The 8 Best Courses to Boost Your Sales Skills

The sales industry is hard. Anyone who says otherwise has probably never tried to persuade someone to do anything. Still, sales is hard because you need to combine many skills with your charisma. On top of being a smooth talker, you need to identify a potential client’s needs to ensure they’re getting the right goods or services. Remember, it’s not just about closing one deal because you want them to come back for more.

With that said, we’re here to help. If you’ve been struggling with sales and want to pump up your numbers, read on. We’re going to take you through a handful of the best online sales courses. These courses vary in skill level, so there are options for everyone regardless of their background.

Orientation

While sales is a complex field with many disciplines and techniques to learn, there are a handful of ways to sort through classes to see which ones fit your needs. There are different areas of sales, different instructors, and other things you need to watch out for.

Skill Level

When you’re looking for a sales class, there are many skill levels. While sales aren’t as complicated as IT, where you have to learn the trade for years, there is a lot more to sales than meets the eye. In sales, you’ll have to learn about how to talk to people, track data, provide value, and remain confident. With many parts of the sales process to learn, the skill level for each class varies.

Beginner

There is nothing wrong with getting started–even legendary salespeople had to start somewhere. If you’re just getting started, a beginner-level course will give you the most value. These courses usually focus on the sales process and how to go through a sale from start to close. While these classes are simple, they’ll give you a general understanding of sales as an industry.

Intermediate

Once you know the basics, it’s time to move on to intermediate classes. These classes are more in-depth than beginner courses and will start to go into more detail about the sales process. For example, some courses in this skill range will focus on data tracking and how it plays into your success. Plus, you’ll likely hear about common tricks of the trade and the “Law of Averages.”

Advanced

If you’re an experienced salesperson, you know that continued education is essential. Sales is always evolving, and you need to develop with it. For those of you that have been doing this for a while, some classes can help you firm up your technique.

Instructor

Pay close attention to the instructor. A good instructor will be the difference between you understanding the material and wasting your money. There are a few instructor archetypes you’ll come across, and most are fine. Professionals, professors, and people in the industry are all great options for learning.

Unfortunately, the world of sales also has some scam artists and gurus. While gurus offer some of the most expensive classes, the price is often not worth it. For this reason, we recommend avoiding classes that call the instructor a guru.

Topic

In sales, there are many topics. For this reason, no two classes are the same. Each class will spend time on a specific area of sales or a piece of the sales process. There are several topics, and some common ones include the parts of the sales process or cycle, closing the sale, prospecting, emails, phone calls, and more. Sales is a broad field, so it’s always a good idea to pick a few topics to work on.

Field or Career

Before selecting a course, you should also look at the field it teaches about. For example, some classes are focused on real estate while others focus on LinkedIn or insurance. To avoid wasting money, you want to get the course that lines up with your career goals–a real estate class won’t help an aspiring insurance salesperson.

Price

The cost of most sales courses is low. If you’re working with platforms like Skillshare and Udemy, the price is typically very affordable. Still, some higher-cost classes will teach you about the intricacies of sales. These classes are more expensive and can cost you hundreds. In fact, some advanced sales courses are in the thousands.

You should also know that some classes are subscription-based. For example, Skillshare charges annually or monthly. While you get access to a larger pool of content, the cost of subscription-based classes can add up quickly.

Now that you know what to look for, it’s time to dive into our Course Breakdown and Course List.

Course Breakdown

• Best Overall: The Art of Sales
• Best for Entrepreneurs: Get It Made Get It Sold
• Best for Beginners: Sales Training: Practical Sales Techniques
• Best for Closing the Sale: Sales: Closing Strategies
• Best for Sales Data: Sales Enablement & Analytics
• Best for Cross-Platform Selling: Learn to Sell Anything by Grant Cardone
• Best for LinkedIn: LinkedIn Marketing, Lead Generation & B2B Sales for LinkedIn
• Best for Real Estate: Real Estate Agent Training

Top 8 Best Courses to Boost Your Sales Skills 2023

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1. Best Overall: The Art of Sales: Mastering the Selling Process Specialization

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Why we like it

We love this course because it’s well-rounded. While it focuses on the technical side of the sales process, it also teaches you about opening and closing sales.

The Art of Sales: Mastering the Selling Process Specialization is a well-rounded course that helps students with every part of the sales process. It is offered by Northwestern University, so you’re guaranteed reputable instruction. The instructor, Craig Wortmann, has been in sales his whole life–he’s even been a CEO. Therefore, you know what you’re getting with this course.

Things to Consider

While this comes with a lot of great information, it is a general overview course. This means that it doesn’t go into detail about each of the sales processes. Sure, it lasts four months, but there are entire courses dedicated to specific components of the sales cycle. If you’re a more experienced salesperson, we recommend considering a specialized course instead.

Who It’s For

If you’re someone who doesn’t have any sales experience or someone who is looking to enter the industry, this course is a great choice. It will teach you about the appropriate language, how to track data, and everything else you need to know about the sales process. With that said, it’s a great tool to learn from before getting into a sales job.

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2. Best for Entrepreneurs: Get It Made Get It Sold: The Basics of Sourcing & Sales for Entrepreneurs

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Why we like it

This is one of our favorite courses because it gives entrepreneurs, or aspiring entrepreneurs, a framework to succeed. We love how it goes through the creation, sale, and follow-up of each good or service.

Get It Made Get It Sold is a course that’s made for entrepreneurs by entrepreneurs. The class was created by Jeff Staple, who has had plenty of success with his own businesses and sales funnels–if there is one thing he’s good at, it’s landing a sale or client. The course takes you through the process of selling. This includes the tools you need to sell, where to sell, how to work with vendors, how to make deliveries, and more. It’s a comprehensive course that covers the start and finish of product creation and sales.

Things to Consider

While this course is great for entrepreneurs, it doesn’t have any use otherwise. Unfortunately, it’s entrepreneur-focused, so it lacks general sales information. If you’re looking for a more general course, The Art of Sales is a great alternative. This course is also on the short side, so it doesn’t cover everything you need to know in full detail–think of it as a roadmap to success.

Who It’s For

If you’re looking to start a business, this class is a great choice. It will give you the tools you need to succeed from start to finish. You’ll learn about how to build a website, how to work with people, and how to market your product. Overall, it’s one of the most affordable options for entrepreneurs of all ages and skill levels.

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3. Best for Beginners: Sales Training: Practical Sales Techniques

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Why we like it

We love this course for beginners. It will take you through everything you need to know about sales to get started.

Sales Training: Practical Sales Techniques is a beginner-friendly course for people that are new to the industry. Instead of focusing on advanced concepts and parts of the process, the training gives a general scope of what sales looks like and how to go through the process. While it’s not the most in-depth course, it can help beginners learn about the industry as they gain experience.

Things to Consider

Sales Training: Practical Sales Techniques is a good foundation, but there are a few issues with it. First and foremost, it doesn’t cover all of the bases. It only covers a handful of sales techniques, so the information is basic. Additionally, the course is on the shorter side. Compared to longer courses like The Art of Sales, it doesn’t have the same depth. Lastly, the instructor is not the most engaging.

Who It’s For

If you’re new to sales or need a brief refresher course, this class is a great choice. It’s condensed into an easy 2-hour format, so you can get everything you need out of it in less than a day. Still, if you’ve been in the industry for a while, it might be wise to consider a more advanced course.

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4. Best for Closing the Sale: Sales: Closing Strategies

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Why we like it

Closing a sale is one of the most difficult elements in sales–it’s also the most important part. We love this course because it helps you navigate closing language to bring a client’s anxiety down and their trust up.

Sales: Closing Strategies is one of the few classes that focus on closing strategies. When you’re making a sale, closing is one of the most important phases. After all, closing is where you make money for the time you spent working on the sale. Dean Karrel is an experienced instructor and has experience in multiple fields like real estate, insurance, and more. He’s helped many people in sales boost their numbers and learn about how to add value at the close.

Things to Consider

While Closing Strategies is a good course, it’s only good for closing sales. This means that the course doesn’t provide insight into the rest of the sales process. For this reason, we don’t recommend using this course unless you’ve already taken sales to the point of close.

If you’re looking for a more beginner-friendly course, Sales Training: Practical Sales Techniques is a great alternative. Additionally, the class is also only 38 minutes long, which is short compared to other classes on the list.

Who It’s For

If you’re someone that needs help closing more sales, this course is a great choice. You’ll learn everything you need to know about how sales close. The instructor goes over psychological aspects, what types of phrasing to use, and how to have confidence when you’re working with a client. Overall, it’s one of our favorites for finishing the sale.

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5. Best for Sales Data: Sales Enablement & Analytics

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Why we like it

We love this course because it shows you the wonders of data. While data is boring, it becomes fun when you use it to boost your sales and make changes to your approach.

Sales Enablement & Analytics is a data-driven sales class. Instead of focusing on the sales process, the course goes above and beyond. You’ll be learning about how to track data and manage your sales from two experts, Michael Cant and Jim Hamilton. The two instructors are experts in their field and provide balance for the duration of the 6-week course. This course also teaches you about the tools and technology that companies use to track this data.

Things to Consider

While this course is thorough, it does have a prerequisite, Enterprise Selling. Though it’s listed as a prerequisite, you don’t actually need it to learn about data or the technology used in Sales Enablement & Analytics. However, this class is technical, making it difficult to navigate if you don’t have a knowledge base about the strategies and technologies.

Who It’s For

If you’re someone who loves data, this class is a great choice. It won’t teach you much about the sales process, but it will show you how to track and manage data like a pro. More importantly, the course will provide you with a certificate when you complete it and the knowledge to work with CRM-like technologies at large firms. Overall, it’s a great class if you’re a data-driven individual.

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6. Best for Cross-Platform Selling: Learn to Sell Anything by Grant Cardone

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Why we like it

We love this course because Grant Cardone can really sell anything. It’s not the most complex course, but it will help you get off to a good start, regardless of the product or service you’re selling.

Grant Cardone is a well-known salesperson with decades of experience in the industry. He made this course because he believes that he can share his strategies and tactics with others. The course is not the most in-depth, but Grant Cardone goes over some of the basics to get you started. This is also a viable option if you’re looking to sell things across multiple platforms. You’ll learn about how email marketing and other strategies can make in-person and phone sales easier.

Things to Consider

While Grant Cardone is a good salesperson, he has a guru-like persona. We’re not saying that gurus are bad, but sometimes they can be dramatic and misleading. While Grant Cardone is an engaging instructor, this is designed for beginners just getting started in sales, so it’s not the most comprehensive course on our list.

Who It’s For

If you’re looking to get started and have no idea where to begin, this course is a great choice. It’s over five hours long, so Grant Cardone has enough time to speak about topics in detail. The pacing is great for beginners, and you’ll learn about cross-platform sales. However, it’s not the best for people that have prior knowledge of the industry.

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7. Best for LinkedIn: LinkedIn Marketing, Lead Generation, & B2B Sales for LinkedIn

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Why we like it

LinkedIn marketing is challenging, so we love how this course makes it easy for you. It’s a short, simple, and effective start to getting clients off of LinkedIn.

LinkedIn Marketing, Lead Generation & B2B Sales for LinkedIn is the perfect course for people that need help with LinkedIn. LinkedIn is a platform that helps professionals connect with one another. This makes LinkedIn a great option for sales because everyone is already there to make connections. This course goes into detail about how to leverage LinkedIn for marketing, sales, and B2B sales. Furthermore, the instructor is someone who knows LinkedIn well and has a profile that’s top-notch on the platform.

Things to Consider

While this course is great for LinkedIn, it won’t help you if you’re looking to make sales off of the platform. Some of the skills will translate into other platforms, but it doesn’t work for each one. For example, platforms like Instagram and Twitter don’t have similar marketing tools. With that said, this course also doesn’t provide in-person or phone call training. If you’re looking for a more general course, The Art of Sales is a solid option.

Who It’s For

If you’re looking to leverage your LinkedIn profile to increase your sales, this course is a great choice. It shows you everything you need to know about it and will show you how to join groups to forge connections. These methods might not be for everyone, but they do work well for most industries.

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8. Best for Real Estate Sales: Real Estate Agent Training

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Why we like it

Real Estate sales is a huge industry, so we love how this course caters to those professionals. In fact, we think this real estate course can compete with training that most agencies provide.

Real Estate Agent Training is a simple real estate course that helps agents boost their sales. The course was designed by Brennan Zimmer, who was successful for many years in real estate. Zimmer provides agents with three strategies to boost sales and stresses the importance of not focusing on too many methods. This makes real estate sales more manageable and helps agents get a better grasp of individual sales.

Things to Consider

While Real Estate Agent Training is an excellent course for real estate agents, it’s otherwise limited. Only people with a background or interest in real estate or insurance will benefit from this style of class. If you’re looking for a more general class, The Art of Sales is a great alternative.

Who It’s For

The class is designed for real estate agents that are new or have a few years of experience. It won’t turn you into a master of sales, but it will help get you started. This class is also effective for people in similar industries like insurance or securities. While it has its limits, it’s perfect for dipping your toes in the real estate world.

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FAQ

Have any questions? We have the answers.

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