Let’s picture you’re working in a shop and helping customers choose what to buy. Many people have sales jobs like this, where they talk to customers every day.

And what makes someone really good at selling things? It’s not just about having great products or knowing a lot about them. How you talk to people is just as important. Choosing the right words can make a big difference; they can help you close a sale or could be the reason you don’t.

And if you’re in a place where people mostly speak English, it’s important to know some special idioms that are used often by salespeople. Knowing these English idioms can make you sound more professional and convincing, which makes it easier to talk to customers.

So today, we’ve put together a list of 20 idioms every salesperson should know. You will improve how you talk about sales, giving you an advantage over others in the field of selling and customer service.

Useful Idioms for Sales

1. On the same page – To agree or have the same understanding.

• “Let’s get on the same page before we present this idea.”
• “Are we all on the same page about the new schedule?”
• “It took a while, but now we’re on the same page.”

2. Hit the ground running – To start quickly and with lots of energy.

• Right after joining the team, she hit the ground running.”
• “Let’s hit the ground running on Monday and get this done!”
• “Our new store hit the ground running with a big sale.”

3. Touch base – To check in or update someone.

• “Can we touch base after lunch?”
• “I’ll touch base with you every day about our progress.”
• “He touched base with his boss about the new project.”

4. Think on your feet – To make quick decisions.

• “You have to think on your feet when customers ask tough questions.”
• “She thought on her feet and solved the problem right away.”
• “Good salespeople can think on their feet.”

5. Win-win situation – When everyone benefits.

• “This deal is a win-win situation for both stores.”
• “Finding a win-win situation makes everyone happy.”
• “Our partnership is a win-win situation.”

6. Bring to the table – To offer something useful.

• “He brings a lot of experience to the table.”
• “What can you bring to the table in this job?”
• “Our team brings creativity to the table.”

7. Ballpark figure – A rough estimate.

• “Can you give me a ballpark figure for the cost?”
• “Our ballpark figure was pretty close to the final amount.”
• “Just a ballpark figure will help me plan.”

8. See eye to eye – To agree with someone.

• “We don’t always see eye to eye, but we respect each other.”
• “I’m glad we see eye to eye on this decision.”
• “It’s great when the team sees eye to eye on a project.”

9. Small talk – Light, casual conversation.

• “We made small talk while waiting for the meeting to start.”
• “Small talk helps break the ice with new clients.”
• “I’m not great at small talk, but I try.”

10. The big picture – The overall view or main idea.

• “It’s important to keep the big picture in mind.”
• “Sometimes we get lost in details and forget the big picture.”
• “He always thinks about the big picture.”

11. Gray areas – Things that are unclear or not certain.

• “There are some gray areas in the rules.”
• “We need to discuss the gray areas in this contract.”
• “Sometimes you have to navigate gray areas.”

12. Think outside the box – To think creatively.

• “We need to think outside the box to solve this.”
• “She’s great at thinking outside the box.”
• “Thinking outside the box led to our best idea yet.”

13. Go the extra mile – To do more than is expected.

• “He always goes the extra mile for his customers.”
• “Going the extra mile made a big difference.”
• “Our team is willing to go the extra mile.”

14. Back to square one – To start over.

• “If this doesn’t work, we’re back to square one.”
• “Looks like we’re back to square one on this project.”
• “I don’t want to go back to square one.”

15. Cut corners – To do something the easiest or cheapest way, but maybe not the best way.

• “Cutting corners now might cause problems later.”
• “We don’t cut corners on quality.”
• “He tried to cut corners and it didn’t work out.

16. Under the weather – Feeling sick or not well.

• “I’m a bit under the weather, but I’ll be okay.”
• “She’s under the weather and won’t come in today.”
• “When I’m under the weather, I drink lots of tea.”

17. Piece of cake – Something very easy to do.

• “This sale was a piece of cake.”
• “Don’t worry, the test will be a piece of cake.”
• “Setting this up was a piece of cake.”

18. Break the ice – To make people feel more comfortable when they first meet or start talking.

• “I told a joke to break the ice at the meeting.”
• “Playing a quick game can break the ice with new team members.”
• “He’s good at breaking the ice in awkward situations.”

19. In the loop – To keep someone informed about what’s happening.

• “Please keep me in the loop about any changes.”
• “I’ll make sure everyone stays in the loop.”
• “Thanks for keeping me in the loop on this project.”

20. Back to the drawing board – To start planning something again because the first plan failed.

• “The idea didn’t work, so it’s back to the drawing board.”
• “If this doesn’t succeed, we’ll have to go back to the drawing board.”
• “Looks like we’re back to the drawing board with our strategy.”

Practice English and Sell More!

Wrapping up, getting to know these idioms can really help you with your English, especially if you work in sales or talk to customers a lot. If you want to learn even more English and get better at speaking, you might like trying out apps like ELSA Speak. It’s great for practicing how you say words, learning new phrases, and feeling more sure of yourself when you speak English. Remember, every time you practice these sayings, you’re getting closer to being really good at English.