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Members News
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Written by System Administrator
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| Key Connector Member of the Month |
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 Established in January 2006, Appointments 4U is the brainchild of Julie Smithard – a woman who has variously been described as the “Telephone Terrier” and the “Girl with the Golden Phone”, based on her skills in telemarketing.
Demonstrating both tenacity and perseverance in cold-calling on behalf of clients and an amazing ability to establish a rapport with people at all levels of the corporate ladder, Julie is a gifted professional whose services are in demand by a wide range of clients.
Surprisingly, she puts her successful track record down to listening, rather than a seductive sales spiel. “Being able to listen is very important,” she explains. “If you listen, you can gauge how a person is responding to your call, simply by the tone of their voice. That way, you can react very quickly in order to keep them engaged in conversation.”
With extensive experience in business development, marketing and sales management, including 12 years generating leads and sales appointments for a printing company, Julie is perfectly-placed to provide her expertise to clients and organisations both large and small.
Along with a hand-picked team of like-minded professionals, she is committed to complimenting the existing sales force within a client’s organisation, identifying business opportunities, developing customer relations on their behalf and supporting their marketing strategy. In short, she becomes an extension of a client’s sales and marketing operation, and is regularly credited as the key to gaining new business by many successful companies.
Julie believes you should make the most of Networking and Key Connectors is a great organisation Some Reasons why you should network?
To meet new people
Meetings and seminars are great places to meet because they have come to meet people too. A good follow on technique is to return to the same meeting and sit next to that important person.
Building a pool of prospects
A bigger picture of networking is creating a pool of contacts, then you can review, call upon to arrange meetings or invite to your other networks, hopefully they’ll invite you to their networks!
Build relationships quickly
I think you’ll agree Networking is all about building relationships and connecting with people, handing out business cards and making new connections, another great way to build relations quickly.
H2O Print
As commercial printers with experience in screenprinting, litho printing and, more recently, digital printing, H2O Print has built an excellent reputation over the past 30 years. And while the company’s top quality design and manufacturing expertise was exceeding current clients’ expectations, trawling for new customers was proving something of a headache for managing director John Hillier.
“Making appointments, cold calling and chasing leads is actually quite difficult,” says John, “and I’m usually too busy selling our printing services to be able to do it properly. But since Appointments 4U are doing it professionally – why not use experts to do it for you?”
John had previously considered using other telemarketers but didn’t like the way they wanted to do business. “Other companies quoted per appointment, which wouldn’t have suited me. Appointments 4U works for me one day a week, and keep me very busy with a constant supply of leads and appointments. Obviously not every appointment pans out, but it’s certainly worthwhile. I’m a lot busier these days and there’s a real buzz about the business.”
John doesn’t have any doubts about recommending Appointments 4U.
“Julie and her team do a fantastic job: in fact, the only way they could improve is if they physically brought the business in themselves – and I guess that’s my job!”
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Members News
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Written by Jeremy Silverstone, Purple Marketing
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| Key Connector Member of the Month |
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 Networking Should Be Top of the Options for Every Business
Jeremy Silverstone - Purple Marketing
As a marketing planner with some 25 years under my belt, I've worked with global companies such as Barclays, BT and Orange to help them understand what they can do and say to make their prospects and customers buy from them. And along the way I've also worked with hundreds of SMEs and dozens of charities.
It has always struck me that the principles are exactly the same, whatever the size and nature of the organisation, and these can be summarised as:
- understand your target audience, and know where & how to reach them
- create compelling messages that will trigger a positive response from them
- make sure all communications are consistent and single-minded
- set targets, and track the performance of all activity
- no sales activity is as effective as developing a reputation for excellence and value - if you can achieve this, you'll have them queueing at the door!
Being able to reach the audience in a cost-effective way is often the most difficult bit, but across the board there are few techniques that can compete with the value of face-to-face networking.
We regularly create logos, brochures, display material, websites, mailers, promoions, advertising and PR material for our clients, but it's rare that networking is excluded from what we'd consider to be a balanced mix. And the reason is simple - people want to do business with people. Given the choice, most buyers would much rather buy from a real person they can see, and trust. So getting yourself known in networking circles is an important part of what any business - and especially an SME - should be doing.
But there are also several hidden benefits to being a part of the networking community. Top of my personal list is the sheer pleasure of personal interaction with people I like. Added to that is the training, and the market knowledge one gains from one-on-one meetings with other group members.
So websites can be wonderful, brochures can be beautiful, mailers can be marvellous, exhibitions can be exhilarating, and advertising can be awesome. But for sheer value, a breakfast meeting is the first thing any serious businessperson should put on their marketing shopping list.
See you there!
Jeremy Silverstone is the Managing Director of Purple Marketing Limited.
Click here for further information
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Members News
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Places are still available for my workshop "Calling With Confidence" on Saturday, May 23rd. To register,
please go to the Eventbrite page: http://communicatewithclarity2.eventbrite.com
For more information, please give me a call on 08453 313171
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Members News
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Written by Theresa Bowman, Cherry Lodge Cancer Care
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Cherry Lodge
is collecting used inkjet cartridges and old mobile phones.
Please ensure
that you remove the sim card before donating your old phone. Doesn’t matter
what condition, working or otherwise. Cherry Lodge can recycle and gets paid
for doing so.
Also empty
inkjet cartridges don’t bin them – bag them and donate them to Cherry Lodge
Cancer Care.
Theresa
Bowman
Head of
Fundraising
Cherry Lodge Cancer
Care
23 Union
Street, Barnet EN5 4HY
020 8441 7000/Mobile no: 07514
762362
Registered charity number
1011629.
Visit us at
www.cherrylodgecancercare.org.uk
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Members News
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Written by Marc Gold, Key Connectors
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Craig Lesser, Area Connector of the Barnet Key Connectors group will be falling from 10,000ft in aid of Cherry Lodge Cancer Care this Saturday. I know that some of you would very much like to push, however we are assured that Craig will in fact have a parachute attached. This is just as well, as he will need to collect his donations at the next meeting of the Barnet Key Connectors.
We all wish Craig the best of luck and look forward to seeing the photo's after.
About my charity : Cherry Lodge Cancer Care Cherry Lodge Cancer Care
Cherry Lodge provides and promotes information and support to improve the quality of life for those living with cancer. We have nurse led cancer information, library, self help and complementary therapies. We believe in a holistic approach as cancer has an impact on the whole person - body, mind and spirit.
Charity Registration No 1011629
Please help out if you can. If you would like to donate, please use the widget on the right.
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Members News
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Written by Les Conway
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Not your ordinary Soccer School as at Elite Soccer Academy we specialise in developing players beyond the grassroots game.
Weekly sessions run for age groups from 5 to 12 and the coaching delivered is designed to enhance and compliment young players leading towards recommendations to pro academies.
We also run School Holiday Fun Schemes also for age groups from 5 to 12 encompassing skills drills, competitions and games. Awards are presented at the end of each week too.
Our primary base is at Harefield Academy, a secure and well equiped venue with First Aid facilities on site.
To book a Taster, one of our Development Programmes or a School Holiday Fun Scheme log onto www.elitesocceracademy.eu.
“I look forward to seeing young potential stars of the future turned out by Elite Soccer Academy.”
Paul Merson - Ex Arsenal and England Professional
“It’s important to build soccer skills locally and the Elite Soccer Academy is a fantastic way to do it.”
Chris Powell - Chairman of the Professional Footballers Association
“Elite Soccer Academy bridges the gap between grassroots footbal and pro academies.”
Dave Regis - Head of Education at Charlton Athletic Academy
Elite Soccer Academy Ltd, PO Box 634, Pinner, Middlesex HA5 9HW Telephone: 020 8866 8811
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Members News
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Written by Matthew Human
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Our litigators have just successfully written of a balance of £5780.59 from a Morgan Stanley Credit Card – this could happen to you!
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Read more...
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Members News
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Written by System Administrator
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Debenhams are holding their latest event with upto 25% off EVERYTHING! The main event runs from 19th to the 21st of November and is open to the general public.
But as an Exclusive offer to Key Connector readers, members and thier family and friends Debenhams are opening thier doors early.
So this is Your personal invite to an
EXCLUSIVE SHOPPING PREVIEW 15th - 18th November
So get your Christmas presents a little early this year
and save upto a masSive 25% off everything.
Click here to download Personal Invitation (pdf)
Click here to download a list of all discounts by department (pdf)
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Members News
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Written by Jeremy Silverstone, Purple Marketing
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There is often a tendency to pull back on marketing when - like now - the market is tough. But smart businesses relish the opportunity a recession provides, because the landscape is much less crowded, and any investment in marketing activity will therefore yield proportionately more market share.
Remember,marketing doesn't need to be expensive, and if properly planned, structured and
targeted, it will give your business a real boost when it needs it most.
We recently presented at the Barnet Key Connectors Business Networking group, providing the members some invaluable tips, tricks and real world examples to help them improve their profit. Local Businesses find it hard enough to attract new customers and develop business from their existing ones. The presentation was exceptionally well received and many members have already reported back some of the positive effects the ideas that were shared are having on their business.
Click here to view the presentation
Jeremy Silverstone
PURPLE
MARKETING
Contact Purple Marketing
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