Sales Strategies & Other Stories - Edition 8 Learning to Sell: My Thoughts and Experience

At PANDA | The Women Leadership Network , I am often asked to provide sales training, and while I promise to organize one soon, I wanted to share some thoughts on where and how to learn sales or improve your selling skills. I’m sharing insights from my own journey, not writing the ultimate guide to sales.

Let’s assume you’re a young professional starting in sales, an experienced manager transitioning into a sales role, or an entrepreneur selling your product or service. Congratulations on embarking on a journey full of surprises and learning experiences!

But where do you start, you might ask?

Well, I have read that some universities have started teaching sales, but this is not very common, so most likely, you won’t have this option.

Thought #1: Start by buying a book about sales. While I don’t have specific recommendations, look for one where the author’s style, language, and approach resonate with you. A good sales book should explain strategies for creating new leads, opening conversations, presenting products effectively, addressing objections, following up, asking the right questions, closing deals, and organizing information for future use.

Thought #2: Learn about different sales techniques like MEDDICC (a framework for qualifying sales opportunities) or SPIN (focused on asking the right questions). Even if your company doesn’t use these methods, understanding their principles could enhance your approach.

Thought #3: Explore online training courses. These often cover topics such as sales structure, strategies, techniques, or successful negotiations. Even if you take away just one or two ideas to apply in your daily work, the course will have been worthwhile.

Thought #4: Participating in live training is even better, as it allows you to get direct feedback and ask questions. If you have the opportunity to join a live session, go for it.

Thought #5: Practice, practice, practice. Over time, you’ll refine your presentation skills, learn to ask the right questions, and adapt your approach to different individuals. Remember, failure is part of the process, so allow yourself to make mistakes and learn from them.

So this is how I learned sales, you might ask me? I promise to answer this question next week.