Frequently Asked Certification Questions

What's the difference between the certifications?

The CRSA is an entry level certification for those who have been in selling for a very short time, or are enrolled in a degree program and wish to enter the sales profession.

Are these standards recognized?

Yes, they have been downloaded in 19 countries, over 500 times in the last two years, and have had countless of reviewers from major companies such as Computer Associates, IBM, BearingPoint, Dun & Bradstreet, GE, etc.  They have also been used by individuals, individual hiring managers, HR departments and recruiters to identify those individuals who have a solid foundation of selling knowledge and are knowledgeable of the universal open-source selling framework.

Why should I do this?

Because you care about your professional advancement, you want to differentiate yourself, or you want to learn the foundation of knowledge necessary to sell better.  Right now you don't know what you don't know.  It might be bliss, but it's dangerous to your professional standing.   Especially with everyone getting certified.

I talked to my fellow salespeople, and they said this is a waste of time, are they right?

If they are at the end of their career, then it's easy for them to hold on to what "used to work."  If they have been extremely successful in selling, they may have figured out what works and feel threatened by you learning something that they don't know.  In other words, if they told you to jump off a bridge, would you?  Seriously, if they are already successful why would they want to do this?  Because they want to give back and leave the profession of selling better than the way they came into it.

When I told my friends I was getting certified in sales, they laughed. Why did this happen?

Ignorance is bliss.

I spoke with a sales trainer about getting certified and they said it wasn't worth it and I don't need it, are they right?

A good sales trainer will embrace the universal selling framework because they have high standards, and they already comply.  However, we would encourage the trainer who had this response to 1) review the Compendium of Professional Selling and find something that doesn't apply to them 2) refute the requirement for continuing education.  You know, the requirement that states that training should occur from a sales trainer (not UPSA)?

Will buyers understand what the letters mean?

Probably not.  We are working diligently to fix this. Our work has us meeting regularly with Fortune 1000 companies as well as the federal, state, and local governments to inform them of the UPSA standards. However, buyers do understand what the concept of "certification" means.  They have probably been certified and understand that the certification you have probably has an ethical code, continuing education, and serves as a standard of entry into the profession.  The know the concept, and they will appreciate it. 

Seriously, what's this going to do for me?

You will get out of it what you put into it.  If you get certified and leverage it, you will see the benefits.