Top 3 Sales Coach Certifications

Last updated on July 29, 2024

Sales is one of the essential skills in the business world and the ultimate source of revenue generation for companies. But often, selling doesn’t come naturally to employees, and they need guidance and training. This explains the immense need for sales coaching across numerous industries. 

Do you want to build a sales coaching career? The following sales coach certification programs will open the doors to the world of sales coaching and equip you with tools for success.

Since there are numerous programs available, we’ve narrowed the list to only the best certifications designed specifically for sales coaches. 

• iNLP – Best for Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) Sales Approach 
• Transformation Academy – Best Hands-on Program
• Harvest Global – Best for Sales Mindset and Communication

What Is a Sales Coach?

Sales coaches work with individuals or groups to help them improve their selling abilities. Their list of clients can include companies, entrepreneurs, managers, employees, and many others. 

What does a sales coach do? A sales coach provides guidance and introduces effective selling techniques to improve the following:

• Sales skills
• Understanding customers and their needs
• Time management
• Sales results
• Resilience when dealing with rejection
• Motivation

How To Become a Sales Coach

Interest in sales and strong people skills are the foundation of sales coaching, but to become a certified sales coach, you’ll likely also need a sales coaching certification.

Is certification necessary in the sales coaching industry? Getting certified isn’t required; you can call yourself a sales coach without it. However, the training you’ll get through the course has great value. 

A certification program can enhance your sales skills and knowledge, help you meet other professionals in this field, build your credibility, and assist you in marketing your coaching practice. 

Factors to Consider When Choosing a Sales Coach Training

How can you know which program is right for you? For starters, you can take into account the following key factors. 

Program Cost

Investing in your credentials and knowledge can be quite expensive, so the program’s cost can play a huge role. If you have a set budget, this can eliminate certain programs. Or, if you have no limitations, you can expand your educational journey and potentially enroll in several programs over time. What also affects the price is whether the program is online or in-person. Online courses typically offer more diversity and more flexibility.

Course Length

When choosing a sales coaching course, it’s important to consider how it fits into your schedule and coaching objectives. Luckily, a wide variety of programs are available, so you can pick the one that aligns with your plans. For maximum freedom, you can opt for self-paced courses.

Accreditation

You can become a sales coach and run a successful practice without accreditation, but this can be a plus if you want to enhance your business’s credibility. In the coaching industry, the most reputable accreditation is provided by the International Coach Federation (ICF).

Best Sales Coaching Certification Programs

NLP Option: iNLP

Many elite salespeople apply neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) techniques in their approach for more effective sales. If you want to be an NLP sales professional, iNLP’s NLP Sales Training is for you!

The course is unique and innovative and aims to help you increase your close ratio and pass on the knowledge to your clients. They put focus on boosting confidence, improving non-verbal communication, understanding clients’ needs, and persuasion. You’ll also learn about the application of NLP practices and powerful techniques. 

This is a self-paced course that gives you lifetime access to learning materials. On top of that, you can choose whether you want to have live training sessions or not. 

• Course Length: Self-paced
• Program Cost: $199–without live training sessions; $399–with live training sessions
• Accreditation: ICF
• Mode of Delivery: Online

Hands-on Option: Transformation Academy

If you prefer practical courses that offer ready-to-use tools and frameworks, you should check out Transformation Academy’s comprehensive Sales Coach Certification. In addition to hands-on tools and techniques, they’ll assist you in designing a step-by-step sales, prospecting, and closing program that you can use with your coaching clients.

Through the course, you’ll learn all about sales psychology, sales strategy, buyer and seller mindsets, and more. What we also like about the curriculum is that it covers different prospecting strategies, including email, phone, face-to-face, text, and social media. 

If you want to know more about Transformation Academy, you can check out our review.

• Course Length: Self-paced
• Program Cost: $197
• Accreditation: Continuing Professional Development Standards Agency (CPD)
• Mode of Delivery: Online

Special Offer: Get 50% off all certification programs at Transformation Academy by clicking our link or entering code LIFECOACHMAG at checkout.

Sales Mindset and Communication Option: Harvest Global 

Harvest Global’s Certified Sales Coach Program has a strong focus on helping you build a shatterproof sales mindset and turning you into an effective communicator. They have recognized the most common challenges of sales professionals—mental blocks, perceptions, and lack of know-how—and designed a program that tackles those obstacles.

The modules delve into activating a sales coach mindset, enhancing communication, developing a high-performance team, and championing a development culture. You’ll also get 10 hours of mentor coaching.

• Course Length: Self-paced
• Program Cost: Available upon request
• Accreditation: ICF
• Mode of Delivery: Online

Alternatives (non-niche)

Niching down in your coaching practice has its benefits, but only if you have a solid foundation already. Do you need to get a broader coaching experience first? You can browse through life coaching certification programs and build your skills further.

If you like comprehensive and practical programs and ICF accreditation, our recommendation is Coach Training Alliance. You can find out why we chose them over so many others in our in-depth review. 

FAQs

• How much does a sales coach make?

According to Glassdoor, the average sales coach’s salary is $58,601 per year. As your experience grows, your fee will as well, and your annual income can reach $87,201 or more. 

• Do you need a certification to be a sales coach?

Certification isn’t a prerequisite, but it is the path to credibility, clients, and establishing your niche. 

• How much does a sales coach certification cost?

The fee for sales coaching programs starts from less than $100 and can exceed $500.

• Does accreditation matter in a sales coach certification program?

Accreditation matters in terms of adding credibility to your certification, but it isn’t necessary. 

• What is the most recognized coaching certification? 

Singling out just one program as the most recognized one is difficult, and coaches and clients can’t be familiar with all of them anyhow. If you want more recognition, you can aim at accredited certification by a well-established institution like ICF or CPD.

Conclusion

Working with companies, managers, successful salespeople, and other business-oriented individuals can be a thrilling and financially rewarding career. With these sales coaching certification programs, you can get the training you want and establish your coaching business. 

From unique NLP sales training to practical Transformation Academy courses, there’s something for everyone. For those who want to explore more, Coach Training Alliance and other life coaching programs can make that happen. 

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