Member Article

North East loses £12bn through 'lack of sales skills'

The North East economy would receive a boost of more than £12bn if more was done to improve sales skills, according to new research. In addition, improving the region’s sales skills would enable companies in the North East to employ up to 150,000 additional staff. The figures were highlighted in a new report commissioned by the North East Chamber of Commerce, Canon, the Learning & Skills Council, Northern Rock and One NorthEast.

The survey also found that nearly one in three businesses had encountered difficulties in recruiting sales staff of a sufficient calibre. Of those who had struggled, nearly two-thirds said that their inability to recruit staff had resulted in reduced or stunted growth. Three in ten of all firms experiencing recruiting difficulties abandoned their search for the right employee.

One of the major problems for employers is that sales is generally perceived to be an unattractive career option, particularly amongst young people. Despite this, over half of the people who responded to the survey acknowledged that core selling skills were a good transferable skill and could be applied to all businesses.

Nigel Wilson, Canon Regional Director, said: “This report has highlighted that there appears to be a significant issue in the North East with sales management and sales skills which needs to be addressed. “I hope that the region’s public bodies along with the business organisations will take up this challenge seriously and do something that will change the economy of the North East for the better.”

Karen Brown, NECC director of training and workforce development, said: “This is the first time that the true cost to the North East of a lack of sales skills has ever been calculated and it is truly staggering. “Clearly there is a major gulf out there between the needs of North East companies and the number of people with first class sales skills. The North East economy has been doing incredibly well in recent years but imagine where we could be if we could give these companies the salespeople they need to achieve their full potential.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .