Certified in Sales and Marketing

By Dr. Zulk Shamsuddin

The Certified in Sales and Marketing (CSM) ™ is a gold-standard certification for individuals with experience in sales and marketing that includes product development, sales planning, strategy formulation, customer relations, market development, and executive communication.
A sales and marketing professional is responsible for developing marketing plans, understanding consumer requirements, identifying market trends, and suggesting improvements to achieve the company’s sales and marketing goals.
It forms the basis of the assessment that applicants must pass to gain the Certified in Sales and Marketing status and inclusion in the directory of certified professionals of The GAFM Academy of Finance and Management.
Stand out from the crowd and start pursuing your career development with the Certified in Sales and Marketing certification.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Oct 16, 2022
• ISBN: 9781387542765

Book preview

Certified in Sales and Marketing

Copyright © 2020 Zulk Shamsuddin, PhD / GAFM ACADEMY

All rights reserved.

ISBN: 9781387542765

INTRODUCTION

The Certified in Sales and Marketing (CSM) ™ is an ISO-standard certification for individuals with experience in sales and marketing that includes product development, sales planning, strategy formulation, customer relations, market development, and executive communication.

A sales and marketing professional is responsible for developing marketing plans, understanding consumer requirements, identifying market trends, and suggesting improvements to achieve the company’s sales and marketing goals.

It forms the basis of the assessment that applicants must pass to gain the Certified in Sales and Marketing status and inclusion in the directory of certified professionals of The GAFM Academy of Finance and Management.

Stand out from the crowd and start pursuing your career development with the GAFM Certified in Sales and Marketing certification.

The sales and marketing professional is responsible for the sales and marketing activities of the company that includes tracking market developments, creating strategies, establishing sales plans, and maintaining customer relations.

Benefits of becoming a Certified in Sales and Marketing

Personal recognition from your peers.

Enhanced CV to get noticed by top recruiters.

A framework for the development of your career.

International recognition.

Assurance for clients of high standards and ethical practice.

Use of the post-nominal CSM or Certified in Sales and Marketing

Introduce yourself using this exclusive certification card during networking, business events, conference, training, and anywhere. Certification has its privileges.

Importance of Certification

Certificates and certifications, the names for these credentials sound confusingly similar. But there are important differences. Here’s what you need to know about these resume-enhancing options and how they might advance your career.

What is a Certificate?

Earning a certificate is about education. Certificates are academic credentials awarded by colleges, universities or other educational institutions. Students in certificate programs learn new knowledge in a specific subject or discipline and earn a certificate by successfully completing the coursework. An ideal student for a certificate program is someone who is willing to go through the experience of growing their own skillset, being real about what they want to learn, and working with others, says Jennifer Diamond, an instructor for the UW Certificate in Project Management. Many certificate programs have few, if any, admission requirements, making them an excellent option if you want to move forward in your career. The programs are usually noncredit and take less time to complete than a degree. Certificates are commonly listed on resumes as education, and some meet education requirements for first-time or renewed certifications.

What is a Certification?

When you have the professional knowledge you need, a certification allows you to prove it.  Certifications indicate mastery of skills or standards. Professional certifications are granted by industry groups or career-related organizations. These groups assess your qualifications, usually through an exam or application process. Many certifications include the privilege to use a related designation following your professional title. A certification differs from a license, which permits you to work in a certain profession and is usually issued by government or regulatory agencies.

Benefits of Certification

Certification helps in learning the new technologies, skills, and abilities for a specific promotion. Earning a new certification or an advanced certification in a particular area of expertise can help in advancing your career.

Professional certification shows consumers and potential employers that you are committed to your profession and are well-trained. It gives them confidence in your abilities and knowledge. Certification makes you more valuable to employers, so you can expect to earn more than someone without certification.

Certifications can give you the chance to learn needed skills, and be a quick way to show employers you have those skills. On the other hand, certifications can require studying or coursework, and cost up to several hundred dollars to take.

Soft Skills for Sales and Marketing Professional

Personal characteristics can indicate how the candidate will approach the job and how he or she might relate to coworkers.  Evaluate the following personal characteristics relative to the tasks and responsibilities you have listed for the job opening:

Analytical and creative abilities. A candidate’s abilities in these two areas determine how he or she assesses problems and comes up with new approaches to solving them.

Decision-making style. Decision-making style is very individual. Some people are extremely structured, analytical, and fact based; others rely more on intuition. Some make decisions quickly, while others ponder them for a long time. Some depend on consensus, while others seek their own counsel. It is critical to determine whether a particular style is required for success in the job and, if so, what it is.

Interpersonal skills. Since interpersonal skills and behavior are intimately connected, understanding a candidate’s interpersonal skills is an important part of the hiring decision process. To determine which interpersonal skills are most appropriate for a given position, think about the set of tasks that will be performed in the position. Which traits will translate into good performance, especially in view of the superiors, peers, and direct reports with whom the person will interact? For example, a controller should ideally be patient and formal, demonstrating careful, cautious, detail-oriented behavior. For a sales manager, high extroversion and low formality may be desirable.

Motivation. The candidate’s personal goals, interests, energy level, and job progression often demonstrate their level of motivation. So, ask yourself, "Does this job match the candidate’s personal aspirations? Would he or she do the job with enthusiasm and energy?

The list below represents the skills and competencies that are required to be a skills-Certified in Sales and Marketing.

Product Development

Sales Planning

Strategy Formulation

Customer Relations

Market Development

Executive Communication

Sales Are The Outcome Of Marketing

Sales and Marketing are two business functions within an organization. They both impact lead generation and revenue. The term, sales, refers to all activities that lead to the selling of goods and services. Marketing is the process of getting people interested in the goods and services being sold.

Marketing is building awareness of your organization and brand to potential customers. Sales is turning that viewership into a profit, by converting those potential customers into actual ones.

What is Sales?

Sales is the process of convincing a consumer to purchase goods or services. At a business, the sales process typically involves salespeople contacting leads who fit the customer profile of their target market (often it's the marketing department who first identifies these leads). The salesperson then tries to persuade the lead to make a purchase by pointing out a problem that the salesperson's product or service will solve.

To accomplish this task, sales teams create and follow a sales strategy. The goal of a sales strategy is to lay out explicit guidelines and objectives for the sales organization to follow in order to maximize sales and ensure its sales force is on the same page. An effective sales strategy involves prospecting, qualifying leads, and creating meaningful messaging that shows prospective customers the value of a product or service.

What is the Role of Sales in a Company?

Needless to say, a company's sales organization exists to make sales. Within that extensive role, sales reps focus on specific objectives.

Career Tips for Independent Sales Consultants - businessnewsdaily.com

Convert prospective customers. A sales department's primary goal is to make sales and increase revenue for a business, but the number of sales isn't the only important metric. To maximize a business's profits, a sales force must have a high conversion rate, i.e., the percentage of potential customers who actually make a purchase. For example, a sales department that converts 30 out of 100 sales prospects (a 30 percent conversion rate) is not as efficient as a sales department that converts 30 out of 75 prospects (a 40 percent conversion rate). A higher conversion rate maximizes profits because the business spends less money to acquire each customer.

Grow the business by building relationships. Whether you have a large or small business, word spreads fast when the majority of your customers are satisfied with your sales department's service. New potential clients may turn to online reviews or word of mouth from your existing clients. When potential customers can easily find glowing recommendations from your current clients and when they see that your clients come back for repeat business your sales force will more easily bring them in as new clients. A sales force that is adept at building positive, long-term relationships lays the groundwork for continued business growth.

Retain existing customers. It's more expensive to acquire new customers than it is to retain current customers. That's why account executives and their sales teams follow up with clients in order to ensure they're satisfied with their purchases. If the client has any issues, it's important to do whatever is necessary (within

Reviews for Certified in Sales and Marketing

[Steve Robert · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Excellent content, suitable for sales and marketing managers or executives, content sufficient for certification in sales and marketing. Highly recommended.