Certified Fragrance Sales Specialist Course (CFSS)

The Fragrance Foundation UK Internet Education Programme for Fragrance Consultants

In 2003, the Directors of Fragrance Foundation UK introduced the exclusive Certified Fragrance Sales Specialist course. This course is designed to recognise the professionalism of fragrance selling. It allows qualified participants to be tested and certified based upon a pre-determined body of knowledge, including the generic world of fragrance and the basic techniques of successful selling. The fragrance sales consultant receiving the highest examination score will be invited to London to be honoured at the FiFi UK Fragrance Awards Ceremony, on 22nd April 2009 at The Dorchester.

The qualification is called the Certified Fragrance Sales Specialist - or CFSS - and it embodies key aims of the Fragrance Foundation to raise awareness of fragrance and to educate. To qualify as a CFSS involves participating in a unique fragrance training course followed by an exam. Studying for the qualification and taking the exam itself are all done on computer on the internet. Approximately 15 hours of studying is required.

The course is now open to UK beauty consultants but before making it available, The Fragrance Foundation put the course through its paces. Some 25 consultants and training managers from several brands including Estée Lauder, L'Oreal, Dior and Aramis and Designer Fragrances were invited to study the course and take the exam. The verdict from all 25 was unanimous: the CFSS programme is a first rate way of increasing the consultants fragrance know-how and of recognising her or his professionalism and excellence.

The course is extremely comprehensive and includes the history of fragrance and a thorough grounding on fragrance families and olfactory and fragrance terms. Qualified Certified Fragrance Sales Specialists will gain an immense amount of practical fragrance know-how including a thorough understanding of the construction of classic and modern fragrances, techniques to improve sense of smell and how the qualified CFSS can best use their new found expertise. The Study Guide has been prepared in conjunction with one of the most respected authorities in the field of certification, as well as the US Sense of Smell Institute and members of the fragrance industry from retail, manufacturing and sales training.

The Fragrance Foundation's education programme in the US has seen the qualification of over 5000 Certified Fragrance Sales Specialists in the 12 years since the project started. In 2001 the programme went online for the first time and made it possible for many more consultants throughout the USA to study anywhere and anytime whatever their schedule and whatever their location. It is this same online course that the UK Fragrance Foundation are offering UK fragrance consultants. UK consultants now have the opportunity of raising their fragrance skills and know-how to a higher level of knowledge and professionalism and be able to test themselves and achieve a trusted qualification that will recognise their expertise in the fragrance field.

The course runs from February to April and August to October each year and thanks to the online flexibility candidates can choose when and where to log in and study. Once each candidate has completed their studies they can take the online exam anytime between 1st April and 15th April 2008 and 1st October and 31st October 2008.

The cost of participating in the programme is £100 plus VAT = £117.50 for members of the Foundation and £125 plus VAT = £146.88 for non members. Candidates need to be sponsored by their employer or a member of Fragrance Foundation UK.

To enter the CFSS programme please print and fill in the application form. To print the application form please click here.

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