- Orientation
- Course Breakdown
- Top 8 Best Courses to Boost Your Sales Skills 2023
- 1. Best Overall: The Art of Sales: Mastering the Selling Process Specialization
- 2. Best for Entrepreneurs: Get It Made Get It Sold: The Basics of Sourcing & Sales for Entrepreneurs
- 3. Best for Beginners: Sales Training: Practical Sales Techniques
- 4. Best for Closing the Sale: Sales: Closing Strategies
- 5. Best for Sales Data: Sales Enablement & Analytics
- 6. Best for Cross-Platform Selling: Learn to Sell Anything by Grant Cardone
- 7. Best for LinkedIn: LinkedIn Marketing, Lead Generation, & B2B Sales for LinkedIn
- 8. Best for Real Estate Sales: Real Estate Agent Training
- FAQ
- Extra Credit
- Get Ready to Charm the Pants off Your Clients
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
1. Best Overall: The Art of Sales: Mastering the Selling Process Specialization
- 4 months $99
- Course Highlights
- Instructor: Craig Wortmann
- Skill Level: Beginner
- Type: General
- Field: All
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.
Pros
- Covers the entire sales process
- Taught by a former CEO
- Students can go at their own pace
Cons
- It lacks depth in some areas
- More expensive than other courses
2. Best for Entrepreneurs: Get It Made Get It Sold: The Basics of Sourcing & Sales for Entrepreneurs
- 1 hour, 50 minutes $99 per year, $19 per month
- Course Highlights
- Instructor: Jeff Staple
- Skill Level: Beginner
- Type: General
- Field: Entrepreneur
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.
Pros
- Gives entrepreneurs the tools necessary to succeed from start to finish
- Provides knowledge for people of all skill levels
- Short, sweet, and easy to digest
Cons
- Only suitable for entrepreneurs or people looking to make products/dropship
- It’s not long, so it lacks depth in some areas
3. Best for Beginners: Sales Training: Practical Sales Techniques
- 2 hours $99.99
- Course Highlights
- Instructor: Chris Croft
- Skill Level: Beginner
- Type: In-Person, Phone Sales
- Field: All
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.
Pros
- Digestible and quick
- Great general and basic information
- Covers most aspects of the sales process
Cons
- Lacks depth
- While it’s affordable, its short run-time makes the value less than the idea
4. Best for Closing the Sale: Sales: Closing Strategies
- 38 minutes $19.99 per month
- Course Highlights
- Instructor: Dean Karrel
- Skill Level: Advanced
- Type: In-person, online, phone sales
- Field: All
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.
Pros
- Teaches you how to close sales more efficiently
- Can directly improve your numbers if you have experience in the field
- Easy to understand, and the instructor is engaging
Cons
- Short course compared to others on the list
- Only suitable for people that have an advanced background in sales
5. Best for Sales Data: Sales Enablement & Analytics
- 6 weeks $149
- Course Highlights
- Instructor: Michael Cant, Jim Hamilton
- Skill Level: Intermediate
- Type: In-person, online, phone
- Field: All
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.
Pros
- Goes into detail about technologies that are relevant at most major firms
- It has a long run time and benefits from being taught by two instructors
- You get a certificate when you complete the course
Cons
- It has a longer run-time than most courses on the list
- It’s only a good fit for data-driven individuals
6. Best for Cross-Platform Selling: Learn to Sell Anything by Grant Cardone
- 5.5 hours $49.99
- Course Highlights
- Instructor: Grant Cardone
- Skill Level: Beginner
- Type: In-person, phone
- Field: All
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.
Pros
- One of the longer beginner courses available
- Grant Cardone is well-known and respected in the industry
- Teaches you to sell across platforms
Cons
- The course gives off a “guru” vibe that might not sit right with everyone
- Not suitable for people with a ton of experience
7. Best for LinkedIn: LinkedIn Marketing, Lead Generation, & B2B Sales for LinkedIn
- 4 hours, 33 minutes $99 per year, $19 per month
- Course Highlights
- Instructor: Patrick Dang
- Skill Level: Beginner, Intermediate
- Type: Online
- Field: All
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.
Pros
- Shows you how to leverage LinkedIn to make money
- Provides the baseline for online sales
- One of Skillshare’s longer courses on the topic
Cons
- Only helpful for LinkedIn, which makes the course limited
8. Best for Real Estate Sales: Real Estate Agent Training
- 1.5 hours $119.99
- Course Highlights
- Instructor: Brennan Zimmer
- Skill Level: Beginner-Advanced
- Type: In-Person, Phone, Online
- Field: Real Estate
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.
Pros
- Simple and easy class for real estate and insurance agents
- Quick and digestible information
- Produced by someone who has had success in the industry
Cons
- Only suitable for real estate agents
- Only teaches three strategies
FAQ
Have any questions? We have the answers.
Yes. The only catch is that you need to make sure it’s the right course for your needs. For example, if you never handle the closing process, a class that teaches you how to close might not be the best option.
Salespeople need all types of training. A well-rounded salesperson knows how to talk with people, spot needs, add value, and close the sale. Additionally, we recommend that all salespeople learn a thing or two about data tracking.
There are many great websites to study sales online. Still, some are better than others. We recommend working with well-known websites like Skillshare, Udemy, and the like.
Online course certifications are on the rise and continue to become more credible. With that said, online certifications are still sometimes considered less credible than in-person, university-based degrees. Luckily, sales is more about hands-on experience and results than educational background.
While the best sales courses will typically cost you something, there are many free sales courses. These courses vary in skill level, but the instructor might not be the most credible. This is because many free options are found on places like YouTube, so you don’t always know what you’re getting.
Extra Credit
Knowing which sales courses are the best is a good place to start–you’ve already won half the battle. Still, there is more to choosing the right course than knowing which ones are the best. You need to make a decision that fits your needs, budget, and sales goals.
So, we’re going to take you through everything you need to know about sales courses and answer any questions you might have. Additionally, we’ll make some recommendations along the way.
What Type of Sales Are You In?
Before you look into a class, it’s important to analyze the industry you’re in. Are you in online sales? Marketing? Or perhaps email outreach? These are all unique fields of sales that require different levels of training. For example, someone who writes sales copy for emails needs different training than someone who picks up the phone and makes cold calls.
Luckily, most sales training can be broken down into three niches; in-person, online, and over the phone. In this section, we’re going to take you through some courses that cover these fields in a general way.
In-Person
In-person sales is old-school, but it’s still popular. Regardless of how advanced and connected society becomes, people love socializing with real people. For this reason, in-person sales is likely here to stay. Some examples of in-person sales include retail sales, real estate sales, car sales, and more–we’ll have more for you on specific professions later.
If you’re looking for a general in-person sales course that covers the basics, Learn to Sell Anything by Grant Cardone is a great choice. It’s a general class that teaches you about small talk, how to approach people, and how to earn trust.
Over the Phone
When you’re selling over the phone, there is a lot that goes into it. On one hand, you have to make sure you can connect with people and pitch your service quickly. On the other hand, you have to track your data to make sure everything is going smoothly. For these reasons, we recommend data-focused sales courses for phone sales.
The best choice for phone sales is Sales Enablement & Analytics. This course helps you create tables to track data, and shows you what your conversation rates should look like.
Online
If you’re embarking on the journey of online sales, we have your back. Online sales is a new industry–compared to in-person and phone sales–but it’s already come a long way. Online sales courses can teach you about email marketing, LinkedIn connections, and how to leverage social media or a website to close sales.
If you’re in online sales or looking to enter the industry, our favorite class is LinkedIn Marketing, Lead Generation & B2B Sales for LinkedIn. While it focuses on LinkedIn, you can use the same principles taught in the class for other social media platforms.
When you narrow your needs down to the type of sales you’re in, it gives you a better idea of what course you need. So, always remember to shop based on your needs–not based on the hype.
What Industry Are You In?
Knowing what type of class you need is a great start, but what if you need industry-specific training? If you’re looking for a sales course that’s designed for your industry, we can help you there too. We’ll take you through a few popular sales industries and match them with the best course choices.
Real Estate
Real estate is one of the most popular sales industries–most everyone knows a real estate agent. Real estate agents also have one of the most challenging jobs and one of the lowest closing rates. Still, selling two or three houses each year can make you an annual salary.
If you’re looking to boost your sales in real estate or enter the field, Real Estate Agent Training is a great choice. The course takes you through the real estate sales process from open to close. Plus, it shows you how to leverage emotions and reduce anxiety for buyers.
Insurance
Insurance sales are trickier than real estate sales. There are many types of insurance sales jobs that vary in difficulty and needs. Still, the concept is similar for each one. For example, life insurance sales are similar to health insurance sales, and many brokers share the same licenses.
For insurance sales, we recommend a general sales course that covers analytical data. This is because insurance sales is a number’s game, and you want to reach as many people as possible to close more sales. For this reason, we recommend Sales Enablement & Analytics. This course will show you how to track data and make adjustments to improve your numbers.
Car Sales
Car sales is an interesting topic because the clients come to you. Unlike insurance and real estate, car salespeople have a pool of people that walk through the doors each day. While there can be an endless supply of interested buyers, selling cars is still challenging.
If you’re looking to sell more cars, Sales: Closing Strategies is a great class. It will show how to connect with these prospective buyers and close the sale.
Entrepreneur
Entrepreneurs do more than just make sales, but sales still plays a big role in an entrepreneur’s success. Without sales, new products won’t be sold at a fast enough rate to keep the business sustainable. For this reason, entrepreneurs need to be on their A-game when making sales and building online markets.
If you’re looking to start a business or want to improve your company’s sales, we recommend Get It Made Get It Sold. This course takes you through marketing a product, creating a product, and getting that product in front of millions of people.
Keep in mind that this is only a small sample size of sales careers. If you don’t work in these industries, you can always go with a general class like The Art of Sales.
Get Ready to Charm the Pants off Your Clients
Sales is a tough field to succeed in. You’re faced with constant competition, an evolving market, and performance-driven results. While sales is hard, it doesn’t have to be. If you spend a few hours each week honing your craft, you’ll become better and more confident over time. Things you struggled with in the past will get easier, and your numbers will go up. Regardless of what field you’re in, practice makes perfect.