The prestigious event, in partnership with Huthwaite International, was hosted by Russell Kane and saw 800 leading sales and business professionals attend. Various UK companies and individuals were recognised for their focus on ethical, smart and professional selling as well as their overall contribution to economic growth.
Winners of the 2013 awards include AXA, Virgin Media, Arco and Lyreco, across a range of categories from Customer Service Team of the Year to Sales Director of the Year. Highly commended awards were also presented to Promat for the Field Sales Team of the Year Award and Lucie Belcher of Royal Mail for the Telephone Sales Executive of the Year category. The Huthwaite International Sales Team of the Year Award, which recognises the best overall team for outstanding achievement went to Arco. This winner is taken from the leaders in all the team categories and is deemed the overall Team of the Year.
The prestigious Sales Director of the Year Award went to Simon Esner from BaxterStorey, recognising him as a Sales Director who has built and developed successful teams and led success in benign and adverse market conditions. All finalists for this award were filmed for video interviews, which were then viewed and the winner chosen by a ballot of around 30 other Sales Directors and professionals including well-known industry names such as Lee McQueen, Apprentice winner and Founder of Raw Talent Academy.
Lee McQueen said: “These awards play a vital role in recognising the important work the sales industry does – this is something that I’m passionate about, so an opportunity to celebrate the teams and individuals that are leading the way is fantastic. Congratulations to all the winners.”
The Field Sales Executive Award went to Jason Brookes of Virgin for his outstanding sales results, client understanding and strong negotiation skills. Finalists of the category were assessed through Silent Edge’s objective evaluation of their skills and then judged live. This is considered the ultimate selling test and an opportunity for finalists to prove their superior selling skills in front of an audience of peers.
Now in its 17th year, the National Sales Awards is the most prestigious accolade for the sales industry in the UK. The National Sales Awards rewards individuals and teams who are demonstrating best practice and outstanding achievements in all aspects of sales, with a focus on ethical, smart and professional selling. Previous winners have included LivingSocial, Virgin, RBS, Royal Mail, Serco and Sweatshop.
Steve Lane, National Sales Awards Business Director said: “Congratulations to all the winners -they are at the forefront of our economy helping to drive UK business forward. They lead the way in the sales industry and it’s great to celebrate and reward their achievements and the work they do.”
Tony Hughes, CEO of Huthwaite said: “We all know that without business there is no economy, and without sales there is no business. The winners of last night’s Awards are outstanding in their own field. Every one of them have made outstanding contributions to sales which in turn has played a huge part in the economic recovery we are experiencing today, and I hope will continue well into the future.”
