Cambridge UK, Tuesday 27 November 2018 – The recent British Excellence in Sales Management Awards saw Redgate Software doubly rewarded for its efforts in instilling an ethical sales culture. The leading Microsoft data platform tools vendor won gold in both the Sales Director and Key Account Manager of the Year categories.
Now in its 12th year, the BESMA awards represent the UK’s highest level of recognition for outstanding sales achievement, and highlight organizations which demonstrate best practice in sales. Long recognized as the sales industry’s top awards event, the quality of entries increases each year, and 2018 was no different. 800 entries were received from companies like IBM, Marriott Hotels, McAfee, PwC, and Rolls-Royce, and there were 80 finalists across 17 different categories.
The entries were evaluated by a panel of high caliber judges headed by Kerry Nutley, Vice President Digital Sales at BT, and including senior executives from companies as varied as BAE Systems, Experian, Lloyds Register, Microsoft and Siemens.
The awards dinner was held at the Grosvenor House Hotel, Park Lane, London, on 26 October 2018, where the Redgate sales team saw two of their peers being rewarded.
In the Key Account Manager category, Mike Hallam, a BESMA judge and Director of Indirect Sales at Virgin Media Business, said prior to the winner being announced: “What we as judges are looking for are the finalists to explain to us what they see as the key strategic pillars for them to develop the relationship, how they overcome challenges and objections that the customer may have with them, and equally how they obviously grow the account.”
Key to that was ethical selling – working for the customer, rather than simply focusing on a sale at any cost. In a crowded category with strong candidates from companies like PwC, SSE and Yell, the winner was James King, Redgate Account Executive.
The Sales Director category was equally challenging, and the judges were looking for an individual who had shown motivation and leadership within a culture of responsible and ethical sales, delivering solid results.
As Darren Bayley, a BESMA judge and Vice President of Marketing at Dentsply Sirona, said: “We were looking for someone truly outstanding, both in terms of leadership, strategy, and also delivering results. But really importantly as well, we were looking for someone who puts ethical selling right at the heart of their business.”
Despite competing against an impressive line-up of finalist from the companies like Cognism, Natterbox and Vodafone, the winner was Cassi Roper, Redgate Regional Sales Director.
Redgate was also a finalist in the Sales Employer of the Year category, and the Sales Team of the Year (under 50 people) category, and the awards are a validation of a two year journey for the sales team.
As Cassi Roper said after the ceremony: “I’m delighted to win an award, but I’m also really proud that Redgate was a finalist in four categories. That’s a result of a huge amount of effort from the whole company in supporting the sales effort, opening new sales offices in Australia and Germany as well as the US, and putting customers at the heart of how we work.”