ISP News

The Institute of Sales Professionals has announced that two training organisations have joined the ranks of its endorsed training organisations. Competitive Edge is an awardwinning trainer that helps to develop high-performing sales teams and leaders. Meanwhile, Alate Business Growth specialises in business-tobusiness sales training for technology companies, across IT, telecoms, and software as a service (SaaS) in diverse global and… 

The importance of business-to-business (B2B) selling for jobs and growth in the UK was highlighted at Westminster on 19 April. In a debate at Westminster Hall, Mark Pawsey MP called for government support and recognition for the professional B2B sales sector. The MP, who leads the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Professional Sales, explained that the UK has struggled to recruit and… 

The Institute of Sales Professionals (ISP) is the new name for the Association of Professional Sales (APS) following a merger with the Institute of Sales Management (ISM). The new organisation was launched on 24 June and presents a “single, united voice for the entire sales profession, led by one team, under one name, dedicated to setting professional standards in sales”…. 

What does the merger mean for the sales profession as a whole? AH: In the UK, this clears up what people have been potentially confused about: one body being more focused on the custodianship of sales and the standards of sales, and the other being perhaps more commercial – open to sponsorship and doing magazines and award ceremonies. I think… 

UK lawmakers warn that Britain is suffering from a shortage of salespeople and sales skills. MPs say much more needs to be done to recruit and train people with strong B2B selling skills. Last month’s report by Westminster’s All-Party Parliamentary Group for Professional Sales underlined a persistent problem for the sales profession in the United Kingdom: quite simply, not enough… 

A job in sales can give you the skills to become a future business leader. The skills you need Many people think that to be successful in sales you need to be able to talk. It’s true; being able to communicate well is massively important but the “gift of the gab” is not required now, and frankly, never was. What… 

Britain is critically short of professional salespeople with the right leadership, negotiation and digital skills to win deals in new marketplaces, an inquiry by a cross-party group of MPs has found. In its first report, published as Britain prepares to leave the European Union, the All- Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Professional Sales highlights endemic problems in Britain’s sales sector… 

Two half-day programmes explored the interrelated issues of performance and talent. Driving improved sales performance via strategic insights and best practices was top of the agenda for delegates at a morning conference for APS members and guests at the Institution of Mechanical Engineers on 16 May. An afternoon conference focused on developing sales talent. Speakers included a mix of company… 

Royal Caribbean Cruises have been presented with the APS Investor in Sales award for passing the professional registration assessment. Professional registration with the APS demonstrates a commitment to ethical selling and the Investor in Sales award is granted to sales teams when more than 50 percent pass an exacting test. So far, more than 130 salespeople in the company’s pan-European… 

The Association of Professional Sales held its first meeting in francophone Africa on 19 June. The inaugural event in Dakar, Senegal, featured a presentation by Emmanuel Delvaux, Global Sales and Marketing Director, Schlumberger. Delvaux, who also doubles as International Development Manager of the APS, discussed “The art of negotiation: what challenges for a win-win approach?” Meanwhile, in the UK, the… 

TomTom Telematics has been recognised as an Investor in Sales for its commitment to ethical sales standards. More than 50 per cent of a company’s sales team are required to pass the APS professional registration assessment to gain this status. TomTom’s pass rate, across their UK sales force, was 100 per cent and their sales team now appear on the… 

Sales acceleration consultancy Durhamlane announced a new apprenticeship programme focused on improving sales skills on 7 March. Presented in partnership with the APS, the programme is aimed at both levy and non-levy paying organisations and will consist of blended training and coaching that can be delivered remotely over 18 months. “Our founding mission was to raise the bar of the… 

Former head of sales at Royal Mail, Graham Davis has been elected the new chair of the Association of Professional Sales’ executive board, the Association announced on 4 March. “I’m very excited to be working with the APS on the next phase of our growth as we steer the industry towards professional chartered status,” he tells the Journal. Davis was… 

The Association of Professional Sales launched its North West England branch at an event in Manchester on 14 November. Hosted by telecoms giant Vodafone at its Wythenshawe offices, the launch saw digital sales strategist and award-winning technology entrepreneur Warren Knight present a keynote address on the theme of social selling in the digital age. He explained a three-step process to… 

Some 10,000 new level-4 apprentices could soon be joining the UK sales profession every year. That’s the view of Association of Professional Sales joint CEO, Ben Turner. He told the Journal: ”There is no reason why not; there’s not been an employer of any size that has looked at this and said ‘having professionally qualified apprentices in sales is a… 

Early supporters of the Association of Professional Sales have the opportunity to be recognised as Founding Fellows of the APS, the organisation has announced. This unique offer is open until 1 July 2018. An APS spokesperson said that the APS is looking ahead to a breakout year with a jump in membership and corporate supporters. “As we build on strong… 

The Association of Professional Sales (APS) launched its first overseas chapter on 1 March as part of expansion plans in Asia. Held at the Central Public Library in Singapore, the theme of the event was “Redefining the Sales Profession – Engage. Empower. Elevate”. The packed programme was opened by Venkat Subramanyan, Board Member and Director, Sales Effectiveness and Execution Excellence,… 

Ethics is the foundation stone for trust between sellers and buyers. A core task for all sales professionals is to ethically balance responsibility to shareholders with a duty of integrity towards customers. At work, sales professionals are much more likely to be driven by following rules than in their personal lives. Rules are an insufficiently robust mechanism to guide behaviour… 

Former Institute of Sales & Marketing Management sales director Ben Turner has joined the Association of Professional Sales as director and general manager. As the new general manager, his role is to drive the association forward as a full-time resource. “I buy in massively to the vision and the goals of the APS,” Turner tells the Journal. His new role… 

The Association of Professional Sales (APS) is the only professional association run by sales professionals for sales professionals – that’s one of the unique selling points for the new not-for-profit organisation setting out to represent sales professionals in the United Kingdom. “The sales profession needs a body that has credibility with senior practitioners, employers and the UK public,” says Andrew…