Sales foundations: how people decide to buy

Understand why people buy, earn trust early, and run a first sales conversation that ends with a clear next step.

Most people learn to sell by copying whoever sat next to them, which is how bad habits spread: talking too much, pitching before asking, and chasing people who said maybe three months ago. This course starts from the other side of the table. You look at how you yourself decide to buy, then build each sales skill on top of that: trust, listening, value, the first conversation and the follow-up. It suits anyone whose job now includes selling, from a new financial adviser to a freelancer quoting a client or an engineer moving into a customer-facing role.

What you'll be able to do

• Describe the buying process from the buyer's side and spot which stage a prospect is in
• Write and deliver a 30-second introduction that earns a second question
• Run a conversation where the buyer talks most of the time, using open questions and summaries
• Turn a product's features into benefits stated in the buyer's terms of money, time and risk
• Lead a first meeting from agenda to an agreed next step
• Write a follow-up sequence that adds something new in every message
• Track your own sales activity and review it weekly

Syllabus

Module 1: See the sale from the buyer's side

How people actually decide to spend money, why most deals die from no decision rather than a competitor, and how to read where a buyer is in the process.

• 1.1 People buy a way out of a problem, not a product
• 1.2 The five stages a buyer goes through, whether you are there or not
• 1.3 Why no decision beats every competitor
• 1.4 Map a purchase you made recently

Module 2: Earn trust before you pitch

What trust is made of, how first impressions form in person, on calls and on WhatsApp, and how to show credibility without bragging.

• 2.1 What trust is made of
• 2.2 First impressions in person, on the phone and on WhatsApp
• 2.3 Credibility without bragging
• 2.4 Write your 30-second introduction

Module 3: Listen more than you talk

Active listening, open questions and summarising back, so the buyer explains their real problem and feels understood before you suggest anything.

• 3.1 The three levels of listening
• 3.2 Open questions that get people talking
• 3.3 Summarise back what you heard
• 3.4 Role-play a listening conversation

Module 4: Turn features into value the buyer cares about

Move from describing what a product has to what it changes for this buyer, measured in money, time, risk or how they are seen, with examples that make it concrete.

• 4.1 Features, advantages and benefits
• 4.2 Value in the buyer's terms: money, time, risk and status
• 4.3 Stories and examples that make value concrete
• 4.4 Build a value sheet for one product

Module 5: Run your first sales conversation

The structure of a good first meeting, from setting the agenda to agreeing a next step, plus how to respond the first time a buyer says they need to think about it.

• 5.1 The shape of a good first meeting
• 5.2 When the buyer says I need to think about it
• 5.3 Ask for a next step every time
• 5.4 Record and review a practice sales call

Module 6: Follow up without chasing

Why deals stall after a good meeting, how to follow up with something useful each time, and when to stop while keeping the relationship open.

• 6.1 Why good meetings still end in silence
• 6.2 Follow-up messages that add something
• 6.3 Knowing when to stop and how to leave the door open
• 6.4 Write a three-message follow-up sequence

Module 7: Build the habits that make selling sustainable

Selling ethically, handling rejection, tracking your own numbers and building a 30-day practice plan, so the skills from this course become routine.

• 7.1 Sell what the buyer needs, even when it pays you less
• 7.2 Handle rejection without taking it personally
• 7.3 Track your numbers: activity, conversations, outcomes
• 7.4 Your 30-day sales practice plan

Frequently asked questions

How long does the course take?

About eight hours across seven modules, including the exercises. Most people finish in three to four weeks at two or three hours a week.

Do I need sales experience?

No. The course starts with how you yourself make buying decisions, so anyone can follow it. If you already sell full time, the listening and follow-up modules are the most useful parts.

How is this different from the Prospecting and Discovery courses?

This course covers the whole sale at a basic level. Prospecting goes deep on finding and booking buyers, and Discovery goes deep on the questions you ask in a meeting. Take this one first.

I am a new financial adviser. Is this enough to sell insurance or investments?

It covers the general skills. Selling financial products in Singapore also involves licensing, the fair dealing outcomes and needs analysis rules, which are taught in Selling financial advice in Singapore.

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