Certificate in professional selling
Program information
The mission of the Professional Selling Program is to prepare students for successful careers in consultative selling. Graduates of the program will help consumers and businesses define their needs, understand and evaluate buying options, facilitate effective purchase decisions, and forge enduring relationships.
The program serves two broad constituencies: students and industry partners.
For students, the goals of the program are to:
- Highlight burgeoning opportunities associated with a career in consultative selling,
- Equip them with the concepts, skill sets and mindsets required for consultative selling,
- Provide exposure to a portfolio of experiential activities.
For industry partners, the goals of the program are to:
- Identify graduates with interest and aptitude in consultative selling,
- Certify competencies associated with consultative selling.
Requirements for the certificate consist of a set of courses, a portfolio of experiential activities, and a reflection paper or presentation.
The reflection paper or presentation will showcase the student experience and learnings while pursuing the certificate.
Required courses
- MKTG 305/310: Introduction to Marketing
- MKTG 315/425: Sales Force Management
- MKTG 316/426: Professional Selling Skills or JOUR 611
Experiential activities
4 points needed
- Sales Panel (1 point)
- Sales Summit (1 point)
- Sales competition team competitor (1 points)
- Job shadowing (1 point)*
- Sales internships (2 points)
- Approved leadership experience in KU Sales Club at the executive level or as a sales ambassador demonstrating sales skills (1 point)
*Must be pre-approved by the director
Is sales really a career? Isn’t sales cold-calling and getting customers to part with their money?
The sales profession is changing rapidly. Cold-calling and transactional selling are largely being replaced by solution-selling and problem-solving. Today’s salesperson is a consultant, well-versed in both hard, analytical skills and soft, relationship skills. In short, wheeler-dealers are out and problem-solvers are in. Moreover, the boundary spanning role of the salesperson tends to be a fertile environment for future leadership positions.
What is the industry demand for sales professionals?
Some industry observers project that nearly 50 percent of all college graduates, regardless of their major, are intimately involved in the sales profession. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 1999 there were 12.9 million workers in sales occupations. By 2014, that number increased to 14.25 million. In addition, continued growth is expected as industries become more technology driven and service intensive.
I have heard that sales jobs are primarily commission-based. Is that true?
Yes, some part of compensation is based on commissions tied to delivered sales results. However, in the vast majority of industries, the variable component is less than 20 percent of the total compensation package.
Why do I need a certificate in professional selling to enter a career in sales?
A certificate in professional selling will expose you to the context, skill sets and experiences associated with a career in sales. Sales graduates are prepared for their roles through the highly specialized education and cutting-edge opportunities provided within the certificate. This ensures a high probability of success in sales. More importantly, recruiters greatly value the training and self-selection exhibited by graduates of sales programs. In fact, according to a survey of sales managers, sales program graduates ramp up 50 percent faster than their non-sales educated peers. They also experience 30 percent lower turnover.
Requirements for the certificate consist of a set of courses, a portfolio of experiential activities, and a reflection paper or presentation.
The reflection paper or presentation will showcase the student experience and learnings while pursuing the certificate.
Required courses
- MKTG 305/310: Introduction to Marketing
- MKTG 315/425: Sales Force Management
- MKTG 316/426: Professional Selling Skills or JOUR 611
Experiential activities
4 points needed
- Sales Panel (1 point)
- Sales Summit (1 point)
- Sales competition team competitor (1 points)
- Job shadowing (1 point)*
- Sales internships (2 points)
- Approved leadership experience in KU Sales Club at the executive level or as a sales ambassador demonstrating sales skills (1 point)
*Must be pre-approved by the director
Is sales really a career? Isn’t sales cold-calling and getting customers to part with their money?
The sales profession is changing rapidly. Cold-calling and transactional selling are largely being replaced by solution-selling and problem-solving. Today’s salesperson is a consultant, well-versed in both hard, analytical skills and soft, relationship skills. In short, wheeler-dealers are out and problem-solvers are in. Moreover, the boundary spanning role of the salesperson tends to be a fertile environment for future leadership positions.
What is the industry demand for sales professionals?
Some industry observers project that nearly 50 percent of all college graduates, regardless of their major, are intimately involved in the sales profession. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 1999 there were 12.9 million workers in sales occupations. By 2014, that number increased to 14.25 million. In addition, continued growth is expected as industries become more technology driven and service intensive.
I have heard that sales jobs are primarily commission-based. Is that true?
Yes, some part of compensation is based on commissions tied to delivered sales results. However, in the vast majority of industries, the variable component is less than 20 percent of the total compensation package.
Why do I need a certificate in professional selling to enter a career in sales?
A certificate in professional selling will expose you to the context, skill sets and experiences associated with a career in sales. Sales graduates are prepared for their roles through the highly specialized education and cutting-edge opportunities provided within the certificate. This ensures a high probability of success in sales. More importantly, recruiters greatly value the training and self-selection exhibited by graduates of sales programs. In fact, according to a survey of sales managers, sales program graduates ramp up 50 percent faster than their non-sales educated peers. They also experience 30 percent lower turnover.
KU Sales Alumni Group
The newly formed KU Sales Alumni Group is working to create opportunities for networking and connection among alumni working in the sales field.
Upcoming events
