Entries for SLIM NASCO awards close on Friday

Sri Lanka Institute of Marketing (SLIM), the national body for marketing, invites organisations to nominate outstanding individuals from their sales teams for the National Sales Congress (NASCO), the premier national level event dedicated to recognise and reward the efforts and performance of sales personnel. The NASCO awards is the only national level sales awards of its kind in Sri Lanka. Winners at NASCO gain valuable exposure, experience and recognition for themselves and for the companies they work for, by being awarded in the presence of their industry peers. Entries for the NASCO awards close on 16 June.

Stephen Paulraj – Head of the Judging Panel of NASCO awards commented, “Selling is an integral part of any business growth. It is a must to reward, recognise, encourage and also promote sales as a profession at national level to make it a career to choose and prosper. Taking part in a national level event such as NASCO gives the necessary confidence, pride and recognition to everyone who participates. NASCO provides a great foundation for young sales talent to nurture and prosper. We welcome all companies who want to boost their sales function to enter the NASCO awards.”

Although sales teams are generally rewarded and recognised by their organisations, gaining recognition at NASCO focuses the national spotlight on these deserving candidates. Organisations are increasingly recognising the significance of the sales function, as sales teams are the ones who convert organisations plans and objectives into action. This national level recognition imparts communication, self-esteem and self-confidence for sales personnel as they make that significant transition from being heroes in their organisations to national sales heroes. 

Commenting on SLIM NASCO 2017, SLIM President Karthik Elangovan said, “Winning a NASCO award can enhance the careers of those nominated as it reflects the value that the company places on them. We expect NASCO 2017 to be an exciting platform for the sales fraternity to network among themselves and celebrate their noteworthy sales achievements. We are delighted to invite entries for NASCO 2017 to recognise and reward outstanding sales personnel from diverse sectors who make an immense contribution to their company’s success. The objective of NASCO Awards is to motivate and nurture the sales fraternity of the country by enhancing their learning curve in salesmanship.”

Commenting on the judging process, Stephen Paulraj said, “The NASCO award winners are selected after a stringent selection and judging process. The participants are divided into three groups based on the general sales role that they play in an organisation. A Front-liner is a person who converts products and services into cash, a supervisor/executive is who supports and functionally guides a Front-liner to make a sale and Area/Regional Manager is one who plans and executes all selling activity including managing, guiding and directing his people to achieve organisational objectives. The judging process is also different as per the levels, front liners and supervisors will be interviewed but the regional managers are to make a presentation with a Q & A session.”

There are 19 industry and product categories with some sub-divisions. Under each product and industry category there will be three awards (Gold, silver and bronze) each for three levels. The best female competitor in every level is also awarded to encourage gender balance and participation.  Judging panel comprises of professionals with experience and deep knowledge in sales and also represents a wider industry sector. A panel of judges of three to four are allocated for an industry/product and they will sit through the process to ensure consistency in judging.

SLIM invites companies to send in their entries before 16 June. The entry kit can be downloaded atwww.slim.lk/nasco. For entry kits and further details call Dimithra: 0703463171 or Manthika: 0773359170.

Since its inception, the NASCO awards have helped enhance the sales professionalism in Sri Lanka.