Year Up's Client Services & Sales Support specialty prepares students for job functions in customer service, Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system use, professional written and verbal communications, and introductory sales with practical skills in communication, customer service and sales. Training is geared toward concepts and practical application of customer service constructs such as problem-solving, active listening, de-escalation, and professional communications; use of CRM systems to enter, update, query and report on customer and sales data and take a customer record through the stages of an engagement cycle; utilizing Outlook to engage clients and manage customer interactions; sales basics including concepts such as the sales cycle, sales roles, products, relationship management, and sales tools and techniques along with practical application in a sales or personal banking work context.

Skills Development at a Glance: What Students Learn

• Articulate a product’s value proposition and tailor a sales pitch to customer needs/concerns
• Strategies for building credibility and rapport with customers during sales interactions and building relationships with customers over time
• Identify and close on opportunities for upselling and cross-selling during a customer interaction
• Utilize active listening, problem solving, negotiation, effective inquiry, researching company resources, and leveraging insights to meet and maintain goals and KPIs
• Leverage a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system to input and change customer information, build and export reports, take notes on customer interactions, and move a customer record through a complete engagement cycle
• Use market, client, and sales performance data to identify areas for growth or improvement in the sales function
• Identify and qualify leads; conduct research through social media and other channels to identify leads and gather data about prospective accounts
• Utilize strategies, like empathy, for handling objections and responding to challenging customer behaviors, with resilience to bounce back and ensure high quality customer experience
• Email communication skills and how to manage an email thread/conversation to demonstrate responsiveness and follow-through

Specialty Training Focus Areas:

• Sales & Client Services
• Sales Practicum
• Customer Service for Sales, Customer Support, & Business
• CRM Systems
• Email Communication
• Consumer Banking*
• Year Up’s Standard Training  

*Consumer Banking Supplemental Training course is available in lieu of Sales Practicum in support of role pathways like Personal Banking, Financial Products Servicing, and Financial Advisory/Other Licensed Sales Support.

Training at Work: Typical Job Tasks

• Handle inbound customer inquiries and generate sales through renewals, upselling, and cross-selling opportunities
• Support sales staff by opening/updating client accounts, processing documentation, analyzing reports and data, scheduling communications, and creating client contracts
• Identify, research, & qualify new account opportunities
• Utilize customer relationship management (CRM) systems to record and access information about clients and sales leads
• Communicate through inbound calls or as 2nd point of contact with clients initially, with increased outbound customer interaction over time as skills are mastered

Path to a Career: Training-Enabled Role Pathways

• Personal Banking
• Financial Advisory/Other Licensed Sales Support
• Inside/Outside Sales Support
• Inbound Sales/Inbound Sales Support
• Sales Operations & Analytics
• Client Services

Example Roles Filled by Graduates:

• Personal / Relationship Banker
• Sales & Support Representative
• Sales Development Representative
• Inbound Sales Representative
• Sales Support Representative
• Contract Support Representative