Ideagen becomes first technology company to offer sales qualification programme with the Association of Professional Sales (APS)
Feb 08, 19
The UK-based, global software firm will work with the APS to offer its staff the chance to gain globally recognised qualifications
Ideagen has been described as a “pioneer” in the global technology sales industry thanks to a vocational partnership programme with the Association of Professional Sales (APS).
The Nottingham-headquartered firm – which employs more than 100 sales staff globally – has become the first tech company to work with the APS to launch a sales qualification programme.
The internal Sales Excellence Academy (iSEA) – which follows APS standards – will see Ideagen’s sales teams work to industry leading sales practices.
In the first phase of the project, Ideagen has rolled out the programme amongst its sales management team and a selection of its staff. The second phase is set to kick-off this year.
Ben Turner, Co-CEO of the APS, said collaboration with organisations such as Ideagen will help to remove the negative stigma associated with the sales profession.
He said: “This is an exciting development for the sales profession and I am delighted that Ideagen has become a pioneer in the technology sales space.
“The beauty of working with organisations such as Ideagen is the shared values we both have in that we believe in professional and ethical salespeople and that sales should be a respected profession.
“The sales industry has suffered from negative stigmas in the past and projects such as this one will go a long way to changing that.”
Ideagen’s vocational qualification model has been set-up in the same style as that of similar industry bodies, such as the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) and the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM).
Rob Clinton, Sales Performance Coach at Ideagen, who created and now runs Ideagen’s iSEA, said: “We strongly believe that enterprise-level sales is a profession which is as accountable and demanding as traditional professions such as medicine and engineering. It is key to our growth and in the best interests of our customers that we invest in delivering ethical, accountable and highly skilled sales professionals.
“The Ideagen Sales Excellence Academy is built on a structure which has been agreed by government and also feeds into other areas such as the European qualification framework, so it fully aligns with structures that are recognised across the globe.
“The programme highlights that working in sales is a proper profession, filled with skilled and educated people looking to become the best they can be in their chosen area.”
In 2018, Ideagen was awarded ‘Investor in Sales’ status by the APS for its investment in and dedication to ethical selling practices.
Mr Turner added: “Ideagen is the first business to roll this out and work with us on this type of project in the technology space.
“We believe the differentiator in business tenders might just be in the quality of the salesperson. By showing faith in its sales team, Ideagen is committed to not only improving their own sales practices but that they are looking to improve the wider sales industry by providing it with high quality, qualified sales professionals.”
The APS is a membership body for individuals across the global sales profession. Members are required to possess integrity, credibility and a genuine interest in helping buyers obtain the right products and services for their needs.
Ideagen – which has launched its own internal Sales Excellence Academy (iSEA) following APS practices – joined the APS to ensure ethical sales techniques were embedded in its culture. This forms a part of Ideagen’s campaign to develop a best-in-class salesforce and deliver strong, sustainable relationships with clients.