Take your success as a salesperson to a higher level with the Certified Sales Professional (CSP) Program. NAED is a co-sponsor of the Certified Sales Professional (CSP) Program, along with the Institute for Professional Advancement, the educational subsidiary of the Manufacturers' Representatives Educational Research Foundation. Originally established in Canada by the Canadian Professional Sales Association, the CSP training and certification program is now available at various locations throughout the year all over the United States.
What is the CSP program?The CSP program is a 3-day seminar covering the fundamental skills of effective selling. Participants benefit by learning to master key sales competencies, including:
- The consultative selling process
- Relationship building
- Communications
- Strategic sales planning
- Local and regional marketing strategies
- Time and territory management
- Self management
- Personal development techniques
- Business acumen
Why should you be certified as a Certified Sales Professional?
When you take the courses necessary to earn the designation of Certified Sales Professional (CSP), you'll have more than a few letters to put after your name, you'll have validation of your expertise and knowledge of key sales competencies. The CSP designation:
- Distinguishes you as a person any buyer would want as a partner
- Enhances your professional image
- Recognizes you as someone who is committed to professional development
- Announces your expertise to your employers, peers, principals, and customers
- Ensures greater sales success for you and your company
Once you have completed this course, you'll be able to:
- Identify challenges facing today's sales professionals and acquire the selling skills required to meet those challenges
- Demonstrate the tactical, strategic, and self-management skills required to succeed in the sales profession
- Produce tangible returns by increasing your skill level and becoming a top producer
You must have a minimum of two years' sales experience to enroll in the program. Upon successfully completing the three-day seminar and passing the examination, you will be designated as a Certified Sales Professional. Then, every year you will be required to complete 20 hours of training to maintain your CSP designation.
What is required to maintain my CSP designation?
Every year after you are certified, you will need to complete 2 CEUs, which equates to 20 hours of continuing education. Many types of education can be submitted for CEU credit: NAED foundation courses, education sessions at NAED meetings, courses available online at the NAED Learning Center, vendor product training, training provided by your company, University of Industrial Distribution/University of Electrical Distribution (UID/UED), other online training, technology training, public seminars like Dale Carnegie, and more.
Why should your company certify its sales team?
The CSP certification offers many benefits to participating companies. It:
Provides a measurable benchmark for individual sales person expectations
Differentiates your sales team from the competitor's
Motivates your sales team to perform at a higher level
Provides a hiring standard for new salespeople
Enhances your company's image and credibility within the industry, and with customers
Gives your company a competitive advantage in the marketplace
Presents a more professional image of your company, and each CSP-designated salesperson
Calendar for CSP 2012For all dates: Arrive Monday for evening check-in, program starts Tuesday at 7:30 a.m., depart Friday after verbal exam.
January 10-13, 2012 (arrive January 9)
San Diego, CA
March 6-9, 2012 (arrive March 5)
Syracuse, NY
September 11-14 (arrive September 10)
Denver, CO
- October 2-5 (arrive October 1)
Indianapolis, IN
To register or for more information visit the CSP website.
For help, contact Member Services at 1-888-791-2512 or by email at memberservices@naed.org.
See what others say about the CSP program:
"Achieving a Certified Sales Professional designation is an accomplishment I am very proud of. In previous sales courses I have attended, a consultant taught a sales concept. In the CSP course, I learned the process of selling."
Scott Lundberg, CSP, Dakota Supply Group
"Perhaps the most important thing I learned-and it's something I've put to use already-is how to listen and then react to what the customer is saying. You can't get anything accomplished in the sales process if you don't understand what the customer's needs and wants are."
Dic Chiolis, CSP, Dakota Supply Group
"The course challenged me to remember some of the old techniques, understand how to determine a buyer's personality, and remember to probe and close a sale. We're an older electrical distributorship facing the prospect of some of our older salespeople retiring in the future. As a result, we have some fairly young people who are going to have to fill some pretty big shoes. From what I saw, the CSP training is going to provide them with the skill sets to be successful."
Steve Peterson, President/CEO, Minnesota Electric Supply Co.