Are you ready to level up your sales career? Whether you’re entry-level or a seasoned sales veteran, earning professional development certifications from accredited organizations could be a huge key to career advancement.
“Not only do professional development certifications (or “certifications” for short) teach you new skills, methodologies, and programs that are immediately usable in your line of work, but they also prove your abilities to those in your network.” Says Stephanie Staiano, CSS ProSearch Sales Director.
Keep in mind that, unless you’re entering a highly specialized field, professional certificates aren’t typically prerequisites for career advancement. However, sales certificates can substantially increase your marketability in most areas of sales.
With an abundance of courses available online, getting certified in the areas of your choice has never been easier. Here are several certifications that every sales representative should consider to take the next step in their career.
Certified Professional Sales Consultant (CPSC)
The Certified Professional Sales Consultant (CPSC) course is an excellent option for sales representatives and even managers looking to develop a more robust framework for sales success. This course covers the fundamentals of effective communication, sales ethics, successful negotiation, consultative best practices, prospecting and lead generation, and much more. Focusing on building strong, trust-based relationships with customers, the CPSC course will equip you with the tools you need to navigate today’s fast-paced sales landscape with confidence.
This course’s holistic approach to the art (and science!) of sales is particularly useful for sales representatives preparing for leadership or consulting roles.
Inbound Sales Course: Get Certified in Inbound Sales
The Inbound Sales Course from Hubspot is designed to enhance individual sales representatives’ interpersonal skills and teach best practices for connecting with new prospects. In this course, you’ll learn the basics of inbound sales in the digital world along with practical tips you can implement in your next call or meeting. Plus, you’ll learn a variety of ways to keep your prospects engaged and moving through the sales funnel. And the best part? This course is currently offered for free.
This course is also a great option for early- to mid-level sales professionals interested in taking on more responsibility within their departments—potentially in a managerial role.
Introduction to Negotiation: A Strategic Playbook for Becoming a Principled and Persuasive Negotiator
Offered by Yale University through Coursera, the top-rated Introduction to Negotiation course takes a deep dive into the art of successful sales negotiations. It’s a fantastic course for sales representatives of all levels looking to form a well-rounded foundation of principled negotiation, game theory, collaboration, and more. Moreover, this course will help sales representatives develop skills for framing and shaping negotiations with proper argumentation and persuasion tactics.
This option supplements the basic functions and knowledge of the sales representative role with additional insights into successful negotiation and teamwork that up your chances of promotion to positions of leadership.
Certified Professional Sales Person (CPSP)
The Certified Professional Sales Person (CPSP) course is a great option for sales representatives who want to expand their understanding of one-to-one and group communication in sales settings with the goal of increasing product and service sales. Offered through the National Association of Sales Professionals, the CPSP course provides practical strategies, behavioral training, and easy-to-implement communication habits designed to foster successful and long-lasting customer relationships.
If you’re looking to advance your career in any area of sales, this course is a must-take. This course’s people-centric focus gives sales professionals an edge when pursuing executive or team leadership positions.
Certified Sales Development Representative (CSDR)
A must-have for beginner-level sales representatives, the Certified Sales Development Representative (CSDR) course from the AA-ISP. This course covers the fundamentals of selling in a digital world while maintaining a customer-centric mentality. Upon successful completion of this course, you’ll be able to generate and target different types of sales leads, hone effective communication strategies, and set and measure goals. Additionally, you’ll get the opportunity to participate in a sales “role play” component at the end of the course to become more comfortable with real-world sales situations
Because of its forward-thinking approach to key areas of sales communication, this course can bolster sales representatives’ chances of getting noticed for promotions through strategic leadership.
Upgrade Your Career with Expert Help
Once you’ve earned your professional development certifications, you may find yourself asking, “What’s next?”. That’s where CSS ProSearch can help. We’re experts in connecting top sales talent with organizations that fit them best. Reach out to our team today to get started on your next big career move!