sales

Sales is the activities involved in selling goods or services in exchange for money. It includes identifying prospective customers, assessing needs, presenting offerings, handling objections, negotiating terms, and closing a transaction, followed by after-sales support and relationship management. The goal is to move a buyer from awareness to purchase and, ideally, to repeat business and loyalty. Sales occurs across numerous channels, such as direct field sales, inside sales, retail, e-commerce, and partner networks.

Sales processes vary by market but commonly involve lead generation, qualification, needs analysis, presentation or demonstration, proposal and negotiation, closing, and post-sale account management. Companies organize these activities into sales teams with roles such as sales development representatives, account executives, account managers, sales engineers, and sales managers. The behavior is guided by sales methodologies such as consultative or solution selling, inbound vs outbound selling, and relationship-based strategies.

Metrics used to evaluate performance include revenue, gross margin, win rate, average deal size, sales cycle length, forecast accuracy, and quota attainment. The sales funnel or pipeline represents opportunities at various stages and is tracked in customer relationship management systems and analytics tools. Technology and data increasingly support targeting, lead scoring, automation, and performance management.

Ethical and regulatory considerations include truthful representation, privacy compliance, anti-corruption laws, and fair competition. The field has evolved with globalization and digital channels, and current trends emphasize personalization, omnichannel experiences, and AI-assisted selling.