Frequently Asked Questions
- It sets a measurable benchmark for the whole sales department through educational goal setting.
- It creates a hiring standard for all new staff.
- It helps to decreases employee turnover.
- It will help to differentiate your company from the competition, thus gaining credibility from your customers.
- It provides training that can be easily measured and assessed.
- It helps to refresh and refocus the working habits of your experienced salespeople.
This is a self-study program, which means that the responsibility is on the salesperson to diligently complete the program. However, you can be very instrumental in helping that to happen. Here's where you can have an impact:
- How you introduce and position the program is very important. We have suggestions for you in the Manager's Guide that you'll receive with the program.
- Monitoring each individual's progress along the way. Again, we have suggestions and forms for you to use in the manager's guide. We suggest that you check on progress every two weeks.
- You'll be expected to proctor the exams at every stage of the program.
- You may also want to offer some additional recognition or incentive for completion of the program.
This is your decision, based on your understanding of your sales force, your company culture, and your company's strategic goals. There are good arguments to be made for either course of action.
By requiring it's completion, you assure yourself of a knowledgeable sales force and send a clear signal about your company's expectations for the sales professionals who work for you.
On the other hand, you may have some salespeople resist and resent it. Offering it only to those who want to take it helps you determine those salespeople who are really interested in developing themselves, and helps assure more diligent study.
Again, this one is your decision. Those salespeople who have at least two years of experience can opt to just take the test for Level I. If they pass the test, they can begin with Level II.
However, experienced salespeople are the most likely to have developed bad habits and be set in their ways. If you position it correctly, Level I can be a powerful learning experience for even the most experienced salespeople and a great reminder of the fundamental skills they need for continued success.
Obviously, it depends on how much each person works at the program each week. If we assume that they use their normal drive time to listen to the tapes, and then if they spend 1 - 2 hours per week on the exercises and notes, we'd expect them to complete one lesson about every two weeks.
That translates into about 4 - 6 months for Level I, 6 - 8 months for Level II, and 1 - 2 months for Level III.
Sales and Marketing Executive International is the worldwide association of sales and marketing management. It was founded in 1935, and has worldwide chapters spanning the globe. SME developed certification in conjunction with leading universities to establish and maintain a uniform standard of professional competency in the field of sales and marketing management.
You have several options.
- Have regular coaching sessions with each participant to help motivate them to work through the materials.
- In sales meetings have participants talk about specific areas of the program that they have had success with.
- There is a leader’s guide that accompanies Level-I that will give your other specific techniques you can use to help program participants.
A participant must have a limited amount of experience, education and sales training to become certified as an SME Certified Professional Salesperson. The preparatory levels lay the groundwork and provide solid training for the certification.
The unique aspect of certification is its three-step accountability:
- Sales Manger Involvement - Sales managers are given updates as to the progress of their staff and are called upon to hold staff accountable to going through the material. Our diligent staff will communicate with the managers on all issues concerning progress and delays of your sales team.
- Progress Reports - All participants are given a progress report that they can use to keep themselves on track to complete the material. Managers are encouraged stay on top of their staff's progress reports for timely completion of each level of the certification.
- Exams - We realize that the best way to evaluate retention of information is through exams that go over the material covered. Following each level, the participant is given an exam that must be passed before continuing on in the program
Each component plays a crucial role in the progress of the sales staff's ability to act as a check and balance to the work activity.
There are three exams in total. The Level I exam follows the Level I study materials and the Level II exam after the Level II materials. The final and third certification exam follows the completion of the first two levels and is taken with a manager present.
Participants do not have to go to an outside location for these exams. The first two exams are taken online and the third is proctored by a manager in can be done in the office.
All exams are multiple-choice or true or false.
When you have completed the study material, you notify us. We then send you a password which gives you access to the exam. You can go on line and take the exam at your leisure. The password expires after 30 days.
Each participant has to achieve a minimum of 70% or above to pass the exam.
For each online exam, you can choose to have the exam scored without transmitting the final score. In other words, you can take practice exams until you have passed it, and then submit the passing exam for recording. No one but you will know how many practice exams you took. There should be no reason to submit a failing exam.
If you have additional questions that were not addressed, you can reach us by phone at 616-451-9377.
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