SKF gains prestigious sales body award

24/12/2018

SKF Industrial Sales has recently been recognised by the Association of Professional Sales (APS), which presented SKF with its prestigious Investor in Sales Award. This is granted to companies when over 50% of their sales force have passed the APS’s professional registration assessment. This tests sellers’ ethical behaviour in a range of hypothetical, sales-based scenarios and a pass is by no means guaranteed.

SKF was eager to gain this professional recognition for its salespeople, emphasising the central place that high ethical standards, one of SKF’s four company values, has within the organisation. As well as providing a firm ethical template within which SKF’s salespeople can work, this award also helps provide peace of mind to SKF’s customers, authorised distributors and business partners. They know that when they buy from SKF, they can expect the highest levels of ethical professionalism. It will also aid in recruitment and employee retention.

David Norris, Sales Director for SKF Industrial Sales UK and Ireland, commented: “We were keen to join the APS as it helped our direct sales team differentiate themselves from the competition. Before each member could claim their professional registration status they had to undertake and pass a rigorous 40-question exam. SKF has now signed up to a code of ethics that advances and promotes excellence in the sales profession by displaying integrity, credibility and a genuine interest in helping customers obtain the right solutions for their business needs.”

Praising SKF on its achievement, Andrew Hough, CEO of the APS, said: “Congratulations to SKF for winning our APS Investor in Sales Award. It is great to see another leading company recognising the importance of ethics and professionalism in their sales relationships. Our Investor in Sales Award shows customers that SKF supports professionalism across all aspects of its business. The APS understands the importance, both commercially and ethically, of having a sales force that has been recognised by external accreditation. We look forward to working with SKF as they continue to develop an impressive, ethical and customer-focused sales team.”

Founded in 2012, the APS is a non-profit organisation that provides a community for salespeople, bringing together business leaders, professionals and academics. Membership is intended for those who sell for a living and take pride in delivering value to customers and clients in an ethical and professional manner. The APS also represents the sales profession to governments, buyers and customers.

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