This is probably the best and most succinct report you will ever read on the topic.

This covers the whole psychology of selling in only 13 pages.

Seriously, give it a read.

I have this listed in the War Room and over 3,000 Warriors have already downloaded it and loved it. It is written by a persuasion expert, Blair Warren. This guy sure knows his stuff.

One book mentioned by more than one copywriter:
"Influence, the psychology of persuasion"

A lot of direct marketing strategies worked out decades ago still apply.

One guy teaching a lot is John Carlton

I would agree with webapex and think "Influence, the psychology of persuasion" is a great place to learn some time-tested strategies.
Try and absorb as much copywriting info that you can also. There are many books and some good lists of copywriting books here on WF.

Constantine

Here's a second vote for "Influence", and you should also pick up Cashvertising. Tons of great advice and ideas in it.

Well, it's very easy to learn how to sell. You must follow these steps exactly. You might want to take notes on your phone after each encounter...


1 - put on your clothes, take your car keys, bike, or bus/train fare or walk if you have to

2 - head on down to your local mall

3 - look for a small cluster of kiosks

4 - target ones that seem to be selling scrubs, lotions and the like

5 - make sure that your targeted kiosk is "manned" by at least 2 sales people

6 - now try and walk past them at a slow gate, while looking in their direction

7 - let them approach you

8 - watch as you get wrapped up in the sales process!

9 - if you're like most people, you'll wind up spending about $30 or more

10 - if you're good, you'll at least walk away smelling nice and with very soft hands and shiny fingernails

11 - if you're a pro, you'll have a good laugh at the incredible sales pitch, complete with dozens of psychological attacks dropped on you in an attempt to get into your wallet.

No matter what happens, at the end of an hour or two at your local marketing school, oops, I mean mall, even if you wind up spending $100 or so, you will have gained a mini education in how to sell!

Or
save yourself the hassle and get -- "Influence, the psychology of persuasion", lol

if you want to understand 'selling' then put the buyer's shoes, feel what they feel, and you can do selling.

Maybe it's not easy to do, learn to feel what the buyers are feeling, but you can give it a try.

The sales process is simple. Rather than trying to "sell" someone, figure out what the folks in your market want and need. Then make your whole business be about helping them get that. WillR offered a PDF by Blair Warren that discusses this very well though in a slightly different context. That PDF boils down the concept perfectly.

Zig Ziglar said, "You can have everything you want in life, if you help enough other people get what they want."

Forget about learning to "sell" and be about sincerely helping people and the sales will come naturatlly. Good luck.

Apart from eBooks, courses and learning on the internet, trial and error aswell as self teaching can be an effective method. Try one method, if it doesnt work, ask yourself why and try another

I know of a course by Peter Droubay... for direct selling (not so much internet marketing) his MGSALS course is actually pretty good.

He's a bit of a weird bloke, but friendly and enthusiastic and knows his stuff.

Getting a telesales job for something with a hard sell and high commissions will teach you a ton. They hire the best trainers, because they can afford to.

Just don't forget to leave before it kills your soul