October 21, 2024 Sales Talent Agency Celebrates First Anniversary

A unique UK sales talent agency dedicated to the technology and communications industry, is celebrating a recruitment milestone.

Dorset, UK – A unique UK sales talent agency dedicated to the technology and communications industry, is celebrating its first year of recruitment division success.

The specialist job service is part of The Channel Sales Academy and not only helps companies and employees find their perfect match, but halt a talent drain and attract new blood into the industry.

Spearheaded by renowned industry sales training guru Gary May and partner Claire Pinhorne, they describe themselves as real-life matchmakers and football agents for professionals in the ICT channel.

“People are my passion and we are not a traditional recruiter. I speak the language and understand the industry inside out, having been an engineer, salesperson and sales director selling the very products and services our clients provide,” Gary explained. “Additionally, with 15 years of training experience, I certainly know what is required for success and, because of that, know exactly where to find the right talent for clients looking to fill roles.

“It’s a perfect marriage of training and recruitment purely for the comms industry. I guess we’re a bit like a dating agency. It’s recruitment reimagined.”

Leading Author

The Channel Sales Academy is an all-in-one solution for recruiting, training and developing elite sales talent across the communications channel. Its roots began in 2008.

Having spent over two decades honing his skills and expertise, Gary is the author of three influential books on sales psychology and persuasion, and has trained and coached some of the most prolific sales and lead generation teams in almost 30 countries.

Starting life as a telecoms engineer Gary soon saw the opportunity of taking his technical ability and applying it into the realm of sales, where he developed a successful career, becoming a Sales Director for multi-channel partners. He is now consulted by many of the industry’s top resellers, distributors and manufacturers to train, coach and mentor their sales, lead generation and sales management teams across the country.

Around a year ago he decided to expand his repertoire with business and real-life partner Claire to set-up the dedicated recruitment arm. They operate from Alderholt in Dorset.

“At the Channel Sales Academy (CSA), we take pride in being the only telecom and ICT channel-specific sales training and recruitment company in the UK. Our mission is to equip individuals and businesses with cutting-edge methods, strategies and top sales, sales management and telemarketing talent,” Gary highlighted.

“We operate on an industry gold standard and aim to empower new talent. We understand that entering the telecom and ICT industry can be daunting for new sales people. Many are deterred, believing it is too technical and complex. However, at CSA, we demystify the process and provide a fast track to channel sales success. Our comprehensive training programs are designed to empower individuals to flourish in this lucrative industry confidently.”

Exceed Targets

Claire added: “One of the significant challenges faced by the channel is the loss of sales talent to other industries due to the lack of ongoing training, career progression and clear development paths. At CSA, we address these issues head-on. By engaging with us, clients not only benefit from our top-tier training but also ensure the retention of their talented sales forces. While we train and develop, they thrive and succeed.”

Claire says around 60% of sales professionals leave their jobs because they feel they are not being adequately trained and supported. Those who receive ongoing training are 33% more likely to exceed targets. Almost three quarters believe that they need more training to be successful.

​She continued: “Whether you are a new start-up with a small team or a multi-national corporation with teams spanning the globe, CSA can provide one-off sales and lead generation events tailored to specific requirements, allowing organisations to make a big market impact and drive tangible results. Flexible client options are tailored to align with their core business objectives.”

​Gary is Founder and President of the Association of Sales Professionals UK, boasts over 130 client industry award nominations and category winners – and is credited as being in the top 1% of influence and persuasion experts by industry peers.

Natural Passion

He concluded: “The recruitment division has enjoyed a fantastic first year and features both talent and vacancy hubs, based on a 92% success rate and a wealth of testimonials.

“I have a natural passion and love to bring new people into the industry, such as school leavers or telemarketers; train them up and give them the skills and ability to make good money based on ethics and morals. But what I was seeing was too many disgruntled experienced sales professionals stuck in organisations that were not right for them. They were exiting the channel which was such a shame. I’ve always helped clients find staff by word of mouth and knew I could find them a better fit, so the recruitment division was born. The quality of candidates and feedback is on another level. I can talk their language having done most of their jobs and offer a tailored personal service. Inadvertently I’ve become a bit of a football agent and matchmaker for the tech industry.

“We offer precision recruitment and headhunting, connecting partners with fully vetted top-tier talent that has completed competency tests. This reduces recruitment costs, speeds up the process and delivers exceptional channel candidates of known quality, with proven track records, that are often exclusive to us. It’s a seamless, natural and successful expansion of the business. To get the top talent, our clients are coming to those helping create it; us. For every 10 candidates we recommend, more than nine are getting placed. It’s a win-win for all concerned.”

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