Kirsty has worked at Ford & Slater Leicester for seven years as Sales Admin and most recently moving to Sales Support. In February 2022, Kirsty enrolled on the Sales Development Programme developed by DAF.
Commenting on why she joined the programme, Kirsty said: “Tim [Strevens] and Andy [Corby] heard about the programme at a sales meeting and suggested that I would be a great fit for the programme.”
“It was nice that they thought of me and of course, I was more than interested in doing it!”
The course was delivered in person throughout various DAF locations, including DAF HQ and the Leyland factory and it remained the same cohort throughout the training, allowing Kirsty to create new relationships with others from around the DAF dealer network.
“It was lovely to create a peer group on the course, especially with those that you might have not met before. It allowed us to have this support network that we could rely on if any one of us were struggling with a specific topic.”
Commercial Skills Training Manager, Dean Kidd, was responsible for the training throughout the programme which Kirsty found gave her that added depth and support.
Kirsty explains: “Dean did an excellent job and you really felt like he had that vested interest in you as he saw your growth throughout the programme. We were also lucky to have two mentors, one from DAF [Adam Bates, Fleet Truck Sales Manager] and one within your dealership [Josh Spencer, Sales Engineering Manager’] – so you always had someone to turn to when you needed help.”
Although times are changing, Kirsty found herself to be the only female in the group: “I’m aware that the truck industry is still quite a male dominated industry but during the programme, I found everyone has been respectful. Representation is so important within sales, and I hope another woman sees this and decides to do the programme too.”
Now graduated, Kirsty explains what she plans to do next: “We’ve been incredibly busy for the last year with the growth of Ford & Slater. I look forward to being able to put into practice what I’ve learnt from the programme and seeing what 2023 holds for me!”
Commenting on how Ford & Slater have supported her through the training, Kirsty comments: “They have just been brilliant. The company has been incredibly supportive not just through the programme, but for my whole career. Thank you so much to everyone who has helped me along the way.”
Jack Tibbles, Ford & Slater’s Retail Sales Manager, concludes: “The Sales Development Programme developed by DAF is a great initiative that has helped Kirsty develop her skills surrounding truck sales. Kirsty managed to excel in all the modules whilst still juggling her day job of supporting the rest of the sales team.
“We are incredibly proud of Kirsty, and we can’t wait to see what the future holds for her.”
