The Enlightened Sales Manager Episode 8: Sales is a Profession: Inside the Institute Sales Professional with Rob Marklove-The Enlightened Sales Manager Episode 8: Sales is a Profession: Inside the Institute Sales Professional with Rob Marklove

The Enlightened Sales Manager Episode 8: Sales is a Profession: Inside the Institute Sales Professional with Rob Marklove

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Video Transcription

Video Summary

In this episode of <em>The Enlightened Sales Manager</em>, host Greg Barnes speaks with Rob Marklove, Managing Director of the Institute of Sales Professionals (ISP), about raising standards and recognition in sales.

Marklove describes the ISP as a global, not-for-profit professional body focused on sales standards, ethics, and best practice. It supports individual members throughout their careers, corporate sales teams, and training providers. Benefits include professional development, networking, more than 700 hours of CPD-accredited learning, qualifications, and membership grades with post-nominal letters. The ISP also assesses and endorses training programs against its sales capability framework.

Greg Barnes discusses his Management in Transition (MIT) program, developed over decades and recently endorsed by the ISP. He argues that sales deserves the same professional recognition as other fields, and that success requires ongoing study, commitment, and skill development—not just natural talent.

Both guests encourage sales managers to focus on developing their people, building buyer trust, and demonstrating professionalism and ethical conduct. Marklove suggests that managers begin by considering how their teams appear to customers and exploring the ISP’s free membership option.

Keywords

sales professionalism

Institute of Sales Professionals

CPD accreditation

ethical sales

sales management

professional development

buyer trust