Sales is the exchange of something of value for currency, and in business, it’s the process of helping customers buy a product or service. Sales involves a variety of activities, including
- Finding customers: Identifying potential customers, also known as leads
- Educating customers: Nurturing potential customers so they’re interested in making a purchase
- Closing deals: Negotiating prices and contract terms, and completing transactions
- Building relationships: Developing personal connections with clients
- Demonstrating products: Conducting product demonstrations
- Writing proposals: Writing product proposals
Sales can be broken down into different types, including:
- Inside sales: Selling to customers remotely, often through video conferencing, live chat, email, or phone
- Outside sales: Selling directly to customers and prospects in the field
- B2B sales: Business-to-business sales
- B2C sales: Business-to-consumer sales
- E-commerce sales: Can be B2B or B2C
- Direct sales: Similar to a friend’s home-based sales party
- Account-based sales: Creating personalized sales strategies for a specific set of customers or prospects