Sales Training Courses: Skills We Train

Every programme we run is built from a thorough diagnostics and not from a fixed syllabus – the exact content depends on what your team actually needs. This page sets out the skills that we most often cover so as to give you an idea of what’s available before getting in touch.

Sales 101

Foundational selling skills for people new to sales, or moving into a sales role for the first time.
– The sales process from first contact through to close
– Basic qualification: recognising a real opportunity from a time-waster
– Buyer psychology and the habits a sales career is built on

Who it’s for: new starters, graduates, and anyone stepping into a sales role without previous training.

Prospecting

Identifying and reaching the right accounts, as part of a wider account-based marketing approach, targeting personalised content to key decision-makers.
– Building a target account list based on fit, not just volume
– Researching buying committees: who’s involved in a decision, and what each person cares about
– Structured, multi-touch outreach sequences across email, phone and LinkedIn

Who it’s for: sales teams and individuals responsible for generating their own pipeline.

Discovery & Questioning

Structured questioning to uncover a buyer’s real problem before presenting any solutions.
– Questioning techniques (open, closed, high-impact, directional, deep, etc…)
– Curiosity and active listening
– The importance of disqualifying

Who it’s for: anyone running a sales conversation, from first call through to proposal stage.

Presentation Skills

Structuring and delivering a sales pitch or proposal to individuals, group or decision-making panel.
– Structuring a pitch around the buyer’s problem
– Presenting to multiple stakeholders with different priorities
– Handling questions and objections under pressure

Who it’s for: anyone presenting formal proposals or pitches to clients or prospects.

Objection Handling

Responding to price, timing and competitor objections without conceding value.
– Recognising the difference between a genuine objection and a stalling tactic
– Responding to “it’s too expensive” without discounting by default
– Keeping a deal moving instead of letting an objection end the conversation
– Prehab v rehab

Who it’s for: anyone taking sales calls or meetings where pushback is routine.

Value-Based Selling

Selling on the outcome and value delivered, rather than competing on price.
– Quantifying the cost of the problem the buyer currently has
– Linking a quote to a specific, measurable outcome
– Holding a price position when a competitor is cheaper

Who it’s for: teams under pressure to discount, or selling into price-sensitive markets.

Negotiation Skills

Protecting margin and value in the final stages of a deal.
– Trading concessions instead of giving them away
– Handling pressure on price, payment terms or scope at the eleventh hour
– Playing to Win:Win – closing on terms that work for both sides, without eroding margin

Who it’s for: anyone who negotiates final terms, from individual sales reps to sales managers.

Pipeline Management

Keeping an accurate, disciplined pipeline that reflects reality rather than blind optimism.
– Clear stage definitions, so every deal in the pipeline means the same thing
– Realistic forecasting based on evidence, not gut feel alone
– Spotting stalled deals early, and knowing what to do about them

Who it’s for: sales teams and managers responsible for forecasting and pipeline reviews.

Telephone Sales

Outbound and inbound call technique: opening, qualifying and advancing a deal by phone.
– Earning the right for the next thirty seconds
– Qualifying effectively
– Objection handling specific to voice-only conversations, where tone carries more weight

Who it’s for: teams running outbound calling, telesales, SDR teams

Communication Skills

Core verbal and written communication for sales contexts: clarity, tone and active listening.
– Adapting message and tone to the audience: buyer, influencer or decision-maker
– Active listening, rather than waiting for a turn to speak
– Writing and speaking with clarity under time pressure

Who it’s for: anyone in a client-facing sales role, as a foundation underneath every other topic on this page.

Content Writing (with AI / without AI)

Writing sales content including proposals, follow-up emails and LinkedIn outreach, unassisted and using AI tools.
– Writing a follow-up email that gets a reply, not a proposal that gets ignored
– Using AI tools to draft faster, without losing a genuine voice
– Knowing when AI-assisted content needs a rewrite before it goes out

Who it’s for: anyone responsible for written outreach, proposals or sales content.

Sales Management & Coaching Skills

This is training for sales managers and team leads, not individual sales reps and it sits alongside our Sales Management Coaching service rather than being one more item on the list above.

A very common scenario is when a top performer is promoted to sales manager but never actually taught how to manage or coach a team. They are left to figure everything out by repeating what worked for them as an individual seller, usually with devastating consequences.
– Coaching a team, not just managing their numbers
– Running effective 1:1s and pipeline reviews
– Giving feedback that changes behaviour, not just performance scores

Who it’s for: newly promoted sales managers, and existing managers who’ve never had formal training in the role. See Sales Management Coaching for the related coaching service.

Which of these does your team need?

That’s usually clearer after a short conversation than a list on a page. Book a free 30-minute call, or start with the SHIFT Diagnostic – a 5-minute assessment of where your team stands now.

Thanks for reading.