Course description

You're good at what you do, but selling it makes you uncomfortable. This course shows you how to win work in a way that feels like you: listening first, being clear about prices, giving people time to decide and never using pressure.

It's written for sole traders, freelancers and small business owners who sell services or products, to the public, to other businesses or both. You begin with what selling really is and the UK rules that shape fair selling, then sharpen your offer, your ideal customer and your value statement. You find warm leads through referrals, partners, networking and your online presence, make first contact within the marketing rules, and run discovery conversations that uncover what customers need. Later sections cover pitches, proof and proposals, objections and closing, follow-up and a simple pipeline, selling in different places, and looking after yourself while you sell.

There are 10 sections and 50 written lessons. Each lesson has a worked example, common slips, questions people often ask and a short exercise to try, and each section ends with a short quiz. You follow Iroda, a self-employed upholsterer in Kendal, as she wins her first café and hotel contracts, sells at a market and in customers' homes, and builds a weekly sales routine. In the final lessons you write a 30-day sales plan for a made-up freelance bookkeeper, with a worked model answer. Every section has a practice pack, including an offer and value worksheet, a lead sources planner, outreach templates, a marketing contact rules checklist, a discovery questions card, a proposal and quote template, an objections and responses card and a sales pipeline and log spreadsheet.

What you'll learn

• Selling without pressure: what selling really is, why it can feel uncomfortable, the UK rules that shape fair selling, and your own starting point.
• Your offer, your customer and your value: describing your offer in plain words, an ideal customer profile, features and benefits, pricing with confidence, and a value statement and offer sheet.
• Finding leads within the rules: where leads come from, referrals and local partners, networking without the cringe, your online presence and building a contact list fairly.
• First contact: what the ICO says about marketing emails, texts and calls, warm emails, phone calls that sound like you, messages and meeting in person.
• Discovery conversations: what discovery is for, open and follow-up questions, listening and summarising, checking the fit and your own discovery call guide.
• Pitches, proof and proposals: shaping a short pitch, stories and proof, gathering reviews fairly, clear quotes and proposals, written terms, cancellation rights and invoices.
• Objections and closing: why people hesitate, handling common objections, price pushback without panic discounting, asking for the business and accepting a no.
• Follow-up, your pipeline and your numbers: follow-up that helps, a follow-up schedule, a simple pipeline, a sales log and measuring what works.
• Selling in different places: markets and fairs, trade shows and business events, selling online, selling in the customer's home, and repeat business and referrals.
• Looking after yourself and the final project: handling rejection, a weekly sales routine, and a 30-day sales plan for a made-up freelance bookkeeper with a worked model answer.

Who it's for

Sole traders, freelancers and small business owners who need to win work but dislike selling. No sales experience is needed, and you don't need any special software: a notebook, a phone and a simple spreadsheet are enough.

What this course is, and isn't

This is a practical course, not legal advice. Legal points come from official UK pages, including GOV.UK, the Competition and Markets Authority, the Information Commission (still known as the ICO), legislation.gov.uk and Citizens Advice, read on 4 November 2026. Rules can change, so check the official pages for your own situation. Iroda, Yoshiko and every other person in the course are fictional.

What will I learn?

• See selling as helping customers decide, and sell in a way that feels like you, without pressure
• Know the UK rules that shape fair selling, from the CMA, the ICO and GOV.UK, and where to check them
• Describe your offer in plain words, write an ideal customer profile, price with confidence and build a value statement and offer sheet
• Find warm leads through referrals, partners, networking and your online presence, and build a contact list fairly
• Make first contact by email, phone, message or in person, within the marketing rules the ICO explains
• Run discovery conversations with open questions, careful listening and a simple fit check
• Shape a short pitch, gather proof and reviews fairly, and write clear quotes and proposals with fair prices
• Handle objections and price pushback calmly, ask for the business and accept a no gracefully
• Follow up helpfully, keep a simple pipeline and sales log, and use your own numbers to improve
• Sell at markets, events, online and in customers' homes, and win repeat work and referrals
• Cope with rejection, keep a weekly sales routine and write a 30-day sales plan for your own business

Frequently asked questions