salesmanship

noun

sales·​man·​ship ˈsālz-mən-ˌship 

1

: the skill or art of selling

2

: ability or effectiveness in selling or in presenting persuasively

political salesmanship

Examples of salesmanship in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Some in Ireland want their own country to adopt the salesmanship for their own sports. —Alec Lewis, New York Times, 8 Oct. 2025

But, as Byron’s cousin William warns him, mere salesmanship won’t help him during his meeting with Eamon Dodd (Sam C. Wilson), a Civil War veteran on the Union side who’s now in charge of the muscle end of the Fenians’ operations as the Manhattan Battalion Commander. —Keith Phipps, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2025

The distinguishing factor lies in offering complete confidence to buyers who expect more than just salesmanship. —Connie Etemadi, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2025

Much of an agent’s time is spent engaging in some form of salesmanship or customer service to a fickle and unsure client base. —Chris Deubert, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1880, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for salesmanship

• apostleship
• apprenticeship
• assistantship
• championship
• chancellorship
• citizenship
• companionship
• copartnership
• dictatorship
• directorship
• discipleship
• editorship