--- title: 15 Things I Would Train Salespeople On Instead of Social Selling | The Sales Blog description: If I could give salespeople training in only one thing, I would pick any of the fifteen things on this list before I would train them on “social selling.” image: https://www.thesalesblog.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/shutterstock_195037466.jpg --- ### [Now booking SKO meetings for 2026/27! 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I’d teach them why they should follow it and how it helps them win. 7. **How to Target and Nurture Their Dream Clients**: Too little time, too many prospects. You have to focus on the clients for whom you create the most value. You need to nurture those relationships. 8. **How to Plan a Sales Call**: Honestly, most salespeople don’t [plan](https://www.thesalesblog.com/blog/the-sales-call-planner-the-purpose-of-the-sales-call) their sales calls at all. It’s a mistake to waste a client interaction. 9. **How to Open a Sales Call**: Without the ability to [open](https://www.thesalesblog.com/blog/how-to-open-a-sales-call) a sales call effectively, you quickly come across as an amateur and a time waster. 10. **How to Do Good Discovery**: Without understanding your dream client’s most strategic needs, it’s difficult to be [compelling](https://www.thesalesblog.com/blog/building-dissatisfaction-and-a-compelling-case-for-change), and it’s more difficult to frame your solution. 11. **How to Gain Commitments**: First, most salespeople don’t know all the commitment they need, and when they do, they don’t have the language to gain those [commitments](https://www.thesalesblog.com/blog/10-commitments-you-must-gain-to-win-deals). I’d teach them to close. 12. **How to Build Consensus**: No one builds [consensus](https://www.thesalesblog.com/blog/losses-due-to-lack-of-consensus) on LinkedIn. Complex sales require consensus. Without it, you lose to the status quo. 13. **How to Think Like a Businessperson**: In B2B sales, [business acumen and situational knowledge](https://www.thesalesblog.com/blog/chops-how-to-get-some) are what allows you to create value. I’d teach this before I’d let the salesperson flounder around on Facebook. 14. **How to Tell a Story**: One of the ways you prove how what makes you different makes a difference for your clients is through the [stories](https://www.thesalesblog.com/blog/6-ways-you-can-be-a-better-storyteller-in-sales) you tell. Tweet that. 15. **How to Negotiate**: Most salespeople crumble at the first question about price. I’d teach them to [negotiate](https://www.thesalesblog.com/blog/dont-negotiate-until-you-have-been-selected) around value. I could extend this list by another 15 competencies salespeople need more than they need social selling. If you want to build a personal brand that stands the test of time, being good at what you do counts for more than being known.   ###### Tags: [Sales](https://www.thesalesblog.com/blog/tag/sales) [2015](https://www.thesalesblog.com/blog/tag/2015) Post by [Anthony Iannarino](https://www.thesalesblog.com/blog/author/anthony-iannarino) on February 6, 2015 Written and edited by human brains and human hands. ![Anthony Iannarino](https://www.thesalesblog.com/hubfs/ai-blog-profile-crop.jpg) Anthony Iannarino is an American writer. He has published daily at [thesalesblog.com](https://www.thesalesblog.com) for more than 14 years, amassing over 5,300 articles and making this platform a destination for salespeople and sales leaders. Anthony is also the author of four best-selling books documenting modern sales methodologies and a fifth book for sales leaders seeking revenue growth. His latest book for an even wider audience is titled, The Negativity Fast: Proven Techniques to Increase Positivity, Reduce Fear, and Boost Success. Anthony speaks to sales organizations worldwide, delivering cutting-edge sales strategies and tactics that work in this ever-evolving B2B landscape. He also provides workshops and seminars. Connect with Anthony on LinkedIn, X or Youtube. You can email Anthony at [iannarino@gmail.com](mailto:iannarino@gmail.com) [Follow me on my website](https://www.thesalesblog.com/anthony-iannarino) [Follow me on Facebook ](https://www.facebook.com/thesalesblog) [Follow me on LinkedIn ](https://www.linkedin.com/in/iannarino/) [Follow me on Twitter ](http://www.twitter.com/iannarino) [![AISA-square-ad-SKOs-26-27](https://www.thesalesblog.com/hs-fs/hubfs/AISA-square-ad-SKOs-26-27.jpg?width=400&height=400&name=AISA-square-ad-SKOs-26-27.jpg)](https://www.thesalesblog.com/authority) [![ai-cold-calling-video-sidebar-offer-1](https://www.thesalesblog.com/hs-fs/hubfs/ai-cold-calling-video-sidebar-offer-1.jpg?width=318&height=179&name=ai-cold-calling-video-sidebar-offer-1.jpg)](https://www.thesalesblog.com/free-cold-calling-video) ![salescall-planner-ebook-v3-1-cover (1)](https://www.thesalesblog.com/hs-fs/hubfs/salescall-planner-ebook-v3-1-cover%20(1).jpg?width=768&height=994&name=salescall-planner-ebook-v3-1-cover%20(1).jpg) ### Free Sales eBook: Sales Call Planner Planning your sales call improves the likelihood of making a successful call, and it demonstrates to your dream client your professionalism. 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What we’re doing right now **is working**, even in this challenging economy. **Would you like some help?** [![Solve for Sales](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/2922376/d3a4938b-2008-4a27-8b44-7b2223f6d035.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/2922376/d3a4938b-2008-4a27-8b44-7b2223f6d035) ### Join my Weekly Newsletter for Sales Tips Join 100,000+ sales professionals in my weekly newsletter and get my *Guide to Becoming a Sales Hustler* eBook for FREE! --- ```json { "@context" : "http://schema.org/", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Anthony Iannarino" }, "dateModified" : "2023-02-08T8:40:37 AM", "datePublished" : "2015-02-06 21:50:00", "description" : "If I could give salespeople training in only one thing, I would pick any of the fifteen things on this list before I would train them on “social selling.”", "headline" : "15 Things I Would Train Salespeople On Instead of Social Selling", "image" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "height" : 16, "url" : "https://f.hubspotusercontent20.net/hubfs/2922376/Image/favicon.ico", "width" : 16 }, "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://www.thesalesblog.com/blog/15-things-train-salespeople-instead-social-selling", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "name" : "15 Things I Would Train Salespeople On Instead of Social Selling", "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "height" : 24, "url" : "https://f.hubspotusercontent20.net/hubfs/2922376/TSB/images/TSB%20Logo%20Dark.svg", "width" : 228 }, "name" : "The Sales Blog" } } ```