Canadian Professional Sales Association and The Ivey Academy at Ivey Business School partner to address the sales leadership skills gap in Canada

TORONTO - (September 18, 2018) – The Canadian Professional Sales Association and The Ivey Academy are pleased to announce the launch of a new partnership to advance professional designations for sales leaders. 

The Sales Leadership Designation Program synthesizes Ivey’s expertise in leadership with CPSA’s sales leadership competency framework, an established leadership and strategy skill-set for today’s competitive sales executives. Successful completion of the Ivey course will earn participants the pre-requisite education requirements for the NEW Certified Sales Leader (CSL) professional designation. 

“CPSA is a sophisticated, first class organization which has transformed considerably and has the respect of the sales community. From the first conversation we knew this would work. We are excited about our partnership and think this program is only the first piece in a larger effort to better prepare Canadian sales teams,” said Mark Healy, Executive Director, The Ivey Academy. 

In today’s performance driven sales culture, outstanding sales leadership is fundamental to delivering results. However, traditional sales training does not equip salespeople with the tools necessary to effectively transition to the role of sales leader. The Sales Leadership Designation Program seeks to close the gap between salesperson and sales leader by providing the foundational leadership training that is essential to success in a sales leadership role. 

“Most sales teams have very talented motivated people. Nevertheless, business growth is often still a challenge. Many teams are constrained by the architecture of their responsibilities and the strength of their managers. Account managers need a strong business acumen to develop client relationships with deeper impact. Sales managers need to be strong developmental coaches. Sometimes this means managers need to have difficult behaviour changing conversations that create a willingness to try new approaches, and drive a change of behaviour that sticks. These are few of the core topics we will discuss during the Ivey Sales Leadership Program. We, sales managers, are the revenue generators for our firms, and often it falls on our shoulders to improve the front line capacity and effectiveness of our sales teams and account management teams. The best teams need top calibre coaches,” said Michael Taylor, Faculty Director, Sales Leadership Designation Program.       

This five-day residential program comprises two modules. The first three days focus on core salesforce leadership and strategy, such as managing performance, influencing people, difficult conversations, compensation architecture, and managing teams. The remaining two days is centred on management acumen, with the topics of financial literacy, negotiations, sales process technology, and legal expertise from a sales leader’s perspective. Participants can take the CSL exam at the end of the course. Registration and course fees for the program will include the cost of the CSL designation exam, and a one (1) year professional membership to the CPSA. 

“Through national industry consultation, we learned of the critical link between sales leadership competencies, business results, and the importance of a well-planned professional development pathway for up-and-coming sales leaders. We’re delighted to be working with The Ivey Academy to address this critical labour market skills gap; and employers will soon be able to access highly skilled, designated professionals who have been educated through Ivey’s renowned case-based approach to learning,” said Peter Irwin, President & CEO, Canadian Professional Sales Association.  

This program is for top sales leaders and executives with more than six years of experience who are committed to developing themselves, their teams, and their entire organization. Certified Sales Leaders are salespeople that organizations can count on to be highly skilled, ethical, designated professionals committed to continuous learning and excellence. Participants must demonstrate two years meeting or exceeding their sales targets. 

The Sales Leadership Designation Program will be delivered October 24 – 26 and November 15 – 16, 2019 at the Ivey Spencer Leadership Centre in London, Ontario.

For more information: 

Mark Healy, Executive Director
The Ivey Academy
416-797-9666

Michael Taylor, Faculty Director
The Ivey Academy
mtaylor@ivey.ca

Jacqueline Baptist, Vice President, Marketing
Canadian Professional Sales Association
JBaptist@cpsa.com
416-408-4667 

About the Canadian Professional Sales Association
For sales professionals, team leaders and organizations across the country, Canadian Professional Sales Association (CPSA) is your partner in building knowledge and skills to improve sales performance. 

As the advocate for excellence in sales, we invest resources in programming, curriculum development and professional designations to help individuals and companies become more successful through more effective sales.

Our 20,000+ members benefit from learning resources, community building events and exclusive benefits.  Professional sales training and Canada’s standards-based designation program provide the development and recognition opportunities employees desire and employers demand at every career stage.

We connect employers with employees, business with academia and the private sector with government to advance the sales profession and improve Canadian competitiveness.

CPSA:  Advancing Sales. Accelerating Performance. www.cpsa.com

About The Ivey Academy at Ivey Business School
The Ivey Academy at Ivey Business School is the home for executive Learning and Development (L&D) in Canada. It is Canada’s only full-service L&D house, blending Financial Times top-ranked university-based executive education with talent assessment, instructional design and strategy, and behaviour change sustainment. 

Rooted in Ivey Business School’s real-world leadership approach, The Ivey Academy is a place where professionals come to get better, to break old habits and establish new ones, to practice, to change, to obtain coaching and support, and to join a powerful peer network. Follow The Ivey Academy on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.