Standard: Understands the techniques and strategies used to foster positive, ongoing relationships with customers
Performance Element: Foster positive relationships with customers to enhance sales.
Performance Indicators:
Use digital media to enhance customer post-sales experience (CR:028) (SP)
Standard: Understands the processes and systems implemented to monitor, plan, and control the day-to-day activities required for continued business functioning
Performance Element: Acquire foundational knowledge of distribution to understand its role and function.
Performance Indicators:
Explain the nature and scope of distribution (OP:522) (CS)
Explain the relationship between customer service and distribution (OP:523) (CS)
Standard: Understands concepts, tools, and strategies used to explore, obtain, and develop in a business career
Performance Element: Acquire information about the sales industry to aid in making career choices.
Performance Indicators:
Explain the nature of professional selling (PD:120) (SP)
Explain employment opportunities in professional selling (PD:055) (SP)
Discuss the economic and social effects of professional selling (PD:131) (SP)
Performance Element: Utilize career-advancement activities to enhance professional development in professional selling.
Performance Indicators:
Identify professional certification requirements available for professional salespeople (PD:141) (SP)
Assess the services of professional organizations in selling (PD:062) (SP)
Standard: Understands the concepts, systems, and tools needed to gather, access, synthesize, evaluate, and disseminate information for use in making business decisions
Performance Element: Process marketing information to test hypotheses and/or to resolve issues.
Performance Indicators:
Analyze market information (IM:301) (SP)
Performance Element: Employ marketing information to plan marketing activities.
Performance Indicators:
Describe the use of target marketing in professional selling (IM:334) (SP)
Standard: Understands the concepts and actions needed to determine client needs and wants and respond through planned, personalized communication that influences purchase decisions and enhances future business opportunities
Performance Element: Acquire a foundational knowledge of selling to understand its nature and scope.
Performance Indicators:
Explain the nature and scope of the selling function (SE:017, LAP-SE-017) (CS)
Explain the role of customer service as a component of selling relationships (SE:076, LAP-SE-076) (CS)
Explain company selling policies (SE:932, LAP-SE-932) (CS)
Explain key factors in building a clientele (SE:828, LAP-SE-828) (SP)
Explain legal and ethical considerations in selling (SE:106, LAP-SE-106) (SP)
Describe the use of technology in the selling function (SE:107) (SP)
Performance Element: Understand sales activities to show command of their nature and scope.
Performance Indicators:
Explain the impact of sales and buying cycles (SE:380) (SP)
Describe the impact that digital communication is having on selling (SE:490) (SP)
Performance Element: Acquire product knowledge to communicate product benefits and to ensure appropriateness of product for the customer.
Performance Indicators:
Acquire product information for use in selling (SE:062, LAP-SE-062) (CS)
Analyze product information to identify product features and benefits (SE:109, LAP-SE-109) (SP)
Identify emerging trends for use in selling (SE:404) (SP)
Differentiate between consumer and organizational buying behavior (SE:112) (SP)
Performance Element: Understand sales processes and techniques to enhance customer relationships and to increase the likelihood of making sales.
Performance Indicators:
Explain the selling process (SE:048, LAP-SE-048) (CS)
Discuss motivational theories that impact buying behavior (SE:359) (SP)
Performance Element: Perform pre-sales activities to facilitate sales presentation.
Performance Indicators:
Explain the use of marketing-research information in professional selling (SE:383) (SP)
Prospect for customers (SE:001, LAP-SE-001) (SP)
Conduct preliminary customer/client qualification (SE:400) (SP)
Conduct pre-visit research (e.g., customer’s markets/products, customer’s competitors, and competitors’ offerings) (SE:369) (SP)
Determine sales strategies (SE:377) (SP)
Book appointments with prospective clients (SE:366) (SP)
Prepare sales presentation (SE:067) (SP)
Prepare and/or assemble sales materials (SE:482) (SP)
Performance Element: Employ sales processes and techniques to enhance customer relationships and to increase the likelihood of making sales.
Performance Indicators:
Build rapport and credibility with prospect (SE:483) (SP)
Respond appropriately to prospect’s individual personality type (SE:810, LAP-SE-810) (SP)
Determine prospect’s buying motives for use in selling (SE:883, LAP-SE-883) (SP)
Facilitate prospect’s buying decisions (SE:811, LAP-SE-811) (SP)
Question/probe to acquire understanding of prospect [priorities, problems, trends, issues, corporate aims and objectives, processes, buying process and criteria, and trading preferences] (SE:484) (SP)
Assess prospect’s needs in relation to product offering (SE:113) (SP)
Propose solution to prospect’s needs/challenges (sales talk, sales proposal presentation) (SE:115) (SP)
Demonstrate product solution for prospect’s needs (SE:893) (SP)
Convert customer/client objections into selling points (SE:874, LAP-SE-874) (SP)
Close the sale (SE:895, LAP-SE-895) (SP)
Negotiate sales terms/agreement (SE:392) (SP)
Oversee fulfillment/completion of sale (SE:485) (SP)
Sell good/service/idea to individuals (SE:046) (SP)
Sell good/service/idea to groups (SE:073) (SP)
Performance Element: Process the sale to complete the exchange.
Performance Indicators:
Calculate miscellaneous charges (SE:475) (CS)
Process special orders (SE:459) (SP)
Process phone orders (SE:461) (CS)
Process sales documentation (SE:474) (SP)
Performance Element: Conduct sales-support activities to meet prospect’s needs/requirements.
Performance Indicators:
Write product/service proposal (SE:486) (SP)
Present proposal (SE:487) (SP)
Performance Element: Conduct post-sales follow-up activities to foster ongoing relationships with customers.
Performance Indicators:
Plan follow-up strategies for use in selling (SE:057, LAP-SE-057) (SP)
Prepare sales reports (SE:283) (SP)
Provide post-sales service (SE:397) (SP)
Gather customer/client feedback to improve service (SE:384) (SP)
Conduct self-assessment of sales performance (SE:372) (SP)
Maintain ongoing relationship with client (SE:488) (SP)
Performance Element: Plan sales activities to increase sales efficiency and effectiveness.
Performance Indicators:
Plan strategies for meeting sales quotas (SE:864) (SP)
Develop strategies to win back former customers (SE:379) (SP)
Develop a sales-call pattern (SE:284) (MN)
Establish sales terms (SE:294) (MN)
Explain the nature of key account management (SE:381) (SP)
Identify key accounts (SE:385) (MN)
Design/Implement a key account plan (SE:376) (MN)
Prepare and implement sales plans (SE:393) (MN)
Performance Element: Staff sales force to meet customer and organizational objectives.
Performance Indicators:
Determine structure of sales department/unit (SE:293) (MN)
Determine sales force size (SE:292) (MN)
Recruit/Hire salespeople (SE:401) (MN)
Establish sales territories (SE:295) (MN)
Performance Element: Guide sales staff to improve their success rate and to minimize staff turnover.
Performance Indicators:
Explain the nature of the sales staff’s induction program (SE:382) (SU)
Conduct knowledge gap analysis of sales staff (SE:368) (SU)
Analyze sales staff activity and results (SE:364) (SU)
Explain the nature of sales management (SE:079) (SU)
Adapt leadership style for salesperson (SE:361) (MN)
Identify sales-training needs (SE:386) (MN)
Conduct sales training (SE:371) (MN)
Determine strategies to motivate sales staff (SE:378) (MN)
Conduct field accompaniments (SE:367) (MN)
Conduct sales meetings (SE:370) (MN)
Performance Element: Control sales activities to meet sales goals/objectives.
Performance Indicators:
Set sales quotas (SE:282) (MN)
Analyze sales reports (SE:363) (MN)
Monitor sales performance (SE:391) (MN)
Manage salesperson’s underperformance (SE:388) (MN)
Design incentive programs (SE:375) (MN)
Control sales plans (SE:373) (MN)
Performance Element: Influence sales procedures/activities to improve return on investment.
Performance Indicators:
Monitor sales management’s ability to conduct customer-service operations (SE:390) (MN)
Assess sales staff’s compensation package (SE:365) (MN)
Support sales operations (SE:402) (MN)