To further expand sales of its next generation telecoms services and improve its support to clients, NWT has been recruiting more professional sales staff with IT knowledge. 'We are looking at a growth of up to 20 per cent in the number of our professional sales personnel annually. We expect this growth rate to be sustainable in 2008,' said Henrietta Cheung, NWT's head of human resources and administration. These professional sales positions include account executives and managers for SMEs, senior account managers for corporate sales, and online advertising sales consultants.

No longer a traditional telecoms service provider, NWT had developed an account servicing concept for its next generation telecoms service corporate clients, Ms Cheung said. 'We are looking for sales professionals who work with their customers like business consultants. They should be able to provide total solutions to their customers based on their needs.

'For instance, the account managers need to have knowledge of specific industries as they should have the ability to help conceptualise the design of the webpages for some clients,' she said. The candidates should have a good understanding of how various industries operate and of online advertising to tailor products to the needs of their customers.

The account managers are also required to possess superb communication skills and to be enthusiastic about helping customers. 'More importantly, we expect our staff to be empathetic towards the needs of their customers,' Ms Cheung said.

Apart from empathy and enthusiasm, the managers should project a professional image that inspires customer confidence.

'Customers rely on them to provide professional solutions,' she said.

All new recruits would receive intensive training of sales techniques and product knowledge. Senior managers also provided mentorship to new recruits, Ms Cheung said.

Moreover, NWT regularly organises seminars with outside consultants to update staff on new developments of other industries and encourage exchange of ideas. 'NWT's corporate culture emphasises staff career development. Every year, we provide refresher training for our staff,' she added.

The candidates should have at least a Form Five education and a knowledge of IT, preferably one to two years of sales experience, and be native speakers of Cantonese. They should also have good proficiency in English.

'The managers need to do a great deal of correspondence with clients through e-mail and writing in English should be more efficient [than in Chinese],' she said.

The incentive package for these commission-based positions is very competitive. Manager of human resources Teresa Tong said: 'Together with the basic salary, some managers make up to HK$80,000 a month.'

Promotion for staff is entirely based on sales performance regardless of how long they have been with the company.

'Some managers have been promoted immediately after they have completed probation,' Ms Tong said.

Ms Cheung said: 'The internet has totally changed the way we do business these days. The new technology has prompted us to develop next generation telecoms services like Search 'n Click and the NWT Hosted Exchange.

'Both are backed by our enormous investment. These total solutions telecom services enable our clients to do business practically anywhere and anytime. They also help them grow their businesses in a cost-effective manner.

'NWT needs more sales professionals to effectively communicate the benefits of our telecoms services to the customers.'

Right choice

Candidates should be empathetic towards customers' needs

They should project a professional image that inspires customers' confidence

Attractive remuneration package

Intensive professional sales training provided

Great emphasis on staff career development