Blog

7 Ways To Build Lasting Relationships

Posted: October 18, 2016

Consider what it is that contributes most to any long lasting client relationship and I believe it comes down to our attitudes - the sort of people we are more than anything else; Here’s my top 7;

1. Be Polite

What Skills Do You Need To Be A Great Sales Person?

Posted: October 11, 2016

"You’d be a good fit in sales", said HR Director Kevin Sheerin at the conclusion of my first ever psychometric assessment, way back in 1980. ‘Really?’, I thought.

So, as an aspiring engineer, I ignored that entirely, continuing onward with plans for an engineering degree and a career in a blue chip engineering organisation. After all, I wasn't a sales person, was I?

8 Common Mistakes Made By Managers and How to Avoid Them

Posted: October 4, 2016

Back in 1991 I was handed my first management role as a Product Manager for Bonar Rotaform, a specialist plastics company and part of the mid-250 industrials group, Low & Bonar - it was a big deal to me.

Up until that point I’d been just another member of a field sales team and prior to that, an engineer working on missile systems at British Aerospace. I can remember thinking how well I’d done to have secured my first management role at the not so tender age of 29!

10 Ways to Increase Productivity

Posted: September 11, 2015

Hard to achieve and even harder to maintain, productivity is that allusive trait that we all strive to achieve in our day to day activities. Being consistently productive is a challenge and as time is a finite commodity maximising every hour in the day is not always possible. However, as with all traits, there are ways to develop and increase your productivity by adapting your routine to accommodate the following ten tips:

4 Steps to More Effective Negotiation

Posted: September 11, 2015

Everybody at some point will find themselves in a situation where the ability to negotiate their position is needed. Whether you are haggling at a market stall on a holiday, negotiating costs with suppliers or brokering a deal with a customer, being able to successfully negotiate will help you to be successful in whatever goals you are wanting to achieve. Our steps to negotiation success are designed to help people who are new to negotiating or find it difficult.

Goal Setting

Posted: August 24, 2015

When asked what it is that I do, one of my less considered responses can be that I'm a business coach, which normally prompts further questions like, “What does that means and what’s involved?

In developing a response I invariably recall my old pal Derek, an inspiring colleague who described the mechanism of coaching quite simply as, “A vehicle that gets you from A to B!”

For coaching interventions to work, they must be simple and effective, yet somehow they usually end up being way too complicated because we fail to identify the core elements of a coaching plan;

7 Critical Elements of any Successful Pitch

Posted: July 29, 2015

Being able to successfully pitch is a skill that is essential in any walk of life. Whether you are pitching a product, a service or an idea, you need to get people to believe in and become invested in what you are offering. But what makes a pitch successful and what will differentiate you from the competition?

The following 7 facets are critical to any pitch:

How to overcome a fear of selling

Posted: June 16, 2015

Fear is one of the most powerful constraints to becoming successful in all manner of industries and roles but particularly sales. The ability to consistently put yourself out there in front of prospective clients is not easy. This is especially true when posed with the need to cold call, dealing with people who are as warm as an English summertime to your sales pitch.

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