path to professional sales & marketing certification

© 2015, Sales & Marketing Executives International, Inc. All rights reserved.

EARN PROFESSIONALCERTIFICATION

WHAT IS PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATION?• Professionalism -- Certification indicates a high level of

professionalism to both coworkers and customers,increasing your value in the market place.

• Leadership -- Certification signifies you are dedicated to

continuous improvement of yourself and your staff.

• Recognition -- Only the top sales and marketing

professionals seek certification, indicating that you are aleading sales and marketing professional.

• Knowledge -- Certification improves your

understanding of the most current sales and marketingprocesses and trends.

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BENEFITS TOTHE ORGANIZATIONProfessional certification has many distinct benefits toorganizations, including businesses, governmentalentities and non-profits . These benefits include:

• Provides a globally recognized glossary of sales andmarketing terms to help align sellers and buyers in a waythat streamlines the sales cycle.

• Creates a synergy between management andsales/marketing staff that improves effectiveness andefficiency of internal communications.

• Demonstrates a high standard of professionalism thataids in recruitment and retention of the best candidatesavailable.

• Creates a loyalty factor that helps retain top talent.

• Sets your company apart from industry peers.

• Gives your customers more confidence to purchase yourproducts and services, knowing that.

• They are purchasing from sales/marketing personnel whoare highly professional and have signed a code of conductthat protects the customer .

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BENEFITS TO THE INDIVIDUAL Professional certification has many benefits for the individual.These benefits include:

● Validation of knowledge in the area of sales and marketing giving you possible preferenceover non-certified competitors.

● An additional credential on your resume for promotion or job transfer.

● An educational opportunity which is less expensive and tedious than a degree program.

● SMEI certified individuals can proudly display the designation achieved on businesscommunication as a visible indication of this significant professional achievement.

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WHAT PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATIONS ARE AVAILABLE?

● Certified Marketing Executive® (CME®)For marketing managers and top level executives.

● Certified Sales Executive® (CSE®)For sales managers and top level executives.

● SMEI Certified Professional Salesperson™ (SCPS™)For sales representatives and professionals

● SMEI Certified Professional Marketing™ (SCPM™)For marketing professionals

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GETTING CERTIFIED SMEI professional certification can be obtained through a methodical step-by-step process:

1. Select the certification that is best for you 2. Apply online and pay the application fee 3. Take a preparatory course to get ready for the exam 4. Register to take the certification exam 5. Take the exam at an SMEI-approved testing center 6. Pass the exam and get your designation

PREPARING FOR YOUR CERTIFICATION EXAM 1. Self-Study – The candidate uses SMEI’s proprietary textbook and Online Learning Management System

(LMS) to for the exam through self-study.

2. Register for a University Accredited Program

3. Enroll with a Licensed Training Organization

The SMEI certification program is not a training program. Professional certification is obtained bysuccessfully meeting prerequisites and passing a test for competency. However, most individuals prefer tohave some preparatory assistance before sitting for their certification exam. There are several pathsavailable to candidates:

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CME®CERTIFIED MARKETING EXECUTIVE® • For Marketing Managers, Directors,

Marketing Educators, Consultants

• Online Self-Study Preparatory Course Available

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SCPM™ – SMEI CERTIFIED PROFESSIONAL MARKETERT™

• Employed in a marketing role within a company• Marketing consultant

● Evaluate the primary components of a marketing plan from strategic, functional, and operational perspectives

● Analyze how the characteristics of the business environment can impact marketing decisions

● Understand the possible impacts of marketing research on a business plan

● Evaluate how consumer characteristics and behavior affect marketing strategies

● Differentiate business-to-business and consumer markets

● Compare various considerations in product and services marketing

● Analyze how integrated marketing communications (IMC) are developed and implemented

● Critique the considerations and process of creating a pricing strategy

● Distinguish marketing channel options, considerations, and interactions

COURSE OUTCOMES Study online sales and marketing courses at yourown pace. At the end of this course, you will be ableto confidently sit for the SCPM™ exam and:

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CSE® CERTIFIED SALES EXECUTIVE® • Sales manager, regional sales manager, sales director,

Vice President of sales, Chief Sales Officer• Company owner responsible for sales management

and who has direct reports.• Sales Educators and Sales Consultants who specialize

in sales management

At the end of this course you will be able to confidently sit for the CSE® exam and:

COURSE OUTCOMES

● Define the strategy hierarchy and understand how a firm’s sales and marketing strategies affect its overall strategy.

● Describe the sales management process , including the responsibilitiesand activities of sales managers.

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● Explain what the sales function consists of and how salespeople affect a firm's supply chain

● Identify the various channels in which the sales function can be carried out

● Explain how effective sales management efforts can align a firm's sales strategy in a multi-channel environment

● Recognize the contributions made by contemporary leadership approaches

● Identify issues today's sales leaders face

● Identify typical ethical dilemmas that face salespeople, sales managers, and sales executives and develop appropriate actions when faced with ethical issues

● Comprehend how buyer-seller relationships are established and maintained

● Know how to leverage information technologies

● Effectively design and organize a sales force

● Recruit and select the right salespeople

● Identify factors that determine what types of training are needed by salespeople and implement effective training programs to develop the sales force

● Understand the elements of teamwork and how to successfully develop and work with teams, including those that are virtual

● Learn to set goals and manage the sales force's performance

● Plan how to motivate and reward salespeople

● Effectively turn customer information into sales knowledge ● Asses the performance of the sales force and the people who comprise it ● Understand cultural forces and how a diverse sales force is important to an

organization's success

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According to standards set by the International Institute for Credentialing Excellence1Organization, the governance of professional certification must be independent from theadministration and marketing of the programs.

To that end, SMEI has complied by acknowledging the Certified Marketing & SalesProfessional Association (CMSP)2 as the governing body for its professional certificationprograms. This governing body is responsible for development and maintenance of the bodyof knowledge, standards, audit of compliance and other facets of certification governance.SMEI provides the administration and marketing of the programs.

HOW SMEI’S CERTIFICATIONPROGRAMS ARE GOVERNED

Key Strategies that should be considered:

HOW TO IMPLEMENT CERTIFICATION IN YOUR ORGANIZATION

● Setup a pilot project.

● Enroll all the salespeople and sales managers in SCPSTM

● Encourage the marketing personnel and marketing managers enroll in the SCPM™ Certification Program.

● Conduct pre- and post-certification assessments

● Conduct a follow-up coaching program

● Utilize a 3rd party SMEI Licensed training organization where available

1 More information about the Institute for Credentialing Excellence is available at http://www.credentialingexcellence.org/ 2 More information about CMSP is available at http://www.smei.org/displaycommon.cfm?an=1&subarticlenbr=439

path to professional sales & marketing certification

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