Sales Apprentice - National Account Assistant – Find an apprenticeship

Summary

This is an exciting opportunity for someone new to sales & looking for a role where you'll grow with the position, allowing you to make the role your own. You'll support the National Account Managers for both our Garden Centre and Builders Merchant's customers to support the daily management & growth of business within our existing customer base.

Wage

£20,800 a year

Check minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)

£10 per hour to start.

Training course

Sales executive (level 4)

Hours

Monday to Friday, 08.30 - 17:00. 30 minutes unpaid lunch.

40 hours a week

Start date

Wednesday 2 July 2025

Duration

1 year 6 months

Positions available

1

Work

Most of your apprenticeship is spent working. You’ll learn on the job by getting hands-on experience.

What you'll do at work

We are currently looking for an enthusiastic National Account Assistant to join our sales team. This is an exciting opportunity for somebody who is new to sales, and looking for a role where they will grow with the position, allowing you to make the role your own.

Working as part of the Sales – Trade Team, you will support Senior National Account Managers (“SNAM”) for both our Garden Centre and Builders Merchants customers. The primary function of the National Account Assistant role is to support the daily management and growth of business within our existing customer base. The post holder will support an existing SNAM looking after one of our largest builder’s merchant groups.

Roles and responsibilities:

Daily tasks in support of the SNAM as well as the wider team
Dealing with all day-to-day enquiries from customer base, escalating to the SNAM as required/appropriate
Proactively seeking to grow existing business through targeted sales activity
Working closely with the Marketing function to ensure all products are listed online correctly in line with customer requirements, with appropriate imagery and content
Maintenance of price books to ensure up to date pricing strategy is adhered to, and invoice queries are minimised
Working with the Customer Services function to ensure queries and complaints are appropriately followed up and a satisfactory resolution is reached
Maintain regular contact, as appropriate with customer via face meetings, telephone, and email
Analyse relevant data and proactively engaging with customers both by telephone, video conferencing and face to face
Participate in internal sales meeting
Support the wider team at annual shows

Skills, abilities, and behaviours:

Proactive and determined individual who thrives on working at pace, with an appetite to over achieve targets
Keen attention to detail and a high level of accuracy in all areas
Full working knowledge of Microsoft office software, with a particular focus on Excel, Word, and PowerPoint
Previous Sales and/or Marketing experience desirable but not essential
Skilled at planning and organising workload to ensure prompt and effective completion of tasks
Good negotiation and influencing skills
An excellent communicator, both written and verbal
Maintain and observe a high degree of professionalism, always ensuring confidentiality
Willingness to travel to meet customers, driving license is essential

Where you'll work

Unit 288
Hartlebury Trading Estate
Kidderminster
Worcestershire
DY10 4JB

Training

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

College or training organisation

DERBY BUSINESS COLLEGE LIMITED

Your training course

Sales executive (level 4)

Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)

What you'll learn

Course contents

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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Closing Sales: Be attuned to verbal and non-verbal buying-signals andmove to close at an appropriate point in sales conversations. Develop ethical techniques to close sales and confirm customers’ purchase agreement.
Gathering Intelligence: Collect, analyse and interpret market intelligence and share it appropriately and effectively within your organisation.
Time Management: Use and adapt appropriate tools and techniques to prioritise and manage your time effectively.
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.
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.
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.

Your training plan

You will work towards a Level 4 Sales Executive Apprenticeship Standard:

Off the job training (20% of your working week) will be delivered remotely with a dedicated development coach (tutuor). 80% work based (on the job) learning

Requirements

Essential qualifications

GCSE or equivalent in:

English & maths (grade C/4 or above)

A Level or equivalent in:

Any subject (grade Pass)

Other in:

Full Driving License (grade Full)

Let the company know about other relevant qualifications and industry experience you have. They can adjust the apprenticeship to reflect what you already know.

Skills

Communication skills
IT skills
Attention to detail
Organisation skills
Customer care skills
Team working
Initiative
Pro - active
Target driven
MS Package (full knowledge)
High level of accuracy
Thrives on working at pace
Professional
Good negotiation skills

Other requirements

Benefits: • Additional leave • Bereavement leave • Company events • Company pension • Employee discount • Free parking • Gym membership • Health & wellbeing programme • On-site gym • On-site parking • Paid volunteer time • Referral programme • Sick pay • Store discount • Transport links

About this company

At Forest, we know a fair bit about fences; And sheds for that matter. In fact, we have been the UK’s leading and most trusted manufacturer and distributor of quality wooden garden products for over 50 years. Today, you will find our range of garden buildings, fencing, decking and decorative structures for sale across many sites online and in over 3,000 retail stores. From the forest to the doorstep – we are a vertically integrated business We are proud to be a British company using sustainable, British timber. Most of the timber we use is grown and felled from managed UK forests across Scotland. After felling, the timber is cut and processed in our nearby sawmill and taken to our manufacturing operation in rural Worcestershire.

https://www.forestgarden.co.uk/ (opens in new tab)

After this apprenticeship

Those that successfully complete the Sales Executive Level 4 qualification will be able to advance within the team, to Executive or Manager level
Provided they exhibit the required skills and attitude for promotion

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

DERBY BUSINESS COLLEGE LIMITED

Heather Duffield

heather@dbc-training.co.uk

07375919487

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC1000322140.

Apply now

Closes on Monday 30 June 2025

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Sales Apprentice - National Account Assistant

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