Gerry’s Big Decision
If you're new here, why don't you subscribe to our RSS feed so you don't miss anything.
Gerry’s Big Decision made its debut last night on Channel 4. It got rave reviews in the Daily Telegraph TV supplement and was a sort of ‘Dragons Den’ meets the ‘Apprentice’ meets ‘The secret Millionaire’.
Business guru Sir Gerry Robinson, ex-head of (amongst others) Granada TV and Coca Cola (Europe) seems to be spending his retirement doing TV shows on ‘dysfunctional business’
(His “I’ll show them whose Boss” was followed by the superb “Can Gerry fix the NHS”).
Last nights episode (the first in a 3 part series), featured, two independent Breweries who were days away from closing their doors.
Both parties stood to lose everything they had including the houses they lived in.
As one party put it “We will just lock up, put a chain around the gate, put the keys through the letter box and walk away.”
The Breweries were to be visited by Gerry and after he had looked around and talked to the owners and his usual tactic of going straight to talk to employees, he would make the decision of whether or not to invest (supposedly using his own money) in one or both Breweries to save them from going under.
The first Brewery owned by the establisher and his partner of 4 years, had actually stopped brewing when Gerry arrived. They had run out of hops and were unable to afford any more.
The head brewer cracked
“We couldn’t actually organise a ‘piss up in a brewery’ because we’d have nothing to drink.”
The second Brewery jointly established by a husband and wife team had a problem with their ‘management control’ systems. The owner did not actually know which of his award winning beers were making money and which of the least profitable to drop.
In both cases there was a management problem which, after thinking it over and having discussion with all concerned, Gerry suggested that the ladies of both establishments take charge for a temporary period of time.
At the first brewery this was met with disdain by the aforementioned Head brewer with
“Is that the best you can come up with?”
To say that to such a man with such distinguished business mind as Sir Gerry was disrespectful to say the least and he said to him
“If you worked for me, you would probably get a slap for that”
and went on to explore the possibility that the guy might possibly want the business to fail.
His answer to this was that “turning up every day expecting the gates to be locked and you be out of a job might be likely to make you a bit cynical”
As it turned out, both women were very adept at the job and quickly diagnosed some of the problems.
The first Breweries biggest problem seemed to be in sales. It had been generally understood that the sales rep. was up to the job but he was in fact trying to sell the beer too far away – making logistics a problem and his selling technique meant that he probably required some in-house training.
He totally misunderstood the request from a re-seller, to take a look at the brewery and its beer, believing it to be a request for a tourist visit.
“Yes give us a few weeks notice and there will be a small charge.”
Fortunately the new manager had chosen to shadow him and actually made the pitch.
Finally at the end of the programme Sir Gerry had to make his big decision. Which would he choose to save?
In fact he chose both Breweries and left with as a majority shareholder in both businesses.
The voice over at the end told how well they were doing.
Good TV – with no shouting and stamping around by anyone as in The Apprentice.
Next week - Pies and Pasties….
Sharp End Training - the UK's leading online training company, works with managers and trainers to get value for money from their training budget. We produce high quality, interactive online training material. Director Jonathan Senior (pictured)and his team work tirelessly to save YOU money. Try a free online training course or sign up for our weekly newsletter.
Give your customers a good listening too…
On our contact page, we have a line that requests we aren’t cold called. I don’t know if “cold calling” is a British phrase but it is usually taken to mean telephoning without appointment to pitch goods or solicit and order. It is generally regarding as quite hard work.
Up to press, this request has worked and we receive much less cold calling.
But today something strange happened
We received a cold call.
“Hello, you are on our database and receive our magazine we just wondered if it was still relevant”
(The magazine in question is a glossy ad supported guide to the conference and hospitality industry and I can’t ever remember subscribing to it - I mean who would actually ASK to be sent a catalogue full of adverts for business hotels and facilities?)
“No, not really, can you unsubscribe us please?”
“Of course, I will do that right away and sorry for bothering you today too”
What ? No up sell ? No request to take on a subscription to a second product. I mean, because I was on their database, I must be a prospect.
“Oh, err right, thanks”
And that reminded me of something
To carry on regardless of all feedback and logic from customers and users is a very silly (and often expensive) thing to do.
One of the reasons I moved away from classroom training (the death by powerpoint & chalk and talk type training) was by and large the people in it.
This is a sweeping generalisation but many were still popping the same “funny” stories and anecdotes from 10 years before. Of course, the skill is making is sound spontaneous.
Training that doesn’t adapt to the user (or customer!) is pretty poor training.
I have probably blogged before but when some training companies say “bespoke” what they actually mean is “we will put your logo on what we usually deliver on that subject”
So over to you
When was the last time you stopped and listen to someone (yes you have probably heard it all before) but you weren’t really listening were you?
Sharp End Training - the UK's leading online training company, works with managers and trainers to get value for money from their training budget. We produce high quality, interactive online training material. Director Jonathan Senior (pictured)and his team work tirelessly to save YOU money. Try a free online training course or sign up for our weekly newsletter.
A strange choice of business
Out and about at the weekend and driving through a small village.
The sign outside a farmhouse said
“(Name of business) - Builder, Property renovations & funeral Directors”
What a strange choice of business types to be put together.
I could only imagine the owner saying to a potential customer
“You want what wood for the coffin? Nah - You’ll have to wait until the middle of next week for that I’m afraid”
What strange business types have you come across?
Sharp End Training - the UK's leading online training company, works with managers and trainers to get value for money from their training budget. We produce high quality, interactive online training material. Director Jonathan Senior (pictured)and his team work tirelessly to save YOU money. Try a free online training course or sign up for our weekly newsletter.
Using facebook to market your business
In a recent survey of our weekly update readers, we asked them what the single biggest problem facing their business was.
Top of the pile was the marketing & promotion of either their own business or the business they worked for.
So we got to do something about it.
We looked at all the “social media” - because they are generally free… and teamed up with Gemma Thompson from Illuminate Coaching
What we discovered was that although many people had a facebook account, very few of them knew how to use it beyond the typical family holiday photo sharing.
All the social media and facebook in particular make it so easy to find like minded people all over the world. Not to sell to - but to get to know.
So have come up with a brand new on demand training course.
“Market your business using facebook” was born
The course features video tutorial and Gemma actually takes you through step by step how to save time in promoting your business in facebook.
You can find more details and sign up here
http://www.learn-on-demand.co.uk.facebookmarketing.php
Sharp End Training - the UK's leading online training company, works with managers and trainers to get value for money from their training budget. We produce high quality, interactive online training material. Director Jonathan Senior (pictured)and his team work tirelessly to save YOU money. Try a free online training course or sign up for our weekly newsletter.
Money Laundering Training
Planning money laundering training seems to be a tricky task.
Sharp End Training recently had an enquiry about our money laundering training from a financial services company.
They were having trouble getting hold of money laundering awareness training material.
As it turns out, one of the partners of the firm had some training material from the late 90’s produced by a building society (which probably doesn’t exist any more). The material was hopelessly dated and in the form of a ring binder containing some laminated “show cards.”
His said, “The layout is lousy and I am not even confident that the material is even relevant let alone up to date any more”
For younger staff who were barely born in the late 90’s, it must seem like it is from a different world.
Trainers must have confidence in the material that they are delivering and delegates/staff must have confidence in the trainer. Once the chain is broken, it is a steady downward spiral.
From experience, we know that gather money laundering training material is tricky. Accountants and financial advisors speak in a different way to the rest of us and translating into easy to read and understand training material is hard work.
That’s why we would like to make you an offer.
Try our online money laundering awareness course for just £37 for 1 user and we will GIVE YOU YOUR £37 BACK when you order 10 o more users. To get started - click here
Sharp End Training - the UK's leading online training company, works with managers and trainers to get value for money from their training budget. We produce high quality, interactive online training material. Director Jonathan Senior (pictured)and his team work tirelessly to save YOU money. Try a free online training course or sign up for our weekly newsletter.
Free business networking training
For many people, the word networking strikes fear into their hearts. If this is how you view your networking, read on..
When asked about networking, most people will immediately think;
- Who wants to meet me anyway?
- What do I say?
- Will it take a lot of time?
- Won’t I end up getting referrals for strange people I have never met?
That’s not to mention the dry throat, trembly knees and nerves.
Unfortunately, which ever way you look at it, business networking is the new way to do business.
Here’s why
Cold calling is labour intensive, needs a thick skin and is downright hard work.
Direct mail is expensive. You might spend thousands on your brochure and printing and be pleased at 2% response rate. (This means that 98% of people ignored you).
It’s an old saying but a true one that “people buy people” and to get your goods and services to market, you need to get out there and meet people.
Learning how to network doesn’t come easy for many of us. Talking to strangers is socialised out of us these days.
Going on a training course run by a networking “guru” is likely to be very expensive and time consuming.
The new Sharp End Training “business networking course” will give you a structure approach to your networking.
It walks you through the different kinds of network and how to prepare for each one.
The course takes you through how you can prepare yourself mentally and make sure your offer doesn’t get lost in the networking abyss.
You will learn
- 3 Essential networking Do’s
- 6 Absolute networking Don’ts
- How to (politely) start and end a conversation
- Deadly networking sins to avoid
- Why food and drink can spell disaster for your networking
What’s more – the training is available free – for Sharp End Training weekly update subscribers who sign up before 5.00PM (UK Time) Tuesday 9th June 2009
You can sign up below for free priority access.
Sharp End Training - the UK's leading online training company, works with managers and trainers to get value for money from their training budget. We produce high quality, interactive online training material. Director Jonathan Senior (pictured)and his team work tirelessly to save YOU money. Try a free online training course or sign up for our weekly newsletter.
Help us to help you
Please help us to help you. We have prepared a short survey to help us gauge interest for future courses.
Please select your choice below. You can add comments in the final box.
Don’t forget that if leave your email address, you will qualify for a free priority access. (See our privacy policy)
Remember, these are ONLINE TRAINING COURSES accessed via your computer.
|
Don’t forget..
You can also sign up as an affiliate at www.trainingresellers.co.uk to get 50% of everycourse sold via your website or blog.
Sharp End Training - the UK's leading online training company, works with managers and trainers to get value for money from their training budget. We produce high quality, interactive online training material. Director Jonathan Senior (pictured)and his team work tirelessly to save YOU money. Try a free online training course or sign up for our weekly newsletter.
Do you have a bad website?
We are looking for people a bad website (or any website) that they would like an independent critique of.
We will record our thoughts using screen recording software and give it to you free…
We will do this on the provision that we can then use the material in a future training course on readability and accessibility.
We aren’t web designers so we have no interest in fixing your website up. You will just get honest feedback.
If you are intereted, please leave a comment below or contact us through the contact page.
Sharp End Training - the UK's leading online training company, works with managers and trainers to get value for money from their training budget. We produce high quality, interactive online training material. Director Jonathan Senior (pictured)and his team work tirelessly to save YOU money. Try a free online training course or sign up for our weekly newsletter.
The Apprentice Howard fired
At this point in the Apprentice every year, you can almost see Suralan finds it harder and harder to fire people.
A perfectly respectable candidate like Howard went and you see the difficulty Suralan had.
The task was the classic shopping channel task with teams of 3 having to source and sell products on live shopping TV.
Almost set up to manufacture disputes, each team was split into a pair and a single person to source products for the other team member to sell (without them seeing them until the night before).
Deborah, Yasmina and James went for lower priced items (cheap!) - the sort of products that are only found on shopping channels.
Where else would you find an attractive young woman dressed in full finery saying it is “great” and “really good fun” to go out and pick up leaves with a long err.. leaf collecting thing?
Howard, Kate and Lorraine went for the higher priced items including an a low fat chip pan that should have really sold itself and an awful “leafy” leather jacket (similar to the wolf jacket in style) from a few years back.
Thankfully, the edit only showed minimal clips of the actual presenting.
Suralan put it down to bad selling and saw Howard as a “steady eddie” and so he went.
Hard not to feel sorry for Howard, (I think) it was his first time in the final 3 and I agree with the apprentice blog that perhaps Lorraine has been riding her luck for a couple of weeks now.
Next week - more cringe fest with the interviews with Suralans most trusted men…
Sharp End Training - the UK's leading online training company, works with managers and trainers to get value for money from their training budget. We produce high quality, interactive online training material. Director Jonathan Senior (pictured)and his team work tirelessly to save YOU money. Try a free online training course or sign up for our weekly newsletter.
Blog carnival of education
A great selection of blogs and the not so serious side of teaching and education over at the blog carnival of education.
Check it out here
http://siobhancurious.wordpress.com/2009/05/27/carnival-of-education-225/
Sharp End Training - the UK's leading online training company, works with managers and trainers to get value for money from their training budget. We produce high quality, interactive online training material. Director Jonathan Senior (pictured)and his team work tirelessly to save YOU money. Try a free online training course or sign up for our weekly newsletter.