Earn a sales diploma in this free online course that explains how to find clients and market your professional services.

Selling professional services requires effective sales skills because, unlike selling cars and solar panels, professional services are complex and difficult to market. Clients typically have a range of alternative options to consider and a variety of information sources to review. Under these conditions, they evaluate product and service attributes before taking action. There is thus a relatively high barrier to surmount to get the potential client's attention. This sales diploma course teaches you a solid approach to prospecting and provides strategies for structuring your sales process.

The course is designed by Ross Maynard, a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) in the UK with over 30 years’ experience as a process improvement consultant. We begin by presenting five rules for selling professional services before moving on to branding. We show you how to craft a compelling tagline and develop a value proposition for your professional services. We also provide a template that helps you target existing clients and identify new prospects.

The course explains why selling professional services is called ‘solution selling’ as it targets problems faced by prospective clients and offers solutions that you can provide. We demonstrate how to identify your client's pain points and persuade them to move through a purchase funnel. We help you master top-selling skills that avoid traditional sales pitches and aggressive tactics. Instead, we explain how to use cold calls, cold emails and trigger questions to build engagement with prospects. The course also highlights the skills required to sell professional services. Finally, we show you how to close a sale and handle sales objections from problematic clients. This course suits those looking to sell their services, particularly freelancers. Sign up to earn a sales diploma and learn how to find clients and market your professional skills successfully.