Sales & Marketing Apprentice

We are looking for a Sales & Marketing Apprentice to join our team and play an important role in bringing our business development and marketing strategy to life. Working within our Business Development Team, you will gain hands-on experience across sales, marketing and business development.

What you'll do at work

This is a varied role for someone who is curious, commercially minded and enjoys learning about customers and their challenges. You will develop an understanding of our clients, our solutions and the markets we operate in, and use this knowledge to help identify new opportunities, communicate the value of our solutions and support the growth of the business.

Responsibilities

1. Business Development & Sales
   1. Research and identify new clients, markets and business opportunities, developing an understanding of target sectors, organisations and key decision-makers.
   2. Support the identification, qualification and progression tracking of new sales opportunities, including follow-up activity.
   3. Arrange, coordinate and support client demonstrations, progressing to leading demonstrations with guidance from senior colleagues.
   4. Support the administration and tracking of Social Value commitments.
2. Market & Competitor Research
   1. Conduct regular competitor analysis and research to understand competing products, services, pricing, positioning and activity.
   2. Monitor developments and trends across the sectors in which PPL operates.
   3. Identify emerging customer needs and potential opportunities for PPL.
   4. Help identify opportunities for PPL to differentiate itself from competitors.
3. Sales Collateral
   1. Ensure sales presentations, brochures, case studies and other sales collateral remain accurate, relevant and up to date.
   2. Work with clients and internal colleagues to develop compelling case studies that demonstrate the impact and value of PPL's solutions.
   3. Help gather client feedback, outcomes and success stories that can be used in sales and marketing activity.
   4. Support the development of new sales materials as PPL's products, services and target markets develop.
4. Marketing & Social Media
   1. Work with the Business Development Team to deliver PPL's social media strategy.
   2. Plan, create and publish engaging content across the company's social media channels.
   3. Monitor social media performance and provide insights on engagement and opportunities for improvement.
   4. Support operational colleagues with the creation of PPLs Newsletters.
5. Tenders & Proposals
   1. Support colleagues with the identification and monitoring of relevant tender opportunities.
   2. Assist with the preparation, writing and submission of tenders and proposals.
   3. Research prospective organisations and their requirements to support tender responses.
   4. Maintain an organised record of tender opportunities, deadlines and submissions.
   5. Manage and update the tender resource bank with relevant data, statistics and content.
6. Events
   1. Research relevant conferences, awards, exhibitions, networking opportunities and industry events.
   2. Support the planning and coordination of PPL's sales and business development events.
   3. Help manage event logistics, invitations, communications and follow-up activity.
   4. Support the team at events and identify opportunities to build new relationships.
7. Client & Product Knowledge
   1. Develop a strong understanding of PPL's products, services and key differentiators.
   2. Develop the ability to confidently explain how PPL's solutions can help clients achieve their objectives.

Training

Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.

What you'll learn

1. Sales planning and preparation: Set effective targets using sales forecasts. Prioritise customers and activities to grow account value and maximise return-on-investment in line with your organisation’s strategy. Formulate or refine customer plans and objectives. Create efficient territory plans where appropriate.
2. Customer engagement: Effectively communicate and interpret customer information exchanged through written, verbal and non-verbal communication. Develop a customer engagement style that effectively opens sales conversations, builds rapport, enhances customer relationships, and adapts to different customer’s social preferences.
3. Customer needs analysis: Be highly skilled at effective questioning and active listening techniques to understand the customer’s needs, guide the sales conversation appropriately, create mutual understanding, and build trust and affinity with customers.
4. Propose and present solutions: Develop sales proposals and deliver them using a presentation style and technique appropriate for your customer. Present relevant products and/or services, explain features and their advantages, and clearly articulate the value and benefit of the solution for the specific customer. Use and adapt a range of techniques to draw-out and overcome common sales objections.
5. Negotiate: Research the customer’s likely desired outcomes and negotiating stance. Develop responses to likely objections. Identify your own organisation’s needs, such as minimum price and acceptable terms. Negotiate or trade variables effectively.
6. Closing Sales: Be attuned to verbal and non-verbal buying-signals and move to close at an appropriate point in sales conversations. Develop ethical techniques to close sales and confirm customers’ purchase agreement.
7. Gathering Intelligence: Collect, analyse and interpret market intelligence and share it appropriately and effectively within your organisation.
8. Time Management: Use and adapt appropriate tools and techniques to prioritise and manage your time effectively.
9. Collaboration and team work: Contribute effectively within a team environment. Work collaboratively with both internal and external stakeholders. Manage communications with the cross-functional team in relation to the effective delivery of your sales, such as finance and service delivery. Support continual business improvement by sharing best practice with sales team colleagues and assist the marketing team to develop new marketing collateral.
10. Customer experience management: Deliver a positive customer experience. Manage customer enquiries and issues effectively. Take proactive action to prevent and minimise customer concerns and complaints. Handle all customer interactions professionally to the customer’s satisfaction.
11. Digital skills: Effectively use digital tools to conduct research and target customers in line with the overall sales strategy. Able to deliver presentations and meetings using digital communication. Complete accurate records and process sales in accordance with your organisation’s policies, procedures and digital CRM systems.

This vacancy will be supported by a Level 4 Sales Executive Apprenticeship, provided by The Apprenticeship College, via live virtual workshops taking place twice monthly. Ongoing skills coach support will be provided throughout the apprenticeship.

You will receive support and guidance from experienced colleagues but will also be encouraged to take ownership of your work, develop your confidence and bring your own ideas to the business.

About this employer

We’re a tech led company delivering Health and Social Care solutions. We work with Local Authorities and the NHS to provide solutions and services to those in receipt of a Direct Payment, including older people, unpaid carers, children and young people with disabilities and the communities around them. It’s incredibly rewarding to see that the work we do has a real and positive impact on people and the services that support them.