#216 – Webinar: Developing the Next Generation of Sales Talent w/ Tack TMI

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Full episode transcript: 

​Please note that transcription is done by AI and may contain errors.

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George: Hi everyone. George here, the editor of the Sales Transformation Podcast. This time on the show we have a recording of a webinar we held together with Tack TMI, exploring the apprenticeship pathway available for early career salespeople. Consalia's, Natalie Murray sat down with Ryan Whitehouse from Tack TMI to talk about how salespeople can now transition from completing a level four apprenticeship to joining Alia's level six apprenticeship in the second year via our level four advance pathway.

They were also joined by Samantha Wilkinson, a key account manager from Royal Mail, who has done just that, finished a level four apprenticeship before progressing to year two of our Level six program. If you want to find out more about either of these apprenticeships, you can find the relevant contact information in the show notes.

For now though, please enjoy the webinar.​

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Natalie: Okay. All right. Um, I think in the interest of time, we will get going as you have joined nice and promptly. So thank you very much, uh, for joining us today. Um, all of you on the call have got an interest in sales apprenticeships. So whether you are on one, whether you are thinking about doing one or whether you're an employer who invests in them.

And I'm guessing that you've joined us today because you are interested in finding out more about the career progression and that route through the apprenticeships from level four to level six, um, and the opportunity that that pro provides for continued sales education and building on skills and knowledge that have already been developed.

And that's what we are going to discuss today as we introduce you to alia's level four Advanced Pathway from the Level four sales executive. So we're going to get going now. I'm going to introduce you to, uh, who we've got on the call. If you have any questions as we go through, please do pop them in the chat.

There'll be time for q and a at the end. So my name's Natalie Murray. I'm an apprenticeship director at Consalia Business School. Um, I work across all of our programmes, but I've got a really keen focus on the level four pathway, uh, and our level six sales degree apprenticeship, which is the culmination of this pathway.

And I'm joined today by Ryan Whitehouse from TAC TMI and Sam Wilkinson from Royal Mail. And between us, we are going to discuss how moving from the level four sales executive apprenticeship onto alia's level four Advanced Pathway is a fantastic opportunity for your professional development. So Sam and Ryan, would you like to introduce yourselves, starting with, uh, ladies first, Sam?

Samantha: Yeah, no worries. So I'm Sam, I'm from Royal Mayo. Uh, I completed my Level four sales executive apprenticeship last year, and this February I started my level six. I've been with Royal Male, um, only a few months. I started the course during, um, my time with Forterra and moved over to Royal Male partway through the course, but it's moved transition.

Um, and here I'm thanks. Um, Ryan?

Ryan: Yeah, good afternoon everyone. Uh, my name's Ryan and I work for the TMI who, um, we're also a training provider, um, as well as, um, trying to promote sales apprenticeships. So I'm actually doing a level four apprenticeship myself as part of my role here. Um, I've been here for about 12 months, um, and I'm a client solutions specialist, is the title.

So yeah, we'll go into bit more detail further on. Lovely. Thanks both. So we're going to talk about it, um, in more detail later, but just as a high level, this is why level six programme is so important. We all know that the world of professional sales is changing incredibly quickly, so continuing to develop is more important than it's ever been.

Natalie: AI and technology are and will undoubtedly continue to do more of the things that salespeople traditionally do, and customers are increasingly well-informed before they even speak to us. Buying decisions are becoming more complex and salespeople are increasingly expected to work with multiple stakeholders, to understand their customer's businesses and bring insights rather than just informing them.

And everyone is talking about how critical human skills are to complement ai and that advancing technology, things like curiosity, empathy, judgement , creativity, and the ability to genuinely build trust and think critically. And that's the progression we're going to explore today. It's the Thinking Behind Alia's level four advanced pathway.

We've created a route that allows level four sales executive apprentices to progress directly into the second year of our level six B2B sales degree apprenticeship that we deliver in partnership with Middlesex University. And we want to show you what that journey can actually look like. We're gonna do that from these three perspectives.

So first, you're going to hear from Ryan, and Ryan's going to talk about the level four sales executive apprenticeship. He's gonna tell us why it's a useful qualification, what it equips you with. And as he's just told you, he's doing the programme himself. So we'll hear a bit about his experience too.

I'll then pick up and talk about what the Level six adds and how that learning becomes deeper and more strategic and what that could mean for you, for the type of salesperson that you want to become, and the opportunities that it sets you up to embrace. And finally, you'll hear from Sam who's already told you that she's actually doing this.

So she can tell you something that Ryan and I can't. She can tell you what it's like to make that jump, what the level four prepared her for and what's different at Level six. And more importantly, or most importantly, she can tell you what difference continuing to develop has made to her confidence, to her career and her capability.

So if you're currently on the level four, I'd really encourage you to listen with one key question in mind. What kind of sales professional do I want to be become to become? Because your apprenticeship, the Level four, is not just about the job you're doing today, it's about the foundations to the career that you might want tomorrow.

And if you're an employer listening to this, think about the kind of sales professionals that you want to bring into your organisation and nurture to succeed. So level four doesn't have to be the destination. It can be that foundation stone. So Ryan, if we start there, then can you tell us why having a qualification pathway is so useful for salespeople?

Ryan: Yeah, no problem. So, just to give a bit of a brief backstory on my sales journey, uh, like most people, I sort of fell into sales. It wasn't like a planned career, uh, when I left school or anything like that. And in my first role, I found myself seeking out like best practise frameworks, sort of what works, uh, in the industry.

Um, and I quickly found out that there's no silver bullets in sales. Um, and building the real communication skills and resilience is, is what I'm gonna need to succeed. Um, a lot of people have probably got a negative perception of salespeople built from pretty outdated stereotypes. Um, and I think this is starting to change with the help of things like this and recognise pathways, um, and it sales being recognised as more of a profession by many.

Um, and hopefully that's gonna continue. I think both the level four and the level six, uh, we're discussing today are sort of intertwined and help salespeople elevate or start their careers. So like starting from start the journey, moving into new industries, um, or just someone who's already established looking to do a bit of personal development or refinement.

Natalie: Yeah, no, I absolutely agree with you. And it is that professional professionalisation, um, of sales that, you know, it's alia's mission for sure. And, um, you know, this similarly with tact, TMI, it's, uh, something that we are, we're both passionate about. Um, so what would you say the level four sales apprenticeship equips its graduates with?

Ryan: I think for, for me, the level four, it's all about the foundations you build on, um, as a sales professional to, to be able to face objections, maintain your composure, communicate effectively, and take real ownership of the sales process. Um, as well as obviously a huge thing in sales is confidence. Um, it's a tough industry and I think you can sometimes question whether the roles or the careers are right for you, especially when things aren't going well.

Um, but having the confidence to push through and, and sort of backing yourself, um, goes a long way to achieving your goals and targets. And I think the, the level four definitely gives you a, a leg up with that. So thinking about that then, and you say that sort of foundational piece, what makes it such a strong foundation for advanced learning?

I think because it is, again, the, the, the foundations. Um, it is putting the building blocks in place to, to, to really be able to open doors to go into advanced learning. Um, again, building confidence to know that you're doing the right things, um, and sort of venturing into that. And I think sometimes formalising what ideas you've got and what processes that you think, um, are relevant to your sales process can be repeated and tweaked.

Um, and if you do want to develop and, uh, go into the level six, a lot of what you learn in the level four is gonna be built on from that. So it's not like you're learning loads of things from scratch. Again, it's more of like advanced techniques and stuff, um, from the level four that you've already put time and effort into learning.

Natalie: Yeah, absolutely. And that's, that's the way we think about it. It is sort of that, those best practises, isn't it, is getting into those good, good habits. Yeah. That foundation that you can then build your practise on. Um, and how have you found it then? How, what's your experience been like on the programme?

Ryan: Yeah, positive, really positive. I think before the apprenticeship, um, I'd obviously been in a sales role prior and I spent a lot of time trying to, you know, watch webinars, hear from people in the industry, and then practising things that I'd learned on my own prospects. Um, but something sort of felt a bit off.

Uh, I wasn't really getting the results I was hoping for, had no real structure to the research I was doing. Um, and I did feel like it was starting to hold me back. Um, and I think like a lot of people, sales didn't come naturally to me. Um, I'm quite an introverted person day to day, so it, it, it, it can be a bit difficult to, to put yourself out there, but I think the structure of the apprenticeship has allowed me to, to apply things immediately to my role, um, and build my confidence up over time.

Um, one of the main questions I get when discussing sales apprenticeships with learners or employers is how this fits into a busy role. Um, obviously we're all busy in sales, it's part of the job description. Mm-hmm. Um, and even though it is a time commitment and you do take need to take ownership of your learning, a lot of it is involved with, like you mentioned, best practise learning techniques that you can apply day to day.

It's real life examples of things. It's things that you can use, um, to elevate your, your own processes, um, which means that you get measurable outcomes, which hopefully translates to hitting your targets and achieving your goals. So, yeah, I, I think it's important to give an honest opinion of my experience with sales, the, the good, bad, and the ugly.

Um, so obviously if there's any questions during or after the session, uh, happy to, to, to run through that in more detail or if, if you want to reach out to me about my experience in the level four, obviously feel free to do so privately afterwards as well.

Natalie: Yeah. Yeah, it's interesting what you were saying about the, the elements that maybe don't come naturally to you.

Um, and that's okay because there are things that we will help and we'll work and develop through the different, um, apprenticeships. So it's absolutely fine to come thinking that might not be in my comfort zone, but there are definitely things that you can, uh, you know, learn and be coached and guided on to build up those competencies.

Ryan: Yeah, definitely. Um, for yourself then, Natalie, move, moving on to this, the level four advanced pathway. What, what do you think the level six adds to the level four?

Natalie: Yeah. So I think it's, it's really helping apprentices move from, uh, the more tactical, operational type of sales to providing them with that strategic perspective and deeper commercial awareness.

And, and these are the things really that will enable them to support more complex deals, to take ownership of their accounts and generally contribute more and have more of an impact in the organisation as a sales profession, uh, a sales and a business professional. So we know that in the level four, many of the ksps, uh, the knowledge skills and behaviours that a salesperson needs are covered in that, but we are able to go into more depth because the program's longer.

We've got another two years, so there's more time to learn. And one of the really important aspects during these two years is the focus that we put on work-based projects. So we ask our apprentices to deliver a work-based project in each of the modules, and they're assessed on those. And this is where we see that a lot of the real learning happens, and it provides amazing benefits for the individual and their learning and development and also for the organisation as they share those learnings forward.

Um, so the projects are a mix of written assignments. Obviously we get them to do narrated PowerPoint presentations. We have professional discussions with them, and they're different ways of integrating real work, real practise, real customer challenges into their programme activities, which embeds that knowledge.

And you talked about that, Ryan. It's taking the learnings and applying them immediately, um, so that you can see the effects of them. You can learn from them and you can really embed that learning all of our modules. It might be, uh, redundant to say so, but they're all sales related and, and they're linked to helping apprentices become the best sales professional that they can be.

We've got AI threaded through all of the programme, all of the assessments because we want to replicate the environment that they're working in. So it's an area that we are continually, um, looking at evolving, making sure that we are really staying on the front foot with all, all of that for our apprentices.

So in the two years we cover developing sales solutions and proposals, customer experience, psychology of sales and negotiation, ethical practise and strategic planning. So I mentioned it before, we both have that professionalisation of sales. You know, these are all topics that are linked to that. And it is, I'm gonna say it again.

It's a mission that we are on. Um, we are making inroads. Uh, there's still a long way to go though, I would say. Um, I think you mentioned it too, Ryan, the theory, the models, the frameworks, all of the things that we share, um, that what that does, it brings academic theory, it combines that with this skill development.

Um, all of these things help build confidence and gets our apprentices thinking about how they want to develop and what sort of sales professional they want to be.

Ryan: Yeah, I, I think the, the common theme, the key takeaway for me is the, um, the real world application of the learning. I think it's really important.

Um, what, what would you say the benefits are for the apprentices?

Natalie: Um, so I think three main benefits. Firstly, we've talked about this being a path that bridges level four and level six. So apprentices have got that opportunity to advance their careers through the apprenticeships, up to that level six obviously, but also degree level in two years rather than three because we recognise that, um, level, the sales executive apprenticeship as prior learning.

Um, I mentioned it before, we've got more time so we can go deeper and broader into the kbs. They give it, it gives our apprentices the opportunity to really hone those skills that sets them up to take on more responsibility and it keeps the learning momentum going. Um, I think we all know that sometimes, you know, if you stop, you take your foot off the pedal, it can be difficult or hard, you know, more, more difficult to get back into the swing of that.

Secondly, I've already talked about the work-based projects. The other thing that they are really grateful, uh, is developing critical thinking and reflective practise. We really ask our apprentices to focus on their own practise, understand where their gaps are, how they want to improve, and what action plan they're gonna put in place to help them do that.

So our apprentices leave us as independent thinkers. They've got a tonne of knowledge that we've shared with them and they've got the relevant skills to go into their complex marketplace. Um, and then finally, a really big benefit of this is that they get their BSC joint honours degree as well as the level six while they're earning and they're not accumulating any debt, which is huge when you think about the traditional university route and the debt that comes along with that.

There currently isn't, um, any other university degree that is a hundred percent dedicated to sales. Um, so this programme, the Level six programme is the only route to getting a B2B sales degree at the moment.

Ryan: Brilliant. I think especially the, um, the last points about having a, a pretty old school sort of route, so like the degree route, um, that hasn't in the past been available.

Um, to be able to be completely without picking up any debt and earning and, and progressing from day one is, is a brilliant option for people. Is,

Natalie: um,

Ryan: what, what do you think the benefits are for the employers?

Natalie: Yeah, so we've, uh, we work with customers who put repeatedly put apprentices on our programmes. Um, and we hear time and time again from them how much it helps 'em with their long term retention and succession planning.

Uh, so if that continuity of the workforce is important, then the programme can really help with that. And I, I'd say it's a key reason, maybe the key reason why our employers keep coming back to us and keep putting apprentices on the programme. Um, I, I mentioned it before as well, we really encourage the apprentices to take the learnings back to the organisation to share the tools, the frameworks.

Um, there's some of our own IP in there, so things that aren't maybe read what they aren't, um, known to others. Um, so we, we really ask them to take them back, share them, introduce them to their team, to the wider sales organisation because it might encourage them to do things differently so it may be improve or be more innovative in the way they think about some of the things they're doing.

So it is a really great way to deepen sales excellence across the whole organisation.

Ryan: Yeah. Brilliant. I, I think it'd be interesting to know, um, especially for someone like myself who's finishing the level four.

Natalie: Mm-hmm.

Ryan: Um, how, how can SEIUs support those entering the level six in year two?

Natalie: Yeah. So we don't just, you know, open the doors on day one and say, you know, here you are, get on with it.

Um, we run a series of virtual inductions, uh, in advance of the first in-person workshop, which is at Middlesex University. Um, so we make sure that we support their onboarding, uh, so that they are ready when they get to that first in-person one, they understand the environment that they're going into.

They've been introduced to the tools and the systems and they're going to be using. Um, we also take them through what we cover in our year one foundational year, um, because there is a lot of Consalia specific, uh, IP and, um, mindsets and all sorts of different things in there that we want them to be aware of because that carries on through the two years.

So we do have some time to make sure that they are comfortable with all of that. Um, and we continue to provide support, you know, as they get familiar with that environment, uh, over the first few months. Um, so I think really, if I'm thinking about the pathway as a whole, um, I did say it at the start, you know, we've created it to provide this professional development route through the apprenticeships.

Um, and recent ISP recent research has shown that individuals who regularly update their skills are higher performers. So the apprentices coming onto this programme have onto this pathway, have got this fantastic opportunity to really differentiate themselves and get themselves into that higher performer category.

So, as far as we are concerned, it's a no brainer really.

Samantha: Brilliant.

Natalie: Okay, so I think on that note, um, it's a probably a good moment to pass over to you, Sam, and to hear a bit about your experience. So can you tell us why you decided to continue with your studies and go down the level six route?

Samantha: Well, I continued the level six because I genuinely enjoyed what I did.

Another four could see the impact it was having on myself. Um, you know, my confidence, my performance at work. Um, I think one of the biggest benefits of the apprenticeship is it encouraged me, encouraged me to step back from my day-to-day, um, work my role and think more strategically about how I can approach different situations.

It helped develop my new skills, challenged my thinking, built confidence in areas that were outside my comfort zone. Um, so I had to complete the lower four. Um, progressing to level six just felt like the natural next step.

Natalie: Hmm.

Samantha: Wanted to develop myself, broaden my knowledge, and gain a deeper understanding of leadership strategy and business management.

Um, and the fact that I could immediately apply what I was earning back into my role, it made an easy, easy decision, um, just to continue my personal development throughout the level six.

Natalie: And was there anything in particular, any particular skills that you wanted to focus on and build?

Samantha: So I started the level four apprenticeship because I'd recently moved to a more commercially focused role, um, and a strong relationship management skills.

Um, but I recognised there were areas where I wanted to strengthen my knowledge, particularly around, you know, commercial awareness, stakeholder management, and the wider business environment. The level four provided that foundation, um, and it gave me greater confidence in all those areas. When I completed the programme, I realised I wanted to take that learning even further by developing a deeper understanding of leadership strategy and organisation.

Um, and the level six has helped me move beyond simply applying those processes. It's given me a much better understanding of the theories and the models behind the thinking. Um, and as a Care Cap Manager, um, which is a new role now for me, um, it's been really, really valuable with influencing stakeholders, which is a recent one.

Um, and building relationships new to the role I needed those kind of skills straight off the bat. Uh, so ultimately, um, I want to develop from being someone who could do my job well to do, being someone who could better understand the how and why things worked and how to influence positive outcomes and contribute to the widest business strategy.

Natalie: Yeah, and I think that point about commercial awareness is really important because, you know, the role of a salesperson today is broad, isn't it? It's not just being able to sell, it's about being that business professional and understanding the whole commercial environment, uh, which is something that the programme, as you say, definitely helps support.

And what, and that's what employers are looking for. That's what they want in their, um, their sales, uh, team. So you joined an existing cohort who, they'd been through our Lev, um, first year of the, our apprenticeship. So what was that like for you joining or already established cohort?

Samantha: It was actually really positive experience.

Mm-hmm. Um, so the level one learners were really supportive and helped to settle in. Um, it was difficulty navigating the online systems, which they were really, really, um, um, really, really good at helping us with and understand the programme requirements and sharing their own experiences from their first year.

Um, so na, there was a little bit of catching up to do as naturally, um, but we found that manageable because we could, I moved directly from the level four to the level six, so my studying habits, my learning techniques were already there. They were already fresh in my mind. So it helped me make that transition a lot smoother.

Um, one of the first groups progressing through the route, so there are a few learning curves for us and, um, for, for Consalia, but you know, we were supported by everybody, the tutors. We even had buddies assigned by Consalia, so that, that really helped me. Um, the wider cohort, um, was excellent. Um, everyone's approachable, willing to help and invested in our success.

Everybody wants us to succeed at the end of the day. So, you know, that was most important. And then what stood out for me the most was the collaborative environment. It never really felt like we was drawn in an established group. Mm-hmm. Uh, we were welcomed in straight away from the original cohort, um, and made the experience enjoyable and, uh, rewarding.

Natalie: Oh, that's great to hear. Um, and I know, I hear you when you're talking about that, you know, you're coming into this new, this university environment as well and we are, we do use their systems, their tools, their library, um, learning management system, all great resources for us. But it does take a little bit of time, as you say, to get up to speed.

Um, and yes, you're right on the Consalia side as well. We've taken some learnings for that in how we support, um, our cohorts in those, uh, onboarding stages. Um, and I should have mentioned as well, the buddy, um, idea that we, we do give buddy you up with someone from a previous cohort as well. So yeah, there's another person, as you've said, to go to, you know, ask about your assignments, ask about your learning journals, those sorts of questions that you have in those early weeks and months on the programme.

Um, so what would you say then, um, has been the biggest or is the biggest difference between level six and level four?

Samantha: Um, for me the biggest difference is the depth of the learning. So the level six really encourage you to explore beyond the core content. So the research, researching your additional theories and models yourself, um, and critically evaluating different approaches.

Um, it's much more focused on understanding the rationale behind the decisions rather than just a learning process. Um, I've also find it more challenging, but in a very positive way. The assignments require a lot more reflection, critical reflection, and a lot more thinking, uh, which has helped me develop my problem solving and decision making skills.

Um, I think another aspect I've enjoyed is learning from the cohort itself. So we are incredibly lucky that we've got a mixture of, um, different people, different ages, backgrounds, um, all different levels of experience from 18 year olds up to 60 year olds in our cohort. So, which brings us a huge, uh, range of perspective into all of our discussions.

And, you know, we, we, it gives us the opportunity to not learn from the academic side of things, but also from each other and each other's experiences. So that combination for me, academic learning and the peer to peer learning has been the most valuable part of the level six for me.

Natalie: Yeah, and that's something we hear time and time again as well.

So in, uh, the third year part, uh, well sort of the final presentation is a reflective presentation on the entire journey. And that opportunity to meet others from different organisations to build that network, to hear how others do things comes up every time, more or less. You know, that as being one of the best things about the programme.

Um, really, really valuable learning in, in that, uh, sharing that knowledge. Um, so what then would you say, what learnings have you taken so far that you've been able to apply to your role at Royal Mail?

Samantha: I think there's been a mixture of learning. So it's, it, the benefits of it is that you can take your learnings and apply it directly to your role.

So for me at Royal Mail, it was, um, you know, being new in role and new to the business stakeholder mapping was incredibly important for me. Mm-hmm. Um, and using that in, you know, live within my role as I'm learning to do that, that method that they're, um, which was particularly important, um, especially when you're working with customers and colleagues across multiple functions, it was really, really useful.

Ryan: Mm-hmm.

Samantha: Um, been able to use the theories and models to better understand how I influence and engage and build those relationships with different stakeholders. Um, what I found most valuable is that the learning isn't just theoretical. It can relate to an assignment, a topic, a situation that is something that is real life that you're dealing with at work, which means that, you know, you can managing, manage your customer expectations, collaborating, um, or supporting the business objectives.

Um, you are given those practical tools to be able to do that in real life in your role, um, which makes it feel more relevant. Personal. It is personal, it's relevant, and it's more worthwhile. Um, and I'm also more conscious, um, of why I'm taking a particular approach. So it's not just this is the one way, it's why I'm doing it a certain way, and how could I develop that and adapt that to the situation that I have.

Um, and the level six has given me the frameworks and techniques to be able to do that confidently, um, and build those stakeholders. Yeah.

Natalie: Yeah. And I think that's it, isn't it? Is that confidence. It gives you to know that your why, the what, what the decision is, the why and the how you're making it as well.

And also, if you are sharing that forward, maybe with your manager or someone else, maybe someone more senior to you, you, you are basing your decisions on fact. Um, and that brings, uh, a certain amount of confidence, doesn't it, in in those conversations. So what advice then, Sam, finally, what advice would you give to other, uh, level four graduates considering this pathway?

Samantha: Just go for it. Um, if you enjoy the level four and you're looking for an opportunity to grow and continue, not just professionally, but personally as well, uh, I think the level six is, you know, it is natural step. Um, yeah, I, I'd encourage you to do that. Take that step whilst the level four is fresh.

Natalie: Mm-hmm.

Samantha: Um, and it makes that transition a lot smoother. Like I say, it's challenging at times, but it is so rewarding. Um, it pushes you to think differently, broaden your perspective, develop your skills that you can apply immediately into your workplace.

Natalie: Mm-hmm.

Samantha: Um, and, you know, you can make this the most of the support around you, your tutors, your buddies, fellow apprentices as, as I mentioned, you know, your cohort.

Um, we all share huge knowledge, experience and you just learn so much from them as you do the, the actual programme content. So for me, the confidence, knowledge, and professional growth I've made, I gained throughout the level four. Um, I, it was absolutely worthwhile for me to go deeper and further into level six.

Natalie: That's brilliant. Thanks Sam. It's really great to hear such a positive, um, experience. And I know you've just finishing up year the first year, aren't you? So, uh, yes. Which has that flown by? Has it gone quickly?

Samantha: It certainly has. When they said it was a last university visit yesterday, I couldn't believe it.

So yeah, nearly the end of the first year. It's crazy. It's gone so, so quickly.

Natalie: Yeah. Yeah. That's it. You'll be graduating, you'll be there in your cap and gown before you know it.

Samantha: Hopefully. Yeah.

Natalie: Brilliant. Thank you so much for sharing that with us.

Samantha: No problem.

Natalie: Um, so I guess we are open for any questions if anyone's got anything they'd like to ask.

Okay, I am just going to look to see if we've got something.

Um, okay, so question for either Ryan or Sam, what would you say has been the most challenging part of the apprenticeship?

We can have both of you, Brian.

Ryan: Okay. Um, I think it's maybe when you, when you first come into the apprenticeship, especially for the level four, um, you might be a little bit rougher around the edges. I know. I was. And I think being able to identify your strengths and weaknesses, um, and I think particularly your strengths, because we like to self-deprecate a lot.

Um, it's probably been the most challenging thing for me, but once you identify that, it's only upwards from there. So that's probably my one.

Natalie: Thanks Sam.

Samantha: Um, I think challenging it all challenges your, your thought process. So it is, it is all challenging, but I think the biggest thing for me personally was the critical thinking, but then that makes you a better person.

It makes you think differently. It challenges your thought processes. Um, so although it's challenging, it's, it's good that it's challenging you because it's helping you change into that better sales person.

Natalie: Mm-hmm. Yeah, absolutely. It's amazing. I think that the critical reflection when you get into that and you start seeing the benefits of it, um, for your own development, it's, uh, yeah, very valuable.

Um, so we've had a couple of questions then about, uh, what you need to do to apply what the criteria is. So if I just move here to this slide, um, you can see the details on here. There are contacts, uh, contacts at the bottom there. Um, we, in terms of when you can apply, we will be running, um, a programme starting in February next year.

Um, so I think the best, uh, steps would be to contact one one of those, uh, emails at the bottom there, uh, for more details. Um, what would be the necessary criteria, um, for the level six? So either if you've completed the level four and then that would be coming into the, that second year. Um, that's pretty much all you need to, to, to, to, to have to, to get onto the level six.

Uh, you can see there what you need to apply that we do get, uh, asked for some case studies, um, from, from you, uh, so that we can just see the style of your work, the level of your work. So we don't want to see some example learning journals 'cause there is a bit of, on the learning journals, when you come into level, uh, year two, we do need to catch you up on the learning journals from year one, uh, which is something we'd support you with.

But we do do like to just see what you've done previously so we can help you, uh, with that. Oh yeah. And of course, your level two certificate, um, or the confirmation of exemption so that they're the things you need to apply. Um, Sam, for Sam in particular, what's the number one advantage to apprenticeships versus just learning as you go?

Samantha: What do you mean by learning as you go? Is that just

Natalie: so without the qualification behind you then if you were, you know, what maybe advantages do you have over somebody who hasn't been down an apprenticeship pathway?

Samantha: I think it's the, it is that qualification at the end of the day, it is worth its weight in gold, isn't it?

Um, and I think it's more personal pride as well with that is that you can say, I mean, we've got people on our course who are doing it purely because they want that qualification at the end as well as obviously the knowledge. So I think it just, yeah, it just, it's, I really love to say I've got a degree in sales, so, you know, it's, it's that in itself.

But I think doing this programme and doing it in the way that it's structured rather than an ad hoc learning. I think previously in my previous project we did like the learning development stuff that we had in-house. It wasn't detailed enough. So doing it in this way and doing the structure and actually meeting Phil and hearing Phil's perspective on things real life,

Natalie: mm,

Samantha: it's, it's, yeah, it's worth doing.

Natalie: So Phil is Phil Squire. He's Consalia, CEO. Um, and the programme is based on his doctoral research that he, uh, developed into a book and then into the programme. And it's based around, um, sales mindsets. Um, and yeah, we, everything, it sort of goes through everything that we talk about on the programme. Um, it's credibility as well, Sam.

I, I think, isn't it? Yeah. It's that academic credibility that you can bring then into the workplace, um, to underpin everything that you do, everything that you recommend suggests or all of that, uh, good stuff. Um, so what does the endpoint assessment for the level six involve? Um, so through, through the two years you build up your, uh, learning journals.

You have a total of 35 41. Um, at the end of the programme, uh, in the endpoint assessment, you will have a professional discussion with a panel around that, uh, portfolio that you've built up. They will, uh, pick six or seven at random and talk to you and ask you to, um, to talk them through that work. Um, there is also a pitch involved with that.

So a week before you get a scenario, uh, so you have a week to prepare for that pitch. Um, and the panel, um, is made up of, um, an academic from the university, a sales professional, um, and maybe one other one of your tutors or a, a third person in there. Uh, we help prepare you for that as much as we can as well.

So we take you through professional discussions. We have a reflective presentation as I mentioned before, so just giving you that practise of preparing work, preparing presentations, coming and talking to not necessarily your tutor. So you'd work with other Consalia tutors, Middlesex tutors, on delivering that work as well.

So we prepare you very well for that. Um, and there's a written piece as well that you would need, um. To, to prepare for that final assessment as well. Uh, example of a work-based project. Um, yes. Okay. So if we think about, Sam, you were talking about the psychology of sales one there and the stakeholder mapping, which is, that's a good example.

Um, if we think about the first module, Lias a module is developing sales solutions and proposals. So what we do here in the workshop, it's about helping you put a really winning, uh, value proposition together. So in the workshop we go through a framework, lots of tools in there to help you build up a proposal.

Um, and then as the assignment, you go away and you work on and hopefully innovative customer proposal using the tools that you've been taken through in the workshop. So we ask you to use, uh, three tools as a minimum. It's a 2000 word report, and we get you to look at customer requirements, market dynamics, all of the insights that you've gathered from your, your, uh, research to put that, uh, solution together.

Um, and then part two of that is a reflective presentation. So you, uh, do a narrated PowerPoint presentation, 10 minutes on your reflections. Uh, so you then thinking about what you've learned, what gaps you might have identified, what you are going to do to address those gaps, what you're going to do differently as a result of your learnings action plan in there to develop.

Um, so they're the two parts of, of that as an example.

Uh, what is the minimum entry required for a foreigner into the level four programme? So that depends where you are from in terms of the, uh, level two certificates. Then we would need to see your equivalent of those to see whether they, um, are accepted, um, from a funding perspective. Um, so we would have to deal with that on an individual basis.

Uh, you'd also have to have the right to work in the uk and we need to see evidence of that. Um, but yeah, there's also an exemption is possible. So if you are working here, if you don't have the level to and your, um, employer is willing to waive that for you and say they're happy that you don't have it, you can still continue, then that's, that's fine with us as long as we see evidence of that.

So yeah, it would really be on, um, an individual basis that we, we, we could talk to you about that. So that would be one to, to email to find out more about as well. Can you enrol on the level six without completing the level four? If so, what is the advantage of having completed the level four be, uh, beforehand?

Um, well you can on our, we do run a, a standalone level six programme, um, that's full for our autumn, um, cohorts. The advantage here, and, and really what we were thinking about here is that level four, the sales executive apprenticeship, it means you can come on and just do, get your degree in two years rather than three.

Yeah. 'cause you've been through that foundation. You've got your level four sales executive and here now in two years, you can complete that and take that up to the level six, um, level six apprenticeship and get your degree. So that's really the main advantage of it.

Hey. Any other questions?

So I hope, um, that we've answered those, um, fully for you. If we haven't or if there's anything else you'd like to, um, to know, then, uh, the details are on, on the screen and, uh, Ryan, maybe I can hand over to you.

Ryan: Yeah, brilliant. Um, some good questions there. And thank you for, for answering Natalie as well. Um, so thank you for everyone that's joined us, um, on the webinar today.

I hope it's been insightful and obviously thank you to yourselves, Natalie and Samantha, Samantha for, for joining us as well. Um, just to recap today what we've discussed, I think ultimately the Level four builds the strong foundations for sales professionals at all stages of their careers. Um, and the Level six builds on that with real strategic capability.

Um, and their level four advanced pathway provides a bridge between the two. Um, if you would like any more information, um, or want to make an inquiry about either of these qualifications, please do get in touch with us. Uh, we'll be sending out a follow up email with, um, the webinar recording along with some important information.

Um, and again, thank you everyone for your time this afternoon, and we hope you have a good rest of your day.

Natalie: Thanks everyone. Thanks for joining.

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