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Speaking at the Financial Services Skills Council annual conference in Westminster's Queen Elizabeth II building last Wednesday, Gillian Regazzoni, the life office's sales senior learning and development manager, said some skills required to work in the industry went beyond what individuals got from professional qualifications.

She said: "We are looking at more holistic skills around standard ways of working and interacting with clients, things like rapport building and interpersonal skills.

"These are things that should compliment the professional side but go beyond just that. The RDR does stress advisers need not just knowledge but skills."

She said advisers would take up training aimed at giving them these skills, as they had for previous programmes aimed at offering other qualifications.

She cited her company's professional adviser study system, which offers Chartered Insurance Institute accredited examinations, which saw 1000 advisers taking exams off the back of its study packs in April.

Her call for additional education was backed by Jayne Owen, chief executive of financial services training company Corporate Training Partnerships, who said improving employees interpersonal skills would make businesses more profitable.

She said: "Investment in skills development is an essential investment to meet strategic and tactical goals."