If you've been following the latest BBC series of The Apprentice then you'll know that it's finally nearing a conclusion. After Katie's dramatic removal from the running (I wonder whether she secretly wanted to be offered the job just so she could turn it down... if so, I admire her balls) we are now left with Simon & Kristina.

Echo's of last year, perhaps... with a "sales person" in the final two?

And here's my thoughts about this. Because it appears that SAS has a bit of a split personality on this point. All the way through this series (and others) we hear the mantra of "if you can't sell you're no good to me".

Tasks in each episode to date include selling coffee, designing & pitching a new product, starting up a business, selling trainers, selling art, selling at a french market.... you can see where I'm going with this.

Sure, there are, of course, a wide range of additional skills needed in each of these tasks but, boy, if you don't sell then you will get canned.

So, almost the same as we saw last year, why do we get to the final and then we hear "Oh, but you're only a salesperson. Do I need another sales person?"

In terms of the two candidates left, clearly "yes you do".

Kristina will surely win. She's a solid performer who (if SAS doubts she is CEO material) can be developed further. It is the apprentice after all.

Simon's a likable character but basically far too flaky.

The thing is... "sales person" is a broad label. Kristina closes major contracts with the NHS. Andy Jackson (the Car Sales Manager who was booted out after the first episode) was not in the same league.

It's like comparing someone who sells shoes in a shop with someone who closes multi-million pound outsourcing contracts. No comparison.

Selling is the life-blood of business. Of course SAS needs an Apprentice with strong sales skills.

And who knows... he may even hire a "sales person" to get it.

Labels: sales