Levelling up team members with the Level 4 Sales Apprenticeship

BMS Progress
Improve Performance, Progress Careers

Carving better careers for salespeople

Leading paints and coatings manufacturer, AkzoNobel, turned to BMS Progress for help levelling up their team’s sales performance. Our Level 4 Sales Executive Apprenticeship was the perfect solution.

AkzoNobel Paints

AkzoNobel has made coatings for a wide range of products for over 200 years. Their offering has a key focus on sustainability, and they aspire to be the global leader in this space.

In this case study, sales apprentice Bhavna Patel details how the Level 4 Sales Apprenticeship through BMS Progress has supported her career journey, including an internal promotion.

"I’m really glad I did the apprenticeship. With careful planning, as well as a fantastic support network around me, I managed to get it done. This includes my colleagues on the cohort, the business itself, and my development coach Sarah Jones – you get through it as a team."

Bhavna Patel
:
National Sector Manager, Major Projects
BMS Progress - The challenge

The Objectives

When I was presented with the opportunity to undertake an apprenticeship at AkzoNobel, I was quite hesitant, as I was still very new to the business. But there was a cohort the following year, and it seemed like a fantastic opportunity to learn, especially after the positive feedback from my colleagues in the previous cohort.

Broader knowledge

Whilst I’d been in sales for a while, looking at the course matter, I realised there were topics I had no knowledge of. This meant I could learn much more about sales and account management.

Time to learn

Initially, I was concerned about how I’d fit in an apprenticeship with my role. But I discovered that 20% of my working week would be dedicated to it, so I could learn around my job.

BMS Progress - The solution

The Solution

I started the Level 4 Sales Executive Apprenticeship in September 2021, and BMS Progress was great at helping us to understand what the course would look like. We had a remote session where we learnt about the course content, the different stages, how the eLearning platform works, and how our development coach would support us.

Fantastic support

My development coach, Sarah Jones, has been brilliant. She gave me assignment guidance and helped me to apply my learnings to the job. This made the apprenticeship feel like part of my role, rather than something outside of it.

ISP member opportunity

When you enrol into the apprenticeship, you automatically become a member of the Institute of Sales Professionals. This was a really great learning and networking opportunity for me.

BMS Progress - The result

The Result

Thanks to the knowledge I acquired on the course I’ve become a much more rounded individual. As well as the new insights and networking opportunities I’ve had access to, I’ve also learnt different approaches to situations, which I now apply to my role.

Internal promotion

A few months into the course, I was put in the limelight for the potential to progress. I applied for it and I got it! I think part of the reason was that I showed my dedication to self development by undertaking the level 4 sales executive apprenticeship.

A continuous desire to learn

The best thing I’ve gained is a natural desire to keep on learning, something I didn’t realise was in me. Previously, I wouldn’t choose to listen to a podcast or a TEDTalk, or investigate a topic, but now I do.

How can BMS Progress help you?

Want to find out more? Whether it’s about a specific programme,  apprenticeship standard or just about us and how we work, our team is always on hand to help. Simply get in touch using the button below and we will endeavour to answer your questions.

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