Sales specialists with a federal certificate: providers, schools, information

According to a survey conducted by the education platform Ausbildung-Weiterbildung.ch, people interested in the Sales Specialist course answered this question as follows:

• 65 % "I would like to see if this course meets my needs"
• 30 % "The course was recommended to me"
• 5 % "The course is often mentioned in job advertisements"

People gave us further reasons for their interest in this further training via free text responses:

• "I am looking for suitable training for my employee."
• "I would like to work in field service."
• "to improve opportunities on the labor market"
• "Would like a recognized certificate. Have been practicing the profession for a long time."
• "I've already been working in sales for a few years and want to learn more."
• "As I work as a salesperson myself, I want to expand my knowledge and learn even more."
• "I want to switch from retail to the background."
• "Fits in with my current job in sales."
• "I am a career changer in sales (for 6 years), trained in gastronomy, have now been given the opportunity to work as a team leader and would like to become a sales manager in the long term."
• "I want to get ahead in my job."
• "I've been in retail for several years and have been thinking about it for a while - now I have time."

The Federal Professional Examination for Sales Specialists with a federal certificate differs in some parts depending on the specialization chosen. Specialist Certificate differs in some parts of the examination depending on the specialization chosen. For example, prospective sales specialists specializing in field sales as well as office sales are tested in writing in sales planning; sales promotion and advertising; distribution; accounting / controlling; and marketing. "Business statistics" is also included for those specializing in inside sales and "Legal knowledge for salespeople" for those specializing in outside sales. The oral examination parts, however, are completely different. With the office sales specialization, these are Presentation and sales techniques / sales talk; market research; personal leadership skills; for the field sales specialization: sales process; self-management; rhetoric / presentation of goods and merchandising. You can also obtain more detailed information on the Federal Professional Examination for Sales Specialists with a Federal Certificate directly from the relevant schools.

The continuing education, further training for the Federal Diploma of Higher Education (FPE) in Sales can be completed with one of two specializations: Internal sales or external sales. If you decide to take the Federal Professional Examination in Internal Sales, you will in principle also be able to work in field sales later, but you will not have the qualifications of a Federal Professional Examination in Field Sales. Therefore, please think carefully in advance about the sales area in which you would like to work in the future and base your decision for the appropriate specialization on this.

The continuing education, further training for the Federal Diploma of Higher Education in Purchasing usually lasts twelve months and, depending on the school, can be attended as a day or evening course with around 224 lessons spread over 28 course days. The course prepares you in detail for the Federal Professional Examination (FPE) and consists of basic and in-depth modules. To register for the FPE, proof of six basic modules must be provided. These are Supply Chain Management; Self-Management and Leadership; Finance and Accounting; Quality Management, Economics, and Project Management. The specialization modules within this continuing education, further training in purchasing are: Contract Law; Price and Cost Structure Analysis (PKSA); Supplier Management; Procurement Logistics; Procurement Strategies; Negotiation Management; and Procurement Market Research (BMF). If you attend at least 80% of the course, you will receive a course certificate so that you can provide proof of your commitment even if you do not pass the Federal Professional Examination.

Ausbildung-Weiterbildung.ch asked those interested in sales specialist training or sales specialist training with a professional examination. A total of 41% said that their interest in individual training institutes came from online reviews. On the other hand, 31 % choose schools for their training inquiry based on a recommendation. 28% of survey participants ask schools for detailed information about the course because they already know them. This also shows how helpful online evaluations of schools are for the choice of sales specialist training, which is why many evaluations of schools are also integrated on the education platform Ausbildung-Weiterbildung.ch. Based on additional text responses, we learned further reasons from prospective students for enquiring about schools: "is close to home", "due to school times", "came across it via social media", "location", "because the training here is 3 semesters instead of 2 and it starts this year in October", "well located", "came across it by chance", "good and clear homepage" and "because it may be in Italian".

There is a large selection of first-class schools in Switzerland where you can complete your training. They offer courses that prepare you for the Federal Professional Examination and provide you with all the knowledge you need.

Various providers also prepare you for further training to become a certified marketing manager.

In the area of sales, we recommend the following courses / continuing education, further training:

• Sales - Public seminars / Seminars for individuals
• Sales Assistant / Sales Clerk Sales (Certified)
• Sales courses (cert.) - however: with many short courses, career opportunities are significantly lower than with a recognized qualification.
• Federally recognized qualifications would be:
  • FPE sales specialist
  • Sales Manager AFPE

As a marketing specialist (FPE) (formerly marketing planner (FPE)), you are not restricted to working in just one sector. In addition to marketing, you can also work in PR, direct marketing, advertising, product management, field sales or office sales. The marketing specialist course prepares you comprehensively to take over parts of sales or marketing management.

During their training, marketing specialists acquire in-depth knowledge and skills in various areas of marketing and sales. This will enable you to enter or advance in a qualified position in an agency or company. As a marketing specialist, you will work in product management, advertising, public relations, marketing, sales or market analysis. However, the extent of your responsibility depends largely on the function in which you work. Marketing specialists can be employed as marketing assistants as well as in a leading role (in smaller companies) in marketing.

Not every school where you can prepare for the Federal Diploma of Higher Education in Sales offers both specializations, inside sales and outside sales. Some training providers specialize exclusively in one area of specialization for continuing, further training as a sales specialist, so it is necessary for you to contact the individual schools directly before registering. Our contact form makes this quick and easy and saves you a lot of time and effort.

Continuing education, further training as a sales specialist with a federal certificate prepares you specifically for the challenges of modern sales. Practical content is taught that promotes specialist knowledge as well as methodological and communication skills. The focus is on the following learning fields as "sales specialist subjects":

• Basic knowledge of marketing and sales
  Provides a solid foundation for strategic and operational action in sales:
  
  • Basics of marketing
  • Market analysis and understanding of target groups
  • Sales and distribution systems
  • Marketing communication
  • Accounting in everyday sales
  • Project management
  • Internal communication within the company
  • Self-management and time planning
• Sales planning: developing strategies, defining sales targets and analyzing market potential
• Sales administration: Understanding and efficiently designing organizational processes - from order processing to documentation
• Sales interaction: train and deepen communication techniques and conversation techniques in direct customer contact
• Case study training: complex sales situations are worked through and analyzed using realistic practical examples
• Training in methodological skills
  These skills strengthen your appearance in everyday working life:
  
  • Presentation techniques
  • Processing of inbox tasks
  • Role-playing games to simulate sales talks

Continuing education, further training as a sales specialist with a federal certificate not only promotes professional know-how, but also personal competence in sales. The modular structure of the "sales specialist subjects" allows targeted preparation for the federal examination and supports career advancement in the sales environment.

Important: The specific content may vary slightly beyond the examination regulations depending on the education provider. Each school determines the exact syllabus individually. To make sure which subjects are taught at the desired school, we recommend making a direct inquiry. There is a contact form that can be used to easily forward the question to the relevant school.

The examination regulations do not make it compulsory to attend a preparatory course for the Federal Diploma of Higher Education in Sales, so it is also possible to take the examination without having attended a preparatory school beforehand. However, this is only advisable if you have already completed such a course and did not pass the exam the first time or had to cancel it. In other cases, however, even if you have already completed some comparable training and continuing education, it is not advisable to decide not to take part in a preparation course, as the amount of knowledge taught should not be underestimated (see guidelines, which can be requested from the schools without obligation).

There are a wide range of opportunities for further training for business management assistants after the EFZ. In addition to various courses offered by vocational schools, further education institutes and professional and industry associations, there are numerous opportunities for further training at different levels.

Possible options for further training after a CT apprenticeship:

• Professional examination (BP) - federal certificate, for example in the areas of finance and accounting, marketing, HR or fiduciary services
• Higher technical college for banking, business administration or insurance, etc.
• University of Applied Sciences - Bachelor of Science (FH) in Business Administration or Industrial Engineering etc.

Even with a basic commercial education, further training after a commercial apprenticeship is important - after all, you never stop learning!