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Mike is country's best sales trainer

A SUNDERLAND sales trainer is officially the country’s best.

Mike Lever, 43, is a director at New Results Training and won the prestigious Sales Trainer of the Year at the British Excellence in Sales and Marketing Awards – the industry’s Oscars.

“It was a fantastic night, but the other trainers shortlisted were from much bigger companies and I really didn’t think I’d win,” said Mike.

The awards are run by the Institute of Sales and Marketing Management, the foremost professional body for salespeople in the UK and beyond, and this year’s awards were held at the plush Lancaster Hotel in London where they were hosted by BBC Breakfast’s Bill Turnbull.

Mike was nominated for his award by client David Ellwood, chairman of Washington-based wholesale food supplier, Ellwoods Food.

“The fact I was nominated by David made the award all that much more special for me, and we took David and his wife Jackie down to London as our guests. As it turned out, it was a really good night,” said Mike.

After graduating from the University of Wolverhampton with an economics degree, Mike worked for Lloyds Chemist Group before joining Northern Rock. He went on to work for the bank for more than 17 years in a variety of roles – including mortgage advisor, bank manager and area sales manager – ending up as an Assistant Director with responsibility for training and competence. He was made redundant from Northern Rock in mid 2011.

In 2008 Mike suffered a subarachnoid brain haemorrhage which left him with gaps in his memory and permanent headaches.

“It was a difficult time for my wife and I, but the whole episode made me start to think about doing something different,” explained Mike.

It may have taken a few years, but Mike, who lives with wife Deborah and young daughters Miah and Emma in Langley Park, Durham, credits the subsequent change in thinking to him joining forces with founding director Nevil and his wife Nicola at New Results Training, in 2012.

“I met Nevil at Durham Toastermasters, we got talking and I ended up joining the company,” explained Mike.

New Results Training has more than 30 years of experience in coaching and training. and delivers sales training locally, nationally and internationally and is based in the e-volve Business Centre at Rainton Bridge, Houghton.

Commenting on his award win, Mike said it was vindication of his decision not to snap up the first job offered to him on leaving Northern Rock: “I took my time and thought about what I really wanted to do – and who I wanted to do it with. I think the award is validation of me taking the time to choose the right opportunity.

“It’s also proof that bigger is not always better. All the other companies shortlisted were far bigger than New Results Training, but you don’t have to be a household name to be good at what you do and the award is evidence that we are very good at what we do.

“I think the judges recognised that our approach is very different, that we take great time and care to understand and then meet the needs of our customers. At Ellwood’s for instance, we delivered training and coaching between 5pm and 9pm because these times fitted best with the business.

“Our ethos is to do what is right by the customer. That’s easy to say, but harder to put into practice.”

The judges were full of praise for Mike’s award submission. His citation reads: “He clearly understands the fundamental importance of how thinking like a customer enables sales people to become trusted advisors for their clients. With a strong focus on behavioural change underpinned by knowledge and skills development proves passion and drive was clearly evident.

His approach to a client is very comprehensive and detailed and is focused towards making this process logical with business outcome. Mike has bundles of passion about sales training and totally understands the sales process and how to apply that to delegates. Mike’s preparation is excellent, very thorough and detailed.“

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by New Results Training Ltd .