Prep Guide - Autodesk AEC-Civil Channel Certification Exam for Sales Representatives

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Prep Guide: Autodesk AEC‐Civil Channel Certification Exam for Sales Representatives

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Partner Competency and Autodesk WW Sales

We want you to be successful. You are responsible for selling to, servicing and supporting our shared customer base. Your success is our success. This document exists to help ensure that you, our valued partner:

Understand our target industries.

Have the knowledge and skills you need to be successful.

Spend as much time in the field as possible, with our customers versus time in classroom training.

Channel Certification is about ensuring that you know what you need to know and can demonstrate your abilities in the safe, controlled environment of Autodesk® Learning Central. By understanding what you know, and helping you improve your skills, we can help you win more deals, faster.

Also, we want to avoid overloading you with training content. You are a professional, and your full-time job is selling Autodesk® solutions. By testing what you know, we can determine the areas where you need to hone your skills. As Ken Bado says, we need to sharpen the saw every day. This tool is here to help create a sharp, clean, and accurate edge.

Take a bit of time to understand the concepts behind the exam and the training content that we build for you.

This “core” exam covers the key competencies that enable you to understand the main products that Autodesk offers in your industry, and how those products make our customers more successful. This knowledge will help you become a trusted advisor to our shared customers.

The Core Channel Certification Exams

Based on your job role and the industry you support, we have an exam for you:

Job Roles Industry

Sales Representative

Pre-Sales Technical

Product Support

Consultant

AEC (Building and Civil)

Media and Entertainment

Manufacturing

Horizontal Design

Introduction to Channel Certification

Welcome to the Autodesk® Channel Certification Program! This document helps guide you to success on the Channel Certification exam, and ensures that you are on-message with Autodesk® goals, programs, and initiatives for the year!

Follow this short, simple guide to gain an understanding of the following topics:

Partner Competency and Autodesk® WW Sales & Services Training

The Core Channel Certification Exams

The Competencies: Skills and Behaviors

How to Take the Exam


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The Competencies: Behaviors and Knowledge

In order to gauge partner performance, we needed a standard scale that could help us objectively measure skills and behaviors. If you have ever studied psychology, you know how difficult this measurement can be. We worked with industry experts to build a competency model – a map of the skills and behaviors that successful professionals display every day – to help us:

Honestly and objectively measure partner performance.

Help our partners understand where they are strong, and where they need to improve.

Build concise, streamlined training material that does not waste your time.

The competency model is extensive, but this year we will be focusing on a subset of the total competencies to help you ease into this new learning system. The key competencies for all roles follow this introduction.

How to Take the Exam

The best way to experience the Channel Certification core exam for your role and industry is:

Step Action

1. Go to Autodesk® Learning Central

2. Click the Certification Exam in your Learning Path



Take the exam! You have up to five (5) attempts to pass the exam, and we are advocating that you use at least one of those attempts to find out what you already know, then…

Remediate. Use the remediation links in the online competency maps to find specific training content to help you learn more about the areas where you have missed specific questions. We are always working to build new, concise content to help you improve your skills in the minimum amount of time.

When you are ready, take the exam again. You can see your scores from each previous attempt in the exam launch window.

3. Enroll in the exam and Launch it!

4. Here’s the exam start link.


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Before You Begin

The Preparation Guide provides the detailed information on how to best prepare to take the channel certification exam for your specific role and industry combination. Please read through this guide as it outlines:

critical competency areas detailed behaviors and knowledge to be successful and, recommended courses that are mapped to these key competencies.

It is highly recommended that you read through the competency areas and supporting courseware as this will best prepare you to take the exam and pass your certification.

Note

We strongly suggest that you take (write) the exam on a computer connected to a hardwired network connection. Wireless connections are not recommended.

Environment Set Up

Close all applications except Internet Explorer and Autodesk applications outlined in the “Required Exam Component” section of this guide.

Stop system backups and anti-virus scans.

Do not hit the F5 key or refresh your browser while taking the exam.

Click the “Finish Exam” button when you have completed the exam to record your results.

Exam System Requirements

Supported operating system, browser, and additional requirements for end users of Autodesk Learning Central.

Windows hardware requirements

Intel or AMD processor (1GHz or faster)

At least 1GB RAM (at least 2 GB RAM for Vista)

Bandwidth: 1000 Kbps or higher

Screen Resolution: 1280 x 800 or higher

Microsoft® Windows® 7 Home Premium, Professional or Ultimate (32-bit edition, or 64-bit edition with 32-bit browser)

Microsoft Internet Explorer 8 or later

Recommend ActiveX be enabled for Internet Explorer

JavaScript and cookies enabled

Pop-up blockers disabled

Adobe Flash Player 9 or later

Adobe Reader 9 or later

Microsoft Windows Vista® Home Basic, Home Premium, Ultimate, Business, or Enterprise (32-bit edition, or 64-bit edition with 32-bit browser) OR Microsoft Windows XP Professional or Home Edition with Service Pack 3

Microsoft Internet Explorer 7 or later

Recommend ActiveX be enabled for Internet Explorer

JavaScript and cookies enabled

Pop-up blockers disabled



Adobe Flash Player 9 or later

Adobe Reader 9 or later

Sales Representative Exam Scenarios

The following scenario will be referenced during the exam.

Scenario: LJD Corporation

LJD Corporation is a large, multidiscipline engineering firm that employs 800 civil engineers and environmental scientists in 11 offices around the world. Approximately two-thirds of their overall revenue comes from local road and highway projects. The other third of the work is equally divided between environmental, land development, surveying, and planning work. While most of their long-term customers are government transportation agencies, over the past couple of years they have experienced an increase in private owner work in some of their locations as they actively work to displace competitors.

According to their website, LJD offers the following services:

Transportation planning and design, which includes feasibility and planning studies and design documentation, including:

Surveying o Road highway design o Construction phasing and staging documentation o As-built design documentation o Environmental impact studies and reports

3D modeling, such as terrain models for visualization purposes

Specialization in sustainable design

LJD Corporation is a current Autodesk® customer. You inherited this account from a retiring colleague. You know that in addition to using AutoCAD® and AutoCAD® Raster Design, the company also uses Bentley® InRoads® and GEOPAK®, Google SketchUp®, Leica Geosystems software, and ESRI® ArcView®. Your colleague has been planning to talk with them about standardizing on a single platform.

In preparation for a sales call, you have also been researching some of the company’s current projects. You’ve read in the newspaper that one local road highway project that LJD is involved with has experienced significant delays. The project involves completing some government on-call work for a local roadway redesign with a very restrictive deadline. The project schedule was shortened further by delays in the approval process. Unfortunately, LJD hasn’t been able to deliver on time due to code compliance issues and what appear to be communication errors. They are now being financially penalized as a result. Every day that the project continues past the deadline, LJD is losing profit.


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Industry Knowledge Competency

Applies industry knowledge to identify and solve customer needs and establish credibility.

Behaviors and Knowledge - Items in bold are critical to exam

General

Identifies industry competitors and describes their respective competitive solutions and current promotions.

Classifies strengths and weaknesses of competitive solutions for specific customer scenarios.

Defines key industry initiatives and describes how they relate to Autodesk® solutions.

Identifies industry segments and describes the primary business issues, initiatives, and drivers of each.

Identifies primary roles of customers within an industry and details at least five industry-related topics to discuss with someone in

each role.

Defines key industry terminology.

Relates industry best practices that are likely to be impacted by Autodesk® solutions.

Diagrams typical industry workflows to document how information flows, the people and teams involved, and the organizational

structure supporting the workflows.

Recognizes the resources (time, people, costs, etc.) associated with key tasks in industry processes.

Summarizes typical problems faced by companies in the industry.

Recalls typical software solutions used by the industry and maps these to specific tasks/problems addressed. Identifies current economic

trends within the industry.

Identifies and communicates relevant industry drivers of change.

Identifies the customers of the targeted customer.

Identifies influential contributors for a targeted industry, association, and company.

AEC-Civil Specific

Demonstrates knowledge of the civil engineering industry – key market segments, drivers, challenges, and trends.

Identifies the most appropriate prospective civil engineering firms to call on based on their projects and services.

Describes the daily tasks of civil engineers, designers, and drafters and tells how using Autodesk® products can help them work more

effectively.

Uses the Autodesk® Dynamic Civil Modeling story in sales presentations.

Describes the AEC ecosystem.

Collaborates with customers to ensure Autodesk® products are “designed in” (mandated) to actively drive demand.

Recognizes relevant local and national policies impacting the industry and identifies techniques for ensuring knowledge is current.

Describes the value proposition for design visualization in terms of ROI and differentiates the imagery output of Autodesk® 3ds Max®

Design from that of other key products.



Autodesk® Learning Central Courses

The following course(s) support the preceding competency behaviors and knowledge. Locate them on Autodesk® Learning Central by searching for course code or title. Code Title Description Cost Duration Delivery

CRS-EN-09-O-3168 Foundation for Success - Prework Foundation for Success is an established global on-boarding program that Autodesk highly recommends for our Channel Partners and Autodesk employees within the sales environment.

$0.00 USD 2 (to 4) hours

Online

CRS-EN-11-O-3476 Telling the BIM Story This video-based course will help you understand how to properly share the Autodesk® BIM (Building Information Modeling) story with your customers. A concise knowledge check completes the course and reinforces the key messages for you to remember. This ten-minute investment will ensure that you get maximum leverage from the Autodesk® marketing efforts around BIM.

$0.00 USD 10 mins Online

CRS-EN-10-O-3708 Value of BIM for the AEC Industry The Value of BIM for the AEC Industry, for Sales and Pre-sales application experts, is designed to help increase your knowledge about BIM for all disciplines in the AEC Industry, With this knowledge you will be able to help educate customers on the benefits of the BIM model, the positioning of AutoCAD® based products, implementation strategies, and its application to sustainability. The course will stress the benefits and advantages to both the sales persons and the customers.

$0.00 1 hour, 45 mins

Online

CRS-EN-10-O-2077 Selling Design Visualization for Civil Engineering

Understanding the importance of Visualization in the Civil industry. Attendees will be able to address the value of visualization as a communication and presentation tool for the transportation community.

$0.00 USD 1 hour Online

Other Resources

Access the Sales Toolkit on the Autodesk Partner Portal. Use the Sales and Marketing Tools Finder at the bottom of the homepage.

Title Location Delivery

Autodesk® Advantage for Roads and Highways Customer-Facing Presentation (pptx)

Autodesk Partner Portal > Sales and Marketing > Industry Solutions > Architecture, Engineering and Construction > Civil Infrastructure > Transportation > Competitive Intelligence > Autodesk Advantage for Roads and Highways Customer-Facing Presentation (pptx)

Presentation

AutoCAD Civil 3D 2011 Sales Presentation

Autodesk Partner Portal > Sales and Marketing > Products > Civil Infrastructure > AutoCAD Civil 3D > AutoCAD Civil 3D 2011 Sales Presentation (pptx)

Presentation


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Customer Knowledge and Qualification Competency

Assesses customer business needs, politics, and goals to determine the quality of the opportunity.


Prioritizes sales opportunities based on the probability for success.

Applies best practices for qualifying a customer.

Defines key terminology related to qualification.

Identifies customer’s expectations for a meeting.

Meets with people from all levels of a customer organization.

Describes techniques for reaching and meeting with key decision makers.

Tracks activities of target customers.

Demonstrates common best practices for gaining entry to a new or existing customer.

Conducts a needs analysis.

Discusses business issues and impacts with customers.

Analyzes the current activities in a customer business to identify risks and opportunities that may influence a sale.

Analyzes customer communications to identify risks and business concerns.

Phrases issues, statements, and questions from a customer viewpoint, using customer terminology.

Identifies and speaks to a variety of people at all levels of the organization, and triangulates the data gathered.

Identifies all of the stakeholders involved to narrow down the target list of interviewees.

Adjusts the strategy and process for different levels of an organization.

Tailors messages to individuals.

Conducts process audits with the support of a sales engineer.

Relates the funding approval process of a specific customer.

Describes the customer’s competitive strengths and weaknesses.

Determines if a customer is driven by price or value, and then if the customer is growth or cost driven, and uses this information to adjust time allocation and strategy.





CRS-EN-10-O-3708

Value of BIM for the AEC Industry

The Value of BIM for the AEC Industry, for Sales and Pre-sales application experts, is designed to help increase your knowledge about BIM for all disciplines in the AEC Industry, With this knowledge you will be able to help educate customers on the benefits of the BIM model, the positioning of AutoCAD based products, implementation strategies and its application to Sustainability. The course will stress the benefits and advantages to both the sales persons and the customers.

$0.00 2 hours, 15 mins

Online

CRS-EN-10-O-3466

Autodesk Subscription 101 The subscription course provides an overview of the value of subscription and the benefits for partners to sell this leading edge solution to our customers.

$0.00 USD

30 mins Online

CRS-EN-10-O-2077

Selling Design Visualization for Civil Engineering


$0.00 USD

1 hour Online

Other Resources



AutoCAD® Civil 3D® 2011 Product Description

Autodesk Partner Portal > Sales and Marketing > Products > Civil Infrastructure > AutoCAD Civil 3D > AutoCAD Civil 3D 2011 Product Description

Presentation

AutoCAD® Civil 3D® 2011 Sales Presentation


Presentation


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Solution Development Competency

Constructs and communicates a solution designed to meet the prioritized business needs of a customer.


Quantifies and articulates the value of a proposed solution in terms of the overall impact to a customer’s business.

Describes how a proposed solution impacts a customer’s profitability and cash flow.

Assesses the risks and rewards of a proposed solution for a given customer scenario.

Analyzes the customer needs, creates and validates a prioritized list, and designs a solution that addresses the top priorities.

Aligns the goals and objectives of the solution sale to the goals and objectives of the power person.

Relates the value proposition of the solution using customer-centric language.

Relates the value proposition of Autodesk subscription using customer-centric language.

Aligns the offering with the customer’s goals, critical success factors (CSFs), and strategic vision.

Describes in detail how the solution could be used in the customer environment.

Describes the process changes associated with adoption of the solution.

Differentiates between his/her own reseller company’s value proposition and others in the territory.

Creates a plan for positioning against competitors given a specific opportunity.

Develops a written proposal with an executive summary, definition of the problem, explanation of the solutions, expected ROI, related success story, proposed implementation plan, timeline, and reseller information.

Describes the solution in the context of the divisional industry messaging of Autodesk.

Adapts the divisional messaging to specific customer roles.

Identifies cross-grade opportunities from AutoCAD® and AutoCAD LT®.

Identifies upgrade opportunities for installed Autodesk® products.

Designs a complete solution to solve primary customer business issues.

Identifies and communicates best practices for the approach to and timing of implementation and training based on successes in other companies with similar business profiles.

Describes financing and leasing options and their impact on customers.

Identifies best practices and designs repeatable offerings that leverage them.





CRS-EN-10-O-3708

Value of BIM for the AEC Industry

The Value of BIM for the AEC Industry, for Sales and Pre-sales application experts, is designed to help increase your knowledge about BIM for all disciplines in the AEC Industry, With this knowledge you will be able to help educate customers on the benefits of the BIM model, the positioning of AutoCAD based products, implementation strategies and its application to Sustainability. The course will stress the benefits and advantages to both the sales persons and the customers.


Online

CRS-EN-10-O-3466


$0.00USD 30 mins Online

CRS-EN-10-O-2077



$0.00USD 1 hour Online

Other Resources



AutoCAD® Civil 3D® 2010 Product Descriptions

Autodesk Partner Portal > Sales and Marketing > Products > Civil Infrastructure > AutoCAD Civil 3D > 2010 > AutoCAD Civil 3D Product Descriptions (docx)

Document

AutoCAD Civil 3D 2010 Top 10 Reasons

Autodesk Partner Portal > Sales and Marketing > Products > Civil Infrastructure > AutoCAD Civil 3D > 2010 > AutoCAD Civil 3D 2010 Top 10 Reasons (docx)

Document

Navisworks Value Prompters Autodesk Partner Portal > Sales and Marketing > Products > Architecture > Autodesk Navisworks > Autodesk Navisworks 2011 Value Prompters

Document


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Sales Process Competency

Adapts and applies core sales processes consistently to advance opportunities.


Describes the primary processes and tools related to core sales methodologies using standard terminology.

Defines the organizational chart for a target customer and identifies political influencers and the inner circle.

Employs best practices related to a trial close.

Acts upon customers’ buying signals with relevant closing techniques.

Asks for referrals from customers.

Demonstrates use of internal and external referrals.

Adapts personal selling approach to the customer’s buying preferences.

Adapts sales approach and sales cycle expectations to the locality and the industry.

Adapts personal sales approach to address customer discomfort with the buying decision.

Uses a variety of sales tools/activities to keep the customer engaged.

Uses strategies to gain access to competitively held accounts.

Leverages the customer’s budgeting processes to determine the best sales approach.

Describes best practices and activities that drive sales results.

Differentiates between the approach to selling software and the approach to selling services.

Describes techniques and best practices for shortening the sales cycle.

Calculates the cost of a sale and adjusts approach/priorities if necessary.


The following course(s) support the preceding competency behaviors and knowledge. Locate them on Autodesk® Learning Central by searching

Code Title Description Cost Duration Delivery

CRS-EN-10-O-3331

Selling AEC Solutions Designed for Sales and Pre-sales application experts, this course takes the student through the four stages of the sales process: Investigate, Plan, Engage, and Execute. The course highlights key activities and actions that a reseller sales partner should take at each stage of the sales cycle by identifying the target customer, planning for customer interaction, engaging with the customer through effective listening, asking probing questions, and developing a solution for the customer.

$0.00 1 hour, 15 mins

Online

CRS-EN-10-O-2077



$0.00 USD

1 hour Online



Negotiation Competency

Employs negotiation skills at every stage of the sales process to advance the sale and increase the value.


Calculates and conveys the value of customer requests and asks for items or relative value in return.

Assesses whether or not a negotiation is being conducted with the right person at the right level of the organization.

Negotiates agreements that optimize results for the reseller organization and the customer’s organization.

Demonstrates the ability to overcome customer objections in a manner that addresses the customer’s concerns handling customer objections in a down economy.

Identifies areas and topics where a customer is willing to be flexible.

Explains the ramifications of saying yes or no.

Describes techniques for resolving common customer requests.

Uses networking best practices to influence other people.



CRS-EN-10-O-2681

100minutes™ to Improved Sales Results

Welcome to 100minutes™ to Improved Sales Results. This unique web 2.0 program will give you new and powerful tools to close better business, and do it more efficiently than ever before. The 100minutes™ to Improved Sales Results program is based on one of the most successful sales training programs at Autodesk®, Situational Sales Negotiation™. This methodology has been delivered to thousands of Autodesk® managers, sales representatives, and reseller partners. It has been a major contributor to our success in recent years. Now this powerful program is available to you in an online, video-based format. We know you’re busy, so we’ve made this program fast and easy.

$0.00 USD

1 hour, 40 mins

Online

CRS-EN-10-1196

Handling Objections in a Down Economy

Have you been hearing sales objections from your customers regarding the down economy? Across all industries, our customers are faced with a difficult business environment that may challenge the productivity and feature-based values that motivate customers in better financial times. This interactive training session that will arm you with winning strategies for overcoming some of the most common objections raised by customers, directly from the Autodesk Sales Representatives who use them. In the session, you will review how to handle the following common objections: No budget; Slow business; Lay-offs; Economy; Cost.

$0.00 USD

45 mins Online


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Interviewing Competency

Applies active listening and questioning techniques to discover customer needs and opportunities.


Demonstrates the active listening skills of repeating/restating, paraphrasing, clarifying, reflecting, checking perceptions, and summarizing to confirm understanding.

Differentiates between the defined active listening skills and uses each appropriately to increase understanding.

Practices the nonverbal technique of silence to encourage communication and to avoid interrupting and making assumptions.

Demonstrates empathy to reflect customer’s feelings and content.

Employs techniques to focus the conversation to avoid unproductive tangents.

Uses different types of questions to stimulate a discussion of critical business issues.

Employs a “top-down” questioning approach to gain a big picture view and then prioritizes detailed questions.

Asks thoughtful, probing questions that uncover the customer’s needs and motives.

Identifies subjective words in a customer response and investigates further.

Other Resources



AutoCAD® Civil 3D® 2011 Sales Presentation


Presentation



Business and Financial Acumen Competency

Analyzes a customer’s business to develop a well-rounded view of the company to identify needs and risks and assess priorities to predict opportunities and build a trusted advisor relationship. Behaviors and Knowledge - Items in bold are critical to exam

Defines key financial terms related to running a business and relates them to customer concerns and internal initiatives.

Demonstrates the ability to perform typical business-related math.

Calculates percentages, time, and how time impacts cost within an industry or industry segment.

Translates a spreadsheet into a narrative story about the company.

Relates how different types of businesses are structured and generate profit.

Analyzes a customer’s business in relation to key competitors and industry trends.

Analyzes customer’s business performance data to help develop a sales strategy.

Uses a variety of financial reports to draw conclusions about a customer’s financial health.

Uses knowledge of interrelationships among customer business functions in sales efforts.

Determines the methods for measuring the return on investment appropriate to a specific customer and sales situation and calculates the projected return.

Constructs a big picture view of a given company to show impact of a given process, department, or initiative on all areas of the business.

Relates where similar companies are investing and/or concretely reacting to industry trends.

Describes the current business market and how it relates to target customers.



CRS-EN-09-O-1021

Why Finance Matters™ ! Why Finance Matters!™ will provide you with the knowledge and tools to understand bottom line accountability and apply financial techniques to everyday decision-making. Focus on the first four modules of this interactive course to understand the language of finance.

$0.00 USD

3 hours Online

CRS-EN-10-O-3708

Value of BIM for the AEC Industry:

The Value of BIM for the AEC Industry, for Sales and Pre-sales application experts, is designed to help increase your knowledge about BIM for all disciplines in the AEC Industry, With this knowledge you will be able to help educate customers on the benefits of the BIM model, the positioning of AutoCAD® based products, implementation strategies, and its application to Sustainability. The course will stress the benefits and advantages to both the sales persons and the customers.


Online


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Resources Competency

Recognizes and uses context-specific resources to aid the sales process.


Identifies the available resources for sales, which may include:

People

Autodesk® people, such as mentors, territory managers, vertical managers, partner managers, etc.

Pre-sales technical people

Internal and external consultants

Suppliers

Support team

Customers

Sales and Prospecting Tools and Data

Price books

Technical brochures

Success stories

White papers

Value Prompters

TAS Opportunity

Plan Meeting planners

Corporate presentations

Product presentations

Marketing

Autodesk® promotions/campaigns

Metrics Industry data

Autodesk® Websites

Partner Center

Partner Portal

Autodesk® Learning Central

Describes the types of content available in each of the identified resource types and how each type can be used effectively durinthe sales process.

Aligns resources to customer needs to assist in framing the solution in the customer’s mind.

Leverages existing business successes to develop new business with other potential customers.

Leverages the Autodesk® brand.





CRS-EN-10-O-3466


$0.00 USD

30 mins Online

CRS-EN-09-O-3168

Foundation for Success - Prework

Foundation for Success is an established global on-boarding program that Autodesk highly recommends for our Channel Partners and Autodesk employees within the sales environment.

$0.00 USD

2 (to 4) hours

Online

Other Resources

Title Description Delivery

License Compliance Playbook License Compliance Playbook Web

Additional Competencies

A Sales Representative should also be proficient in the following competencies, which are not currently included in the exam.

Account/Client Management Applies account and client management techniques to ensure customer satisfaction, develop the

relationship, and grow the account.

Change Management Applies change management best practices to sales situations to help set customer expectations

of a solution.

Communication Relates information in writing and orally in an organized, succinct, convincing, and professional

business manner.

Forecasting and Pipeline Creates, manages, and analyzes an individual pipeline to ensure sales goals are met on time.

Opportunity Planning Creates detailed plans for sales opportunities that answer the questions of who, what, when,

where, and why.

Teaming/Networking Demonstrates effective teaming and networking skills internally, with customers, with people in the

industry, and with Autodesk Territory.

Planning Analyzes the territory to define and classify the sales opportunities.

Time Management Analyzes sales tasks to determine priorities related to opportunities, forecast, and quota.

Prep Guide - Autodesk AEC-Civil Channel Certification Exam for Sales Representatives

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