POWER, PERFORMANCE AND ETHICS In 2016, GARY PICKERING won the UK’s leading individual sales award. TOM NASH finds out why
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n the evening of 9 March, 2016, at a glittering ceremony at London’s Grosvenor House Hotel, Gary Pickering won the biggest accolade of his career – and the most prestigious award in UK sales. The 44 year-old sales director for energy company SSE (pictured above with his award) was named Sales Director of the Year at the British Excellence in Sales Management Awards (BESMA). In the words of the judges, Pickering’s success that night was for “his exceptional results in
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turning a disintegrated sales organisation around, delivering a beyond-expectation sales growth in shifting markets, and creating a meritorious and ethical sales culture”. SSE is the UK’s second-largest energy supplier and a member of the FTSE 100. As well as providing power to millions of customers, the company also has a foothold in boiler installation and maintenance, and in broadband, both growing businesses with sales teams led by Pickering. As he explains, “Over the last three years we have looked to diversify, while also maintaining our core energy base. By exploiting SSE’s award-winning customer service, developing compelling propositions, winning partnership distribution contracts, and crossselling to existing customers, we have grown sales by more than 100% and increased our market share of broadband substantially.” As a major supplier, SSE’s businesses are highly regulated by Ofgem, Ofcom, and the FCA. “This environment is supported by a sales ISMPROFESSIONAL.COM
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