Every business needs sales skills. Sales training is so important but going on a sales course or buying online is normally quite expensive. The good news is that there is plenty of free training available. We take you through some of the very best options.
You need to think about your knowledge and understanding to find the best sales training options. Some are aimed at beginners while other options are for more advanced salespeople.
Sales training is a very broad term so, unless it is a longer course that covers most aspects of sales, think about your needs. What parts of the sales process do you battle with? This could be finding customers, negotiating, getting your price, closing the sale, getting more business, or many other areas.
To help you find the best free sales training options, we show you some of the best places to look.
YouTube
YouTube is an excellent place to look for most types of training including sales training. Simply go to the site and search for sales training. If there are specific skills you want to learn such as looking for customers, negotiating, closing the sale, or any other areas, add the words to your search on YouTube.
Look at the number of views and read a few comments before spending too much time watching the training. While there is a lot of quality training there are some that are not so great.
If you find videos or trainers you enjoy, follow the rest of their videos. Subscribe to their YouTube channel so that you get a reminder when they post new material.
Here are a few examples to get you going. There are thousands more and new ones are posted regularly.
Webinars
Another popular place to find quality sales staring, for free, is webinars. These are similar to YouTube videos but are often a bit more detailed. Some are promotional videos for paid content so look for ones that are good quality and completely free.
Here are some great examples to look at but you will find many more if you search “Free Sales Training Webinars” on Google.
Note that some will require you to register with your email address. Some of them are live which means that you have to watch them at the time that they show them. Many of them are interactive so you can send any questions you have and the trainer will answer you.
https://www.rainsalestraining.com/resources/sales-webinars/5-keys-to-top-sales-performance
https://www.sandler.com/webinars-on-demand/
https://www.drift.com/insider/learn/webinars/
Blogs
While it is great to watch videos, blogs are often handy to read for sales training. If you search for sales training blogs there are thousands to choose from.
If you follow the link here, it will take you to the “Top 100 Sales Blogs & Websites”
Here are some of the other top options.
- HubSpot
HubSpot is an American based software company that specialises in sales and sales-related software. They also offer a range of sales articles and training resources.
There are many to choose from and most are a quick read. You can also subscribe to their newsletter for regular updates. There is something for all areas of sales and the blogs are aimed at beginners as well as more experienced salespeople.
The site also offers a very handy link to the “Top 35 Sales Blogs & Websites” which is worth looking at.
- Sales Hacker
You can find sales blogs, training, podcasts, and videos at Sales Hacker. The quality is good and they post new content regularly.
- SalesGravy
Another excellent place to find sales blogs and other valuable information is SalesGravy.
There are plenty more if you search on Google.
Books on sales
Most of the sales training we discuss is internet-based but there is nothing wrong with good sales books. There are some excellent books available.
While new books are great, the sales technique and theory has not changed that much over the years. Even an older book should have some valuable advice and information. This means that you can buy them from second-hand stores or flea markets. Often you can find a really good bargain.
Remember, there are lots of books available online, many of them for free. (link to article on free online books?)
Podcasts
What makes podcasts so handy is that you can listen to them while you travel, wait, or do something else. You can listen to them anytime and anywhere from your cellphone. They do not use much data to download and there are lots of excellent options.
Many of the free podcasts are from some of the leading experts in sales training. This would normally be very expensive training but you can find it completely free.
You need to download the podcasts from sites or apps such as Spotify, SoundCloud, iTunes, Google Play, Facebook, and others.
We mentioned Drift above for webinars. They also offer many fantastic sales podcasts.
HubSpot, also mentioned above, also has many quality podcasts.
Another site, leadfeeder, has plenty of excellent free sales podcasts.
You can also find links to many sales blogs at Brainshark and on the salesflare blog.
Those examples, while great, are just a few of the many that are available. Search on Google for “Free Sales Blog” or similar and you will find many more. There are new ones all the time so look when you have a chance.
Once you download them to your mobile phone or computer, you can listen whenever you want.
Free online sales training
While many online sales training courses are quite expensive there are many free options. Again a Google search will give you lots of options.
Here are some of the more popular ones:
- Alison
Apart from the courses you have to pay for, Alison also offers a number of free courses that are worth looking at.
- Class central
This is a popular site that offers quite a few good free sales training courses. Check out class central to find the best option for your needs.
- Businessballs
Businessballs has been around for a long time and the site offers many business resources including free sales training.
You can also find more ideas for free sales training at SalesScouter, Udemy, and coursera.
LinkedIn Learning is another brilliant place to find free sales training.
Other online resources
Here are a few other useful sites to check out for free sales training.
Reddit has been going for a long time and is well supported. They have a page dedicated to threads and discussions related to sales, the Reddit—r/Sales page. You can look at the new and existing threads or start your own if you have a problem or question.
- Ita Group
This site has a wide range of sales training material from podcasts to blogs, webinars, and other material. The ita Group site is worth looking at.
Commission only sales position
One great way to learn hands-on sales skills and earn some money is a commission only sales position. Look for a company that will offer training and mentorship and still pays a decent rate on any sales you complete.
While videos, blogs, podcasts, and other training is very useful, real-world experience is a brilliant way to learn. What is more, you can make some money at the same time. Learn while you earn!
Remember, you will probably have to cover your transport costs and things like your mobile phone but when you make sales, you get a commission. Just check out the targets first as there are some companies that make it very hard to earn commission.
Still use other training methods we discuss to perfect your skills and make sure you learn from the job. Look at when you make a sale and when you lose a sale to see what works and what does not. This way, you can improve.
Final thoughts
Don’t let a lack of time and money stop you from learning essential sales skills. You do not have to spend a lot of money on expensive training when there is so much free sales training available. Most of it requires an internet connection and a smartphone or laptop/computer but there are a few other options.
Take advantage of some or all of them. They range from general beginners courses to very specific training on certain areas of the sales process. There is a lot of top-quality training, some of it from leading trainers and experts.
All you need is a bit of time and effort and you can improve your sales skills for free. This is sure to improve your business and bring in more money. Sales skills are needed in all business in one way or another. Improving this skill is vital to your success.
Happy learning and happy selling.
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