Oct
17
2014
Published by Alison Gittins
When I moved to the North East of England over 15 years ago, I soon stumbled across the great local saying: It has since become a regularly used catch phrase in my training and motivational talks; said of course with an Irish accent and roughly translated as “If you don’t ask, you won’t get.” This… View Article
Oct
17
2014
Published by Alison Gittins
What’s the most effective way to grow your business? Word of mouth and referral. Research shows that over 80% of people trust word of mouth over any other form of marketing. At the end of the day most of us would prefer to do business with people the know, like and trust Many businesses it… View Article
Oct
17
2014
Published by Alison Gittins
Customer Service…….Customer Experience, call it what you will. It is so easy to get wrong, and quite difficult to get right. How easy is it for you to hold onto your existing clients? How easy is it for you to win new customers? The experience that you leave your customer with is key to customer retention… View Article
Oct
17
2014
Published by Alison Gittins
We regularly get asked to help people sell more of what they do over the phone. This can be selling an appointment, selling a product or service, raising awareness or cleansing data on a CRM (Customer Relationship Management) system. Let’s start off with the basics, what are we trying to achieve? What, in fact are… View Article
Oct
17
2014
Published by Alison Gittins
If you’re one of the many business people who would rather go to the dentist than go networking, perhaps you might consider trying it again after reading this? Listen Be prepared to listen to what others are telling you. If you see a glazed expression on the face of the person you are talking to,… View Article
Oct
17
2014
Published by Alison Gittins
How naturally can business growth happen? Can we take an organic approach so that we nourish and, in turn, flourish? Exploring this subject recently, I found that the top three reasons why business people network are: 1. To build opportunities for business 2. To build relationships and trust (which may lead to business and/or referrals)… View Article
Oct
17
2014
Published by Alison Gittins
Most business owners know that to sell more of their products and services at the optimum price they have to create a clear value in their offering. Lots of people strive to do this in everything that they do because selling more at a higher price sounds good, doesn’t it? LinkedIn is often either overlooked… View Article
Oct
17
2014
Published by Alison Gittins
Social Media platforms appear to change on a daily basis, with design changes and new facilities being added – old ones disappearing – and as for the changes to the Facebook algorithm it can all be so confusing. I’m a huge believer in the fact that once you understand how these Social Media Platforms work… View Article
Oct
17
2014
Published by Alison Gittins
How many times have you been to a networking event only to hear someone confess: ‘we’re a bit shy about promoting ourselves’? The North-East is full of fantastic businesses but all too often great successes about award wins, anniversaries and record turnovers are kept a closely guarded secret. Meanwhile, those who shout loudest and longest… View Article
Oct
6
2014
Published by Alison Gittins
Take a bit of time out for yourself and indulge in a relaxing serenity package. Your day will include use of the spa facilities, including your robes and slippers, arrival from 9 am to 5 pm, a 50 minute Serenity Wellbeing massage or a 50 minute Skin Specific facial, an arrival drink and a 2… View Article