Program Overview

Program Overview

The University of Kansas offers a Certificate in Professional Selling, which is designed to prepare students for successful careers in consultative selling. The program serves two broad constituencies: students and industry partners.

Program Goals

The goals of the program are to:

• Highlight burgeoning opportunities associated with a career in consultative selling
• Equip students with the concepts, skill sets, and mindsets required for consultative selling
• Provide exposure to a portfolio of experiential activities

For industry partners, the goals of the program are to:

• Identify graduates with interest and aptitude in consultative selling
• Certify competencies associated with consultative selling

Recognition

KU's Professional Selling Program has been consistently recognized as a top program for professional sales by the Sales Education Foundation.

Certificate Requirements

Requirements for the certificate consist of:

• 9 hours of coursework
• A portfolio of experiential activities
• A reflection paper or presentation

Experiential Activities

To complete the certificate, students need to participate in experiential activities, which include:

• Sales Competition Team Competitor (1 point)
• Professional Selling Summit (1 point)
• PSP Sales Symposium (1 point)
• PSP Networking Mixer (1 point)
• KU Sales Ambassador (1 point)
• KU Sales Club Executive Board (1 point)
• KU Sales Program Study Abroad (1 point)
• KU Sales Program Trip (1 point)
• KU Sales Program Mock Interview Day (1 point)
• PSP Partner Sales Internship (2 points)
• Other experience (pre-approved by the director)

FAQs

Frequently asked questions about the program include:

• Is sales really a career? Isn’t sales cold-calling and getting customers to part with their money?
  • The sales profession is changing rapidly, with cold-calling and transactional selling being replaced by solution-selling and problem-solving.
• What is the industry demand for sales professionals?
  • Industry observers project that nearly 50 percent of all college graduates, regardless of their major, are intimately involved in the sales profession.
• I have heard that sales jobs are primarily commission-based. Is that true?
  • Yes, some part of compensation is based on commissions tied to delivered sales results, but in the vast majority of industries, the variable component is less than 20 percent of the total compensation package.
• Why do I need a certificate in professional selling to enter a career in sales?
  • A certificate in professional selling will expose students to the context, skill sets, and experiences associated with a career in sales, ensuring a high probability of success in sales.

Grade Requirement

All certificate courses must be taken for a grade; credit
o credit is not permitted. Only grades of "C" or higher will count toward the certificate.

Applying for Graduation

Students must apply for graduation from the certificate program.

KU Sales Alumni Group

The KU Sales Alumni Group is working to create opportunities for networking and connection among alumni working in the sales field.