SALES103: Public Speaking for Sales

Time Commitment: While learning styles can vary considerably and any particular student will take more or less time to learn or read, we estimate that the "average" student will take 32.75 hours to complete this course. Each resource and activity within the course is similarly tagged with an estimated time advisory. We recommend that you work through the course at a pace that is comfortable for you and allows you to make regular (daily, or at least weekly) progress. It's a good idea to also schedule your study time in advance and try as best as you can to stick to that schedule.

It may be useful to take a look at these time advisories, to determine how much time you have over the next few weeks to complete each unit, and then to set goals for yourself. For example, Unit 1 should take you approximately 12.25 hours. Perhaps you can sit down with your calendar and decide to complete Subunit 1.1 (a total of 7.5 hours) on Monday and Tuesday nights, Subunit 1.2 (a total of 4.75 hours) on Wednesday night, etc.

Tips/Suggestions: Learning new material can be challenging, so below we've compiled a few suggested study strategies to help you succeed. 

Take notes on the various terms, practices, and theories as you read. This can help you differentiate and contextualize concepts and later provide you with a refresher as you study.

As you progress through the materials, take time to test yourself on what you have retained and how well you understand the concepts. The process of reflection is important for creating a memory of the materials you learn; it will increase the probability that you ultimately retain the information.

Upon successful completion of this course, you will be able to:

• distinguish between different types of sales professions;
• explain how sales professionals are typically compensated;
• recognize ethical and unethical sales behaviors;
• explain how the process of prospecting for clients works;
• identify the typical parts of a standard sales presentation;
• develop a persuasive sales presentation;
• explain the function of a sales team; and
• identify typical components of a professional sales person evaluation.

Throughout this course, you'll also see related learning outcomes identified in each unit. You can use the learning outcomes to help organize your learning and gauge your progress.

In order to take this course you should have read the Saylor Student Handbook.