Matthias Karner

Digitalization & IT leader. Avid reader. Dedicated Writer. Engineering PhD. Productivity enthusiast.

1 minute read

I’ve never thought of myself as a great salesperson.

The very idea of persuading someone to buy a product or service they didn’t even know existed just a short while ago felt, well, a bit baffling.

When I worked in academia, “selling” research projects to industrial partners was far from my favorite task. I’ve always been the type of person who prefers doing (or at least planning) the project rather than pitching it.

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Photo by Diogo Nunes on Unsplash

And yet, not long ago, I came across an intriguing statement: selling is one of the most valuable skills to learn.

At first, I dismissed it.

Selling didn’t seem like something that I would enjoy learning. I am no salesperson.

But I’ve come to realize that sales and marketing are not just about pushing products. They’re about creating connections, solving problems, and helping others see the value in what you bring to the table.

I mean not everybody works in sales, but everyone “sells” something.

For some it is services, for others it is a project you are selling internally or externally, but it also might be an article or your personal brand as a lot of influencers do.

And sales skills can be learned. It is not a personality trait.

And what are the sales skills to learn? According to Chat GPT, these are the most important three: communication, persuasion & negotiation, and handling objections.

  • Communication: Learn how to speak persuasively and listen actively. There are tons of great books on communication. Some I liked are: How to Win Friends and Influence People, Leaders Eat Last, and Contagious.
  • Negotiation: Study techniques like reciprocity, social proof, and scarcity. Two good books (with contrary strategies) on the topic are: Getting To Yes and Never Split the Difference.
  • Handling Objections: Practice responses to common objections like “not interested”. To learn this, in my opinion, the key is practice.

What do you think about sales skills? Are you a born saleswoman/salesman or is it something you don’t like?

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