Cold Calling – another top tip
I expect we have all been cold called by someone who didn’t worry too much about getting our name right before launching into their prepared speil. What sort of impression are we left with? Is that inattention to such an important detail an indication of how good any after sales service will be? For me the starting point of effective cold calling is all about being organised and making use of a carefully managed database. I believe in keeping great records and before every call I have a read through which not only refreshes the mind but also gives a focus to the call. Is it a call to keep...
Read MoreCold Calling – some more top tips
As mentioned in a previous blog doing the research is a key element to our success with cold calling. I probably spend as much time researching as I do calling. When I started out, research meant hours spent in the library consulting business directories such as Kelly’s, but the internet has changed all that. So what is your strategy? What sort of organisations do you want to do business with? What scope is there for repeat business? I would suggest developing a couple of different strategies, – perhaps a medium term for SMO ‘s and a longer term for the larger organisations? When...
Read MoreAway Days for GP surgeries
A couple of months ago we were contacted by a freelance journalist, Alison Moore who had been commissioned by the magazine Management in Practice to write an article about the value of away days for GP surgeries. She was a lovely lady, easy to talk to and it was a pleasure sharing my knowledge with her. The article Pulling Together” was published in issue number 39 (Winter 2014/2015) and here are some of the things I said and that of Sarah Day, a Practice Manager in Chesham. “A social gathering can be great for people to get to know each other but probably won’t resolve specific issues...
Read MoreRed Nose Day
As most will know last Friday 13th March was Comic Relief Red Nose Day. Sainsburys make a huge commitment to supporting the day and Pushpa Kasinather from 1st Choice Speakers contacted us to see if we would be interested in doing our bit for Red Nose Day in partnership with a local Sainsbury’s store in Chesham. The plan was to have area immediately outside the store and in the morning someone else would raise money by demonstrating Zumba and in the afternoon for a donation of £1 to Comic Relief we would teach some basic circus skills, to those who wanted to have a go. Of course we...
Read MoreReview 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...
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