Course Program: Sales and Customer Service Manager

Format: 2 classes per week, each 2 academic hours (1 academic hour = 45 minutes) + homework and practical workshops
Duration: 40 academic hours over 10 weeks (2.5 months)
Mode of Study: Online
Target Audience: Adult learners, entry-level professionals, employees in sales, PR, HR, and customer service departments who wish to develop skills in sales and communication.
Languages: English, Estonian or Russian.

Instructors: Mihhail Kremez, Alsu Valieva.

Module 1. Introduction to the Profession and Fundamentals of Sales (Weeks 1–2)
Topics:
1. Role and responsibilities of a sales and customer service manager
2. Etiquette in verbal and written client communication: appearance, forms of address, and correctness of language
3. Sales cycle: stages, goals, tools
4. Types of sales: B2B, B2C, direct, digital
5. Customer psychology: behavior, motivation, decision-making
6. Customer typology and approaches to interaction
7. Building trust in client communication
Practice:
– Self-assessment of current skills
– Analysis of successful sales cases
– Real-life scenarios and role-playing exercises

Module 2. Active Sales and Client Management (Weeks 3–4)
Topics:
1. Prospecting and qualification of clients: cold and warm calls, email and social media inquiries, referrals, contests, call and email scripts, sales funnel

2. Working with clients of diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds
3. Needs analysis tools (SPIN, BANT, GAP analysis)
4. Product presentation: AIDA, value-focused approach
5. Techniques for generating client interest and engagement, active listening
6. Communication language and checking its correctness
Practice:
– Creating and testing sales scripts
– Delivering product presentations with feedback
– Cold-calling mini-games

Module 3. Handling Objections, Closing, and After-Sales Service (Weeks 5–6)
Topics:
1. Types of objections and their causes
2. Objection-handling techniques (“Sandwich,” “Yes, but,” “Rephrasing”)
3. Deal-closing methods: soft, hard, choice-based
4. After-sales support and client loyalty
5. Upselling and cross-selling
6. Crisis communication
Practice:
– Role-play cases with objections
– Deal-closing practice
– Crisis communication case study
– Handling “difficult clients”

Module 4. Digital Sales Tools and Analytics (Week 7)
Topics:

1. Working with CRM systems
2. Managing client databases and sales stages
3. Process automation and email campaigns
4. Basics of digital marketing for sales managers
Practice:
– Building a sales funnel in CRM
– KPI-based sales analysis
– Creating a mini lead generation campaign

Module 5. Effective Verbal Communication and Public Speaking (Weeks 8–9)
Topics:
1. Fundamentals of rhetoric – argumentation and logic in speech
2. Verbal and nonverbal communication tools
3. Public speaking: structure, genres, techniques of influence
4. Presentations in foreign languages
5. Preparing client-oriented speeches and presentations
6. Technical tools for delivering presentations
7. Conducting negotiations, including note-taking and minutes
8. Business communication
9. Overcoming stage fright, verbal aggression, and stress
Practice:
– Student speeches with feedback
– Argumentation and improvisation exercises
– Mini workshop on negotiations
– “Two-minute client pitch” mini-presentations

Module 6. Final Session and Career Development in Sales (Week 10)
Topics:
1. Personal brand of a salesperson
2. Career tracks: manager, team lead, head of department
3. Professional development strategies
4. Self-analysis and action plan
5. Review of key topics and Q&A

Final Assessment:
– Individual presentation/sales pitch
– Final evaluation in the form of a mini-negotiation or a pitch

Course Outcomes:
Graduates of the program will acquire:
– A complete set of practical skills in sales and customer service management
– Persuasive and professional oral and written communication skills
– The ability to design and deliver presentations and conduct negotiations
– Proficiency in basic CRM and analytics tools
– Knowledge of business etiquette and resilience in stressful communication
– Awareness of career paths and their strengths