‘It gives me that edge’

As part of this week’s 13th annual National Apprenticeship Week, we will be sharing stories about some of our apprentices to celebrate the contribution they make to Royal Mail and our future.

Today, we hear from sales apprentice, Heather Clough, who is currently studying a business to business sales degree.

‘As a field account manager, I have a portfolio of customers that I travel and meet,’ said Heather. ‘My role is to ensure that the customer gets the best experience from Royal Mail. I listen to their needs and ensure they are on the service that best fits them. My responsibility to Royal Mail is to keep, grow and find new revenue streams from the customer portfolio.’

Heather was already working within Royal Mail Sales when she spotted the opportunity to take part in the apprenticeship.

‘Having worked in the industry for a while, I understood how the market had become saturated, with a lot of competitors offering the same products as us,’ said Heather. ‘I asked myself, “What can give me an edge over my competitors?” The apprenticeship gives me that edge.

‘I’ve really loved the programme so far. Most of all, I’ve enjoyed taking the time to reflect and learn from my work. I was already an account manager prior to starting the apprenticeship and at first, it was quite difficult to get into the swing of things and switch off from my work to studying.

‘I’ve now overcome this barrier by dedicating one day (outside of the office) to study. This ensures I switch off from work and allows me to reflect on what I’ve been doing. It gives me the time to get my head down and study. In our five-day working week, one day is set aside for university study. When it’s deadline week, I sometimes work extra hours over the weekend.

‘In terms of personal development, I’m constantly working to improve my time management and how I balance my schedule, looking at adding new techniques that will help me. I also research different sales techniques and implement these within my sales conversations. I reflect on how well they have worked, and if I feel they have worked well, I continue to use them.’

Last year, Heather was awarded the Royal Mail ‘sales apprentice of the year’ award, the first award of its kind. She was also promoted from being a desk-based account manager to a field-based account manager.

‘Through studying the apprenticeship, my confidence levels have soared, opening opportunities that I didn’t believe were possible prior to starting the programme,’ she said. ‘My line managers and mentors have always been extremely supportive. They want me to do well and constantly push me to better myself. Not only that, they like to listen and learn from what I’ve been studying too.

‘If you’re thinking of applying for an apprenticeship development programme, just do it! Speak with your line manager and look at the options available. In fact, after seeing how much I enjoyed studying, one of my friends who works in customer service at Parcelforce put herself forward for a Customer Service Specialist Level 3 apprenticeship. She’s enjoying it so much, she’s already thinking about putting herself forward for the next level.’