Certified Inside Sales Professional

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2 Value of CISP AA-ISP Membership & CISP Accreditation is our industry s highest recognized standard of professionalism The American Association of Inside Sales Professionals (AA ISP) is dedicated exclusively to advancing the profession of Inside Sales. As the only association of its kind, the AA ISP serves as an authoritative resource for sales leaders and representatives who want to take their careers to the next level of professionalism and performance. Our mission is accomplished through an industry specific focus on leadership and individual development, member forums and networking, local chapters, best practice sharing, career development, sales accreditation and annual conferences. Take your career to the next level of professionalism and performance with the CISP The real strength of the AA ISP lies with the experience, understanding, best practice sharing and networking of our member community. Membership in the AA ISP and achieving the CISP designation provides the essential foundation for maintaining the highest professional standards. The CISP designation attests to the holder s mastery of skills and competencies required in today s virtual selling world. It also represents each individual, team and organization s commitment to staying abreast of new developments and selling best practices within the inside sales industry. The CISP certification recognizes the individual and their organization s professional achievements and competencies, provides recognition by other professionals in the field, and stimulates career advancement. The CISP designation may be prominently displayed on business cards, e signatures and other related communications. The CISP Program built on excellence The AA-ISP has developed an accreditation program that focuses on the skills and competencies that are critical for today s demanding virtual selling environment. From the caliber of the preparatory content, the coursework simulations and example recordings, to the thoroughness of the live sales call examination, no other association has attempted to achieve such a high standard of overall excellence for its members. Successful completion of the CISP program indicates that an individual has met or exceeded the requirements to successfully perform as an inside sales professional.

3 Obtaining Your Certification Value of the CISP For organizations, the most significant benefit of the CISP accreditation is that it sets the standard for inside sales competency and skill. Requiring this accreditation helps leaders set the bar for professionalism and performance, thereby maintaining consistent expectations across their organization. It also provides a leader valuable feedback on the results of testing. This will allow organizations to understand weaknesses and gaps which may require training. Finally, supporting the CISP for inside sales employees sends a clear message that they are valued by the company and their leaders as highly capable and professional resources who are critical to their sales success. For individuals who obtain the CISP accreditation, you not only get recognized for your skills and knowledge during the thorough credentialing process, but it also shows your dedication to the profession of inside sales and your own career development. Graduates will be listed in the CISP Registry and will receive a diploma along with the CISP designation suitable for displaying on business cards, e-signatures, and other related communications. 7 Reasons to Achieve Your CISP 1. PERSONAL COMMITTMENT: Obtaining your CISP shows dedication and commitment to your profession and career as an inside sales representative. It demonstrates that you are serious about continual learning while maintaining a standard of excellence as an individual sales professional. 2. STATUS: For those who are admitted to the CISP program and successfully complete the preparatory courses and the final examination, your accreditation sets you apart as a professional among professionals. You can take pride in your accomplishment. 3. CAREER ADVANCEMENT: Your CISP designation will set you apart from others. It tells your current employer that you are committed to your profession and are serious about career advancement. It sends the same message to future employers. 4. EXECUTIVE COMMITTMENT: Supporting the CISP accreditation makes the statement that a company is serious about investing in their people. It takes a company s goals around investment in people and puts it into action. 5. RAISE THE BAR: Administering the CISP Program across an inside sales organization helps to establish a bar which all representatives need to meet and maintain. 6. LEARNING: Preparing for a successful exam outcome requires study and practice of the latest methods and sales skills found in today s top inside sales representatives. 7. MORALE: The CISP accreditation will challenge and motivate individuals to achieve excellence. The pride and sense of accomplishment that comes along with the CISP designation and AA-ISP membership will help establish and maintain a positive and motivating culture.

4 About The Certification Process The CISP Process The CISP accreditation is an online program which includes comprehensive 11-module preparatory coursework, followed by a final "live sales call" role-play exam. Applicants are expected to complete the entire coursework in about weeks, prior to sitting for their final exam. Each course includes study and learning of the competencies required to successfully pass the final examination. In addition, candidates work through practice simulations, observe audio recordings of sales calls, and take end-of-course tests. Each end-of-course test must be successfully completed before moving on to the next course. The proprietary "BrainX" online learning system used throughout the coursework helps each candidate master the content and prepare them for a successful final exam outcome. Applying for Your CISP Completing your application to be accepted as a CISP candidate takes only a few minutes. Applicants are required to meet certain prerequisites, including education and experience requirements, along with providing a reference. Upon submission of your application, you will be issued a log-in and password to begin your coursework. Taking Your Final Exam After completing the 10 courses, candidates may schedule their final exam. The final exam consists of a "live" sales role-play via a pre-scheduled call to a "prospect. Candidates are given a choice of several sales scenarios to choose from, which will form the basis of their call. Candidates are expected to successfully cover several components on the call including the introduction, discovery, sales qualification, questioning techniques, listening skills, and next steps in order to pass the exam. Each candidate will receive a detailed final exam expectation and grading summary along with an audio example of a successful role-play, allowing them to prepare for a successful outcome. Maintaining Your CISP Accreditation Ongoing education ensures that accredited reps stay current, while continuously seeking opportunities to increase their skills and competencies through professional education. Upon passing the CISP coursework and final exam, accredited professionals are required to earn at least 5 CSE (Continuing Sales Education) credits every 3 years following their initial accreditation to maintain their CISP designation. There is a wide variety of simple educational opportunities for students to earn these credits, including the following (additional learning opportunities are added regularly): attending a local chapter meeting (1 credit), attending a Regional or National AA-ISP conference (4 credits), attending a webinar, attending a Training Tuesday or Frontline Friday session (1 credit), and/or receiving internal training from their own company or another firm. (credits vary). Each graduate will have online access to their personal profile in which they can update their earned CSE credits. Also, graduates will be noted on the website and on their profile as a CISP Certified Professional.

5 CISP Course Syllabus Course 1: THE INSIDE SALES PROFESSIONAL Setting the bar on professionalism and performance, this course describes the key attributes of today s high-performing inside sales professional. It also covers the mission of the AA-ISP and our Code of Ethics. 1. Know and understand the key attributes of an inside sales professional 2. Understand and commit to the AA-ISP CISP Code of Ethics Course 2: BUSINESS 101 & THE SALES PROCESS This course covers the basics of business, how functional areas operate, and how companies typically procure products/services. It also covers the common steps of a sales cycle, from prospecting through closing and ongoing account management. 1. Understand and outline a typical sales process from prospecting through the close 2. Recognize the decision-maker types, their roles in a buying decision and how to position products/services to match their buying tendencies 3. Understand the key functional areas and associated roles of an organization and apply this knowledge of how they interact in order to increase the probability of success in a sales engagement 4. Recognize and define common business terms and acronyms Course 3: RESEARCH & PREPARATION This course explores how to find contact information and other information specific to your targeted organization and individual. It also describes key call metrics for successful prospecting. 1. Understand which sales intelligence and research tools are used to find contact names, roles, direct phone numbers, and pertinent company information 2. Demonstrate a working knowledge of social media tools for efficient and effective prospecting 3. Identify the roles of various administrative people within the targeted organization and understand how to gather key information (like the reporting structure, organizational changes and current vendors) directly from them 4. Use research information in a meaningful way from both an organizational and an individual perspective during calls in different parts of the sales process 5. Understand and apply common measurement tools and metrics for setting goals and driving successful sales activities

6 CISP Course Syllabus Course 4: COMPONENTS OF A SUCCESSFUL PROSPECTING CALL This course covers all aspects of an effective prospecting call to make initial contact, pique interest, and advance to the next steps in the buying process. 1. Develop an effective and professional call opening 2. Understand the key elements of a value statement 3. Write a value statement to be used in a call opening that stimulates interest and effectively positions your organization based on the potential needs of a prospect 4. Know how to advance the prospecting call to the appropriate next steps in the sales process 5. Understand and demonstrate effective questioning skills 6. Understand and utilize listening skills 7. Describe the importance of verbal attributes and communication skills Course 5: COMPONENTS OF A SUCCESSFUL DISCOVERY & QUALIFICATION CALL This course covers all aspects of an effective discovery and qualification process to include the following areas: introduction, purpose of the call, value proposition, effective questioning, qualifying for need and pain points, effective listening, and establishing next steps. 1. Know how to prepare for the discovery & qualification process 2. Understand how to execute the discovery & qualification process 3. Know how to transition the discovery & qualification process as appropriate Course 6: DEMONSTRATING VALUE This course walks through presenting value and proposing a solution specific to the prospect s needs with basic ROI. 1. Know how to prepare a solution-based presentation 2. Know how to conduct a professional virtual presentation 3. Understand how to demonstrate relevant value 4. Formulate a basic ROI analysis 5. Know how to use trial close techniques to advance a prospect toward a decision 6. Define the elements of professional proposal

7 CISP Course Syllabus Course 7: OBJECTION HANDLING This course presents several common objections with appropriate ways to handle them. 1. Know the common objections and how to prepare for a prospect s anticipated objections 2. Know how to detect and identify true objections 3. Know common techniques for responding to and resolving common objections 4. Know how to transition to the appropriate next step in the sales process Course 8: CLOSING This course covers the latter stages of the buying process when the prospect is prepared to buy and needs to complete the final steps. 1. Know how to recognize and respond to buying indicators 2. Know how to revise and present the final proposal 3. Know how to ask for the business in a clear, confident and professional manner 4. Know how to process sales orders and contracts and understand the purchasing roles of third parties such as procurement and legal 5. Know how to transition to implementation and ongoing account management Course 9: & VOIC This course covers composing effective s and voic s as a complement to conversations throughout the sales process. 1. Define a call to action and identify clear calls to action in and voic 2. Know the elements of effective s and voic s for prospecting 3. Write a prospecting and leave a prospecting voic 4. Know the elements of effective s and voic s for follow up 5. Write a follow-up and leave a follow-up voic 6. Write an effective contact plan which utilizes the minimum number of touches to prospects

8 CISP Course Syllabus Course 10: TERRITORY, ACCOUNT & CHANNEL MANAGEMENT This course covers territory planning, account management, channel management, and customer service. 1. Outline a basic territory and/or distribution development plan 2. Describe key components of effective account management 3. Describe a channel and distribution model and key components of working with third parties 4. Know best practices of a team selling model 5. Describe the key components of effective customer service 6. Demonstrate an understanding of time management principles 7. Know how to ask for referrals 8. Know how to use a CRM/SFA application for effective territory management 9. Know the elements of a typical manager-rep one-on-one and Quarterly Business Review (QBR) 10. Personal/professional development and continuous learning Course 11: FINAL EXAM PREPARATION This course will help students prepare for a successful outcome on the final examination. 1. Review the process for scheduling and taking the final exam 2. Select a sales scenario which will be the basis for the final exam role play 3. Review all components required for passing the final exam role-play 4. Review the score sheet and components that will be graded 5. Listen to a successful recorded role-play call and view how it is graded

9 CISP Tuition and Registration Process CISP Tuition AA-ISP Members: $875 *Non-members: $975 *All CISP non-member registrants will receive a 1 year professional level membership to the association. Please contact AA ISP for information on group rates. Registration process Complete your application at For more information Visit our web site at Contact AA-ISP Member Services at the following: memberservices@aa-isp.org Phone: ext. 120