A runner up in The Apprentice launches recruitment business
15 October 2014
Famously dubbed by Lord Alan Sugar as the “right man without a plan”, Neil Clough, runner up in The Apprentice last year, has come up with a new plan – and set up a sales recruitment firm.
Wed, 15 Oct 2014 | By Nicola Sullivan
Famously dubbed by Lord Alan Sugar as the “right man without a plan”, Neil Clough, runner up in The Apprentice last year, has come up with a new plan – and set up a sales recruitment firm.
Clough was fired during the penultimate episode of The Apprentice over his business plan – an online estate agency scheme – which was viewed by the judges as flawed.
After leaving the show Clough went back to the drawing board and created a business called NWC Consultancy – a provider of sales training for SMEs and larger corporate businesses – which led to the creation of sales recruitment firm Prime, launched today (15 October 2014).
Clough told Recruiter: “I came out of The Apprentice really performing at the best I could and to the best of my ability. I broke a record for the most high ticket items sold on a task and was top seller from the start to the finish, and project manager more than anyone else.”
He added: “I realised that sales was my skill and really should be the focus of my business.”
Prime will specialise in the recruitment of sales people across all industry sectors, and in addition offering training. Candidates will participate in a seven-day course, which includes sector-specific training.
Launched today [15 October], Prime will support the development of new recruits through their first year in a sales job, and its training regime is designed to guarantee candidates pass their probationary period. A free replacement is offered should a candidate not be successful.
In a press statement, Clough said: “Prime is a response to a considerable problem in one of the UK’s largest industries. Sales is a sector notorious for high staff turnover, meaning that it is critical for businesses to retain their expert sales professionals and offer them the best training.”
The new series of The Apprentice started last night [14 October] on BBC One. The first casualty of the boardroom was company director Chiles Cartwright, who failed to sell the item with the biggest mark up in the selling task – the T-Shirts.
Clough was fired during the penultimate episode of The Apprentice over his business plan – an online estate agency scheme – which was viewed by the judges as flawed.
After leaving the show Clough went back to the drawing board and created a business called NWC Consultancy – a provider of sales training for SMEs and larger corporate businesses – which led to the creation of sales recruitment firm Prime, launched today (15 October 2014).
He added: “I realised that sales was my skill and really should be the focus of my business.”
Prime will specialise in the recruitment of sales people across all industry sectors, and in addition offering training. Candidates will participate in a seven-day course, which includes sector-specific training.
Launched today [15 October], Prime will support the development of new recruits through their first year in a sales job, and its training regime is designed to guarantee candidates pass their probationary period. A free replacement is offered should a candidate not be successful.
In a press statement, Clough said: “Prime is a response to a considerable problem in one of the UK’s largest industries. Sales is a sector notorious for high staff turnover, meaning that it is critical for businesses to retain their expert sales professionals and offer them the best training.”
The new series of The Apprentice started last night [14 October] on BBC One. The first casualty of the boardroom was company director Chiles Cartwright, who failed to sell the item with the biggest mark up in the selling task – the T-Shirts.
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