Inbound Sales from Coursera

In this course, you will learn how to create a successful inbound sales strategy by connecting with and earning the attention of your most promising leads. After learning the basics of inbound sales and the buyer’s journey, you will learn how to develop your buyer persona as well as find and prioritize active buyers. You’ll discover how to reach out to these leads by creating and using an outreach sequence. Next, you will use qualification frameworks to profile and identify the details of your prospects, including their CGP, TCI, and BA. The course will culminate in you applying your new knowledge to design a personalized sales presentation and a multi-step project for developing an inbound sales strategy. By the end of this course you will be able to: • Describe the importance of inbound sales • Develop an inbound sales strategy • Create your ideal customer profile • Identify and prioritize inbound leads • Use social selling • Enrich leads • Connect with inbound leads • Reach out to inbound leads via phone or email • Use trigger events and common connections to connect to leads • Create outreach sequence • Use technology to automate parts of the outreach • Identify a prospect's challenges, goals and plans • Understand a prospect's timeline, consequences and implications • Profile a prospect's budget and authority • Create a personalized sales presentation Throughout the course, you will complete exercises that allow you to apply the skills you have learned in a practical way, such as creating a customer profile, writing emails to prospects, brainstorming a list of questions for a sales call, and creating a sales presentation. You will compile your work and submit it as a project at the end of the course. This course is intended for anyone interested in jumpstarting their career in sales - whether you’re changing careers and looking for an entry-level role, or want to hone your skills in your current role as a sales representative. It does not require any background knowledge or experience to get started.

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Know what's good

, what to watch for

, and possible dealbreakers

Teaches inbound sales strategies, which is relevant to those looking for beginner-level sales skills

Emphasizes real-world application through exercises and requires project submissions

Suitable for those new to sales as it does not require prior knowledge

Focuses on personalizing sales presentations to increase effectiveness

Covers specific sales techniques such as outreach sequences and trigger events

Includes sections on lead qualification and profiling, which are essential sales skills

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Inbound Sales with these activities:

Learn about social selling techniques

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Learn about social selling techniques to help you connect with potential customers on social media platforms.

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Identify your target audience and the social media platforms they use.
Create a professional profile and start building your network.
Share valuable content and engage with your followers.

Practice active listening skills

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Practice active listening skills to improve your ability to understand and connect with potential customers.

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Find a partner and take turns being the speaker and the listener.
As the listener, pay attention to both the verbal and nonverbal cues of the speaker.
Summarize what you heard to demonstrate your understanding.

Practice using a CRM system

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Practice using a CRM system to help you manage your sales pipeline and customer relationships.

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Sign up for a free trial of a CRM system.
Add your contacts and leads to the system.
Track your sales progress and identify opportunities.

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Develop a buyer persona

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Develop a detailed buyer persona to help you understand the needs, motivations, and pain points of your ideal customer.

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Conduct research to gather data on your target audience.
Create a profile that includes demographics, psychographics, and buying behavior.
Use your buyer persona to guide your marketing and sales strategies.

Create a LinkedIn content calendar

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Create a LinkedIn content calendar to help you plan and schedule your social media content.

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Identify the topics you want to cover and the target audience you want to reach.
Create a schedule for posting your content.
Use a variety of content formats, such as articles, videos, and infographics.

Role-play sales calls

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Role-play sales calls to practice your communication skills, objection handling, and closing techniques.

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Find a partner and take turns being the salesperson and the customer.
Prepare for the call by researching the customer and their needs.
Practice handling objections and closing the sale.

Career center

Learners who complete Inbound Sales will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Business Development Manager

Business development managers are responsible for generating new business leads and developing strategies to grow a company's customer base. This course will help you build the foundation you need to succeed as a business development manager by teaching you how to develop and execute an inbound sales strategy. Additionally, this course teaches social selling, outreach sequences, and trigger events, which are all essential tools for modern business development managers.

See salaries and explore the career path for Business Development Manager

Sales Executive

Inbound sales is a modern approach to assisting customers in purchasing. Sales executives are responsible for developing and executing sales campaigns, managing customer relationships, and advising customers on the viability of making a purchase. This course will help you develop the skills necessary to succeed as a sales executive by teaching you how to identify and prioritize leads, create personalized sales presentations, and close deals. Additionally, this course teaches social selling, outreach sequences, and trigger events, which are all essential tools for modern sales executives.

See salaries and explore the career path for Sales Executive

Sales Manager

Sales managers are responsible for leading and managing sales teams. They develop sales strategies, set goals, and track progress. This course will help you develop the skills necessary to succeed as a sales manager by teaching you how to create and execute an inbound sales strategy. Additionally, this course teaches social selling and outreach sequences, which are essential tools for modern sales managers.

See salaries and explore the career path for Sales Manager

Marketing Manager

Marketing managers are responsible for planning and executing marketing campaigns. They develop marketing strategies, set budgets, and track results. This course will help you build the foundation you need to succeed as a marketing manager by teaching you how to create and execute an inbound sales strategy. Additionally, this course covers social selling, outreach sequences, and trigger events, which are essential tools for modern marketing managers.

See salaries and explore the career path for Marketing Manager

Customer Success Manager

Customer success managers are responsible for ensuring that customers are successful with a company's products or services. They provide support, training, and advice. This course will help you build the foundation you need to succeed as a customer success manager by teaching you how to create and execute an inbound sales strategy. Additionally, this course teaches social selling, outreach sequences, and trigger events, which are all essential tools for modern customer success managers.

See salaries and explore the career path for Customer Success Manager

Account Manager

Account managers are responsible for managing relationships with existing customers. They provide support, resolve issues, and identify opportunities for upselling and cross-selling. This course will help you develop the skills necessary to succeed as an account manager by teaching you how to create and execute an inbound sales strategy. Additionally, this course covers social selling, outreach sequences, and trigger events, which are essential tools for modern account managers.

See salaries and explore the career path for Account Manager

Entrepreneur

Entrepreneurs start and run their own businesses. They are responsible for all aspects of their business, including sales, marketing, and operations. This course may be useful for entrepreneurs who want to learn more about how to create and execute an inbound sales strategy. However, prior understanding of the role's core responsibilities is recommended.

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Product Manager

Product managers are responsible for developing and managing products. They work with engineers, designers, and marketers to create products that meet the needs of customers. This course may be useful for product managers who want to learn more about how to create and execute an inbound sales strategy. However, prior understanding of the role's core responsibilities is recommended.

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Project Manager

Project managers are responsible for planning, executing, and closing projects. They work with stakeholders to define project goals, develop project plans, and track progress. This course may be useful for project managers who want to learn more about how to create and execute an inbound sales strategy. However, prior understanding of the role's core responsibilities is recommended.

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Operations Manager

Operations managers are responsible for managing the day-to-day operations of a business. They work with various departments to ensure that the business runs smoothly and efficiently. This course may be useful for operations managers who want to learn more about how to create and execute an inbound sales strategy. However, prior understanding of the role's core responsibilities is recommended.

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Consultant

Consultants provide advice and expertise to businesses. They work with clients to identify problems and develop solutions. This course may be useful for consultants who want to learn more about how to create and execute an inbound sales strategy. However, prior understanding of the role's core responsibilities is recommended.

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Freelance Marketer

Freelance marketers provide marketing services to businesses, such as social media marketing, email marketing, and search engine optimization. This course may be useful for freelance marketers who want to learn more about how to create and execute an inbound sales strategy. However, prior understanding of the role's core responsibilities is recommended.

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Freelance Salesperson

Freelance salespersons sell products or services to businesses. This course may be useful for freelance salespersons who want to learn more about how to create and execute an inbound sales strategy. However, prior understanding of the role's core responsibilities is recommended.

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Freelance Customer Success Manager

Freelance customer success managers provide customer support and advice to businesses. This course may be useful for freelance customer success managers who want to learn more about how to create and execute an inbound sales strategy. However, prior understanding of the role's core responsibilities is recommended.

See salaries and explore the career path for Freelance Customer Success Manager

Freelance Writer

Freelance writers create content for businesses, such as blog posts, articles, and website copy. This course may be useful for freelance writers who want to learn more about how to create and execute an inbound sales strategy. However, prior understanding of the role's core responsibilities is recommended.

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Inbound Sales

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