The trend toward increased professionalism in personal selling has been the stimulus for a third type of training and education initiative. Many salespeople are returning to the classroom to earn certification in a sales or sales-related area. In the pharmaceutical industry, many salespeople earn the Certified Medical Representative (CMR) designation. The CMR curriculum includes nearly 40 courses that are delivered to more than 9,000 students. The National Automobile Dealers Association sponsors the Code of Conduct Certification program for automotive sales representatives. Both of these certification programs require extensive study of modules and the completion of rigorous examinations. Sales & Marketing Executives–International offers the Certified Sales Executive (CSE) designation to sales professionals who meet the highest standards of education, experience, and ethical conduct.

Some companies have developed their own sales-training certification programs. The Pitney Bowes Certified Postal Consultant (CPC) program is designed to improve the level of assistance given to customers who want to upgrade their mail process. It is available to members of the 4,000-person Pitney Bowes sales force who sell both products (postage meters) and services. Freightliner developed a certification program for its 1,800-member sales force. The various courses include topics ranging from product knowledge to truck-selling skills.60