Learning Sales from the Ground Up – English · PDF

Taken from the offered edition. The chapter numbering is retained. The original formatted contents pages are also included in the free PDF sample.

• Foreword
• How to use this book
• Part I The Fundamentals of Sales
• Chapter 1 Understanding the sales function
• 1.1 What sales is and what tasks it fulfills
• 1.2 The sales function selling marketing and customer service
• 1.3 Why companies need sales
• 1.4 Selling products and services
• 1.5 B2B and B2C business customers and private customers
• 1.6 Inside sales, field sales and telephone sales
• 1.7 From first customer contact to closing the sale
• 1.8 Typical misunderstandings about sales
• Chapter 2 Sales roles and responsibilities
• 2.1 What sales positions exist
• 2.2 Comparison of Inside Sales and Outside Sales
• 2.3 Tasks in telephone sales and new customer acquisition
• 2.4 Existing customer support and new customer acquisition
• 2.5 Sales Assistance and Sales Support
• 2.6 Typical daily routines and work processes
• 2.7 Sales targets, key performance indicators and performance measurement
• 2.8 Which skills are important for which position
• Chapter 3 The foundations of effective selling
• 3.1 What makes a good salesperson
• 3.2 Expertise, communication skills and reliability
• 3.3 Self-confidence without arrogance
• 3.4 Motivation and dealing with rejection
• 3.5 Customer focus instead of sales pressure
• 3.6 Building trust and credibility
• 3.7 Ethical principles in sales
• 3.8 Common beginner mistakes and how to avoid them
• Part II Understanding and Convincing Customers
• Chapter 4 Understanding customers and identifying needs
• 4.1 Why customers buy products
• 4.2 Differentiating between needs, desires and actual requirements
• 4.3 Objective and emotional buying motives
• 4.4 Target groups and differing customer expectations
• 4.5 Active Listening
• 4.6 Listen between the lines without jumping to conclusions
• 4.7 Determine the actual need
• 4.8 Document and summarize customer needs
• 4.9 Identifying and qualifying leads
• 4.10 Assessing purchase readiness and deriving next steps
• Chapter 5 Professional communication and questioning techniques
• 5.1 Fundamentals of successful communication
• 5.2 Open and closed questions
• 5.3 W-questions and targeted follow-up questions
• 5.4 Alternative and comprehension questions
• 5.5 Speaking time and active listening
• 5.6 Voice, speaking pace and word choice
• 5.7 Body language and nonverbal communication
• 5.8 Avoiding misunderstandings
• 5.9 Handling difficult conversation partners professionally
• Chapter 6 Presenting products and services clearly
• 6.1 Differentiating product features and customer benefits
• 6.2 Develop a comprehensible benefit argument
• 6.3 Explain the advantages clearly and convincingly
• 6.4 Adapting arguments to customer needs
• 6.5 Working with examples, comparisons and concrete situations
• 6.6 Present prices and services transparently
• 6.7 Argue credibly instead of exaggerating
• 6.8 Dealing with competing products and comparison questions
• 6.9 Communicating presentations and offers in an understandable way
• Part III The Sales Conversation in Practice
• Chapter 7 Preparing for sales conversations
• 7.1 Define the conversation goal
• 7.2 Gathering information about customers and companies
• 7.3 Using conversation guides effectively
• 7.4 Prepare appointments and meeting documents
• 7.5 Planning and formulating conversation starters
• 7.6 Anticipating potential customer questions
• 7.7 Define conversation objectives and realistic next steps
• 7.8 Checklist for preparing for the conversation
• 7.9 Digital appointment scheduling and online appointment booking
• 7.10 Creating and customizing conversation guides
• Chapter 8 Leading a sales conversation step by step
• 8.1 Greeting and professional start to the conversation
• 8.2 Create a pleasant atmosphere for conversation
• 8.3 Clarify the objective and procedure of the conversation
• 8.4 Determine needs and ask targeted questions
• 8.5 Presenting suitable solutions
• 8.6 Check understanding and interest
• 8.7 Answering follow-up questions
• 8.8 Shaping the transition to the conclusion
• 8.9 Summarizing the results of the discussion
• 8.10 Common mistakes in the conversation flow
• 8.11 Structured conversation models in sales
• 8.12 Applying conversation guidelines in practice
• Chapter 9 Handling objections and difficult situations
• 9.1 What distinguishes objections from pretexts
• 9.2 Why customers express concerns
• 9.3 That's too expensive for me
• 9.4 I need to think about it
• 9.5 I already have a provider
• 9.6 I have no interest
• 9.7 Dealing with uncertainty and rejection
• 9.8 Ask questions without applying pressure
• 9.9 When a sales attempt should be ended
• 9.10 Recognizing unfair or impermissible sales methods
• 9.11 Other typical customer objections and appropriate responses
• 9.12 Examples of conversations: unfavorable and professional answers
• Chapter 10 Closing a sale
• 10.1 What constitutes a sales deal
• 10.2 Recognizing and correctly interpreting buy signals
• 10.3 Concluding Questions and Decision-Making Aids
• 10.4 Clarify open questions before making a decision
• 10.5 Confirm prices, conditions and services
• 10.6 Agree on the next steps in a binding manner
• 10.7 Dealing with a "no" professionally
• 10.8 Avoid final pressure and manipulation
• 10.9 Documenting the conclusion
• Part IV Acquisition, Customer Retention and Sales Organization
• Chapter 11 Prospecting follow up and customer retention
• 11.1 What acquisition means and what goals it pursues
• 11.2 Differentiating between cold calling and warm calling
• 11.3 Making initial contacts professional
• 11.4 Contact by telephone and in writing
• 11.5 Follow up at the right time
• 11.6 Follow-up reminders and systematic contact management
• 11.7 Maintaining and retaining existing customers in the long term
• 11.8 Handling complaints professionally and finding solutions
• 11.9 Developing recommendations and follow-up business
• 11.10 Legal limits on advertising and contact
• 11.11 Prioritize leads and assess contact opportunities
• 11.12 Reactivate and win back existing customers
• 11.13 Use cross-selling and upselling in a customer-oriented manner
• 11.14 Winning recommendations and customer reviews
• 11.15 Establish a systematic follow-up process
• Chapter 12 Organising sales work and improving results
• 12.1 Daily and weekly planning
• 12.2 Setting priorities and using time effectively
• 12.3 CRM systems and customer documentation
• 12.4 Understanding sales metrics
• 12.5 Calculate contact rate, appointment rate and closing rate
• 12.6 Evaluating your own results
• 12.7 Learning from mistakes and reflecting on conversations
• 12.8 Developing personal learning goals
• 12.9 Digital tools in everyday sales
• 12.10 Data protection and confidential handling of customer data
• 12.11 Building and managing a sales pipeline
• 12.12 Systematically track sales activities
• 12.13 Analyze and improve sales processes
• Part V Application and Knowledge Review
• Chapter 13 Practical cases from everyday sales work
• 13.1 An initial consultation with a new client
• 13.2 A needs assessment in the service sector
• 13.3 A customer considers the price too high
• 13.4 A prospective buyer is not yet ready to decide
• 13.5 A customer compares several providers
• 13.6 A dissatisfied existing customer
• 13.7 A prospective buyer does not respond to the first offer
• 13.8 An existing customer requires an additional service
• 13.9 A sales pipeline with multiple open sales opportunities
• 13.10 A complete sales conversation from start to finish
• Chapter 14 Final test of sales knowledge
• 14.1 Fundamentals of Sales
• 14.2 Job profiles and organization
• 14.3 Customer needs and communication
• 14.4 Presentations and customer benefits
• 14.5 Preparing and conducting the conversation
• 14.6 Objections and closing a sale
• 14.7 Prospecting customer care and follow up
• 14.8 CRM Key Performance Indicators and Sales Organization
• 14.9 Scoring answers and learning recommendations
• Part VI Practical Appendix and Practical resources
• Appendix A Checklists and Templates
• A.1 Checklist for preparing for the conversation
• A.2 Template for needs assessment
• A.3 Sample conversation guide
• A.4 Checklist for product presentation
• A.5 Template for objection analysis
• A.6 Checklist for closing the sale
• A.7 Template for follow-up and follow-up reminders
• A.8 Templates for CRM documentation
• A.9 Template for evaluating a sales pipeline
• Appendix B: Sample conversations and phrasing aids
• B.1 Professional Conversation Starters
• B.2 Examples of open, closed and in-depth questions
• B.3 Explaining customer benefits based on various products and services
• B.4 Typical customer objections and possible answers
• B.5 Phrases for follow-up conversations
• B.6 Examples of customer-oriented closing questions
• B.7 Phrases for complaints and difficult conversations
• Glossary of terms: Important sales terms and abbreviations
• Sources and further information
• Advertising message
• Proof of telephone advertising
• Data protection
• Data breaches
• SPIN
• Net Promoter Score
• Your next step