Assessing the skills of candidates for sales jobs is a challenge for many companies as they try to determine if applicants have the right competencies for the position. But that’s changing due to a new sales training and designation program developed by the Canadian Professional Sales Association (CPSA) Institute.
The Sales Professional Competency Framework, identified and refined by industry leaders, aims to provide essential sales skills as the foundation of all CPSA Institute designations, from Certified Sales Associates to established Certified Sales Professionals and Certified Sales Leaders.
Richard Louttet, CPSA vice-president, education & certification, says research showed that sales leaders in Canada were having difficulty identifying qualified candidates to fill sales roles.
“There were often many applicants for a job, but no standard to measure them against and determine if they had the qualifications to be successful in a sales role,” he says.
CPSA worked with industry representatives to create a competency framework and designation program to meet the skills standards employers are looking for when hiring new salespeople.
Candidates for designation can choose one of the three levels, depending on their existing knowledge and experience. The program is delivered by accredited educators approved by CPSA. It requires candidates to complete a certain number of hours of instruction, either part-time or in a one-week intensive full-time program, and then pass an exam at the end of the course.
We are moving away from the notion that anyone can be in sales, to a point where sales is seen as a profession with identifiable competencies and skills that people need to learn as they advance through their careers.
— Jeff Guthrie, Chief sales and marketing officer, Moneris
Jeff Guthrie, chief sales and marketing officer at Moneris, was on the industry advisory council that helped develop the framework. He says until now there hasn’t been a benchmark against which to measure the competency of a salesperson.
“All we could do was ask if they have the experience and can they close, that sort of thing. It was very subjective and differed from company to company,” he says.
The CPSA designation will now provide evidence of levels of competency that are essential to success in sales and give sales the credibility it deserves as a career – particularly among young people considering career options, adds Mr. Guthrie.
“We are moving away from the notion that anyone can be in sales, to a point where sales is seen as a profession with identifiable competencies and skills that people need to learn as they advance through their careers,” he says.
Mr. Guthrie believes even veteran salespeople who may rely on little more than gut feel to be successful can improve their performance and be more effective by adopting the competency model.
“Gut feel is all very well, but it’s not what drives sales in today’s sales environment, where data and science and a grasp of social media and an understanding of how customers use the internet to research purchase decisions are increasingly important competencies for successful salespeople,” he adds.
Find out how your current skills measure up at cpsa.com.
Assess your skills
You’re in sales, but how much do you really know about the skills you need to succeed and how to improve them? The new Canadian Professional Sales Association (CPSA) online Sales Assessment will help you find out.
The 30-minute assessment is made up of 30 questions designed to challenge your day-to-day skills as a sales professional. Each question has been developed and reviewed by sales professionals to provide an assessment based on CPSA’s sales competency framework.
The assessment allows new sales talent as well as seasoned professionals to regularly review their strengths and areas for improvement, and helps guide professional development priorities for the year.
Each question is linked to an area of the CPSA competency framework. On completion, CPSA provides you with a summary report of the skill areas where you assessed well and the areas that might be improved through professional development.
For more information about the Sales Assessment and Sales Professional Competency Framework, visit cpsa.com.
Produced by Randall Anthony Communications. The Globe’s editorial department was not involved in its creation.