Social Sciences and Economics – Sales – e-learning – Centre for Training and Lifelong Learning

Social Sciences and Economics – Sales

Introduction

The training Course “SOCIAL SCIENCES AND ECONOMICS – SALES” is structured into two self-contained teaching/thematic units, each lasting two months. The individual units take a direct look at some of the factors that contribute to customer satisfaction and propose solutions for better managing the customer relationship both during and after the sale. The aim is to describe a different, more modern dimension of sales tactics, one that turns the salesperson into the customer’s adviser. A dimension that no longer depends on the salesperson’s innate abilities, but on equipping them with the necessary skills and knowledge that will enable them to sell by creating a dialogue that is always based and focused on the customer’s needs. Finally, the Course aims to highlight the role of employees, who can help the business not only to excel but to triumph in times of crisis.

Units

I. Finally, I'm Selling! Everything about Sales (Duration 2 months/ 20 hours/ 0.77 ECTS)

The aim of the Teaching Unit “Finally, I’m Selling! Everything about Sales” is to understand the techniques that will help both new and experienced B2B and/or B2C salespeople to:

Understand the importance of cooperation within the sales team
Achieves the company’s goals and desired results with ease
Achieve satisfactory sales to customers, whether visiting them on their premises or when they come to the business
Evaluate the sales process they follow in light of what is covered in the course and compare their targets with the results they achieve
Identify their strengths and continuously work on their weaknesses
Build strong and lasting relationships of trust with the company’s regular and repeat customers
Improve their personal image and address their personal weaknesses
Keep the customer’s interest high throughout the sale and quickly win their trust.

The aim is to train a company’s sales staff so that they continually improve their knowledge, skills and behaviours, while at the same time enriching their experience by listening to and learning alongside the customer. The Course seeks to ensure more thorough preparation and organisation on the part of salespeople before meeting existing and/or prospective customers, the development of the right reflexes to respond immediately to the objections raised by customers, the ability to bring a disagreement with a customer to a close without damaging the relationship, and proper management of the time the customer has available.

II. Customer Service (Duration 2 months / 20 hours / 0.77 ECTS)

The aim of the Teaching Unit “Customer Service” is to create loyal customers. Loyal customers result from meeting and exceeding their expectations, not merely from covering their needs, which is an obligation of every business. Treating each customer as unique, communicating with them frequently about their experience of working with us, showing genuine interest and ensuring that the service and care offered are a unique and memorable experience are all considered essential. Every customer should be thinking: “What experience can I have with the business I work with that I cannot have anywhere else?” Positive management and exceeding customer expectations are the key to satisfied customers. Through this teaching unit, participants are expected to understand the importance of excellent customer service and care. Not with servility, but with appropriate professionalism! This objective is achieved by improving the skills of the executives who attend the Course and who will be called upon to manage the relationship with one or more customers. Building on the existing knowledge, experience and behaviours of those responsible, this teaching unit helps improve their skills by:

Proper preparation and organisation in managing the customer relationship
Developing the right reflexes to grasp customers’ expectations and not only meet them but, where possible, exceed them
Resisting customer pressure when the customer does not appear to be in the right
Acquiring the necessary knowledge of customer service
Keeping commitments to the customer
continuous feedback to management and supervisors on the sources of customer complaints
understanding how the various departments of the company operate and how they are coordinated in customer care

Scientific Director

Emmanuel Tsiritakis,

Professor, Department of Banking and Financial Management, University of Piraeus

Target Audience

The course is aimed at:

sales/marketing executives, experienced or not, at middle or senior level, who wish to improve and apply modern sales/marketing techniques in order to outperform the competition and make the customer – a business owner – think to themselves: "If only my own salespeople were like this one!" Something like this would make the salesperson an indispensable partner, as well as an adviser to every customer
- employees, middle and senior managers, sales/marketing directors and administrative executives
all those who have understood how important customers, and retaining them, are to the survival of a business, especially when competition and product similarity are more intense than ever before. Everyone working in the business should never forget that “the best prospective customer is … your existing customer!”

Admission Requirements

Participants must have:

Basic computer skills
Internet access
A personal email account

Delivery Method

The Course is attended entirely online via simple educational software (an asynchronous e-learning platform), and digital educational material and continuous educational support are provided. Once an applicant is accepted onto the Course, a user account is created on the e-learning platform, giving access to the teaching unit of their choice. Within each teaching unit, the responsible instructor’s electronic educational material is posted on the e-learning platform on a weekly basis. The educational material includes electronic notes with theory and examples in PDF format, which can be saved and printed so that they can also be studied offline. Assignments or self-assessment tests may be set during the course. Trainees have access, at any time and from anywhere with an internet connection, to all the activities, information sources and announcements of each course, and are given the instructor’s contact details so that they can resolve any queries. Participants should:

study the material and the notes
use the links related to the course material
submit assignments, self-assessment tests and final examination answers

Type of Certificate

Trainees who successfully complete the Course are awarded a Training Certificate by KEDIVIM of the University of Piraeus, together with a Supplementary Annex. If successful completion of the Course is not possible owing to discontinuation of studies or failure in the examinations, the trainee is awarded a Certificate of Attendance by KEDIVIM of the University.

See a sample of the certificate awarded here

Teaching/Thematic Units

1Teaching/Thematic Unit 1: Finally, I'm Selling! Everything about Sales

Specific topics covered:

Introduction to selling. The rules and secrets of sales. Sales targets and their importance. 40 rules for success in sales. Why do salespeople fail?
Were you born to sell? 7 points on which salespeople should focus their attention. How does the customer want to be handled? The best prospective customers are your current customers. The 11 basic principles of Networking in sales.
The power of questions in sales. Closing the sale with five questions. The power statement in sales. The MacKay 66 for building a customer profile. 13 rules for salespeople to win the customer's trust.
Opening the sale. The salesperson's personal preparation sheet. Why do people buy? 51 reasons. Customers' real objections. The 19 buying signals customers give out.
The presentation from the salesperson's side. 16 questions salespeople should ask themselves. 13 ways to persuade my prospective customer to buy. Words and phrases salespeople should avoid. Customer objections, closing and follow-up of the sale. Why customers raise objections. Pre-empting objections on the salesperson's part. Resolving objections. The price objection!
Closing the sale. How to ask closing questions. The importance of persistence in sales. Closing the meeting with the customer. Exercise.
The troubles and enemies of the salesperson. The 10 common mistakes salespeople make. 20 reasons why salespeople fail. Knowing the competition. How do we lose customers? Customer service. 12 keys to customer service. Customer complaints and how to handle them. How does the customer want to be treated? The importance of listening in sales. Techniques to get replies to your messages.
Communication in sales. Salespeople's meetings on the company's premises. Want more sales? Listen more! Don't talk too much when giving presentations! Emphasise dialogue and customer participation (test). Get to know your customer and their characteristics. The salesperson as leader. Case study.

2Teaching/Thematic Unit 2: Customer Service

Specific topics covered:

Introduction. The challenges of the 21st century in Customer Care. Adopting high standards of customer service. Talking to employees and stressing the importance of customer care. Pitfalls to avoid.
Combining the business's Vision with Customer Care. Case study. Organised and effective listening (a story). 4 ways to beat the competition! 8 cardinal sins of customer care.
Customer expectations (exercise). Customer expectations are not always obvious!
Teamwork and its obstacles. 6 key elements of customer service. Case study.
The face-to-face meeting with the customer. 10 rules for impeccable customer care. Connect personally with your customers. Refer the problem, not the customer. Always be there for the customer. Commitment to quality of service. 25 customer care skills. Exercises.
Training employees in customer care. Emphasise customer service. Compliance in customer care. Case study. The power of the customer. 7 habits in the customer relationship. Strengthen customer trust in the business. Quality customer service. Test.
Learning to answer the telephone. The crucial first impression! Make the customer experience a pleasure. Exceed customer expectations. (Exercise)
Overview of the DISC model relating to customer personality types.
Keep your commitments to your customers. Customers value commitment (Story)
Analysing customer service data with the aim of obtaining information about all customers. Speak and write plain Greek. Barriers to communication with the customer. The 6 steps to resolving customer complaints. The LEARN acronym for resolving customer complaints. Follow the SERVICE acronym to win customer loyalty. Case study.
An instructive story about customer service. Stay in touch with the customer after the sale. The 3 elements of ongoing communication with the customer. See the business through the customer's eyes. Measure customer satisfaction. Key indicators of customer satisfaction. Making use of the information I hold about my customers. 10 ideas for outstanding customer service. What does the customer want today? The 10 commandments of customer service. 15 customer service skills. Phrases that motivate the customer. The be-all and end-all of customer loyalty. (Exercise)

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of the course, trainees will:

Are able to make more, and higher-quality, sales for the business Have fully understood the objective of the training, which is: to increase the organisation’s revenue and improve its profit margins Understand how the various departments of the business work and how they are coordinated in customer care Have acquired the necessary knowledge of customer service Are able to sell more to existing customers, increase their average sales, attract new customers and/or businesses, shorten the sales cycle and close sales with fewer customer visits Are able to negotiate better and close win–win deals Improve their personal style and move from being product sellers to becoming sales advisers to the customer Acquire the right reflexes to perceive customer expectations and not only meet them but, where possible, exceed them Are able to withstand customer pressure when the customer does not appear to be in the right

Assessment

The examination process takes place remotely via the e-learning platform, with the final examination questions and exercises posted in the form of an assignment with a deadline for submitting answers. Late participation in the final examination may be arranged in consultation with the trainee, provided that no more than one year has passed since their registration in the relevant teaching unit.

Discount Policy

The following discount categories apply:

GROUP A: Unemployed persons, members of large families and families with three children, persons with disabilities, graduates and students of the University of Piraeus, employees of the University of Piraeus (permanent or under contract), municipal employees
GROUP B: Undergraduate students of universities/technological institutes (AEI/TEI) or persons up to 30 years of age holding a European Youth Card, participants of previous cycles, registration for at least two courses in the same period

Please note that:

Discounts are not cumulative.
Each trainee may benefit from only one discount category.
Participants entitled to a discount must submit the supporting documents that will be requested.

Course Fee after discount

	GROUP A	GROUP B	NO DISCOUNT
Total Course Fee	340 €	400 €	480 €
Fee for Thematic Unit 1	170 €	200 €	240 €
Fee for Thematic Unit 2	170 €	200 €	240 €

Method of Payment of Fees

Fees are payable in a single payment or in equal monthly instalments, the number of which corresponds to the duration of the Teaching Unit in months, provided that the fees are paid in full 2 weeks before the end of the Teaching Unit. Failure to pay any instalment will result in the automatic exclusion of the candidate from the remainder of the Course, the examinations and the award of the certificate.

480,00 €

Duration:	4 Months / 40 Hours
ECTS:	1.54
Field of Study:	Economics & Management
Language:	Greek
Scientific Director:	Emmanouil Tsiritakis

Educational Material

Electronic Notes

ENROL