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Description

Selling Without Being a Salesperson: Listening to Needs, Proposing and Negotiating with Confidence

Three days for technical experts who must sell their services without compromising their professional stance

  • 3 days — 21 h
  • In-person or virtual
  • Foundation
  • Up to 6 participants

Consultants, technical specialists and project leads regularly find themselves in a selling situation they never chose. Discomfort leads to two extremes: presenting the service without listening to the need, or accepting every client request without ever discussing the terms.

These 21 hours are designed for professionals whose core role is not sales. Participants learn to run a discovery meeting, formulate a clear proposal, talk about price without embarrassment and negotiate trade-offs. Role-play exercises use their own services and their own technical vocabulary.

Learning objectives

  • Run a discovery meeting before presenting any service
  • Restate a client need and have it confirmed
  • Present a service in terms of expected outcomes
  • State a price and justify it without undervaluing yourself
  • Obtain a trade-off for every concession granted

What makes this programme different

Role-play exercises built on the participants' real services
Dedicated work on the discomfort of discussing money and on wording to avoid
A one-page discovery framework ready to use on return to the workplace

Programme

1Mindset and Perceptions of Selling

Selling remains a professional act

  • Common misconceptions about the sales role
  • The difference between advising and convincing
  • The expert's legitimacy in a commercial setting
  • Key markers in the flow of a client meeting

2Discovering the Need

Asking questions before offering answers

  • Open questions on context and business stakes
  • Exploring the consequences of the problem for the client
  • Active listening and productive silences
  • Restating the need and seeking confirmation

3Proposal and Argument

Talking outcomes rather than method

  • Moving from technical features to client benefits
  • Structuring a short spoken proposal
  • Usable evidence and references
  • Answering technical questions without overwhelming the client

4Price and Objections

Standing behind the value of your service

  • Stating the price and wording to avoid
  • Budget objections and comparison objections
  • Responding to silence and to requests for time to think
  • Telling a genuine objection from a pretext

5Negotiation and the Ongoing Relationship

Closing and maintaining

  • Preparing concessions and trade-offs
  • Framing the scope of the service
  • Putting the agreement in writing
  • Follow-up and contact after the assignment

Who is it for

Technical experts, consultants, project leads, programme officers and owners of small businesses who are required to sell their services.

Prerequisites

No prior knowledge required

Dates & locations

36 scheduled dates between November 2026 and December 2027. Seats are confirmed in the order enquiries are received.

November 2026

December 2026

January 2027

February 2027

March 2027

April 2027

May 2027

June 2027

September 2027

October 2027

November 2027

December 2027

None of these dates suit you? We open additional sessions on request, and any programme can be run privately for your team.

Practical details

Before the programme
Online positioning questionnaire. Your development objectives are shared with the trainer, who tailors the practical case studies to your context.
Teaching methods
Theoretical input, workshops and practical case studies. Digital course materials and method sheets provided.
Assessment
Multiple-choice tests and role-play exercises. Assessment of learning at the start and end of the programme, with immediate and 60-day follow-up evaluations.
After the programme
One year of access to the e-learning platform. Self-assessment of the skills acquired and a 30-day follow-up session with your trainer.
How to register
Registration online or on the basis of a quotation.
Lead time
11 working days after confirmation of registration.
Accessibility
Accessible to people of determination. Contact our accessibility coordinator to design a suitable solution: contact@mpf-academy.ae
Start dates
Rolling intake: in addition to the scheduled sessions, this programme can start on request.