales approach, the structure of this approach, and the six buying roles. The course outlines the steps involved in maintaining a superior level of call readiness, including recognising call types, creating call objectives and a taking-control statement, and preparing the account profiler. The course also covers the strategies for questioning and listening that you can use in account profiling and provides strategies for avoiding common temptations.

5. Completing Inbound Sales Calls

   		Expected Duration:	5 hours
   Description: Everything you do in an inbound sales call leads up to the completion of the sale. A successful inside sales consultant knows how to keep a customer's attention all the way through the close of the sale. In this course, you will learn the process for assessing a sales opportunity, the four factors used to qualify a sales opportunity, and strategies for qualifying a sales opportunity. You will also learn the steps for making the transition in both one-call and multiple-call closes. You will learn how to determine the best strategies for inbound sales presentations and explore the characteristics of an effective inbound sales presentation, as well as the features, benefits, and value of a solution. You will learn how to conduct an effective inbound sales presentation, in addition to learning the strategies to use in presenting to various buying roles. Finally, you will learn how to close an inbound sales call and how to handle any objections that may come up during a close.

6. Inside Sales Skills Simulation

   		Expected Duration:	.5 hours
   Description: You are an inside sales representative for Muscle-Bound Fitness, a franchise of fitness facilities with a unique corporate wellness offering. In this simulation, your boss has asked you to contact a potential new customer. This new lead, a network television station known as TV-22, is a perfect candidate for Muscle-Bound's corporate wellness program, and your job is to convince them of such by utilizing the inside sales approach.This simulation is based on the SkillSoft Series, "Inside Sales Skills" and has links to the following courses: SALE0121, SALE0122, SALE0123, SALE0124, and SALE0125.

Strategic Account Sales Skills

1. The Strategic Account Sales Approach

   		Expected Duration:	3 hours
   Description: A successful sales track record doesn't come from a hit-or-miss approach. It comes from the implementation of step-by-step processes that help ensure predictable, repeatable, and measurable results. In this course, you'll learn about the strategic account sales (SAS) approach for successful sales. You'll start by gaining an understanding of the premises and strategy behind the approach. Then you'll learn how to select target accounts based on specific selection criteria and start the process of account planning.

2. Understanding Your Customer

   		Expected Duration:	3.5 hours
   Description: Can you imagine trying to sell a product or service to a customer you know nothing about? You probably wouldn't succeed. The better you know your customer, the higher your chance for success. In this course, you'll learn about the first major component of the strategic account sales (SAS) approach: research. You'll start by learning about the key areas to research using the SAS approach and where to find business information sources about your client. Next, you'll explore researching your customer's business and key players and applying what you learn to the process of account planning. And finally, you'll gain an understanding of the business fit and how you and your customer can both achieve your desired business objectives.

3. Conducting Effective Sales Research Meetings

   		Expected Duration:	3.5 hours
   Description: Researching your target accounts is important for understanding your customer's business. But only by conducting research meetings will you learn the "inside" information you need to truly understand the business fit between your company and your customer. In this course, you'll learn about bringing your research and communication skills together in strategic account sales (SAS) research meetings. You'll start by learning how to prepare for an effective research meeting. Next, you'll explore how to conduct research meetings to gather desired information. And finally, you'll learn how to close and follow up on your research meetings.

4. Working with Your Customer's Key Players

   		Expected Duration:	3.5 hours
   Description: Strong customer relationships are essential for long-term sales success. In this course, you'll learn about the second major component of the Strategic Account Sales (SAS) approach--communication. You'll start by learning about developing coach relationships in your target account. A vital part of your sales effectiveness depends on finding contacts at target accounts that can become part of an internal "network of coaches" for the sales process. Then, you'll learn about gaining access to senior-level management and dealing with "gatekeepers." By effectively communicating with the right people in your accounts, you'll help to ensure positive sales results.

5. Delivering High-Impact Sales Presentations

   		Expected Duration:	6 hours
   Description: The most important meeting you'll have with your client is when you show the decision makers that you have the right business fit for their needs. You've done a lot of hard work, so when the curtain goes up on your sales presentation, you want an award-winning performance. In this course, you'll learn about the third major component of the strategic account sales (SAS) approach--presentation. First, you'll learn how to plan and develop a high-impact presentation. You'll then explore ways to successfully deliver the presentation to your client audience. And finally, you'll learn how to follow up your presentation and maintain your sales momentum.

6. Strategic Account Sales Skills Simulation

   		Expected Duration:	.5 hours
   Description: You're an architectural renovation sales consultant for The Architectural Services Company (TASC). You sell design and project control services to commercial businesses.After attending a crowded book reading at Bigler's Books, you determine that the store is a potential customer for your company's services. You use a strategic account sales approach to do research on your own and then conduct research meetings with some contacts that work for the store. Unfortunately, you discover that Bigler's manager has serious reservations about remodeling and expanding. To overcome his objections and gain access to the decision maker, you will need to use effective strategies for dealing with a gatekeeper and emphasize the business fit between your company and the store.This simulation is based on the SkillSoft series "Strategic Account Sales Skills" and contains links to the following courses: SALE0131, SALE0132, SALE0133, and SALE0134.