That'll learn you

Self development, or "sharpening the saw" as famously termed by Stephen Covey, has long been something I value and invest in.  I left school with a handful of O-levels and worked for a year before entering military service. At the time, further and higher education did not hold the same appeal as getting a job and earning a wage.  It was later in my early twenties that I started to understand the opportunities that education offered, and the difference a tutor with true passion for their subject could make to the learning experience of their students.

Fast forward ten years and I held a fistful of qualifications including a degree, though I realised that the qualifications were a by product of the experience of building my knowledge and skills.  As individuals we learn and absorb information in various ways - I knew from a young age that video assisted my learning; having procrastinated my reading of To Kill a Mocking Bird, I must confess that I was aided in my preparation for an exam by watching the film adaptation featuring Gregory Peck.

 Reading is a daily habit for many of us and I have just completed (my first read through) of some 'must read' business books given to me as Christmas gifts.  I have also been exploring new (to me) network opportunities and attending some very interesting seminars and talks.  It was at such an event (on the future of leadership) that I was reminded that the best way to develop your learning of a subject is to teach it. 

Try it!

Just the preparation of a short training session is enough to get you thinking creatively about the material; the ways you will deliver the content; and the questions you may have to respond to.  Rather than wait for the opportunity to arise you could video yourself delivering a presentation; create a podcast or write a helpful blog post. 

You'll be amazed at how the process of sharing your knowledge embeds that learning and builds on your expertise - it might prompt you to do a bit of research to refresh your content or you may choose to weave in a case study or useful example to your presentation.  Currently I'm benefitting from preparing a sales presentation and negotiation course.

Learning is a lifetime activity and finding a subject you can passionately share and inspire in others is a gratifying reward, and if you are looking for your own inspiration, then check out some seminars and talks near you - with the right 'teacher' you'll be pleasantly surprised how much you can retain and hopefully share later with others.

 

P.S. If you are interested in discovering what I've been reading recently, drop me a line at john@vector-resources.co.uk

Shoots of recovery - what's the outlook?

The green shoots of recovery - such a lovely phrase, and one spread across the news of late to herald a drop in unemployment and the IMF predicting a 2.4% growth for the UK economy; apparently  the highest of any major European economy.   Sounds reassuring and encouraging, yet I wonder what the true impact of this for businesses and I suspect that some will benefit sooner and greater than others. 

Well, I've recently (unscientifically) tested my suspicions when networking, and so far the feedback is mixed.  Some feel that staff development and training is still viewed as a discretionary spend by some businesses, and proposals issued during last year are still awaiting approval, and may not achieve this until Spring.  Other anecdotal feedback about the procurement of services and technology would suggest this is a higher priority for some companies, though one hopes they invest in some training to maximise its use. 

So what can you do to get your business ready for those opportunities?  Here are 3 thoughts:

1.       Dust off your sales and marketing plan - if you've been conducting less marketing over recent periods, the chances are your plan needs to be reviewed and activities critiqued to ensure they will support growth

2.       Let people know your still here - similar to the sales and marketing plan, your previous customers may have had less to spend in the last few years, and your interaction with them may have decreased to reflect this.  If they are ready to buy again, don't assume that you are the only supplier they will contact

3.       Meeting demand - you may have downsized your team or diverged into other product or services to keep the business going.  If your old customers do come back or buy more, are you able to increase productivity or service an increase in customers and their needs?  Evaluate theses scenarios in advance and know how you will sustainably deliver this

It's a concern that if Britain is split on the recovery, those businesses that are still bunkering down are likely to miss. You've seen the motorway signs "is your car prepared for winter?" - ask yourself is your business prepared for the opportunities of 2014? 

Here's to a great year.

 John

John is a Director of Vector Resources Limited and helps businesses increase sales and improve sales performance.  Find out more at www.vector-resources.co.uk

Outsource this!

Its presence blossomed in the late 1980's and early 1990's, yet outsourcing has been around for centuries in various guises, and it continues to be a growth sector for some specialism's.  Mercenaries are a historic and extreme example of how an outsourced resource provided an entity (country; group) with the skills, capacity and capabilities to achieve their vision and goals (war, battle, and invasion).  Though fortunately these days outsourcing applies more to business orientated functions.
 

Numerous businesses have used (in whole or part) outsourced support and front line services, and doing so can be hugely beneficial to the owner of a growing business.  Accessing the skills and resources needed, without carrying the full time salary and management costs, can be very appealing and make economic sense.  Many of us will be familiar with printing, legal and catering as outsourced services, and during the past decade we have seen a greater presence of HR, marketing, IT and virtual assistants also becoming effective outsourced functions.

Business owners are increasingly seeing the benefits (beyond just the cost savings) of using an outsourcing provider.  Generally these providers will be keeping themselves abreast of the latest trends and market conditions, and have a wealth of experience and knowledge, sometimes beyond that expected of a similar role if they had been the employee.  They are connected to other businesses and may be in a position to connect you with potential customers, partners and suppliers.

Outsourcing can be adaptable to your needs whether that's cost, skills, frequency or volume.  This empowers businesses to gear up quicker, free up internal resources, and test new products and markets.  However the appetite to the use of outsourced services can vary.  Using an outsourced printer or accountant seems quite common place, yet hesitation can creep in when considering the use of an outsourced sales or HR provider.

The benefits should outweigh the cost of any hesitation and as you are the customer, rather than the employer, it gives you greater flexibility (within the agreement or contractual terms) to work with the provider to focus on what matters most to you and your business. 
You are in control.

John is the Director, of Vector Resources Limited, who help growing businesses increase sales and improve sales performance.  Find out more about outsourced sales and sales management at www.vector-resources.co.uk