The Sales Apprentice 2008: Sales training tips from the hit TV show, the final
The final of The Apprentice 2008… Who would Sir Alan choose to be his apprentice? Would he go for the corporate girl? The “reformed” loud mouth? The “young” boy? Or the geezer? What sales training and business lessons would we learn if any? It doesn’t seem any time since we had 16 candidates and here we were with just four left and a final decision to make. The teams for tonight had already... [Read more]
The Sales Apprentice: Sales training tips from the hit TV show, part X
In last week’s Apprentice the task was to rent out high end supercars. The team making the most sales would be the winner. A sales task plain and simple and one which created many interesting sales training and business lessons.. Sales managers for the day on the two teams were Michael (leading Helene and Claire) and Lee leading Lucinda and Alex. Their first task was to pick two cars per team... [Read more]
The Sales Apprentice 2008: Sales training & business development tips from the hit TV show, part VIII
Tonight’s task for our sales training apprentices was “big business” said Sir Alan… weddings. Sir Alan had secured each of the teams a sales pitch at The National Wedding Show at the NEC in Birmingham. The Wedding Show attracts 20,000 visitors and 300 suppliers… a target rich selling environment as one of my first sales managers used to be fond of saying… Tonight... [Read more]
The Sales Apprentice 2008: Sales training and business tips from the hit TV show, part VI
Tonight’s Apprentice was an interesting one although perhaps not from a sales training perspective but more from a business development angle. The task tonight was to create a range of new greetings cards and then make a sales pitch to three of the biggest suppliers in the industry – Clintons, Tesco and Celebrations. The team with the most number of cards ordered after the presentations... [Read more]
The Sales Apprentice 2008: Sales training tips from the hit TV show, part III
“This is a job interview from hell. I’ve been in business for 40 years. Your prize is working with me.” And thus we entered tonight’s third show with 14 wannabee apprentices remaining to fight for the chance to become The Apprentice. This week’s task was to transform two pubs by putting on food service. As usual, the team with the most profits at the end of the day would... [Read more]
The Sales Apprentice 2008: Sales training tips from the hit TV show, part II
With another stirring rendition of Prokofiev’s Dance of the Knights The Apprentice got under way. Another show, another early morning call that we got so familiar with on the last series. One of the boys answered the phone in a superman t-shirt… I wonder what sales training strategies and tips will we learn tonight? Tonight their task was to sell laundry services. Sir Alan Sugar had got... [Read more]
The Sales Apprentice 2008: Sales training tips from the hit TV show, Part I
So here we go, 12 more weeks of The Apprentice and 12 more issues of The Sales Apprentice. Are we going to be wowed with amazing sales techniques and strategies? Are this year’s apprentices going to prove themselves to be sales gurus and experts? What sales training, business and personal development lessons will we learn? Will I regret ever starting this report at the start of the last series?... [Read more]
The Sales Apprentice: Sales training tips from the hit TV show, The Final
After last week’s flashback to what interviewing might have been like in “Life on Mars” with it’s sexist questioning tactics aimed at proving woman with children have to make their case to work, tonight’s episode was back to business as normal with a task.. This was billed as the “head to head” between Simon and Kristina but turned out to be more of a battle... [Read more]
The Sales Apprentice: Sales training tips from the hit TV show, Part XI
It’s not the job interview from hell for nothing and tonight we saw why working for SAS might really be hell. Not for him the subtleties of interviewing but the in your face, I need to know all about your personal life crash, bang, whallop approach. With no task this week, sales training tips were a little more subtle than other weeks… Maybe this approach will work? Perhaps we will we... [Read more]
The Sales Apprentice: Sales training tips from the hit TV show, part X
Week 10 of our Sales Apprentice and what a week! I was pretty much incensed for the whole hour. This was a sales training lesson in how not to sell and for once I would question SAS’s firing decision although I think it was fairly obvious why he did it… After a quick shuffle of the teams SAS set this week’s task, “You are going to be selling live on TV. The team that sells... [Read more]
