USP Magazine July 2011

USP Coming clean

Making money from cleaning solutions and products

Boxing clever

Boxing promoter Spencer Fearon on fighting for success

How low can you go?

Dropping prices shouldn’t mean dropping your trousers

break time

Win a full stock of tape

july 2011 ISSUE 94

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CONTENTS THE EDITOR’S LETTER 04

NEWS INDUSTRY NEWS All the latest industry, product and sales news

06

MARKETPLACE COMING CLEAN How to make money from office cleaning solutions

10

HIGH ROLLERS BOXING CLEVER Boxing promoter Spencer Fearon discusses the business of the sport

12

SALES ACADEMY JUST REWARDS Some inspiration to help you with your sales calls

13

BREAK TIME Test yourself with our pub quiz, plus the latest giveaway

14

HOW LOW CAN YOU GO? The hidden dangers of dropping your prices too low

16

LIVE IT HOW TO SPEND IT All the latest gadget reviews – spend your break right here

ALSO Don’t miss the IT Guide at the back of this issue

14

I had to deal with a minor dilemma this month. I attended a friend’s wedding in the sundrenched Portuguese capital of Porto (I know, it’s a hard life). While I love a wedding – especially when there is a free bar – it did pose the problem of what to wear. Normally when I holiday in hot countries my luggage consists of little more than a few pairs of shorts and some flip flops, but this is obviously not suitable attire for a wedding. I plumped in the end for a light linen suit, which, aside from a few wine spillages, did the job in that is was cool under the midday sun but smart enough blend in with the stylish Portuguese contingent.

While the British weather rarely gets to the levels of Portuguese climes, surviving the summer in a hot, stuffy office is something that every worker has to contend with at some point in the year. Fortunately, this presents opportunities for salespeople to consider, such as selling desk fans and drinking water.

Also this month, we look at the old favourite of desktop cleaning (p6) and all the ways salespeople can keep work spaces clean and germ-free and keep sales figures healthy.

We are also lucky enough this month to have a great VIP interview (p10) in the shape of boxing promoter and former fighting star Spencer Fearon, who is not shy in discussing the secrets of building a business in one of the toughest sports going.

We have also got the usual giveaways (p13), Live it reviews (p16) and sales training advice (p14), so there should be plenty for you to enjoy as you roll up your sleeves and enjoy a bit of well-deserved sunshine. If you still want more, flip this mag for the latest issue of our IT Guide.

Enjoy!

M att Ja ne Editor

24 ON THE COVER 06 COMING CLEAN

Where there’s muck there’s brass - make money from cleaning

10 BOXING CLEVER

Boxing promoter Spencer Fearon on fighting for success

USP EDITOR MATT JANE | matthew.jane@intelligentmedia.co.uk MANAGING EDITOR JULIA DENNISON | julia.dennison@intelligentmedia.co.uk COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR VICKI BALOCH | vicki.baloch@intelligentmedia.co.uk SENIOR ACCOUNT MANAGER - MEDIA SOLUTIONS MATTHEW MOORE | matthew.moore@intelligentmedia.co.uk DESIGNER SARAH CHIVERS | sarah.chivers@intelligentmedia.co.uk

PRODUCTION ASSISTANT SINEAD COFFEY | sinead.coffey@intelligentmedia.co.uk PUBLISHING ASSISTANT/CIRCULATIONS MANAGER NATALIA JOHNSTON | natalia.johnston@intelligentmedia.co.uk PUBLISHER DAVID COLLINGBOURNE | david.collingbourne@intelligentmedia.co.uk DIGITAL MANAGER DAN PRICE | dan.price@intelligentmedia.co.uk

13 BREAK TIME

Win a full stock of tape

14 HOW LOW CAN YOU GO?

Dropping prices shouldn’t mean dropping your trousers

USP magazine is published by...

Intelligent Media Solutions | Suite 223 | Business Design Centre | 52 Upper Street, London N1 0QH tel: 0207 288 6833 | fax: 0207 288 6834 | email: info@intelligenmedia.co.uk | web: www.uspmagazine.com Follow USP on Twitter at Twitter.com/uspmagazine Printed in the UK by Buxton Press www.buxtonpress.co.uk

04

NEWS Bong proves its carbon credentials

print investment

Bong AB has been awarded the right to carry the Carbon Trust’s Carbon Reduction Label on its mailing solutions made of DuPont Tyvek. They are the first mailing products to achieve Carbon Trust certification and are marketed throughout Western Europe, Poland, and Russia, exclusively

by Bong AB. “We knew that Tyvek mailing solutions performed well from an environmental point of view because independent experts had already tested them for DuPont,” says Bill Callcut, European product manager – security at Bong AB. “That gave us the confidence to go one step further and measure our own greenhouse gas emissions and seek independent certification from the Carbon Trust Footprinting Certification Company. We’re delighted with the result. It gives our customers reliable and independently verified data on which they can make decisions about the environmental benefits of competing mailing solutions. And it gives us a benchmark against which we can measure our success at further reducing the carbon footprint of our warehousing and distribution processes.”

As well as undergoing the rigorous footprint assessment behind Carbon Reduction Label certification, manufacturers must commit to actively reduce the carbon footprint of the labelled products over time.

Harry Morrison, director of certification at the Carbon Trust, said: “We congratulate Bong AB on the certification of these products. This achievement proves that by working in partnership with the supply chain, it is possible to measure and reduce entire product lifecycles, from the development of raw materials, right up to the finished products that are sold and disposed of by consumers.”

Callcut says: “Over the next two years, Bong AB intends to improve on its environmental performance by cutting the carbon footprint of its warehousing and distribution.

“That’s the commitment we make by displaying the Carbon Reduction Label. We want mailing solutions made of Tyvek to be the firstchoice material for European businesses that want a robust mailing product with strong green credentials.”

Jubilee Greenwood Press has installed the new Duplo Mini System 3500, the first of its kind in the UK, which in a single job saved them £4,500.

Based in High Wycombe, Jubilee Greenwood is the product of a merger between Jubilee Press and Greenwood Press.

Since joining forces, the company’s greater financial position enabled the investment for a new line, however having failed to secure new premises at the time of the merger, space was a huge issue and justified the decision for the new compact solution from Duplo.

Director Mark Cooper explains: “Over the past 12 months, the demand for booklet making has grown enormously. Having had Duplo systems for over 12 years, we have been more than satisfied with the quality of the products Duplo offer and the service we have received.

“Our concern however, was space. With four offset presses already filling our print room, we had limited space in which to fit the system.”

The release of Duplo’s new Mini System 3500, consisting of the DBM-350 mid-range, stitching booklet maker and the new DSC10/20 compact suction collator turned out to be perfectly timed.

“As well as demand for booklets increasing, the range of booklet formats was expanding, and whilst the vast majority of our work is A4 or A5 booklets, we are seeing more and more A5 landscape and A6 booklets. Finishing these formats was previously not possible on our old system,” said Cooper.

vehicle firm improves doc management Vehicle solutions provider Jet Total Vehicle Solutions (JET) is to speed-up its purchase-to-pay (P2P) processes by implementing a document management and imaging systems.

JET will reduce the time taken to close its financial accounts by up to 10 days and reduce manual data entry by 80% using Version One’s technology integrated into its Sage 200 accounting system.

JET’s current P2P processes are time-consuming and involve the manual data entry of invoice information and the physical filing and retrieval of paper copy documents. This can result in delays due to data entry errors, invoices going missing in addition to incurring significant costs through printing, photocopying and posting paper.

Beau Johnson, assistant accountant at JET, explains: “We sought a document management and imaging solution to enable the more efficient handling of financial documents and to streamline our invoice authorisation process. The chosen solution also needed to seamlessly integrate into Sage 200.

“Version One has an excellent reputation as the market-leading provider of document management solutions and was also recommended to us by our trusted partner, FD Systems.

We were also very impressed by the ability of Version One’s team to listen closely to our requirements and the superior functionality and ease-of-use of its software.”

USP

july 2011

05

marketplace DCI/Jet Tec Jet Tec has launched its remanufactured Canon PG-512 and CL-513 black and colour inkjet cartridges as an alternative to the OEM equivalents.

The empty cartridges are collected through Jet Tec’s recycling scheme with the highest quality empties being remanufactured and filled with ink produced in the Lincolnshire based factory.

Phil Sneath, commercial manager, said: “We are pleased to introduce our new Canon remanufactured inkjets, which are expected to quickly become a popular product.

“We offer our customers an extensive selection of inkjets and laser toners which is always growing with new products being continuously developed and added to the range.”

0800 660077

Samsung Samsung Electronics has launched a new A4 colour laser printer, CLP-775ND, designed for high volume business colour printing.

The CLP-775ND is equipped with a powerful 600MHz dual core CPU, and provides throughput performance at speeds of up to 33ppm (A4).

Its processing power, anti-jam technology and enhanced connectivity make it a cost-effective solution for businesses.

Dion Smith, general manager, Samsung UKI Print Division, said the launch demonstrated the firms “determination to own the B2B space by delivering high standard devices that satisfy corporate customers”. www.samsung.com

mitsubishi Mitsubishi Pencil company announces various products for the back-to-school season.

The uni-ball Fanthom is a rollerball that can erase handwritten notes with its cap. Available in six colours, the uni-ball Fanthom is sold loose and in a variety of single, twin and triple packs.

Also, POSCA water-based paint markers are available in a range of vibrant colours and seven different tip widths.

Uni-ball Signo Scents is a collection of 10 pens that smell fruity and sweet. Other products include the Jetstream, Signo 207 and uniball Eye. www.uniball.co.uk

mse MSE has launched two new products to its MPS range, MPS Engineered 53x (P2015), 10,000 page yield and the 49x (HP1320), 9,000 page yield.

MSE is releasing extended yield cartridges continually at present under its new MPS Engineered platform.

All MSE products are designed with the markets most advanced and patented technologies that allow resellers to achieve a cost-per-page that is very competitive for business users and will enhance re sellers margins significantly. www.mse.com

The coolest products and hottest trends

douwe egberts Douwe Egberts Coffee Systems has unveiled a new coffee machine for delivering high volumes of speciality coffee in self-service situations.

Cafitesse Excellence is a compact, user-friendly dispenser, capable of serving up to 600 cups of premium quality ground coffee per hour and requires less than 10 minutes’ cleaning each week.

The machine has a stylish, contemporary design and combines a new 100% arabica, high-roast coffee with an innovative hygienic milk solution. It also features a user interface that lights up when people approach the unit. www.douwe-egberts.co.uk

Mitsubishi

PRODUCT GALLERY smart Smart Technologies has launched the fifth-generation Smart Board interactive whiteboard system.

The new system, featuring the ultra-shortthrow standard Smart UF75 or widescreen Smart UF75w projectors, is available with the Smart Board 400i, 600i and 800i series.

The new Smart Board interactive whiteboard system features a swivel projector mount, a digital HDMI port, enabling one-touch support for high-definition (HD) video and audio. www.smarttech.com

Mitsubishi Pencil company has launched an iPhone app based on its POSCA paint marker.

The app, called iPOSCA, is available to download free from iTunes.

Simple to use, the app allows individuals to select the POSCA line width of their choice before drawing directly onto their iPhone or iPod Touch.

Photos can also be customised and sent via email or uploaded to Facebook. “iPOSCA brings to life POSCA in the virtual world. Users can even shake their phone to prime the pen just like in real life,” said Stuart Barker, marketing manager for Mitsubishi Pencil. www.uniball.co.uk, @uni_posca

swordfish With the goal of delivering environmentally-friendly products that do not sacrifice design, functionality or performance, Swordfish is blazing a trail in the UK shredder market with the launch of GoECOlife.

With carbon neutral status, GoECOlife home and office shredders are designed for individuals and companies striving to reduce their carbon footprint.

GoECOlife follows Carbonfund.org’s ‘Reduce what you can, offset what you can’t’ philosophy by combining energy reductions with cost-effective carbon offsets.

With retail prices starting from £229, the range is suitable for the home and SME markets. www.goecolife.co.uk

july 2011

USP

06 mARKETPLACE cleaning

Coming clean Coughs and sneezes may spread diseases, but fortunately they also present salespeople with opportunities to do business. Matt Jane looks at the latest solutions in hygiene and cleaning products

USP

july 2011

mARKETPLACE cleaning 07

It seems we are never too far from a national panic and health scare, with the latest bug or germs waiting to wipe out the human race. Not too long ago it was fears over swine flu, more recently we have been warned that eating German cucumbers is dicing with death. While health scares cause a degree of panic among the public, there is no such thing as bad publicity when it comes to business opportunities for salespeople, and as Computer Cleaning Week takes place in September, it is the perfect time to approach these issues.

Consumers are inundated with scare stories about superbugs, viruses and e-coli, meaning awareness has never been greater. As a result, antimicrobial and antibacterial products have seen a surge in demand over recent years.

“Awareness campaigns on office bugs have now been going for some time,” explains Karen Harrison from AF International. “People working either in an office or from home are now more conscientious about cleaning equipment. They are also aware that normal household products on these sensitive surfaces should not be used.”

While the high profile cases no doubt boosted sales of office cleaning and hygiene products, a lack of headline attention could impact the continued use of these products as customers fall back into old habits. Jane Scott from Mark C Brown points to the rush to have hand sanitisers in workplaces last year. “I wonder how many companies replaced the bags of gel once they had run out and the flu epidemic was no longer making headlines.”

Despite the reduced coverage in high-profile cases, the need for a proactive approach to office hygiene has never been greater, with different working methods and practice adding to the imperative. “With people spending a lot more time in their offices than they used to, and the trend for ‘hot-desking’, the need to keep personal spaces as clean and germ free as possible is even more important,” stresses Scott.

There is also the classic situation of taking lunch breaks at the computer, which creates a hygiene headache for organisations and makes it

more important than ever to keep keyboards clean. “Crumbs lurk in keyboards and air dusters are essential to help ensure complete cleaning,” says Debbie Nice fromVasanta Group. “Specialist computer and telephone cleaning products and marketing activity have helped PC users understand the perils of dirty workspaces.”

Keeping workspaces germ-free is an ongoing process and can often feel like fighting a losing battle. As Richard Millard from Kimberly-Clark suggests, the office could be spotless first thing in the morning, but it only takes one worker to not wash or sanitise their hands to leave a trail of germs and cross-infection. “Encouraging employee engagement in hygiene programmes appears to be the way to go, to provide the hygiene products required both in and outside the washroom and then the right reminders around the office to encourage use,” he says.

BEST FOR BUSINESS It is estimated that the annual absence cost per employee in the UK is around £780, which should be enough to encourage companies to consider ways that could help reduce absence.

This is an even more vital consideration given that many companies are now running as lean as possible. “If you can afford to lose half your customer service team with a sickness bug and it not have an effect on your business, you need to be looking at staffing levels,” says Scott. “By investing a few pounds in packets of antibacterial wipes for telephone handsets, computer keyboards and the like, and put a procedure in place to make sure they are used on a regular basis, that bug just might not go around.”

Employers are always looking to meet the standards of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, which states that they have a responsibility to provide a place of work that controls the risk to employee health and safety, including getting hurt or ill through work. “The employer has a ‘duty of care’ to ensure they provide a safe working environment and to carry out regular assessments for their employees,” says Harrison.

july 2011

USP

08 mARKETPLACE cleaning

Companies that invest in products to protect employees from germs often prifoit from improved worker morale and its associated benefits. “Showing you care for your staff can go a long way to help build employee engagement, which in turn can help you drive your bottom line results,” explains Millard.

“Improving your health and hygiene offerings can add to the overall engagement of a company’s employees.”

KEEP IT CLEAN In order to take full advantage of the potential in this market, salespeople need to have the best product mix to suit the various client needs and the knowledge of how they can make a difference. Cleaning wipes are one of the best sellers in this area at present, with the use of antibacterial wipes for desk surfaces and items, such as telephones and computer screens, proving popular. “Dealers offer a wide range of options, including commercial and domestic

portfolio of office hygiene options. No matter what the product or machine, there is a cleaning product that can be sold alongside it. “If you’re selling a screen, sell a screen cleaner, if you’re selling blank CDs then sell a laser lens cleaner or CD cleaning wipes,” says Harrison. “If you are talking to someone who is placing the order and they are using the phone, tell them about the bugs that live on the telephone and sell them some phone cleaning wipes.”

Millard points to the decline in hand sanitisers that were once found at every reception desk during the height of the flu epidemic. He says good hand washing and drying should be carried out after every bathroom visit and should form part of a daily routine. “As an adult touches their face up to 16 times per hour on average, sanitising regularly throughout the day, coupled with a quick wipe of your desk first thing in the morning, can help reduce the potential for one of those touches resulting in picking up an illness,” he explains.

If you’re selling a screen, sell a screen cleaner.

If you’re selling blank CDs then sell a laser lens cleaner or CD cleaning wipes brands like Flash and Dettol wipes,” says Nice.

“Outside the immediate workspace, we are seeing a trend towards cleaners using a colour coded system – requiring the use of a range of cloths in different areas, such as red for toilets and urinals, yellow for other washroom areas, blue for low risk areas and green for food processing and bars.”

It is important to continually remind customers about the importance of office hygiene and to develop an awareness campaign to get people into the habit of cleaning regularly.

“Office equipment, mobile technologies and personal computers should be cleaned on a very regular basis, similar to that of your kitchen worktops,” says Harrison. “Talking about health and safety at work, cross contamination with office space through shared equipment, and general cleanliness in the workplace should encourage the usage of these types of product.”

There is also huge scope in this area for cross-selling products to ensure a thorough

USP

july 2011

Importantly, workplace cleaning products could provide a welcome injection of revenue.

“They are easy to sell as they link perfectly with items they are already selling on a regular basis,” says Harrison. Although they are generally small in value, hygiene products tend to have excellent margins, meaning good news for the health of customers, employees and a salesperson’s bottom line.

Workplace hygiene fast facts  An office desk can harbour up to 10 million microbes.  Office surfaces can have 400 times more bacteria on them than a toilet seat.  The average office contains 20,961 microbes per square inch.  The telephone contains the most germs, with 25,127 microbes per square inch, keyboards 3,295 and computer mice have an average of 1,676.  An infected person can leave a trail of viruses on every surface they touch with some viruses surviving on a surface for up to three days  The average number of days off sick for an employee in the UK is 9.8 each year.  Enough skin falls off a human to fill one tea cup a day.  Bacterial levels tend to be higher on women’s desk than men’s, even if they look tidier. This is because women tend to put more items from the floor onto their desks, such as handbags.

Source: The University of Arizona

WE PURCHASE If you ALL PRINTING CONSUMABLES SAW the Laser, Ink, Fax, Postal Cartridges germS We purchase small or large quantities, you’d See Box, Pallet or Container.

Printer pulled cartridge the potentIAl In Date surplus - Out of date - Short date

The average office keyboard harbours more germs than the average toilet seat.

Boxed, No box, Damaged box

We pay for collection from UK-Europe-USA

New packaging launches at PaperWorld, Frankfurt January 2012

The workplace is awash with germs which can lead to serious illness and costly absenteeism.

So there’s never been a better time to start selling AF’s high margin cleaning products.

As regular cleaning is the only way to ensure a bug free office, we’re investing in a new end-user campaign to raise awareness and deliver even more sales to you.

With strong sales support, marketing collateral, training, blitz days and joint initiatives, nobody works harder than AF to help you clean up.

Call now or email for details and help us spread the word not the germs.

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Cartridge Trading Ltd

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Tel: +44 (0) 1179 490 240

112264_half_page_ad_Layout 1 10/11/2010 09:07 Page 1

help uS SpreAd the Word, not the germS *Source: University of Arizona

The grass is greener 03680 AF Trade Ad USP Mag 148x105.indd 1

08/07/201

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10 high rollers vip interview

boxing clever As a former boxer, Spencer Fearon is used to rolling with the punches. Having formed a successful promotions company, he is now enjoying the business side of the sport.

Matt Jane discovers what it takes to succeed in one of sport’s toughest industries

It is arguably the most brutal sport requiring dedication, commitment, perseverance and no small amount of talent, but as a business, boxing can be equally as tough.

As someone who has seen it all as a boxer and businessman, Spencer Fearon is no stranger to the highs and lows of the noble art. Now plying his trade as a promoter, he is delivering some of the most exciting shows in the sport and with a crop of emerging fighters on his cards, the future promises even bigger and better things for the charismatic Londoner.

“I’m very privileged to be where I am right now,” admits Fearon when we meet at the headquarters of Hard Knocks Promotions, a small but busy office housed in an east London boxing gym. “I know I’ve got the winning formula, but it’s not just me saying these things. The fans are telling me; they are writing into Sky and demanding more publicity for my shows.”

Following recent negative publicity for big boxing events and some decidedly dreary, one-sided matchups, Fearon is pioneering a more competitive approach to his shows, where closely-matched and eager boxers make for edge-of-the-seat thrillers.

“People in the business think you have to be undefeated. I just think: ‘What the fuck! You are undefeated, but you can’t box!’” he says in his usual straightforward manner. “My fighters are well-matched and I’m inundated with guys who want to fight on my shows.

When I started people said it was luck, but now they are taking me seriously. The first show I did was fantastic, the second was fantastic, and the third and fourth. Now people are saying my shows are the bollocks.”

In a sport that is still considered blue-collar entertainment, Fearon has been sure to remain accessible and is comfortable mixing in any circles. Despite the growing success of Hard Knocks Promotions, a company Fearon founded with business partner Ciaran Baynes, he still describes himself as humble. “I’ve got so much money invested in me – I can afford to fly a helicopter to the gym and home again each day,” he explains. “But I have to be real; I have to be accessible, because boxing is the last accessible sport.” His broad appeal has endeared him to sports fans and his shows draw an eclectic mix of people. “At my last show people told me they had brought their wives with them – it is that sort of event, a real old-fashioned good night out,” he says.

to find it a struggle to give 100% in the gym.

It is hard to stay focused when you have a £30k car parked outside the gym.”

Having grown up around fighters, Fearon was childhood friends with British heavyweight champion Danny Williams, the man who famously defeated Mike Tyson, a night that Fearon still describes as one of the best of his life. “Tyson was still an awesome fighter, he always will be. For me to be around Danny was great,” he says.

Following his fighting career, Fearon took an unusual career change to become a stand-up comedian, with successful nights at big clubs, such as Jongleurs. “Everybody always wanted me to make them laugh,” he explains. “I used to do impressions – I got my professional [boxing] contract with Frank Warren by phoning him up and pretending to be [former welterweight champion] Lloyd Honeyghan!” Despite the comedy circuit being an unusual route for a boxer and aspiring promoter to follow, Fearon believes it has stood him in good stead. “I never told jokes, I just told true stories and people nod along and laugh.

It’s the same with my promotional style – I give people true stories that they can relate to.”

I can afford to fly a helicopter to the gym and home again each day. But I have to be accessible, because boxing is the last accessible sport there is

USP

july 2011

FIGHTING THROUGH Before becoming a boxing promoter, Fearon had a decorated career in the ring, with his most famous fight against hotly-tipped boxer David ‘Kid Dynamite’ Walker being voted the ‘Fight of the Year’ by the BBC in 2003. It was a back-and-forth battle that saw both men knocked to the floor before Fearon was stopped in the fourth round. “I thought I was going to knock Walker out,” reflects the fighter, whose nickname was ‘The Spirit’.

“Looking back it was just the wrong time for me – I took that fight on six days’ notice.

Back then, I never used to take it too seriously. I had a lot going for me and used

FOCUS ON THE DREAM From his earliest memories, Fearon says he can remember wanting to be a boxing promoter, with one of his earliest idols being Ambrose Mendy, a manager and sports agent who counted world champion Nigel Benn among his charges. “He was a guy I looked up to, being a black kid at school I used to think: ‘I could do that, I could be a boxing promoter’,” he says.

high rollers vip interview

His entrepreneurial craft was called into practice during those school years. “If two kids didn’t like each other I told them not to fight because we could do a boxing match,” explains Fearon. “The teachers liked me, so I got posters made up and got a venue in Brixton. I made about £50 from it, which for a young kid is not a bad bit of money – I was buying chips for everyone! My mindset was always to be a boxing promoter; I even used to carry a briefcase,” he recalls.

“I was always a hustler,” admits Fearon.

“If anyone wanted anything, they would always say: ‘Go to Spencer, he can sort it’. In many ways, nothing has changed, only my little circle has got bigger and bigger.”

It has not always been straightforward for Fearon and there have been some challenges along the way, no more so than a brush with the law that left him facing time in jail. “Everybody was telling me I would go to jail; they were all convinced,” he says. “I had been found with some money that wasn’t mine and got charged with money laundering.

The story was that I was actually trying to sort someone’s mortgage out for them. I was always proud of the fact I had never been to jail and my boast was that I never would either. But then I was looking at jail time – I see it as God giving me a little wake up call.”

Fearon was eventually acquitted, and he is now totally focused on his business and is lining up some big shows at the famous York Hall, which he explains reminds him of “the Sinatra song New York, New York, in that if you can make it there, you can make it anywhere”. His shows are getting bigger and better, and with continuing interest from the television, the future certainly looks bright for Hard Knocks Promotions. “There are some big fights out there to make,” he says.

“If you can enthrall people and give them what they want, they will keep coming back.”

july 2011

USP

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12

SALES ACADEMY INCENTIVES

SALES ACADEMY

Sales tips to keep you in the know

WIN AN IPHONE WITH FELLOWES

Just

REWARDS

WHAT? Fellowes is offering consumers a sound investment this year. When they purchase selected Fellowes binding or laminating machines they can claim iTunes vouchers up to the value of £20. Plus, a chance to enter a prize draw for one of five iPhone 3G devices.

WHEN? The offer of the iTunes voucher promotion on selected Fellowes binding and laminating machines will run throughout 2011. The chance to win one of five iPhone 3G devices ends on 30 September.

FOR? Dealer customers HOW? When the end-user purchases selected Fellowes binding and laminating machines, there will be an on-pack fixer form with full details of the promotion and a unique reference code. Claims can be made via www.fellowes.com/gb/offers or by returning the on-pack fixer form to Fellowes.

For more information about these promotions please contact Fellowes on 01302 836835.

A little inspiration to help you reach those precious sales targets

GRAB A GRAND PRIZE WHAT? Steljes is giving resellers the chance to ‘Grab a Grand’ as part of a summer incentive initiative where resellers can win £1,000 in a prize draw.

WHEN? Throughout the busy summer, the competition will close at the end of August.

FOR? The ‘Grab a Grand’ competition is open to all Steljes resellers.

HOW? Every reseller that sells a Smart UF75 projector – as part of the Smart 600i or 800i interactive whiteboard bundle – will be automatically entered into the weekly prize draw and one lucky reseller will be chosen as the winner of the £1,000 prize. www.steljes.com

STAEDTLER GIVES AWAY 3D HOME ENTERTAINMENT WHAT? Staedtler is offering customers the chance to win a 3D HD-ready television, 3D Blu-Ray player, 3D glasses and 3D movies, with runner-up prizes of an iPad and iPod Touch.

WHEN? The competition runs until 30 September.

FOR? Any customer that purchases the Textsurfer range of highlighters is invited to enter. As well as the traditional Textsurfer highlighter, the promotion also includes Textsurfer gel, a semi-translucent wax lead highlighter.

HOW? Customers can text the barcode from any purchase of the Textsurfer range to 80878.

USP

DATE JULY 2010 2011

SALES ACADEMY BREAK TIME

Breaktime We know you are always thinking of your customers and keen to give them something special, which is why USP has teamed up with 3M to give you the chance to win a fully stocked FSDU full of new Scotch Easy Tear Tape – a fantastic prize that will give you the chance to offer customers the new addition to the Scotch clear tape range, at no cost to yourself.

WIN A FULL STOCK OF TAPE

Scotch Easy Tear Tape has been designed following research from 3M that showed customers felt price and ease of use were the most important factors in choosing sticking tape. This latest tape answers customers’ demands by providing a highly efficient sticky tape, with the added benefits of being very easy to tear and unwind. These qualities will ensure it becomes an everyday office essential.

PUBQUIZ We may not be able to provide the beer or nuts, but this little teaser should keep you entertained during your morning briefing.

1 - For which newspaper did Superman work?

2 - The Clifton Suspension Bridge spans which river?

3 - What was the name of Steptoe and Son’s horse?

To win this prize, simply answer the following question:

4 - In which county is St Michael’s mount?

What is the famous phrase for Blue Peter presenters when making things with sticky tape?

A: Here’s one I made earlier B: I’ve stuck it to my jumper C: Does it look like Tracey Island?

Send your answer with the subject line ‘Tape’ to matthew.jane@intelligentmedia.co.uk.

Closing date for entries is August 22. Winners will be chosen at random. Only successful candidates will be notified. Judge’s decision is final.

5 - What was Tony Banks minister for in Tony Blair’s first government?

Fancy taking a break from the sales calls, client meetings and proposal writing? Put your feet up and switch your brain on to our break time puzzle.

No prizes, just the satisfaction in beating the grid.

EASY

HARD

5 4 3 7 6 1 6 8 9 4 9 3 2 2 3 5 6 4 2 1 5 7 1 8 9

7

4 5 1 3 8 9 4

9

7

2 1

4 5 8 2 4 7 6 9 7 8 6 9 4 2 3 7 1 5 9 4 2 8 5

6 - Matt Groening is responsible for creating which cartoon family?

7 - What weapons are used in fencing?

8 - In which city was Dick Turpin hanged?

9 - Donald Campbell’s Bluebird was recovered from which stretch of water in the Lake District?

10 - On which island is Peel Castle?

11 - Which football club plays at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu?

12- What is Harry’s surname in the ‘Dirty Harry’ film series?

ANSWERS 1: Daily Planet; 2: Avon; 3: Hercules; 4: Cornwall; 5: Sport; 6: The Simpsons; 7: Swords; 8: York; 9: Coniston Water; 10: Isle of Man; 11: Real Madrid; 12: Callahan

DO YOUR NUMBERS

DATE JULY 2010 2011

USP

13

14 sales academy Prices

Author bio Chris Merrington is the author of “Why do smart people make such stupid mistakes”. He runs workshops with directors and sales teams in the areas of negotiation, selling consulting services, business prospecting and ‘pitching to win’.

USP

july 2011

sales academy prices 15

how low can you go?

Dropping prices too soon is a classic sales mistake. Chris Merrington explains why this is a tactic best avoided

Any fool can drop their price but it takes skill and a steady nerve to hold your price, especially under pressure from customers. A classic negotiation mistake is to price crumble and drop your price as soon as your customer or client puts pressure on you. Most probably you already aren’t charging enough for your product or service, so pricing it right and then holding to that price is vital.

Clients and customers will challenge your price – it’s part of their job to do so. However, price crumbling too quickly will cost you dearly, and more than just financially. The more you drop your price and the quicker you drop your price the more the client will expect you to drop it even further.

Clients will see your behaviour to drop your price not as generosity but as a sign that your original price was over-inflated or had so much fat built in that you could afford to give away so much profit.

Does this mean you should never drop your price? Of course not, but there are specific strategies to apply if you do choose to drop your price. Studies show that for most businesses a one per cent drop in price can impact profitability by around 10%.

the vendor immediately and enthusiastically accepts it.

Instead of feeling delighted that you can buy the property more cheaply, you are now thinking you should have gone even lower and that maybe something is wrong with the property as the vendor seems so keen to sell.

The relationship and trust between buyer and seller is compromised.

The more we drop our price to secure the deal the more suspicious the client becomes and the less value they attach to the deal. If you don’t believe in the value you provide then why should anyone else?

GIVING IN TOO EASily When we come up against a tough negotiator who uses aggression and even threatening behaviour, it’s easy to give in to their demands and drop our price. Decide in haste, repent at your leisure.

So how well do you hold your price?

Firstly think about how you can justify your price.Why is the price set where it is?

Then anticipate the likely price challenge and plan what you will say in response.

For example: “There’s a good reason, our clients get results….” (then be prepared to substantiate your claim).

“On what basis is it more expensive?”

Whatever you say in response to a client’s price challenge, it is important to respond confidently and not go on the back-foot. Ideally you should not have any customer so big that you can’t say ‘no’ to them. The more prepared you are to say ‘no’, the more money you will make.

By holding your price or taking out value when you reduce your price you will ensure you can retain profitability. By doing this you are setting positive precedents for the future. Take time to prepare your response to price challenges – the more prepared you are, the more you will be able to hold your price.

Studies show that for most businesses a one per cent drop in price can impact profitability by around 10%

RAISING SUSPICION Imagine you are looking to buy a new house or flat. You go to see one priced at £300,000 which you like. You decide to put in an aggressive offer of £250,000 expecting it to be refused. Instead

Yet how often do we do something similar with our clients? We drop our fee or price as soon as the client challenges us. During the recent recession several clients told me their customers had threatened them so they had to reduce their fees by 20%, 30%, 40% and even 50% in one case. If you are over-dependent on that client you are left with little alternative but to comply.

Most people price crumble, often in the belief that they will lose the deal unless they drop their price. The paradox is that the more we drop our price the more the client wants us to drop our price further. Dropping our price too easily creates mistrust and can seriously damage the relationship.

july 2011

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16

live it

The best way to spend your free time and money

Film

BIT OF BANTER

The Tree of life It seems that Brad Pitt has mellowed with age, certainly if this acclaimed offering from American director Terrence Malick is anything to go by. It seems a lifetime ago that Pitt was smashing in the faces of white collar workers in Fight Club or delivering unfathomable gypsy insults in Snatch, but here he takes part in a much more sensitive and poignant project that centres around the discovery of life’s lessons and the journey to redemption.

The Tree of Life was decorated with the Palme d’Or prize for best picture at the Cannes film festival, although it has largely divided opinion on whether it is truly a work of profound beauty or pretentious hype. The story centres on a Midwestern family in the 1950s, with Mr and Mrs O’Brien (played by Pitt and Jessica Chastain) who bring up their three sons, the eldest of whom, Jack, takes centre stage as we watch him develop from the innocence of childhood and embarks on the realities of adult life and the various difficulties this throws up. From his idyllic childhood where Jack is showered with love by his mother, he develops into a grown man (played by the excellent Sean Penn) who is lost in the modern world.

Whether this film is viewed as an artistic triumph or self-indulgent waffle will depend on individual taste (at over two hours long, I only hope you are in the former category). Whatever your opinion, the performances are excellent and it would be harsh to argue that at least some of the plaudits are undeserved. Out now

music

drink

Serengeti

Fresita

Family and Friends is Serengeti’s debut solo album for the Anticon label, and finds the California rapper in superb form. The laid-back grooves provide a perfect platform for his relaxed west coast accent in which he muses over issues such as infatuations with women on TV and becoming a man (which he suggests involves changing your own oil and reading Sir Arthur ConanDoyle). The stand out track is The Whip, which provides a heart-warming narrative of the redemption of a UFC fighter over a crescendo of synth and mesmeric beats.

As the buzz of Wimbledon still grips the nation, it is a perfect opportunity to enjoy some seasonably fresh drinks and kick back in the summer sun. Fresita is the perfect accompaniment to the long, lazy days. A blend of Chilean sparkling wine infused with hand-picked Patagonian strawberries, this is as fresh and fruity a drink as you will find.

The bubbles add a touch of extravagance while the strawberry taste delivers a summer vibe. It tastes so fresh you will have to remind yourself not to add cream.

USP

July 2011

I was watching Wimbledon when the wind changed direction

good SOFAS With online donations it is now possible to give money to charity from your armchair. For one lucky charity store in Rugby this was literally the case when they found an envelope with £1,305 stuffed down the back of an old sofa.

They managed to trace the owners, who had no idea the sofa, which belonged to their grandmother, contained such a bounty – although they admitted the grandmother used to hide “bits and pieces” round the house. We’re sure they went home and checked in all her other belongings after that.

SEX Church services may not be the most exciting of events, but one couple may have found the ideal way to spruce up proceedings. Shocked members of the congregation had to call police after a couple stripped off and started having sex in front of the altar during a service at Oslo Cathedral. The pair is part of activist group ‘F**k for Forests’, which uses sex to raise awareness of the environment. They were given a small fine, and presumably made to say a few Hail Mary’s too.

bad

d n a t s o t t Wanin the crowd? out W o n p u n g si

USP To clAim yoUr free sUbscriPTion cAll: 0207 288 6833 emAil: sUbscriPTions@inTelligenTmediA.co.Uk web: www.UsPmAgAzine.com/sUbscribe/

TERMS & CONDITIONS *USP magazine is free to those who qualify: sales managers and executives, sales staff, marketing and purchasing employees in dealers, wholesalers and distributors supplying office products. For those who do not qualify, annual fee is £68.

EvEry good salEspErson knows that knowlEdgE is powEr And ThAT’s where UsP comes in.

Every month, this industry focused-magazine brings you everything you need to know about the latest products and key trends in the office supplies market, as well as quality advice from leading experts on how to become a better salesperson and brush up on those sales techniques.

There are also inspirational interviews with leading figures from the world of business, television, sport and film and our Live It lifestyle bible, showcasing the latest gadgets on which to spend your commission. Also, USP will be giving away some top prizes every month – for FREE. Subscribe today for your free monthly update - it’s very easy and won’t take a minute. Why not invite all your sales colleagues to sign up as well? That way everyone in the team is up to speed!