Sales & Customer Growth
A good sales conversation sounds more like help than pressure
Many owners either talk too much about the product or give up too early on the price. A good conversation does neither. It finds out what the customer needs, shows how you can help, says honestly what you cannot do, and agrees what happens next. Participants practise that shape in short role-plays and get feedback on their own words.
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Most sales are decided in the conversation, not the brochure.
A customer comes with a need, some doubts and a lot of other options. What they notice is whether you understood them, whether you were honest and whether they know what to do next. Product knowledge matters, but it cannot make up for a conversation that leaves them confused.
Conversation skill is practised, not read about. Participants spend most of the session talking in pairs and trios, with a practitioner who listens and gives direct but kind feedback.
What the session covers
30 topics across 6 areas. Six parts of a conversation, each practised.
Opening WellThe first thirty seconds.5
- Greeting and putting the customer at ease
- Asking an open question instead of listing products
- Handling the customer who says "just looking"
- A phone or WhatsApp opening versus an in-person one
- What to avoid saying first
The goal of the opening is to start a conversation, not to start pitching.
Understanding the NeedListen before recommending.5
A separate session on discovery questions goes deeper into this step. Here the aim is to feel the rhythm of the whole conversation.
- Asking a few good questions and then stopping
- Listening for the reason behind the request
- Repeating back what you heard to check it
- Noticing budget, timing and who else decides
- Taking short notes while the customer speaks
Recommending HonestlyMatch the need, not the stock.5
- Linking what you offer to what the customer said
- Offering one or two options, not ten
- Explaining the trade-offs between options
- Saying plainly when you are not the right fit
- Why an honest "no" builds trust for later
Talking About PriceWithout flinching or rushing.5
- When to raise price in the conversation
- Saying the number calmly and then stopping
- Explaining what the price includes
- Offering options rather than an immediate discount
- What to say when you cannot go lower
Agreeing the Next StepNever leave it open.5
- A clear question: shall I send the quote today?
- A date and a person for each step
- Confirming in writing after the conversation
- What to do if the customer needs time
- Closing without pressure or pushing
A conversation that ends with "let me know" usually ends there.
Reviewing Your Own ConversationsGetting better each week.5
- Three questions to ask yourself after a conversation
- Noting what the customer said that you did not expect
- Keeping a small file of useful phrases
- Asking a colleague or friend to role-play
- Looking at conversations that did not convert, without blame
What participants leave with
- A one-page conversation guide in their own words
- A list of opening questions suited to their business
- A way to talk about price that they have practised aloud
- A next-step phrase for every conversation
- A short self-review routine
What this session is not
- Training in manipulative or high-pressure tactics
- A set of lines that works for every business
- A promise of more closed sales
- A replacement for knowing your own product
Who teaches it
- Sales practitioners who talk to customers every day
- Shop and showroom owners
- Service-business owners who sell by quotation
- Customer-facing managers and trainers
How the session runs
Three hours, with groups no larger than twenty-five so everyone gets to practise. The practitioner demonstrates a poor and a better version of the same conversation, using a clearly hypothetical business. Participants then work in pairs and trios, taking turns as seller, customer and observer, with the practitioner moving between groups. Each person writes a one-page guide from what they learnt.
What your students leave with
- A simple five-step shape for a sales conversation
- A better opening than "What do you need?" or a list of products
- The habit of listening for the real reason behind a request
- A way to recommend without overselling
- A clear next step at the end of every conversation
- A short script and notes sheet written in their own words
Scheduled sessions
Nothing scheduled yet
Sessions are arranged with a college once a date is agreed. Ask us and we will find the right person for it.
A student rather than a college? See what is coming up, or ask your placement team to host this.
Listen first, recommend honestly, agree the next step.
Tell us who your students are and what stage they are at. Sessions are free for participants.