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In-person sales is selling face to face: at a client’s office, in a store, at a trade show or across a meeting table, where you can read the buyer, answer objections on the spot and agree the next step before you leave. In-person sales training teaches salespeople to prepare, present, handle objections and close in those conversations. BOTI’s sales, marketing and customer care training courses cover these skills for South African teams.
Courses on this topic at BOTI today
- Effective Sales Training (2 days)
- Sales Skills: Basic Training – Sales Fundamentals (1 day)
- Overcoming Sales Objections Course (1 day)
At your offices anywhere in South Africa, live online or at a BOTI venue.
See all Sales, Marketing and Customer Care coursesGet a quote for your teamLearning on your own? Self-paced e-learning from R595 (excl. VAT) · Ask your employer to pay
Online shopping and digital channels have not replaced personal contact. For many products and services, especially higher-value or complex ones, the buyer still wants to meet the person they will be dealing with. Anyone who sells needs to be confident when they are in the room with a customer.
Good in-person sales training shows delegates what it means to be an effective salesperson and the steps to a successful sale. It covers how to connect with customers and move them through the sales process.
What is in-person sales?
In-person sales (also called face-to-face or field sales) is any sale where the salesperson and the buyer meet directly, rather than through a website, email campaign or call centre. Common examples are:
- a sales call at the customer’s premises;
- retail selling on the shop floor;
- meetings and presentations to a buying committee;
- trade shows, expos and networking events.
Meeting in person costs more time and travel than a phone call. It usually pays off where trust, demonstration or negotiation matter. A salesperson in the room can watch body language, adjust the pitch as the conversation develops and deal with concerns before they turn into a “no”.
Skills an in-person salesperson needs
- Preparation: researching the customer, their business and their likely needs before the meeting.
- Questioning and listening: finding out what the buyer values instead of reciting a product sheet.
- Presenting: keeping to the point and tying each feature to something the customer cares about.
- Reading people: using emotional intelligence to notice hesitation, interest or confusion.
- Handling objections: treating price, timing and trust concerns as questions to answer.
- Closing and follow-up: asking for a clear commitment, making the process easy and keeping the relationship going after the sale.
Which BOTI course covers in-person sales?
BOTI does not run a standalone In-Person Sales workshop. The closest BOTI courses for face-to-face selling are:
- Effective Sales Training (2 days), for salespeople who want a structured approach to the whole sale.
- Sales Skills: Basic Training – Sales Fundamentals (1 day), for people new to selling.
- Overcoming Sales Objections Course (1 day), for reps who lose deals at the objection stage.
- Key Account Management Training (2 days), for people who manage large, long-term clients.
- Key Negotiation Skills Course (1 day), for the negotiation that often follows a face-to-face pitch.
The outline below shows the topics a face-to-face sales programme normally covers. Use it to brief BOTI on what your team needs, and BOTI will recommend the course that fits.
In-person sales training outline
Module One: Getting Started
- Icebreaker
- Housekeeping items
- The parking lot
- Workshop objectives
Module Two: In-Person Sales
- Definition
- Benefits
- Cost
- Effectiveness
- Case study and review questions
Module Three: Examples of In-Person Sales
- Sales call
- Retail
- Video calls (when a meeting cannot be held in person)
- Meetings
- Case study and review questions
Module Four: Sales Funnel
- Generate leads
- Nurture leads
- Acquire a customer base
- Expand the customer base
- Case study and review questions
Module Five: Prepare
- Effective methods to generate leads
- Know your customer
- Practise the sales conversation
- Set goals
- Case study and review questions
Module Six: Presentation
- Determine the venue
- Stay on point
- Tie the information to customer values
- Refer to past conversations
- Case study and review questions
Module Seven: Engage
- Emotional intelligence
- Allow evaluation
- Overcome objections
- Incentives
- Case study and review questions
Module Eight: Commitment
- A verbal “yes”
- Maintain the connection
- Remind the customer of the value
- Call to action
- Case study and review questions
Module Nine: Sale
- It isn’t over till it’s over
- Make the process easy
- Close with exceptional service
- Thank and reward
- Case study and review questions
Module Ten: Loyalty
- Continuity programmes
- Special rewards
- Handwritten cards
- Case study and review questions
Module Eleven: Expand
- Word of mouth
- Networking
- Clubs
- Case study and review questions
Module Twelve: Wrapping Up
- Words from the wise
- Review of the parking lot
- Lessons learned
- Completion of action plans and evaluations
In-person sales training near me
If you are looking for in-person sales training near you, BOTI’s sales courses can run in-house at your own premises anywhere in South Africa, or at BOTI’s venue in Sunningdale, Johannesburg. They can also run live online when a team is spread across several sites. In-house training lets the group practise with your own products, customers and objections. A public course at the venue suits individuals or small teams. For more on Gauteng options, read about sales training in Johannesburg.
Sales teams that also deal with unhappy buyers after the sale may benefit from the Handling a Difficult Customer Course. For more on asking for the business, see BOTI’s guide to closing techniques training.
Frequently asked questions
What is in-person sales?
In-person sales is selling face to face, for example on a sales call at the customer’s premises, on a retail floor, in a meeting or at a trade show. The salesperson can read the buyer, answer objections immediately and agree the next step in the same conversation.
Does BOTI run an In-Person Sales course?
BOTI does not run a standalone In-Person Sales workshop. Face-to-face selling skills are covered by Effective Sales Training (2 days), Sales Skills: Basic Training (1 day) and the Overcoming Sales Objections Course (1 day).
Where can I find in-person sales training near me?
BOTI runs sales training in-house at your premises, at its venue in Sunningdale, Johannesburg, or live online. Call 011 882 8853 or email [email protected] to discuss dates and the format that suits your team.
Is BOTI’s sales training accredited?
No. BOTI’s short sales courses are professional skills programmes, and delegates receive a BOTI certificate of attendance.
To build your team’s face-to-face selling skills, start with Effective Sales Training. Training runs in-house at your premises, at BOTI’s venue in Sunningdale, Johannesburg, or live online. Call BOTI on 011 882 8853 or email [email protected], or request a quote. This course is not accredited. It is delivered as a professional skills programme, and delegates receive a BOTI certificate of attendance.