Professional Selling Microcredential

As our world becomes increasingly services-based and knowledge-oriented, there is a growing demand for sales professionals who can effectively identify client needs, craft customized solutions, and marshal company resources to deliver superior value.  Without sales, there is no business.

Accordingly, this credential is designed to teach professionals about selling and how to sell effectively. Many professionals, both in the business world and other professions/industries, recognize the value of selling and want to increase their knowledge of effective selling.

12-week Course, Meeting Once a Week

The credential is designed to be 12 weeks, starting twice a year in the fall and spring semesters. The delivery mode will be fully online and mixes live, real-time meetings with flexible, self-paced work between classes.

Professional Selling includes mastering interpersonal skills through interaction. As such, synchronous meetings via Zoom will take place once per week on a set night for 60-75 minutes to engage in various classroom activities including role-plays and case studies.

Flexible Asynchronous Learning

In addition to the Wednesday evening Zoom classes, assignments and video lectures will be assigned via weekly modules to be done at your own pace. The course will be taught by distinguished professors in the KU School of Business Professional Selling Program.

Selling is an integral part of not only business, but everyday life.  Professionals will be called upon to sell ideas, products, services, and even points of view in all careers.  By completing this credential, professionals will learn the latest concepts concerning several elements of the professional selling process: prospecting, needs-identification, handling objections, closing, and negotiation. In addition, these concepts will be reinforced via role-plays and sales simulations. Additionally, modules in emotional intelligence and sales industry career planning enhance this credential.

Module 1 – Overview of the course, what is sales, exploring the sales profession

Module 2 – Effective communication and the elevator pitch

Module 3 – Emotional intelligence and the social style matrix

Module 4 – Value-based selling and ethics

Module 5 – Prospecting and pre-call planning

Module 6 – Needs discovery/SPIN method

Module 7 – Presenting solutions

Module 8 – Handling objections

Module 9 – Obtaining commitment

Module 10 – Managing your new role

Module 11 – Sales resume

Module 12 – How to interview for a consultative sales position

• Current sales professionals who are seeking expanded sales knowledge and skills to improve career outcomes.

• Current professionals who are looking to make a career pivot to sales and wish to learn the sales process to launch into a new endeavor.

• Those looking to earn more money, provide stability in career, advance more quickly in career, or get a promotion.

• Those looking to have more control of the future, advance more quickly in their career, reinvent themselves, or learn something different.

• All professionals who are interested in learning the sales process and adding additional skills to their professional learning or professional career.

Course Outcomes:

• Learn about selling and how to sell effectively.
• Understand the communication principles and how they assist in building relationships and developing long-term partnerships.
• Examine the entire professional selling process: prospecting, need identification, handling objections, closing, and negotiation while making an effective sales call.  
• Develop skills in adaptive selling so that one can apply sales strategies quickly and effectively.
• Learn how to effectively leverage current experience to tailor a resume for a sales position and how to effectively interview for a sales position.