High C brings Compliance to the organisation

We enjoy working with Thomas International as an accredited provider of the personality and behavioural analysis reports, using D.I.S.C. profiling.

So what value to your organisation does someone who is High C profile provide? 

Compliance with exacting standards to avoid error, trouble or danger.

Concentrating on detail

Operating under controlled circumstances

Being diplomatic with people

Assessing trouble and risk

Enforcing quality and directives

Monitoring and controlling

Fault finding

Analysing in depth

Improving standards

Fact finding

High S brings Steadiness to the organisation

We enjoy working with Thomas International as an accredited provider of the personality and behavioural analysis reports, using D.I.S.C. profiling.

So what value to your organisation does someone who is High S profile provide? 

Steadiness in performing work to consistently produce in a predictable manner.

Developing specialist skills

Concentrating on the job in hand

Stabilising excited people

Completing tasks thoroughly 

Maintaining consistency

Persistence

Adhering to procedure

Supporting others

Providing a service

Listening attentively

High I brings Influencing to the organisation

We enjoy working with Thomas International as an accredited provider of the personality and behavioural analysis reports, using D.I.S.C. profiling.

So what value to your organisation does someone who is High I profile provide? 

The influencing of people to act positively and favourably.

Making favourable impressions
Verbalisation
Motivating people to act

Generating enthusiasm

Entertaining people

Radiating optimism 

Cultivating relationships

Gaining commitment

Boosting morale

Demonstrating concern for others

Customer aquisition - the challenges of the current climate

The current financial climate brings many challenges in running our businesses. Not more so than with our marketing efforts to aquire new customers.
Three big challenges presented in this climate are (1) The prospects reluctance to spend more money (2) It's more expensive as a result to recruit each customer and (3) Your pricing will see much more pressure.
So how are you proactively approaching these challenges? Those that are not and think it is business as usual are those we are seeing hit hard with recruitment and revenue both down.
Consider your value proposition, know and target your ideal customers and position your offering with benefits different to your price points.

www.a1-marketing.co.uk

High D brings Drive to the organisation

We enjoy working with Thomas International as an accredited provider of the personality and behavioural analysis reports, using D.I.S.C. profiling.

So what value to your organisation does someone who is High D profile provide? 

Drive to accomplish results in spite of opposition or antagonistic circumstances.

Getting results
Expediting action
Accepting challenge
Venturing into the unknown
Making decisions
Questioning status quo
Trouble shooting
Challenges self and others
Assuming authority
Creating instant solutions

Optimise your marketing

When working with our clients in A1 Marketing, we first establish what they are doing well and optimise this activity before introducing too many activities into the marketing mix.
Yes, often you need to have a diverse approach to the market considering all forms of marketing that are most approriate for your market place and communicating consistently. However if you do something well and it gets results, we would recommend that you maximise this area first and do really well before moving onto a new area of activity.
Too often we see business owners trying anything and everything, but not doing one thing especially well. So take a marketing activity, review the successes and areas for development, improve, systemise into your everyday work as if a daily habit, then test and measure your future outcomes.
So, for example, having a web site will cost you the same to set up whether you drive traffic to this or not.
Take advertising. It may be working, but could it give you an even better return? Is the headline a hook? Does the copy read well? What is your effective call to action?
So, optimise what you do before trying too many new activities.

www.a1-marketing.co.uk

Some articles worth a read?

Here are links to a few articles published recently that you may find of interest:
Tony Robbins - Why we do what we do
VAT Tips for small businesses
Government funding available for small businesses by Sage

May we also encourage you to follow and read our Blogs and Papers......
The Business Start up Adviser Blog
The A1 Weekly
The Start Up Adviser paper

Real Time Information for your Payroll

Are you preparing for the changes that are looming for your payroll? From April 2013, although for many this will be later, the government are introducing the plans for real time information. This will involve you submitting your payroll payment information as at the actual pay date (e.g. weekly, 4 weekly, monthly etc) and not waiting until the year end. It will also have to include every person you employ, even if you currently do not include them on your payroll due to their circumstances.
The concept is so the real time information can improve the current benefits system.
If you are using Payroll software, such as Sage, then keep an eye out for their news to ensure it is updated to meet the RTI requirements.
For more information, please see the HMRC web site

Sage reporting and tips

Do you have the need to print the same reports each month from Sage? For example for your management information do you print the profit & loss, balance sheet, debtors, trial balance etc?
If so, then look to set up Batch Reporting, where you can select those reports you desire and from one set of selection criteria you will produce all these reports. To set up, go to tools / batch reporting.
Speed up you your inputting on Sage by using the tab and arrow keys, but also the F keys, such as:

• F6 – Repeats the row above
• Shift + F6 - Repeats the row above but adds 1
• F7 – Inserts a row
• F8 –Deletes a row
• F9 – Nets down VAT
• Shift and tab goes back one field

Does it frustrate you that Sage never opens on the screens you desire? Take a look at the Tools / Options and view tab, to specifiy which page opens for the different modules in Sage.
Do you get frustrated by posting a journal the wrong way, then the latest versions have the 'reversal' option.
Do you have customers that are also suppliers and they settle their account using Contra's? See the Tools / Contra's to save some time and confusion.
Other time saving uses of Sage include the use of 'Bank Recurring Entries' and 'Memorise'. You can memorise journals, payments, receipts and even invoice templates that are repetitive for you.

Create a multi step sales process

Much research is telling us that our prospective customers are unlikely to buy from the first or even second time that they touch us. Some research is pointing towards between 5 and 7 touches before the prospect will buy. Obviously this will be different for different sectors, but it does tell us that we can no longer rely on the first or second contact, which is when most people give up.

Our own research tells us that most people give up after one follow up to an initial meeting or telephone conversation. However can we encourage you to have a 'Multi Step Sales Process' to build a relationship with your prospect and respect that they may not be ready to buy immediately.

So firstly have excellent methods of generating leads and the collection of a prospects contact details. Then create a systemised approach to contacting your prospect at least 5 times with information that can help them with their problem or need and ensure that these touches are not solely your sales messages.

The objective of your communications should be to remind them you are here, what you have to offer, how you can solve their problem or reduce their pain and answer their need.

You can use email marketing systems, like our InTouch software, to create Autoresponder campaigns that simply send emails one after each other at a specified time. However remember different people will engage in different ways, so mix up your emails and include direct mail and telephone plus perhaps a face to face meeting to build that relationship and engagement with you.

www.a1-marketing.co.uk

The Oxford Marketing Conference

This years Oxford Marketing Conference in Oxford will be on Tuesday 17th October at Oxford Thames Four Pilllars Hotel. For more information, please see www.oxfordmarketingconference.co.uk 

Marketing at low cost

In the current climate, we are all looking at the best ways to market our business with no direct cost to our budgets. Here are our top 7 ways to market your business on a small budget.

1. Build relationships with your existing customers and network of contacts and ask for business
2. Go networking, but where your ideal customer, or those that also touch them, meets
3. Public speaking to increase your profile with a qualified audience
4. Press coverage by sharing your story, your knowledge, expertise and niche
5. Have an upselling strategy to maximise your customers 'buying mode' at the point of purchase
6. Email more, but not just newsletters, more personal communication and offers
7. Joint ventures with like minded businesses and naturally increase your sales force

www.a1-marketing.co.uk