Sure Sir Alan is in business to sell his computers and whatnots to the public, but what about all the other aspects of business which are given a back seat to the endless "selling" tasks. I for one am getting tired of watching the candidates attempting to sell badly chosen products to the wrong audiences week after week

What about the accounting/ creative/ marketing(PR) / time management/ human resources/ real project management skills that any good manager needs?

Given that the candidates come from a variety of backgrounds, and some of them are without doubt very good at what they do, why are the tasks pushed towards selling selling selling to the exclusion of everything else?

Its not even always about profit - in most of the tasks its about the amount of sales they make, it was only the beauty product task where they actually were rated on profits (or losses). Why can't we see the apprentices really being tested on the full range of managerial skills required for a top position?

Don't get me wrong - I love the show - but I'm tired of seeing two teams of Rottweilers fighting each other and amongst themselves, instead of showing that a successful business is all about teamwork.

I'd say the cereal task, soap task and rebrand marketing tasks showed the creative, marketing and time management side of business. With the soap task also testing their ability to look at costings as well as innovative ways to sell the product (plus where) and the cereal/margate task having an element of advertising.

Selling up north showed telesale skills, pitching and negotiation skills. Also there was an element of looking at matching products to the target market and having a sales strategy.

This week was the same; matching products to the market, choosing products that will sell, having a strategy, sales skills to the public and negotiation skills. It also highlighted the need to think about competitors and getting the product price right.

A lot of the tasks have an element of market research required.

The cleaning task and food tasks were about keeping costs low, managing the costs and selling at the right price. This also highlighted those willing to get stuck in and do the work, as well as those who are proactive in seeking opportunities.

The food task highlighted skills in terms of keeping quality high, good customer service/being professional as well as being able to organise and manage an event.

All tasks assess team working skills, delegation and leadership skills.

The 10 items task was about valuing items, doing research, thinking about target markets/being innovative and also about delegating appropriately across the teams (ie. appropriate split).

We have also seen them have to do large presentations in the rebranding margate and cereal task.

Next task will test their creativity when having to sell on TV. Plus, it will test their directing/editing skills won't it? I'm still not certain how this task works.

But yes, I agree, their accounting skills haven't been tested. And I would like to see them organise a really large event, including catering and entertainment, selling tickets, managing costs etc...

I would have thought trying to sell a wide variety of tat is a good preparation for working for Amstrad.

I'd say that every time they have to keep an eye on costs, it tests their accounting skills:

» In the cleaning task, they had to repay the costs of the materials they used before they could even begin to make a profit.

» In the catering task, they had to make sure that their expenses weren't great than their income.

» In the perfume task, Paula's team lost because they got their costs completely wrong.

» In the task where they had to cost and sell items, they all got that completely wrong, although part of the blame for that could be that it wasn't really made clear to them that the point of the task wasn't just to sell everything at any cost.

As for why are most of the tasks related to sales, well, aren't the positions Sirallun offers usually sales positions?

exactly what i was thinking!!

Why would the 'prize' be working for Amstrad? Alan Sugar doesn't own it or work within it.

Doesn't all business come down to selling?
No sales, no business.

I think as other's have mentioned that the tasks do test a range of skills from accouting to time managment to creative as well as selling ... but I would say ulimately that there has to be sales aspect because there has to be competion and the easiest way to measure who has won and has lost is via the amount of sales accumalated in a task or the amount of profit / loss ... cash made ... so I think in terms of making exciting viewing too, the majority of the tasks need to be sales based ....