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FinanceUnlocked
ByAndyMilsom, Headof Training and Partner Development,
BNP Paribas Leasing Solutions
It’s been suggested that if business is a game, thenfinance is thewaywe keep score.
Theway I see it, anyonewho understands finance iswell placed to enhance their
earnings through career progression and improved relationshipswith existing and
potential customers.
Our one-day financial training course,whichwe’ve been running for eighteen
months, is designed to helpB2B sales teams adopt amore strategic selling
approach in today’s tough financial climate. It explores how organisations
access finance, both internally and externally, and deploy capital in the context
of conflicting needs and demands. It also explains the benefits of leasing over
cash and teaches delegates how leasing can be used to increase customer
lifetime value.
The training seeks to develop competencies in business finance; reading
and interpreting financial statements; uncovering new sales opportunities
with existing customers; andwinning prospects.We help attendees to
recognise and solve their customers’ budgetary challenges and show how
to get business opportunities accepted and closed on finance.
Therewere three reasonswhywe developed this course:
1. Firstly, our partnerswere telling us that the external economic
environment was playing havocwith their sales conversion.
Customerswere taking longer to commit due to conflicting financial
demands and order valueswere getting smaller.This necessitated a
different sales approach and technique.
2. Secondly, the internet’s impact on consumer purchasing has
nowmade its presence felt in the B2B arena too.According to industry
statistics, 60-70% of all procurementmanagers research their solution
requirements on the internet before selecting a product and vendor.
Formany buyers in the SME space, gettingmaximum value from limited
budgets is clearly a priority.
3.And finally, feedback from our partners in our annual customer
satisfaction survey suggested they viewed financial training as a key
value-add.
To date, over 800 delegates have attended the course,which
takes place either at partner premises or at BNP Paribas’
offices. Satisfactionwith programme content is extremely high.
Post-training delegate surveys reveal that over 98%would
recommend the programme to a colleague.
Formore details, email
NAPPSUPDATE
Always have a sofa in the
kitchen
ByAaronWarham,
Director,
NAPPS
Success canbe achieved in
a number of differentways
and ‘gurus’ canmake a
fortune tellingpeople how
tobe the best that they
canbe. ButwhenRichardBranson tells you
his top ten tips for success, it’s time to sit up
and take notice.
Recently published on the BBC’s online news site,
Branson’s list can read too like ‘hokey home-spun’
truths, but, on deeper inspection, his ideas andmoral
approach to business development are the ideal
foundations for any successful organisation.
Tip number two: ‘Make a positive difference and
do some good’. It’s the foundation onwhichNAPPS
was set up, butmore importantly, it’s a core value
of theNAPPSmembership. In short, look after your
customers.To some, thismay seem like stating the
obvious, but it’s very easy to forget about the actual
needs of your customer once the deal has been done.
In the past, the cyclical nature of the lease upgrade
kept customers and their needs at arm’s length, but
with the continual development inherent in true
MPS engagements, customer contact has become a
constant, enablingNAPPSmembers tomake a real
difference to their clients.
Tip number three: ‘Believe in your ideas and be
the best’.After spending the last two and a half
years visiting theNAPPSmembership to learn about
them as people and to understandwhatmakes them
successful, it’s become clear that the constant which
binds them all together is culture,which forme is
proof that a business hasmade a conscious decision
to believe in its own ideas.
Easily defined but far harder to achieve, once
a culture has been developed and committed to,
success is virtually guaranteed.The real joy in running
NAPPS is seeing that the cultures developed by all
members are based on putting customers at the
centre of every decision theymake, and striving
always to give them the best possible service and
support.
And so to the sofa reference in the headline. In
some circles it could be interpreted as a feng shui
suggestion, but I think Branson is comparing the
heart of the home to the heart of a business.Very
much like developing a culture, if employees buy
intowhat the business is about and feel comfortable
on the sofa, the only outcomewill be success.On
my travelswith theUK’s leading channel partners,
I can honestly say that I have never seen a sofa in
a kitchen or breakfast room, but I have seen teams
that are comfortable not onlywithwhat they have to
do, but why they have to do it.
Brother creates newMPS role
Brother UK has strengthened itsmanagedprint
services capabilitieswith the appointment of
MikeMulholland as leader of its services and
solutions team.
In his new role,Mulhollandwill be responsible for
developingBPS andMPS programmes for all Brother’s
channel routes tomarket.
Previously,Mulholland spent 20 years at OcéCanon,
where hewas responsible for setting up the company’s
MPS division in theUK.
Brother UKMD Phil Jones said:“Mike has a history
of delivering soundMPS strategies targeted atmid-
market and enterprise businesses. His leadership style and
experiencewill undoubtedly help define and grow ourMPS
business in 2014 and beyond, ensuringwe strengthen our position in themarket.”
Mulholland added:“MPS presents an exciting opportunity for the coming year and as part of
Brother’s long-term growth strategy.We already have a solid standingwithMPS among SMEs,
which gives us a great base to step up into themid-market.”
