Mantra Marketing Magazine Issue #012
Expansion & Strategy for 2020 Rapid growth and opportunities. We discuss our big goal for this year and expansion strategies for 2020
09
The Strategy of Success We catch up with Phil Reid and Rob Cotterell to discuss their plans for expansion over the next quarter
13
2020 Vision
Vision 20:20 #012
Times are changing. We discuss expansion, personal development and how we develop our diamonds in the rough
19
Couple Goals & Collaboration We catch up with Magda Zaworksa & Josh Keeble to discuss couple goals and collaboration
33
CATEGORY OUR CONTRIBUTORS
Our contributors Francis Colam Chief Editor
Fran is Chief Operations Officer for Mantra Marketing working with people and companies to help the business become more efficient and profitable.
Alex Rae
Art Director / Designer Alex is the Managing Director of Bristol based film production company Falcon Productions.
Rose Lucas Editor / Author
Rose studied at the University of Bristol where she obtained a BA in English Literature, before moving to London to study at Identity School of Acting and continue her work as a writer/ editor.
Nic Kane Photographer
Nic is a Bristol-based photographer specialising in the commercial, events and fitness sectors.
001
CATEGORY INDEX
In this issue Welcome 003 Vision 2020
007
Expansion & Strategy 2020
009
The Strategy Of Success
013
2020 Vision: A New Lense in the Eye of Recruitment
019
Developing our Diamonds in the Rough
021
Couple Goals and Collaboration
033
Re-branding over in Russia
037
Work Hard Play Hard
039
Sri Lanka
043
Ibiza 2019
049
Cheltenham Races
053
Social Media: Get Savvy on Your Socials
059
Books & Podcasts
065
Photo Pool
067
Travel Competitions
075
Office List
079 002
CATEGORY EDITOR'S LET TER
Hello & Welcome TO ISSUE #012 2020 EDITION
Hello and welcome to the 2020 edition of our Magazine! We hope you've all had a great start to the year; we have high hopes for this year and can’t wait to share our plans in celebration of the start of this new decade!!
Hello and welcome to the 2020 edition of our
expands, we need to find the right people to start
Magazine! We hope you have had a fantastic
running our new offices, and we’re really looking
opening quarter and we are looking forward to
forward to bringing on board some fresh talent.
sharing with you the latest success stories and plans for the next few months - it's an exciting time!
Before we get started, we would like to extend a warm welcome to the newest members of the team!
After a somewhat ‘tumultuous’ year in terms of
Introducing Natalia, Kristina, Pierce, Amber and
politics and the media, there has been a noticeable
Sarah who have recently joined our recruitment
shift
processing
department - we are really looking forward to
information. As opposed to simply guzzling down
working with you! Congratulations are also in order
the latest headlines, blindly absorbing buzzwords
to Magda, Josh, Vik, Mike and Paul who have all
and filling our brains with misinformation, it is more
been promoted to Crew Leader and we are very
important than ever to scrutinise what we read. We
excited to see what the next quarter brings for
must focus on activating our sense of autonomy,
everybody!
in
throwing
our
approach
away
habitual
towards
modes
of
passive
engagement and pledging to move forwards with curiosity, with hard work and with hope. How does this relate to Direct Sales? Well, our line of work is all about engaging with the public, communication, and forming connections with the public. Whilst this ‘digital age’ opens up a world of possibility in terms of accessibility and connecting with people across the globe, it also interrupts our human-to-human contact time. What we love about this industry is the face-to-face engagement. Every door we knock on offers up a unique conversation and therefore we
are
required
to
appreciate,
observe
and
understand the person with whom we are engaging. Our industry is all about subjectivity; noticing the individual amongst the group and making an effort
2020
to make each conversation feel special. In this edition of the magazine, we will be taking a more in depth look at Social Media and what is
Five countries - fifty cities five years
means to be ‘on-brand’, not just as a company, but as an individual; how do you want to present your own version of ‘Entrepreneur’ to the public and what will you choose to share with your audience? We will also be looking at new methods of recruitment, sharing with you alternative modes of headhunting and the benefits of reaching out to people from a whole wealth of backgrounds. As the company
003
Welcome From Fran Colam... The end of last year was the best quarter we've ever had and we ended up raising over £7.4 million for different charities. We experienced huge bursts of progression with lots of teams hitting personal bests and smashing their targets, so congratulations all! The new office over in Bristol - Promotions Company, headed by Phil Reid - was one of the big achievements of 2019; in less than a year he has lead the company to an extraordinary place and we can’t wait to see what’s next for the team. Now our main focus over the last quarter has been recruitment. We’ve been talking to our target market in a different way and have been making an effort to think about how we can do things differently. We want to break the mould and so we have been real students lately, constantly updating our approach and up-skilling our practise. We’ve been running workshops, inviting in guest speakers - Sam Rathling from LinkedIn and Chris Taylor from Instagram and really focussing on ensuring that everybody, company-wide, has the skills and strategy in place to meet this expansion with energy, commitment and dedication. It’s an incredibly exciting time.
CATEGORY EDITOR'S LET TER
004
05
CATEGORY EDITOR'S LET TER
'We’re always looking at how to improve, how other businesses are working, and for the next generation of talent. '
have dedicated a lot more time to our Social Media accounts. We have begun to adapt our approach to sharing content, including the personal story behind the Entrepreneurial journey with the public alongside the more habitual posts. We are learning how to include the more human elements of our day-to-day practise, alongside the typical business content and are seeing an increase in our reach across various platforms. Considering
we
work
in
a
face-to-face
industry, we’re not the biggest fans of being glued to our phones; however it’s just the way the world works these days, so rather than banging our heads against a brick wall, it’s far more productive to reframe our attitude towards online content. If we think of it as another mode of forming a connection and ‘sharing’ what we do with others, then it becomes exciting. We love bringing in people from alternative backgrounds, and many of the new recruits we’ve recently taken on are what we called ‘passive job seekers’, so people who aren't necessarily looking for a new job, but who also aren’t particularly thriving in their current employment. It’s lovely to be able to open their eyes to this industry, help them begin their career in Sales and watch them grow as Entrepreneurs. So there's lots to be proud of! We’ve experienced a significant expansion over the last few months and during that process we have produced the greatest output and content for our clients which is fantastic. The goal is to keep expanding, of course, but we can only do that if we have the right people, so the drive now is very much on recruitment as well as continuing to cultivate and exercise the student mentality that will take us to the next level. We’re always looking at how to improve, how other businesses are working, and for the next generation of talent.
' We feel it’s important to be able to have conversations outside of the office environment, to nurture social dynamics away from home and reward our team for hitting their targets ’
006
VISION
-2020-
OWNER'S MEETING RENAISSANCE HOTEL IN MANCHESTER
T
o kick start the quarter we had our
Owner’s
Meeting
in
January, hosted at the beautiful Renaissance Hotel
in
M a n c h e s t e r.
We brought together the top members of the team to look at our Map of Expansion, to then consider what our individual team
' These Owner’s Meetings are a fantastic means of checking in
goals are. We’re going to be dealing with
with one another - ensuring that
a lot of inexperience over the next few
we establish a cohesive strategy -
months as people will be doing things for the very first time, so it’s important that we are strategising effectively - up-skilling people quickly and efficiently - to ensure that
and also a brilliant opportunity to kick-start with a celebration of our achievements. ’
everyone feels confident in their roles. These Owner’s Meetings are a fantastic means of checking in with one another - ensuring that we establish a cohesive strategy - and also a brilliant opportunity to kick-start with a celebration of our achievements. We are very much looking forward to the next quarter and hope you are too.
008
CATEGORY STR ATEGY
EXPANSION & STRATEGY
for 2020 T
‘Our business is growing very rapidly and as a result we are able to offer a vast array of opportunities to future recruits. It’s an incredibly exciting time to join the company.’ - James Buckley -
he big goal this year
the hard work - there are many more of these to
is to open 20 offices
come, so let’s get the ball rolling!
here in the UK by the end of 2020. We are
Finally, some words of advice from James Buckley,
mirroring this expan-
company director of Mantra Marketing…
sion strategy over in Russia, and our aim is
My advice for the teams out there is simply this:
to eventually be work-
make sure you get a good start to the year. Get the
ing with a global net-
ball rolling, make sure your strategies are water-
work of 40 offices by the end of the year.
tight, and that you start as you mean to go on.
At the end of 2019 we spent a lot of time planning
The big focus for the next 3 months is recruitment,
and strategising to ensure that we could hit the
recruitment, recruitment. That’s our Mantra! If we
ground running for this milestone year. We are ex-
are going to open 8 more offices this year then
tremely excited for this phase of expansion; howev-
we need people! We can’t do anything without the
er, in order to make it happen, not only do we need
right people to expand the company, so we’re in a
people, but we need to ensure that each individual
really exciting phase at the moment where we’re
is being coached to their optimum potential.
looking to bring in lots of new faces, fresh energy
TRENDS 2019
and emerging talent that will go on to lead teams
009
SO! We are packing each quarter with meetings,
of their own. If you think that could be you, then
coaching sessions and workshops. We are setting
get in touch! We’d love to meet you. Our methods
quarterly targets as usual and ensuring that we are
of recruitment are changing and we are pushing
educating not just the new recruits, but the entire
our socials in order to connect with the best people
team. We are continuing to host Owner’s Meetings
out there. We are looking forward to connecting
and keeping up regular in-person contact with our
with people from all sorts of backgrounds and de-
offices around the country to ensure that each
mographics over this year. It’s an exciting time and
Team are hitting their personal targets. Then, of
there is an opportunity for rapid progression if you
course, we have our away days and ‘congratulatory
put your mind to it.
experiences’ to keep up the team spirit and reward
'My advice for the teams out there is simply this: make sure you get a good start to the year. Get the ball rolling, make sure your strategies are water-tight, and that you start as you mean to go on.'
011
012
The Strategy of Success
T he FormulaBehind Expansion ‘Our business model is all about taking baby-steps. We teach our Brand Ambassadors how to sell. Once they can sell we give them Leadership skills. Then we teach them how to build a team, how to replace themselves through coaching ,and finally help them move towards the role of Managing Director. As a result, people have to prove that they can take on the role before we promote them, so it’s a pretty fail-safe formula’ - Rob Cotterell -
W
e caught up with Phil Reid over
RedSeven’s big goal is to open 8 new offices in the next
at Promotions Company and
18 months. They’ve recently opened a second office
Rob Cotterell from RedSeven
in Cheltenham and in April will be moving into Oxford,
to
plans
with further plans to begin working in Cardiff, London,
for expansion over the next
Manchester, Northampton, Chelmsford and Leicester. Rob
quarter.
expands upon their strategy, explaining how ’We split the
chat
about
their
country up into territories, so each area has to have a certain
Promotions Company has had a fantastic opening year. We
radius of customers. We’re looking at cool cities, fun places to
set an office-wide competition last year in the Charity Field
live, looking at the demographic, the atmosphere…and base
which they won, beating every other marketing company in
our locations upon that. Places that will have high levels of
the UK - a huge triumph. In the final week of the year, they
recruitment and the quality of the demographic. Places we
completed 300 sales which was one of the highest turnovers
want to live and work in’.
we’ve had in recent years - a huge congratulations to all involved! They’ve won competitions to send guys to Ibiza, Sri
With ambitious plans for the next few months, the focus has
Lanka, Miami and this year are opening up in Leeds (headed
been on strategy; implementing a solid quarterly structure in
by Vik Verma) and also in Cardiff (lead by Josh Keeble and
order to maintain control and ensure that there are enough
Magda Zaworksa). Phil only opened Promotions company
people on board to head the new offices. Our strategy
in April last year after a break from the industry, and if his
involves four main considerations: Location / Recruitment
ambitions are realised over the next few months, they will
/ Coaching / Promotion. This sequence is essentially on
have essentially gone from nothing to having a team of
loop as the company grows, enabling a cyclical process of
almost 50 people and plans to be working in 4 different cities.
development to emerge; one that can be sustained and one
In just 16 months, that’s definitely something to be proud of
that covers all bases.
and Phil tells us how ‘it really did surpass my expectations in terms of progression; it’s been sensational’.
013
'You are your brand, so own it! It’s about being true to yourself, being authentic in your work and keeping inspired. Once you focus on finding that authenticity in your work, people will remember you.'
015
CATEGORY DEVELOPMENT
'It’s about offering a helping hand, but more importantly, we want to help people find their own identity and discover what they stand for themselves.'
The vast geographical reach of our offices is starting to become apparent; with teams based in Russia, Belarus and all over the UK, it’s pretty exciting to assume a bird’s eye perspective on the business. We are building a global brand. Our teams are starting to travel and Rob’s role is changing as a result: ‘I’ve been travelling all over the country recently and ensuring that I’m a presence across the board, ensuring that we have a cohesive brand identity and that everyone is receiving enough support. My role has moved much more towards mentoring, supporting and travelling in the last quarter which I’m really enjoying’. Each physical location has something unique to offer, not just in terms of the vibe of each city, but rather through the people that contribute to that atmosphere. This brings us on to the next phase of our
who perhaps never even knew this line of work existed. We can use social media as a tool for bringing in a wide range of people to bring their personalities to the business; that’s really exciting for us and we enjoy facilitating the genesis of a new career for a talented individual, regardless of their experience. ‘Our business is open to everyone, regardless of whether or not you have experience in this line of work. If you have an open mind, a positive attitude and an extraordinary work ethic, we can coach you and we want to work with you. There are so many diamonds out there, that if given enough support and an environment within which to thrive, they will go far.’ (Phil)
strategy. Recruitment.
Lots of businesses are too lazy to think
Expansion simply cannot happen successfully
need support. That’s not us. If you’ve never
without new recruits. As we discussed in the last edition of this magazine, the recruitment process is changing. Our teams are having to adapt their methods to match the everchanging realm of social media: the middle man of modern recruitment. One of the main benefits of using social media as a tool for recruitment is that it opens up the process to people from a great variety of backgrounds. Phil explains how ‘90% of the people I take on have never done this before. When I look for people to work in this industry, I don't look at people’s history, I am concentrating on their potential for achieving in the future. Too many businesses focus on the ‘previous experience’ section of a CV, rather than seeing the individual and giving them a
outside the box and to take on people that done this before then great, you’re a blank canvas, which is a wonderful thing to work with! We’re looking for the next group of ‘diamonds in the rough’. ‘I would say 95% of all of our team across the country have never done direct sales before, never worked in this environment, so we are completely open to recruiting those types of people’ (Rob). This leads us on to the next phase of the expansion strategy: Coaching. After we have sourced the best people to help us grow the company, the next stage is to bring everyone up to speed in terms of how we operate as a business. Because we inevitably end up working with lots of new faces, we don’t just want to throw you in the
chance to thrive’.
deep end (although sometimes taking such
We are investing more money into our
strive to make sure that you are provided
recruitment staff and consequently more energy into new methods of recruitment such as Instagram, LinkedIn, PR etc. Rob explains how ‘It’s not as simple as just putting an ad out there anymore; however, that’s a good thing as it means that we are able to hire people who come from different backgrounds and can bring something new to the company’. In this way, we are able to access a broader demographic of people. By implementing social media tactics such as adding hashtags and tagging companies in
a risk can produce excellent results!). We with the skills needed to go out into the Field with confidence and a smile on your face. Our coaching programme is second to none meaning that we can easily and quickly bring anyone up to speed, regardless of their background. Rob adds that ‘ It’s often actually easier for us to coach someone from scratch because they don’t have any bad habits! They are open to quickly adapting to our mode of working, which is great!’.
stories, we are able to connect with people
016
CATEGORY GROW TH / EXPANSION
'If you ask any of my family, they say I’m awful over the phone! I just find it difficult, because you can’t see people, you can’t read their facial expressions, you don’t process their body language'
The result of great coaching is quick Promotion. In order for those people that we already have working with us to go out and open their own offices, we need to make sure we have enough people to promote. Over at RedSeven, for example, we ‘need to be sitting at around 50 people in Swindon, so that when 15 of those open up in new cities, we’re not falling short at our home base.’ This expansion is inevitable so what we are now looking for is the next generation of Managers and Coaches; people that - in a few month’s time - will be running the show and have the ambition, potential and drive to do so. Rob tells us that ‘When someone is sitting in my reception, that’s what I’ll be looking out for. I need a solid team of people that I know will go on to replace my Owners and be able to start coaching recruits themselves. It’s all about staying on top of this ever-changing dynamic and ensuring that we are covering all bases’. We are in an incredibly dynamic phase of the company right now, so we are looking forward to meeting the next wave of talent. In order for this process to run smoothly, we are heavily reliant on our admin teams. A huge shout out to goes out to Kev who is the office manager and head recruiter over at Promotions Co. He has done a sensational job. We’ve also taken on Natalia as a new recruiter and she’s been incredible. Over at RedSeven, we have the newly appointed Sarah Broadfield, working alongside Nina in the recruitment department. She joined us just before Christmas and has been absolutely incredible; her work ethic, her adaptability, her aggression to taking on responsibility and breaking comfort zones is utterly inspiring. She’s been focusing on bringing in the majority of our Brand Ambassadors for 2020. I asked Phil what he thinks makes up a strong administration team and explained that it’s all about them feeling as involved as everybody else: ‘An integral part of a solid admin in team is that they feel involved enough that they genuinely care about the business, as if it’s their own. Because it is! The removal of hierarchy is something I think is hugely important regarding the success of a company such as this’. Each party has to hold each other accountable in order to operate as a cohesive business, as
017
'I signed a customer up to The Red Cross the other day and when I asked him why he was interested, he simply said ‘because you came round.'
a team, which brings us onto the the key to the smooth running of a successful office: communication. ‘If we’re all clear about what we expect of one another and what we need form the company, them the risk of miscommunication diminishes and mistakes can be avoided’ (Phil). The more money we turnover as a business and the quicker our expansion, the greater amount of profit we have to share around. Essentially the admin team are in charge of the expansion; they are the ones that directly bring people in through the door and so the more effort they put into ensuring that the recruitment process is a good is at can be, the greater their own personal profit from the business. Finally, we’ve got to make sure that the dayto-day workings of the company match up with the brand we are sharing with the public. Rob explains how ‘I’ve then got to make sure that the sales standards are right, the atmosphere is right so that these people are coming into the right environment; I don't want to be selling people a false idea of who we are and what we stand for. It’s important that we are ‘on-brand’ so to speak, to avoid any sort of disparity between what people expect of RedSeven and what we can provide’. This wraps up the strategy for a successful business model and is something we will be implementing every quarter, adapting details accordingly and remaining flexible with our approach. We work with some massive clients, so its really important that we maintain a high standard and with a formal structure in place we can look forward to realising our industry ambitions.
'With business, there’s often just one chance
to
convey
the
appropriate
message and bring people on board. There’s not a second chance to explain. It’s so important to get the tone right.'
VISION
-20:20-
A NEW LENSE IN THE EYE OF RECRUITMENT
CATEGORY GROW TH / EXPANSION
Developing our
Diamonds In the Rough
SHINE YOU DIAMOND
T
021
imes
changing.
have made huge progress in the last 6 months or
The traditional career
are
so, to give you an idea of what this sort of career
trajectory
move looks like.
is
facing
interruption with more and more companies
First up, we have Paul Coombe who boldly decided
using
to take the plunge and leave a career in horse
methods
recruitment as
racing after 22 years! Paul began working for Rob
and
Cotterell at RedSeven in July of last year and ‘hasn’t
LinkedIn as opposed
looked back since’. The year prior to the move, he
to the (let’s face it) rather archaic method of posting
had gone over to work with horses in New Zealand,
an advertisement and requesting GCSE grades
which despite being an amazing experience in
or details of ‘work experience’. This isn’t to say
terms of the country itself, didn’t fulfil him in terms
that going to University is ‘redundant’ in this new
of the work. His career had started to feel stagnant.
age of career development. Studying to a certain
Upon returning to the UK, he took some time out
degree is something to be proud of and grateful
to reconsider his options - an admirable thing to do
for; however, what we want to make clear to our
in this modern age where we seem to cultivate an
readers is that they shouldn’t feel under-qualified
attitude of ‘can’t stop, won’t stop’ when it comes to
to apply for a career with us purely based on their
working - and it was during this time that he met
grades. To ‘qualify’ for a career in Direct Sales, you
up with James Buckley, head of Mantra Marketing:
don’t need a ‘perfect’ CV; in fact we’re looking for
‘James is actually my future brother-in-law, so we
those imperfections that make up a human. We’re
met up, he introduced me to Rob and I started at
looking for a bit of personality. We are looking for
RedSeven the very next day! It’s been a whirlwind
people who know how to engage with another
but I am absolutely loving it and I’m so glad I made
human being, how to empathise and how to make
the move.’ Paul wanted a change. He had had
meaningful connections.
enough of working in a salaried position where he
such
felt stuck and where his lack of agency had begun We are expanding at an extraordinary rate, so we
to frustrate him. Many people never pluck up the
are currently searching for a vast array of new
courage to make a big life change such as a brand
recruits to make up the teams in our offices all over
new career later on in life; however, there is much
the UK. Could this be you? We wanted to share with
to be learnt from doing so: ‘I wanted to challenge
you some stories of people in our team who never
myself, I wanted to get out of my comfort zone. I
imagined their career to take this path, but who
wish I’d done it a few years ago’.
‘I don't know many 22 year olds who can pay themselves a substantial wage for their work, can save money and travel in between.’ - VIK VERMA -
'Until you meet someone face-to-face, get them in the room and engage with them, you aren’t able to truly connect with who they are, what they are trying to convey and their energy'
CATEGORY GROW TH / EXPANSION
Despite Paul’s career change seeming drastic,
your life? Paul describes how ‘there have
there was very little drama involved; the
definitely been skills that I’ve transferred
process was relatively simple and Paul found
over from my work in the horse racing
himself at his very first door within literally 24
industry; for example my ability to work with
hours of joining RedSeven! ‘I was nervous!
people. Communication skills are a big part
The first door I knocked on, I was absolutely
of both worlds. I joined the company with
bricking it, thinking ‘what am I meant to say
some of those skills already in place which
again?’, ‘Who is going to answer?’, ‘what are
was great’. A lot of the work is simply about
they going to ask me?’ etc., but as soon as
conducting yourself with confidence, with
you start the conversation you’re ‘in it’ and
good manners and positivity. Many of those
you figure it out! The more doors you knock
qualities you will already possess, and then
on, the more your confidence develops and
it’s just a case of learning the facts and the
the more you start to find your feet. It really is
figures and getting stuck in. Paul tells how
just a case of getting out there and learning
how he’s learned to ‘approach my sales with
as you go’. This might all sound rather nerve-
an answer to why we’re there, not just what
inducing and spontaneous, but we can
we’re doing. The reason behind the work is
assure you that the coaching strategies we
rooted in good-will and positivity, so I want
have in place ensure that you are sent out
to share with my customers why we are here
with all the tools necessary to make your
for the charities and what each charity's
first sale. In fact, it’s more than likely that
goals are. Of course you’re going to come
you possess most of these skills already!
across some people that are disengaged on
That’s what a lot of people don’t realise; in
the doorstop or don’t have time to chat, but
this industry, it’s as much about the positive
you have to remember that we’re working
attitude - your willingness to throw yourself
with a law of averages - I refer to that law
in the deep end and your open-mindedness
of averages like a deck of cards - so I want
- as it is about your ability to crunch numbers
to find those four aces. You have to go
and follow a hardcore business plan. Paul
through every single one to find them’. We
describes how, ‘In terms of coaching, I spent
then helped him to build upon the skills he
my first day with Rob and then I was sent out
already had, coaching him in how to improve
into the Field! I then made a concerted effort
his public speaking and how to run meetings
to position myself near the best people in
- ‘That was something that I had never done
the office so that I was directly learning from
before and was a challenge’ . Our Owners
those people. I started making phone calls to
are extremely good at finding out where your
people in other offices, widening my network
strengths or weaknesses lie, and coaching
and making an effort to connect with those
you accordingly. It’s not simply a ‘one-size-
people above me. It’s one thing learning
fits-all’ process of development, but rather a
through coaching, and another by simply
subjective one.
getting out there and going for it, watching how it’s done and repeating that method yourself. That’s where the inspiration comes from’. This is where the Entrepreneurial Spirit comes into play. At the end of the day, coaching will only get you so far, and then it’s down to you. As a self-employed Entrepreneur, you are the one in charge of your success, so it’s about being pro-active
'A lot of the work is simply about
and using your initiative. We will provide
conducting yourself with confidence,
you with a solid foundation to support your career, but then it’s down to you to make the
with good manners and positivity.'
connections, add some personality and find out just what kind of Entrepreneur you want to be. Let’s
talk
about
transferable
skills!
Our
industry is all about striking up engaging conversations with people. How often do you get to practise that in other parts of
024
CATEGORY NEW INITIATIVES
COWLEY 2020
Since then, Paul has gone from strength to
the sole springboard for a career as an
strength. He aims to be hitting AO by the end
Entrepreneur. (Steve Jobs himself dropped
of February and then go on to open up an
out of college after just one Semester!).
office in Oxford by April, working in residential
There’s lots to gain from going against the
lotteries. If you put the work in, there is a
grain if you believe that’s the best decision
window here for rapid progression. Paul
for you. We’re not advocating one way or
describes how, ‘It’s not taken me very long to
another, rather we are encouraging you to
get where I’ve got to and that is purely based
think for yourself and exercise a subjective
on the support network and the coaching
attitude to your career.
formulas that they have in place; it allows fresh faces to really fly. The opportunities
Josh
here are something else. I worked in the
Accounting and Finance last July and was
Keeble
graduated
racing industry for 20 years, I’ve been here
working at Bel Italia to save money for his
for 6 months and have already been to Sri
Masters when his fiancé, Magda, who had
Lanka, and won a place on the Miami trip
recently
later this year, it’s phenomenal. The people
Co. herself, suggested he join her team.
that I’ve met have been so supportive and I
Josh tells us how he ‘had never worked in
feel more inspired than I have in a long time’.
Marketing before - I’d never done anything
He’s now got 3 people on his team that have
like this - so it’s been a huge overhaul in
followed his lead and also left the horse-
terms of career!’. Much like Paul, Josh was
racing industry to pursue a career with us,
apprehensive about the transition: ‘having
which we think speaks volumes, don't you?
never worked in promotions or sales before,
started
working
with
for
a
BA
in
Promotions
it was quite a spontaneous decision to come Next up, we have Josh Keeble and Vik Verma
in for an interview, but 6 months later I’m still
who at just 22 and 24 years old are at the
here, so that speaks for itself’.
other end of the spectrum in terms of career development. Rather than making a career
Whilst he had enjoyed his studies thus far,
change as such, both Vik and Josh left
he couldn’t stop thinking about his work at
their studies prematurely in order to invest
Promotions Company: ‘I had this schedule
in Promotions Company, joining Phil Reid
where I was going to try and juggle both, but
over in Bristol. Here, we look at the benefits
every time I was at Uni I was so distracted
of joining a company at a young age, and
by wanting to think about my Sales and
reconsidering the idea that University is
Marketing work, I just couldn’t focus! Ans then when I was here at work, I wasn’t thinking about Uni and so I didn’t have the drive to finish my assignments, That’s when I knew that my heart lay in this industry and I needed to leave my Masters ASAP. I didn’t want to continue studying in a half-hearted manner, so I made the huge decision to quit. I put all my efforts into this job and I’ve never looked back’. He is planning on opening an office over in Cardiff with his partner, Magda, and you can read more about that later on in the magazine. Vik was in a similar position to Josh in that he was supposed to be going back to study Marketing at UWE when he decided that route wasn’t for him. ‘There’s nothing wrong with going to university, but once you’ve got those credentials how are you going to turn that into experience? Sometimes you have to weigh up whether or not continuing your education is going to benefit you anymore than heading straight into the industry’.
025
CATEGORY NEW INITIATIVES
'Our industry is all about striking up engaging conversations with people. How often do you get to practise that in other parts of your life?'
So, Vik took on a placement year before being invited to work alongside alongside Phil, an experience that he describes as having ‘transformed (his) life completely’. The coaching and development process was swift. Phil taught him to sell, how to develop a formula in order to train other people, and finally to coach and to manage a team of his own. Following this process, Vik was quickly able to start building a team of his own: ‘I was able to focus on what my team wanted to do - what their reason was for working and generally how to concept a business successfully. Direct Sales isn’t like other industries; people are working for themselves and there’s a continuous flow of promotions, progression and striving for the next level. We don’t just sit in a role, we are continually moving forward. That’s what our business concept is: envisioning a bigger, brighter and better future and turning that into a reality’. He hadn’t expected his team to grow so rapidly; rather than putting that on hold to go back and complete his Masters, Vik saw an opportunity that he was’t going to let pass him by - ‘I didn’t want to just let that go to return to studying. I knew I had something great’. His team regularly started hitting their targets and Vik went on to win a trip to Sri Lanka as a result of high-rolling the country in Sales. He has also won a trip to New York and has qualified for Miami as well, so he has experienced a pretty significant lifestyle change in just over 6 months and is on track to hit Assistant Ownership this quarter. His ambitions are to open in Leeds and to establish a similar business culture there: ‘By this I mean inviting people on board that have a strong moral compass, who are respectful,
positive,
reliable.
People
who
possess a student mentality, an eagerness
‘Not only do we feel as if we’re making a difference, but the work we are doing is for massive clients such as Great Ormond’s St., Alzheimer’s Research; it’s
to learn and a great attitude towards each
really important work and I personally gain a lot from knowing that I have
other and towards the work. It’s not just
helped in some way.'
about the skills that people have already, it’s about how they conduct themselves in this career’. In December, Vik’s team raised
- JOSH KEEBLE -
about over £130000 for their clients which is fantastic. His focus now is on building depth within the team, making sure he has enough people on board to promote new Leaders, and furthermore that these Leaders know how to sell, how to manage and that each member of the team is financially stable. Their first office will be in Residential and the second in Events. continued --->
026
0027
’Our work is customer facing. Simply put, we are paid to have relatable, human conversations with people, so actually a lot of people who have come from other industries already have the skills needed to be able to do that well. Lots of the (transferable) qualities we’re looking for already exist in the people we are hiring, they just might not realise that.’ - ROB COTTERELL -
0028
CATEGORY GROW TH / EXPANSION
'I was out of my comfort zone before I even set foot in the company, but since that first pitch on day 2 I’ve even pushing myself. That’s why I am where I am now. I’ve taken risks and reaped the rewards.'
I caught up with them both to find out more about their journey into our industry:
What drew you to becoming self-employed and committing to a career in this industry? JOSH: The ability that I can provide myself an abnormal lifestyle. I don't want to settle for less than that. I’m in control of my income, the hours I work, how I work, the future I make for myself. There are so many opportunities for progression and so I call this industry the University of Life. There are so many skills that I’m developing here that can be transferred into other sectors later on in life; the things you learn really are invaluable and incredibly useful across the board, in a variety of different contexts. Whether I’m talking to a customer in the shop, or simply walking down the street, I’ve learned a huge amount of social skills, how to bond with people and relate to a broad demographic of clients; it’s really opened my eyes and I feel part of something important. Especially working in the Charity Sector, I feel as if I’m doing just that little bit more to to make a difference, which is important to me. VIK: The benefits of being self-employed, even though we may end up working longer hours are that we’re working in a resultsbased business; therefore we are in control of our earnings, our progression and lifestyle. You don’t get that in other companies and that sense of autonomy is invaluable. We are able to make decisions that have an impact on Day 1 of working in this field, so you really feel as if you’re a meaningful part of the team from the very beginning. You’re not just getting lost in a sea of recruits with no sense of purpose or gratification, you are seen. If you want to get a promotion, you are in charge of that. You prove yourself, you make the sales and it will happen. Were you nervous about making the shift to working for yourself? JOSH: Yes, I was incredibly nervous! Because I’ve never worked in a commission and results-based industry before, I assumed like most people! - that commission-based basically meant I would never make any money, because money wasn’t ‘guaranteed’ in the traditional salaried manner. I had
029
'The biggest thing for me is that this industry offers so much support and networking; whereas at University this wasn’t the case'
to take a step back and re-evaluate my preconceptions about this industry. I realised that
‘commission-based’
meant
actually
having the potential to earn a lot more than the average person’s fixed salary, and that contrary to my earlier opinion, that’s actually an incredibly exciting way to work. Once I had made that transition in my head and started to really focus on the fact that I was in charge of my own income, that was when I started to move forwards. Obviously there is risk involved with that - especially as my partner and I both made the move at a similar time but it’s one hundred percent worth it. To be honest with you, that financial instability was my greatest anxiety, but I’m so pleased that I took the plunge. With that instability comes opportunity for a huge amount of growth and progression and with that risk factor comes drive, adrenalin and passion. VIK: The biggest thing for me is that this industry offers so much support and networking;
whereas
at
University
this
wasn’t the case. Sometimes it’s better for the individual to move away from the traditional avenue of recruitment and take matters into their own hands. Being around people who are likeminded and taking an authentic interest in their work is incredibly motivating. You know, I look around at other people sometimes and you can tell they’re not happy with what they do, but it’s not like that here. I genuinely love my job to the extent that it doesn’t even feel like work! That attitude is quite rare these days. When you first joined, were you given coaching? JOSH: Yes, upon joining the company, I was coached my Phil himself. It wasn’t a huge amount of coaching time - about half a day! but it was very useful. Obviously he had just opened a company himself, so he was having to juggle bringing on new recruits and driving the business forwards, and whilst this meant I was little nervous, it allowed me to jump straight in the deep end which I’m grateful for (now!!). On my second day, I was sent straight into the Field which was daunting to say the least, and I actually ended up doing my first ever sign-up with Phil on speakerphone!! I went in to this guy’s home and said hands-up ‘I’m really sorry, it’s only my second ever day,
CATEGORY GROW TH / EXPANSION
I need to call my Boss up!’ and completed the pitch with Phil on the phone. After that it was sort of a learn-on-the-job situation, which sounds chaotic, but is actually the only way to learn! You can prepare yourself as much as
'I wanted to prove to myself that I could do it. When you put yourself out of your comfort zone you really do achieve'
you like outside of the Field, but you’ve really just got to take the plunge and get out there. That was the biggest adventure for me. In terms of transferable skills, what qualities do you think you already had (but maybe hadn’t realised!) in order to succeed in this line of work, and what have you had to work on? JOSH: I was quite an organised person as it was, but I’ve definitely learned how to organise and manage a big team - the logistics of that - and I think I’ve really improved
at
face-to-face
contact
with
people. By this I mean getting my clients to understand different viewpoints, as well as being able to do that myself. I think that’s really important, that sense of empathy that you have with your clients, being able to see things from their perspective and using that to make a sale. Before working here, my way of thinking was perhaps quite single-minded and straightforward - I wasn't really open to opinion - whereas now I can sit down with someone and appreciate both sides of the conversation which is hugely important for me. I think that’s the mark of a good Entrepreneur, to be subjective in your work, to adapt to each individual as opposed to operating with a ‘one size fits all’ attitude. That’s not how the world works. That’s what makes our company stand out from the crowd. VIK: I try to be like a big brother to members of his team. I understand how they feel because I’ve been there and I have complete respect for them, and vice-versa. In conclusion, these stories prove to us the benefits of taking risks. When we think about our career trajectory, it’s often helpful to visualise where we want to be in five, ten years time and this can be beneficial in lots of ways; however, on the flip side of this, curating an idea of who we think we are in terms of our work can be limiting. Perhaps you can’t imagine what you will achieve in the next few years! Take a risk, step outside of your comfort zone and see what it feels like to exceed your expectations.
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CATEGORY GROW TH / EXPANSION
'Perhaps you can’t imagine what you will achieve in the next few years! Take a risk, step outside of your comfort zone and see what it feels like to exceed your expectations.'
- VIK VERMA -
032
Couple Goals & Collaboration over in Cardiff Working in this industry is all about collaboration; when one
a summer job, sent her CV out to various companies before
person progresses, the whole team gains something. There
Kev from Promotions Co. got in touch: ‘I thought he sounded
is no formal sense of hierarchy and thus it’s less about the
really interesting over the phone, and even though I wasn’t
individual and more about the group effort. We work in a
really planning on working in Direct Sales, I was intrigued and
people-orientated business, we are working face-to-face with
so thought I’d give it a go’. Her plan had been to go back
our clients and the sales are generated by making a genuine
to study a Masters in Law with the intent on becoming a
human connection with someone, so it makes sense that
Solicitor and she had initially joined Promotions Co. in order
our company ethos is one that is driven by collaboration as
to develop her communication skills to take back into my
opposed to competition.
career as a Solicitor. This very quickly changed and Magda soon realised she wanted to progress in this industry: ‘In
We caught up with Magda Zaworksa to hear about her
September I decided to drop out of my studies and commit
journey into the industry and how her and her fiancé, Josh
to this career’.
Keeble, are making tracks together. They plan to get married next year and their business plan will act as the foundation
During this transitionary time, Magda decided that ‘if (she)
upon which to build a new life together: the ultimate
was going to commit to a career in Direct Sales, (she) was
collaboration.
going to commit properly’, and with this decision to take herself seriously came the realisation that she could open an
‘We strike a fantastic working balance, whereby my strengths
office of my own, that she had that potential. ‘This was the
are her weaknesses and vice versa, so in that sense we make
case for me, Josh and Vik, which was crazy! We all decided
a brilliant team (luckily!). We have quite different personalities
to change our plans and run with a career in Sales. To be
as well, so it’s not just our skill sets that compliment each
honest, I realised that I never really wanted to be a Solicitor
other, but our attitude and approach which is equally as
in the first place, but that I had never taken the time to reflect
important in a communication-based industry. In short
on my trajectory. I was simply drifting along in the traditional
we had an awards ceremony last year and Magda won
way, getting my Masters, on track for a career that would
‘Mrs Hardcore’ and I was ‘Mr. Sensitive’ so taking that into
have been ‘fine’. Now I realise how important it is to question,
consideration, I would say we make a winning team!’ (Josh)
to reconsider and to take the time to think about what it is you really want to do’. There is no point in wasting a time
Magda joined the company in June 2019, and in just 8
and money in pursuing a career that you’re not interested
months has made a huge change to her life and career. She
in, but it can be hard to come to that realisation when you’re
graduated from her Law degree in May and was looking for
halfway up the educational ladder.
033
When I first joined, I didn’t really take in how incredible this industry is. It’s really opened my eyes to the network, the worldwide network that we are a part of. The national and international reach that we have as a company is extraordinary and we are really making a difference. It feels good to be a part of that.’ - MAGDA ZAWORKSA -
CATEGORY DEVELOPMENT
Upon leaving her Masters, Magda was welcomed to Promotions
moment, they are working on building their team with the two of them
Company and immediately started her coaching: ‘I was on Vik’s team
aiming to hit Assistant Ownership by the end of March.
and to be honest I had quite a tough start in that I didn’t pick things up particularly quickly. I had to adapt and learn very quickly and at one
In terms of their strategy, I asked Magda how they plan ahead: ‘We
point Phil questioned whether or not this career was for me! But I stuck
have quarterly reviews to ensure that we’re all on track. Before Christ-
with it and I persisted! I concentrated all my efforts into proving them
mas, our goal was focussed on consistency in sales and making a big
wrong, and it paid off. I’m quite a stubborn person in general, so I knew I
enough turnover. Now, our focus is on recruitment, so we’ve been doing
would be successful but that it might take a little time’. After finding her
a lot of Hot-Desking. I’ve also been using the phone app Jobs Today
way over a few hurdles, Magda eased into her stride and personally
and have been contacting people on there which has been brilliant
recruited her partner, Josh, after just 3 weeks of working here. ‘Even
- there are loads of young people looking for jobs on there. Funnily
though in that moment I wasn’t doing so well, I saw a future opportunity
enough, lots of the young people on there are just looking for roles in
that I didn’t want to waste. I had a really strong vision of where I wanted
hospitality for example, simply because they’re not aware of this indus-
to be and what our future could look like and so I didn’t take my foot
try and how they might be able to get involved. Sometimes they are
of the pedal. I I pushed through and brought Josh in’. Sometimes you
sceptical (because they cant believe that this opportunity is open to
have to take a gamble in order to get something in return.
them) but they are always very interested. I’ve also been recruiting on Facebook via the group ‘Jobs in Bristol’.
It paid off! They are both now operating at Crew Leader level and have plans to open an office of their own in Cardiff this year. Magda explains
And for people thinking about entering this industry? ‘I would say take
how, ‘As soon as we were both part of the company, we were in every
a risk! Even if you don’t think it’s for you, it probably is! Be patient, be
single day, we started progressing quickly and before we knew it, we
prepared to work hard and maintain a positive outlook. I would also
were able to start recruiting people ourselves. We started to fill out plans
say it’s really important to shift your perspective and try to take in the
for opening an office of our own, thinking about location and where
bigger picture. When I first joined, I didn’t really take in how incredible
would be best to establish our company’. They immediately thought of
this industry is. It’s really opened my eyes to the network, the worldwide
Cardiff; it’s not too far away from the base in Bristol and they’ve worked
network that we are a part of. The national and international reach
in that territory before. They’ve been on a few road trips to Cardiff, they
that we have as a company is extraordinary and we are really making
know it well as a city and really love the atmosphere there; there are
a difference. It feels good to be a part of that.’
some fantastic bars and pubs for hosting Crew nights, and because it’s a University City, there’s a fantastic opportunity for recruitment. At the
Good luck to the dream team!
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037
CATEGORY DEVELOPMENT
RE-BRANDING over in Russia Over in Russia, we will be holding a meeting midway through the first quarter with the senior members of the team as well as the recruiters to bring everyone up to speed on the plan for developing the company out there. In April, we’ve got an awards event which we’re really looking forward to and an Owner’s Meeting to be held in Moscow. We’re in exactly the same position in Russia as we are in the UK, with 12 offices open currently, and another 8 in the pipeline. It’s an exciting time and feels good to have a strong presence in both parts of the world.
We caught up with Veronica over in Mos-
20 offices and they are up and running,
cow to hear how things are going…
each team will have the opportunity to re-brand (if they want to); however it’s
We’ve
actually
been
undergoing
some
re-branding lately which is exciting. The
important for us to get our name out there beforehand.
company now goes by the name: People Boosted and you can check out our new
Have you been using social media to help
website at www.peopleboosted.com. We’ve
with the re-brand?
gone for a bright, bold and fun design, and have used comic style animations to share
Yes! Check out our Instagram page, it’s
the story of our work. We wanted something
looking really cool. We’ve got a really strong
contemporary to catch people’s attention
visual brand and again are using the
and also to appeal to a 2020 demographic.
comic animations on there so people will
We also wanted something that reflected
immediately recognise the business when
the vibe of the company: ‘Boost Your
they see it.
Project and Have Fun!’. What’s Moscow like to work in? That’s great news! And how have things been going for the Offices out there?
which matches our company vibe. It’s very well connected in terms of travel and that
Things have been going really well. We’re
means there’s a broad demographic of peo-
opening another office in Moscow. I plan
ple that we can look at for recruitment. It’s
on sending another member of our team
incredibly dynamic which makes it a perfect
to open up in Kazan. Then in the second
base for us.
quarter, our plan is to open another 2 offices and go from there! We currently
Is there anyone in particular you’ve like to
have 4 Owners and are focussing heavily on
congratulate?
recruitment - much like in the UK - in order to expand the company over the year. We
We’ve got Idar working with us and he’s
have big plans! In terms of our branding
doing really well. He’s just been promoted
we’re actually going to keep the same name
to Organisational Head and is opening
across all of the offices during the launch
up another office in Belarus. He’s pushing
phase. This will help us build our reputation
for his DP promotion this year, so a
and a strong cohesive presence in the
congratulations and good luck to him!
industry. Then, after we’ve established our
038
Work Hard
Play Hard
‘From the sandy beaches of Sri Lanka to the hustle and bustle of New York, we like to work around the world. ‘Sales under the Sun’…if you will. ’
CATEGORY TR AVEL
'We know how to party and we know how to smash it in Sales. I didn’t ever think I was going to get the opportunity to work for a company as good as these guys'
W
e like to
treated to a varied cuisine of traditional Sri
travel.
Lankan curries, fresh seafood and of course,
We
think
dessert:
it’s
an
creme brûlée, local fruits…. The chef himself
essential
is a man called Roshan, who after growing up
p
t
just 15 minutes away from where the villa is
the
situated, sailed the world gathering recipes
business
and rich experiences to bring back home and
calendar,
inspire the menu. ‘The food was absolutely
a
of
r
not just because it allows our hardworking
Cardamom
puddings,
pistachio
incredible, truly mind-blowing!’ (Paul).
team a well-deserved rest, but furthermore because
the
The trip wasn’t just about activities and
opportunity to get to know each other in a
it
provides
them
with
dining, it was also a masterclass in how to
relaxed and informal environment. That’s
operate a business! The staff at the resort
important to us. We believe that a solid
were phenomenal; their attention to detail,
friendship is the foundation of a successful
their level of service and the manner in
working relationship. Here are some of the
which they worked as a team was really
fantastic trips we rounded off last year with
inspiring and an unexpected take away from
as well as those we have coming up in 2020:
the trip. When you’re out of your ‘normal’ context and away from home, you start to
SRI LANKA - MEDA GEDARA !
see things from a different perspective. You have the opportunity to learn about people’s
First up, Sri Lanka! Back in November we
backgrounds and experiences in an informal
took 12 of our team to Sri Lanka to stay at
setting which is extremely useful. Vik was
the luxury Meda Gedara Resort, described
one of the lucky few to go to Sri Lanka, and
online as ‘the most beautiful villa in Sri
also the youngest! He tells us how ‘I think the
Lanka’. Vik and Paul were some of the lucky
scariest thing was feeling like the youngest
new additions to the team that qualified
person out there and slightly daunted by
for the trip after high-rolling the country in
that. I was looking around at the Owners who
sales and growing their team to promote the
are mainly in their 40s and I’m only 22, so
highest number of first gen. Leaders - huge
that was quite a reality check, in an exciting
congratulations to you both! Vik describes
way. What I took away from the trip was the
how ‘coming from the background that I do,
importance of freedom in your lifestyle. That’s
I’ve not really had the opportunity to do much
not something I had experienced when
travelling, certainly not independently, so it
studying at University, and being in Sri Lanka
really was the trip of a lifetime’. The itinerary
really brought that to the surface. I was
was pretty jam-packed, and with just 4 days
essentially earning a residual income whilst
in total, the guys really made the most of it.
sat on the beach with a beer in my hand, so
They swam with turtles, went snorkelling,
that felt pretty amazing! This is the life you
visited some awe-inspiring temples, went on
can have!’.
lagoon rides - you name it, they did it! And we have to mention the food! The team were
042
043
Sri Lanka NOVEMBER 2019
044
CATEGORY TR AVEL
045
CATEGORY TR AVEL
046
CATEGORY PHOTO POOL
047
CATEGORY PHOTO POOL
048
‘We made so many connections in Ibiza. It’s such a fantastic context for networking and I met a couple of mentors when I was out there. Having seen the progression of those in other companies, and having the chance to meet them and experience how their career has moved forwards was invaluable for me. Without opportunities such as these, I have no way of measuring my success. That’s why travel is so important.’
049
Ibiza
SEPTEMBER 2019
Earlier on this year, we organised a trip to Ibiza for over 200 people, with Josh and Magda representing Promotions Company: Josh has also won a place on the Miami trip later this year alongside Vik and Paul. This is a congratulations for them maintaining their sales targets over a total of 12 weeks, enabling them to promote more Leaders and expand their team. This will be a fantastic opportunity to network and to see how the companies operate differently to here in the UK; the cultural and therefore Entrepreneurial differences can be
extremely useful to note. Vik will also be heading to New York! The world really
is their oyster and we can’t wait to hear about your adventures for the next edition of the magazine.
050
CATEGORY EVENTS & REWARDS
051
CATEGORY EVENTS & REWARDS
052
CATEGORY EVENTS & REWARDS
Cheltenham Races We took a group of our high achievers to the Cheltenham Races to enjoy some time out of the office and celebrate their success stories! We had a wonderful day getting dressed up and placing our bets - who doesn’t love a gamble and a glass of champagne!? It was a fantastic opportunity to enjoy some light-hearted competition, raise a glass to each other and start to build relationships with the next intake of recruits.
053
CATEGORY EVENTS & REWARDS
054
CATEGORY EVENTS & REWARDS
055
CATEGORY EVENTS & REWARDS
056
CATEGORY EVENTS & REWARDS
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CATEGORY EVENTS & REWARDS
058
CATEGORY DEVELOPMENT
Social Media
Get savvy on your socials!
S
ocial media is a huge part
Branding. It’s important. Social media is fast
of our lives these days,
becoming a central aspect of creating a suc-
and whilst it may seem
cessful business model. When you go on to
ironic
that
open an office of your own, it is paramount
face-to-face
that you establish a strong brand identity,
business where human
a clear company culture and ‘shareable’ on-
connection is our primary
line presence. According to an article written
public to gain an insight not just into
focus, we can’t deny that
by Entrepreneur, Chidike Samuleson, ’Since
we are living in the Digital Age. As a result,
Instagram's inception, the platform has re-
the business but into the lifestyle that
we are using a variety of methods such as
defined social-media engagement. It is now
Hot-Desking, LinkedIn, Instagram and Face-
the ultimate territory marketers set out to
book to expand our recruitment reach. The
conquer, meaning competition is fierce and
days of posting an ad in the newspaper are
success has become increasingly elusive. But
long gone and social media is expanding our
the good news is that thriving with Instagram
network to an extraordinary degree.
marketing isn't about burning millions of dol-
‘It's just as important to have your own personal account as well as a company account. This enables the
it affords you, and that's what sells.’
we
considering
are
a
lars or hiring the most prominent influencer to share your posts. Rather, it requires more of a more nuanced approach to making an impression on the right target audience.’ Back in December, we organised a workshop with social media guru, Chris Taylor, on how to build a brand and boost followers on Instagram. If you think about just how many times you check your IG page every day (on average people spend 53 minutes per day free-falling through the infinite scroll!), to disregard this platform would be a wasted opportunity. Rob Cotterell from RedSeven was one of many to attend the seminar. He described how ‘Over the last couple of years we’ve been a lot more engaged with social media. Chris’s workshop really confirmed that Instagram is the way forward and inspired us to up our game in terms of our online content, branding and presence. People are updating their feeds and are scrolling through the content literally every hour’. The workshop covered many things, including how to concept your social media accounts successfully. Paul Coombe explained how ‘it really opened my eyes in terms of scheduling posts, how to work on curating a timeline for content and when is the best time to post in order to reach the greatest number of people’. Rather than simply telling people ‘what you do’, it’s about crafting the content in order to ‘tell a story’. That’s what engages the public and gets them clicking on your account. ‘The visual story-mapping is so important’ and means that people are more likely not just to visit your page in the first place, but to re-visit and invest in the story of
061
CATEGORY DEVELOPMENT
'The days of posting an ad in the newspaper are long gone and social media is expanding our network to an extraordinary degree.'
your business and follow your progress.
'Social media is fast becoming a central aspect of creating a
One of the main focuses of the workshop
successful business model.'
was the importance of building an Instagram account for the Individual Entrepreneur as opposed to having one that is just representational of the Company itself. In this way, viewers are offered a far more personal insight into the world of the Entrepreneur; the connection established is one that feels noticeably more human, thereby grabbing the attention of the viewer in a way that resonates. Josh Keeble, a recent addition to Promotions Company, explains how his personal account, his ‘pictures, hashtags and comments speak for (him) and actually provide quite a well-rounded impression of who we are, what we do and how we do it. If someone wants to go to Miami, wants to go to Ibiza, have the opportunity for rapid progression, promotions and rewards, to be a part of a team, big conferences, Entrepreneurial meetings and thrive, then they see that we can offer them that lifestyle and career’. But he doesn’t just show people the good stuff, ‘it really is the good, the bad and the ugly’. It’s important to be authentic in your presentation of brand. Obviously there is an element of curation; however, you have to show people the real deal. For example, one day he ‘might post a picture of (himself) in a little coffee shop, and then that sits next to a photo of (him) in a Renaissance Hotel with a suit on. That’s the transition I want to share with people; it’s reality’. We’re not saying you shouldn't filter what you post - you absolutely do need to have a clear idea of what is appropriate! however, it’s important to show an accurate representation of who you are. It’s about being the real deal. After all, authenticity sells. This leads us onto recruitment. A secondary aim of the workshop was to encourage Owners to start recruiting via alternative means; whereas before recruitment was
'Since Instagram's inception, the platform has redefined social-media
many via online advertising, platforms such
engagement. It is now the ultimate territory marketers set out to conquer,
as IG and LinkedIn are really opening up the
meaning competition is fierce and success has become increasingly elusive.'
market. If you can improve your visibility on IG, you will broaden your audience reach and consequently your levels of recruitment will start to increase. Most of our Offices are now using platforms such as IG as well as LinkedIn to headhunt fresh talent. ‘It’s the social media too It’s also about doing it in a non-conventional way;
continued--->
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CATEGORY DEVELOPMENT
'It’s important to be authentic in your presentation of brand. Obviously there is an element of curation; however, you have to show people the real deal.'
you can call someone up with a standard
in touch with them via IG. He’s already been
CV any day of the week, but the reason why
in for an interview and is joining the company
we’re getting so many people through IG is
on Monday! The international reach that
the fact that they are starting to contact us
these platforms afford us is extraordinary.
saying ‘I love the vibe of your team, I like what I see, how do I get involved?’ (Josh). When
Over at RedSeven, they’ve got Ed Collis
thinking about your target audience, it’s
heading their social media accounts and
important to bear in mind the demographic
something
that you want to reach out to. In order to
implement is the documentation of their
share this content with the right people,
trips and meetings through video. Every
it’s essential that you are up to speed with
month, RedSeven hosts ‘Owner’s Day’ where
‘demographic-appropriate’
Paul
they invite one of their Sales People to
Coombe, for example, who will be opening up
experience a new activity. In January they
in Oxford needs to ensure that he is targeting
went to Daylesford Farm - an organic farm
an Oxford-specific demographic in order to
owned by Lady and Lord Manford - and
successfully establish an online presence
enjoyed a private cooking school course.
ahead of opening the physical office. That
They were taught by top chefs how to cook
demographic is going to consist more of
a variety of delicious dishes, followed by a
students and young entrepreneurs seeing
collective dining experience. Ed was there
as it’s a University Town, so knowing that will
to document the experience - ‘I think that
help him to craft his posts accordingly. Tactical
video is really important medium with which
hashtags are also a means of accessing
to share experiences, it’s the most dynamic
those people that aren’t necessarily thinking
and really allows people to feel immersed in
of a career in this industry and connecting
the world of the business’. ‘All of our brand
with people that aren’t necessarily looking
ambassadors
for a job in this industry.
pages where they are sharing what they’re
hashtags.
that
they
have
have
their
own
started
to
up to, meetings, trips etc. so it really does Think about what would grab your attention.
provide a fantastic insight into the working
If you want to attract unconventional people
‘day-to-day’ routine of the company which is
- ‘diamonds in the rough’ - to bring a fresh
great for prospective recruits.
energy and alternative approach to your team, what would they want to see? Perhaps
Sam Rathling’s LinkedIn workshop focussed
not so much the industry-based content, but
on building a profile, building our network
rather the lifestyle that working in this sector
and consequently building relationships in
affords us. This was certainly something
that network. Generally being ‘active’. The
that attracted Paul Coombe to the job after
mentality in the past has been one of finality
working in horse-racing for 22 years: ‘the
- once something is posted online, it’s done
great thing about this industry - the travelling
and our role is complete - but that’s not the
part of it - is that it shows you that if you work
case anymore. You need to constantly be
hard, you can live an amazing lifestyle and
updating your feed, posting new content
take part in some incredible opportunities’.
and making an effort to connect. It’s time-
The integration of trips to places such as
consuming, but it’s essential. What we’ve
Sri Lanka into the business calendar is
taken away from the workshop with Sam
pretty extraordinary. Paul explains how ‘in
(LinkedIn Bound) is that LinkedIn isn’t about
showcasing this lifestyle via social media,
selling to people, it’s about story-telling.
people realise what an amazing industry and
This helps to establish a sense of intrigue
network we are part of, and consequently
and eventually connects us with the most
they want to get involved which is great!’. Just
appropriate people to join our company.
last week they had a guy from Australia get
063
CATEGORY BOOKS & PODCASTS
Books and Podcasts Bored, Lonely, Angry, Stupid The Psychology of Persuasion
InstaBrain: The New Rules for Marketing to Generation Z
Marketing Rebellion: The Most Human Company Wins
‘We take some things for granted today—
‘How confident are you that you can con-
‘Marketing Rebellion will teach you: •How
that selfies make us narcissistic, that so-
nect and engage this audience in a way
cataclysmic consumer trends are a pre-
cial media can make us lonely, and so on.
that will resonate?
dictable result of a revolution that started 100 years ago.
By: Luke Fernandez
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By: Sarah Weise
By: Mark W. Schaefer
CATEGORY BOOKS & PODCASTS
This quarter we have been focussing on recruitment; the following podcasts offer you a fantastic insight into what it means to do just that. Looking at strategizing, recruitment and design, these books and podcasts will enhance your understanding of how to better promote your business and build a reputation across a variety of platforms. Get reading, get learning and get yourself and your business out there!
ReWork
Podcasts
01
Accelerate! (Sales, Profits, Growth) By: Andy Paul “Accelerate Your Sales Power.” Are you completely satisfied with your sales performance? Then Accelerate! your sales skills, leadership traits, and personal development, with sought-after speaker, best-selling author and sales sage, Andy Paul.
02
The School of Greatness By: Lewis Howes ‘Lewis Howes is a NYT bestselling author, lifestyle entrepreneur, former pro athlete and world record holder in football. The goal of the School of Greatness is to share inspiring stories from the most brilliant business minds, world class athletes and influential celebrities on the planet to help you find out what makes great people great.’
03
Get In the Door By: Steve Kloyda ‘Let's face it nothing happens until you get in front of a prospect or client and that will never happen until you get their attention. This podcast is dedicated to helping you get in the door, close more sales and do your best work.’
‘This optimistic book can inspire hope in future entrepreneurs. The author makes sure that the reader is grounded in the simplest, yet most effective, principles.
04
Outrage & Optimism By: ....... ‘Interviews tackling the subject of Climate Change with David Attenborough, Ellie Goulding, Jane Goodall, Governor Jay Inslee, Greta Thunberg’
By: Jason Fried
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Photo Album
A selection of some of our favourite photos from recent events
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The Trip of a ifetime!
SRI LANKA 14th - 18th November 2020
5 Star All Inclusive Luxury at the stunning Meda Gedara Villa with its own private chef and exclusive beach
a n i n a c u o d g An n i z a m a s i h t n o place ! . . . . . . . . trip...
SALES
LEADERS Person whose team grows the
Most individual sales done
most in First Gen Owners
between 2/1/20 and
Profit from 2/1/20 to
29/3/20
29/3/20 Final Week Counted
Competition runs from hursday 2nd anuary - Sunday 29th March 2020
JOIN US FOR AN EVENING OF GLITZ AND GLAMOUR AT THIS YEARS
uk awards ball TAKING PLACE ON THE 2ND OF MAY 2020 AT THE IMPERIAL WAR MUSEUM, MANCHESTER DRESS TO IMPRESS
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Office List 2020
CATEGORY OFFICE LIST
Our UK, Spanish and Russian office list. Please be sure to visit our social media channels for future developments
UK
RUSSIA
SPAIN
Mantra Marketing Group James Buckley / Francis Colam www.mantramarketinggroup.com
JB Company Jasmine Suleymanova Krasnodar website coming soon
EMDI Marketing Nelson Pereira Reus www.emdimarketing.com
Leela Promotions Aparna Rakesh Plymouth www.leelapromotions.com
RedSeven Marketing Robert Cotterell Swindon / Cheltenham www.redsevenmarketing.co.uk
Synergy Marketing Charlotte Vass Cheltenham website coming soon
Engima Mark Widnel Barnstaple website coming soon
Monument Promotions Matt Nicholson Swindon www.monumentpromotions.co.uk
Fairview Advertising David Hebblethwaite Ipswich www.fairviewadvertising.co.uk
Black Stag Marketing Stephanie Wiltshire Bristol website coming soon
Magic Magomed Parizhev Krasnodar website coming soon
ZIMA Albina Zigangirova Moscow website coming soon
Vio Organisation Veronica Ovechkina Moscow website coming soon
Asana Marketing Group Aidar Zamaletdinov Moscow www.asana-mg.com
First Group Albina Fazlieva Moscow www.firstgroup.moscow
Yuppie Timur Konovalov Moscow www.yuppie.city
World Marketing Radik Kamalov St Petersburg www.pr-wm.com
Redline Promotions Chance Cowie Manchester website coming soon
B23 Marketing Roddy Barker Glasgow website coming soon
The Promotions Company Phil Reid Bristol www.promotions-company.co.uk
Regardless Marketing Floyd Marriot London www.regardlessmarketing.com
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“Your limitation is only your imagination”
