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by Elis Enano
Sales can be a fruitful career, so let’s find out how to take it to the next level.
There are around 13 million salespeople in the United States. However, only 20% of the salespeople close 80% of the sales. So, why do the rest of the 80% struggle to close any deals? While most salespeople have professional sales training, some lack the specific skills needed to make sales.
That’s why it’s important to have advanced sales skills in the professional industry today. That’s where sales certifications come into play. So, why are they important? And which sort of certifications should you aim for? Let’s find the answer to these questions.
Sales certifications portray not only your skills but also your abilities to deal with people. In any sales career development, professional certificates play a vital role—as they showcase the skills and expertise of an individual.
There are plenty of sales training programs, but choosing the right one is necessary. For instance, some sales certificates are meant to be for people in the early stages of their careers.
On the other hand, some certificates are important for sales career growth for an experienced professional.
Therefore, sales certifications are important because:
Now, sales is a career that depends on the person and how they treat people. However, the right certifications can give them just the correct resources to advance their career and move in the right direction.
Certifications are important, but sales career advancement requires you to pick the right certifications for them. So, from intermediate to most advanced, let’s talk about four essential certifications to boost your sales career:
CISP accreditation is provided by various colleges and specialized sales institutes. As the name suggests, this certificate shows the competence and effectiveness of the salesperson— and their knowledge of the sales industry.
This certification is just right for an intermediate salesperson because it adds new things to their resume.
For a certified sales professional, things change quickly in the industry, and this certification can change their perspective and add new things to it.
Here’s what you need to know about it:
The course duration is around 8-12 weeks, depending on the candidate, as it’s an online course you can take at your pace.
Becoming a sales strategist might be next in line for you—if you’re already having a fruitful career as a salesperson. This certificate includes professional sales training that’ll see you learn the basics of strategies that you can apply in the sales department of any industry.
The basics of this certificate make it ideal for people on all levels in sales, whether it’s a beginner or a person who does sales coaching and mentoring.
Therefore, for further sales career success, this certification is ideal because it provides the following:
This course will last around 6 weeks, which is more than enough to teach you all the basics of strategizing sales in any organization, such as IT, general industry, or exclusive niches like construction technology.
A successful salesperson might look to become a leader and unlock sales career opportunities. That’s why the CPSL certification is ideal for anyone looking to take that leap.
The course covers various leadership traits of famous people, including successful business people.
Besides that, it provides all the key knowledge regarding leading an efficient sales team. That’s why this is the ideal sales leadership development program that you can find today. This course is also online and takes around six weeks to complete.
CSE, or certified sales executive, is a type of sales management certification that’ll enable you to push for sales department leadership. In any sales career progression, learning the basics of sales is important, but so is leading a team and strategizing.
We talked about two certificates, but this one deals with all of the key aspects at once. So, this is an ideal sales education and certification for those looking to continue their sales career success.
The program is billed as ideal for company owners as well as executives—so it should tell you why you need it. But here are its key aspects to help you understand it a bit more:
This is one of the most in-depth courses on sales, so it has no particular time frame. However, it does have fifteen detailed chapters about sales and leadership.
Working on your IRL skills is also important to induce any sales career development. Therefore, the three main skills you need to improve are:
Any successful sales venture begins and ends at communication. Sales are, after all, all about communicating with the potential client and turning those leads into sales. Therefore, it’s essential that you understand the basics of communication in sales, including:
It would be best if you were clear, concise, and ready to answer any questions—, including As a salesperson, it’s your job to guide, not judge.
Product expertise is another necessary factor and one of the key things you need to learn. Now, for a career salesperson, this will depend on the industry they might currently work in.
However, you need to know what you’re selling if you’re a leader.
That’s when you need one of the best marketing tactics: to sell benefits, not features. Let’s say you’re selling a car then you cannot sell the leather seats in it with soft cushions. Instead, you need to sell the comfort the drivers and passengers would feel during a 10-hour drive.
So, knowing your product or service is one of the key skills in sales.
As a salesperson, it’s your job to make the potential lead feel like they are the most important person for your business. However, you also need to mind your own expenses, profits, etc. So, negotiating is another skill that you need to learn.
Therefore, you need to take the lead in negotiations and build value for your product and services. Lastly, close the deal off where it’s a win-win situation for the buyer and your company.
These are some of the key things to understand about sales certifications. Sales is an ever-changing landscape; you need to adapt to new environments, learn new lessons, and familiarize yourself with new norms.
Therefore, proper sales education and certification allow you to become an all-around salesperson who can advance their career in any industry.
About the author
Elis Enano is a marketing, sales, and management expert with a passion for pets. With over a decade of experience in the field, Elis has helped numerous businesses achieve their goals through effective marketing and sales strategies. When she’s not working, Elis can often be found playing with her beloved pets or volunteering at local animal shelters.