Business Development and Sales Skills for Engineers and Geoscientists

Ralph Kison

President, Kison Inc. and Growth Through Learning Inc.

Ralph Kison is the President of Kison Inc., a professional development firm, and Growth Through Learning Inc., an eLearning firm. He works with individuals, organizations, and professional associations across North America in business-to-business and professional services environments.

Ralph facilitates team building and ‘lessons learned’ sessions for project teams and also provides services focusing on employee and organizational development in the areas of leadership, coaching, mentoring, and succession planning. He also works with organizations across North America to improve their business development, sales, and customer-service effectiveness.

Ralph’s career includes over 30 years working with firms in the engineering, architecture, environmental services, geoscience, construction, building products, distribution, and insurance sectors. He brings experience, perspective, and passion to assist organizations and their employees in maximizing their potential and impact. Ralph has taught professional sales courses at the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) and the VANSEC I program for Sales and Marketing Executives International of Vancouver (SMEI).

Participants receive 3 months of access to the myKISON eLearning program, monthly 90-minute webinars facilitated by program creator Ralph Kison. The webinars include case studies, role plays, and peer discussions so participants can apply the content to their own situations. 

Program Overview

The program is presented in 4 “on-your-time” online courses supported by 3 interactive webinars and covers the topics of Business Development, Priority Management, Personal Branding, and The Sales Diamond™—a 6-step beginning-to-end sales process providing attendees with the framework to both “Earn The Right” to sell and "Secure Commitment" from clients.

Learning Objectives

The Kison Sales Diamond™:

• Utilize the Sales Diamond™ framework to elicit positive client responses, eliminate the stigma of being “salesy,” and become seen as a high-value solution provider.
• Move away from an “always be closing” mindset to one of leading your clients to informed, value-based buying decisions.
• Apply strategies for selling via social media, telephone, face-to-face, and other communication methods.
• Design and conduct sales presentations to persuasively address client buying motivations.
• Professionally disengage from unprofitable clients to free up time for your best clients.
• Follow up with clients using relationship-building strategies to ensure client satisfaction and loyalty.

Kison Business Development:

• Develop the mindset and skills required to become an effective rainmaker.
• Differentiate yourself and your firm as a strategic partner and trusted advisor based on the value of your services and expertise.
• Shorten the buying cycle by leveraging your personal network to connect with decision makers.
• Secure profitable work by designing high-impact, value-based solutions and options, rather than by competing on the lowest price or fee.
• Develop prospecting strategies to obtain leads and referrals in an efficient manner.
• Strategically up-sell and cross-sell your expertise and services to profitable clients.

Kison Priority Management:

• Honestly evaluate your current time usage.
• Accomplish more of your goals in less time by defining them according to a formula for increased motivation.
• Apply the Time Management Matrix to gain greater perspective on the correct order to accomplish tasks.
• Schedule your goals according to the Priority Management Process.
• Filter prospects using qualifying criteria to identify probable and profitable opportunities.
• Apply effective delegation strategies to offload tasks that are better performed by others.

Kison Personal Branding:

• Honestly assess the current state of your personal brand.
• View yourself as a “product” on the market with unique features, advantages, and benefits.
• Create a series of assets that powerfully convey the value you bring to the table.
• Understand what really motivates people to select you over others, and how to position yourself favorably.
• Identify and overcome common fears that may be holding you back from actively building your personal brand.

Monthly Webinars

• Webinar 1: The Kison Sales Diamond™: Earn The Right; Wednesday, January 31, 2024 from 9:30 AM-11:00 AM Pacific time
• Webinar 2: The Kison Sales Diamond™: Secure Commitment; Wednesday, February 21, 2024 from 9:30 AM-11:00 AM Pacific time
• Webinar 3: Kison Business Development, Priority Management, and Personal Branding Courses; Wednesday, March 27, 2024 from 9:30 AM-11:00 AM Pacific time

Target Audience

This program will appeal to engineers and geoscientists who are or would like to become seller/doers, and to those aspiring to secure more profitable business, build their reputation, and advance within their organizations.

What Previous Participants Have Said About the Program

• "I want to thank you for the quality and insightful material in your Sales & Development course. The content was very well structured and presented, and I found it very easy to apply the lessons to a variety of real work situations even for non-sales applications. I would highly recommend this program to any professionals at any stage of their career regardless of their position."
• "I have always seen sales as a bit of a dirty word and a mysterious practice that at times can prey on the client. While that is still true, I was glad to see that there is another way and that I don't need to change myself to become one of those salespeople if what I have to offer is of true value to the prospective client. Moreover, I have always struggled with where to start when approaching business development and having a framework to hang to is exactly what I needed."