Sales and Telesales

Selling is a very important process – it is the lifeblood of most organisations. If they do not sell their products or services, companies can easily go out of business. They therefore make sure they recruit promising trainees, give them the best opportunities and hold their good sales people in high esteem.

Good salesmanship involves helping customers to buy a product or service to meet their needs. As a job, this involves meeting people, building relationships, addressing challenges, being creative in offering solutions and thinking independently. As these skills are relevant to many aspects of our daily lives, selling isn’t just a business skill; it’s also a valuable life skill that could help in many circumstances, from ‘selling’ your skills at a job interview to ‘selling’ your ideas during a debate.

As an Apprentice you could find yourself working in a range of sectors. You may be, for example, a sales advisor in a retail store environment, or a membership advisor in a health and fitness club.

On the Advanced Level Apprenticeship, you could take on a supervisory role as team leader and have the ability to earn higher rates of commission. Ultimately, your goal will be to sell as many of your company’s products and services as possible, while taking into consideration the interests of your clients. Customers are important, and you’ll have to seek out new customers while still looking after the current ones.

Businesses realise the importance of salespeople – money tends to be good, most salespeople earn commission, and they can even be treated to presents or other bonuses like free holidays. In fact, a top-flight senior salesperson could command a salary of up to £100,000, plus commission. But there’s also the other side of things to consider: just because you’re selling something doesn’t mean that people want to buy it. Salespeople have to abide by ethical standards that reflect their professionalism. Their training will focus on the ability to remain calm under pressure and be able to handle rejection gracefully…with the motivation to try again when the opportunity arise.

Intermediate Apprenticeship You will need 4 GCSEs at grade D or above in a minimum of 3 subject areas (one of these must be in English or Maths) or a relevant Level 1 qualification and Level 1 Maths and English.

Advanced Apprenticeship You will need at least 5 GCSEs at grade C or above in a minimum of 3 subject areas (one of these must be in English or Maths) or successful completion of an Intermediate Apprenticeship, or equivalent.

Advanced Level Apprenticeship:

• Sales Consultant/Supervisor
• Sales Manager
• Telesales Professional
• Salesperson

Assessment is through practical observation and theoretical tests.