Review of 2014 and the value of writing blogs
2014 was a year of downs and ups! In January my mother, aged 94, passed away peaceably in circumstances just as she would have liked. I am very proud that, as well as managing Mum’s affairs, probate, executor of her will, house clearing and sale of the house I was still able to make over 1000 phone calls to business’s and send over 500 personally written emails throughout the year. (Yes I really do log this information on a spreadsheet! – it keeps me honest in my efforts) Sorting out Mum’s affairs was made so much easier because we used the services of Stuart Fantham...
Read MoreHow should you end a vibrant exciting team building session?
There can only be one answer – By throwing two foot long scimitars from ten to fifteen feet away at volunteers! We have been delivering our ‘Facing up to New Challenges’ circus skills session for over fifteen years with great success – please read the testimonial “Maximillion Client Event, Mar 2011”. As “a winner of an activity” this is a very flexible session in a team building day. It can though, when needed be much more than an activity. We take great pride in being able to seamlessly deliver powerful messages about how working together improves performance and...
Read MoreCold Calling – my top tip
If in some way you feel you should be making cold calls to grow your business but aren’t looking forward to making them: DON’T DO IT The chances are you will do it badly which may have an adverse effect upon your business. For me cold calling is still as exciting as it was when I made my first cold call in the last century ! (1998) and if like me you enjoy the prospect of speaking to people on the phone you don’t know, then here are some tips on how we have used this technique so successfully over the years. 1. We don’t sell on the phone – The cold call is the start of a dialog...
Read MoreBeing Green in our motoring
Being green in our motoring A previous blog “Identifying and acknowledging excellence” posted on the 22/12/11 concluded “I know where I will I will be taking my car for it’s next MOT, exhaust tyres etc because Darren and Andy know something about delivering an excellent level of service” So at the end of July I took my 1982 Ford Granada 2.8 Ghia X for it’s MOT at the Kwik Fit Centre. She has now passed 200,000 miles on the clock and this year was thirty years old. Of course MOT time is always a tense time and this year was no exception. I prepared well, getting some essential...
Read MoreTips on reducing the cost of your team building away day
Doing it yourself. We would always recommend taking the team away from their every day work environment but do you need to spend a lot of money on a hotel type setting? Can you make your own arrangements locally? Do you really need tea and coffee biscuits etc three times during the day. We have found this is to be an additional cost of about £7.50 per person per day. Can you secure an all inclusive deal in a negotiated day delegate rate? Start your team building day after your people have made their usual arrangements for lunch. Don’t however under estimate the ‘feel good factor’ of...
Read MoreNetworking versus Cold Calling: Benefits of Both
Networking versus Cold calling – which is the best? Which should you use? For us, both methods have their merits and we thoroughly enjoy both networking and cold calling. Meeting new people face to face for me is always exciting and I am constantly amazed at the range and scope of products and services on offer. Opportunities to attend a networking event are probably better than ever, with so many new groups starting up. I always enjoy attending the Leighton Buzzard Breakfast Club. They meet every Wednesday morning and the meeting is finished by 08:30 – a great way to start the day....
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