Business Digest Magazine featuring Celia Sawyer

BUSINESS DIGEST AUGUST 2020

FOLLOW THE LIGHT THAT SHINES FORTH IN A DARK PLACE.

Fanele M.

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CONTENTS 4. EDITORIAL A warm welcome to our August Issue

5. ABOUT BUSINESS DIGEST MAGAZINE

18. DIVERSITY & INCLUSION More than just 2020 buzzwords — by Caroline Gleeson

6. MAKING IT HAPPEN with CELIA SAYWER Persistence is key!

20. HOW TOP CEO’S DRESS TO IMPRESS — by Jamie Henfrey

8. REBECCA NEWENHAM From Entrepreneur to Franchisor

11. NETWORKING STRATEGIES OF AN INTROVERT Take baby steps

12. THINGS THAT YOUR CUSTOMERS WON’T TELL YOU Getting Customer Feedback

14. RULES IN NETWORKING Creating new ties, developing and shedding existing ones.

17. BENEFITS OF BUSINESS NETWORKING

22. WHY NETWORKING IS SO IMPORTANT TO YOUR SUCCESS - By Ed Hollands

25. CHALLENGES FACED IN BUSINESS NETWORKING Networking is a skill of collaboration

26. HOW TO CREATE A SALES PITCH It is aimed at persuading potential clients in buying your goods and service

29. NETWORKING IS LIKE NUTRITION You know what to do but you don’t do it.

As partnerships emerge, new strengths and new ideas develop.

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BUSINESS DIGEST AUGUST 2020

FROM THE EDITOR

Welcome!

In order to achieve this, great communication skills are needed so that people understand the need you are trying to meet and your uniqueness in the market place.

Most people hate networking because it forces you out of your comfort zone. But if you take networking as an opportunity to reach out to other businesses, it becomes an easier task.

The emphasis on most successful networking groups is about the value of giving. It is blessed to give. It makes you feel good. So when you go to a networking group, focus on supporting others through innovative ideas and concepts.

Networking opens doors to new ideas and opportunities. Who you know is as much important as what you know.

When doors open, new relationships develop and usually further your cause.

Networking In the beginning of civilisation, communities entered into a blood covenant with one another. This covenant was unbreakable and established an interdependent relationship.

Where one community was strong in farming and the other in hunting, their collective strength meant that they were strong in both farming and hunting.

Making connections strengthens your business. Collaborate with others in forming partnerships that further your cause.

Fanele Moyo Editor

Networking with people is important. Sharing with colleagues, family and friends about your new venture will help build a large network base.

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About Business Digest Magazine Business Digest Magazine is located in Redbridge, Greater London. We are a trending small business start-up print and digital magazine that is popular with the 21 years+ male and female age group.

Our content is inspiring, educative and empowering. The Academy of Business Digest offers Business Skills Online Training and Health and Safety Skills Online Training.

Business Digest Magazine also sells advertising space for the organisations that seek to target the SME sector

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BUSINESS DIGEST AUGUST 2020

M AKING IT H APPEN Persistence is Key!

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hat was life like before you became successful?

CS: I started off working as a dental

nurse, until I realized that I really wanted to have my own business. I didn’t really know what I wanted to do but always had a creative flair and so I decided to start my own photography company, getting photographer’s work in advertising agencies. I had 2 other jobs to make ends meet.

One as a receptionist at a Chiropractor’s clinic and another cleaning houses with the hope that one day the photography agency would do well enough that I could just concentrate on that. I spent 6 months seeing agencies, filled my diary so full as I thought it made sense to see as many people in a day as possible. It was at the stage of 6 months without one phone call, that I considered giving up.

I was renting a room in a house, and had a separate phone line set up (before unlimited mobile phones) and kept picking the phone up to see if it was still working! A turn of fate, it rang one day and it was Saatchi and Saatchi on the phone with a really big advertising campaign. That really was the start of a successful business for me, and gave me the insight to know that persistence is key and that I could do anything if I persevered!

CS: Getting up really early, going for a run before the day starts for most people, as this clears my head and helps me to think positively, I can also get a lot of work finished before the phone starts ringing, which means I can manage the time efficiently!

“Success

is also about enjoying the moment and what you have achieved so far.”

You were a columnist for the Mail Online, Hello! Magazine and The Huffington Post, How has this helped you get to where you are now?

CS: I still write for the Mail online which is great, I generally write about luxury property, or give tips on interior design It is great to work with them as it is a very popular online newspaper, and of course the PR does help along the way. I often get sent products which are for the home, and I enjoy advertising them for the companies who send them.

This is great for their business too as a lot of these who send items, are start ups.

Celia Sawyer is businesswoman, Interior designer, Mail Online contributor and on Channel 4’s Four Rooms

Do you have any daily habits that you think have contributed to your success?

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What top three things do you believe have been most important to helping you get to where you are today?

CS: Persistence, and not giving up.

Knowing t could just be a phone call but if you know your outcome, you will speak very differently than If you don’t . The belief that you can do anything if you want it enough, if you work hard enough; nothing is impossible.

How do you push through when things get tough?

CS: I look for solutions as opposed to being negative. I also like to talk to other business men and women I know and respect in order to get a real gauge on something if things get tough. I may not take their advice but often it helps me to make up my mind on how best to tackle something.

How important do you think networking is for business and do you have any tips?

CS: I find that events that offer networking can be a bit of a waste of time. I have been to a few where the room is full of strangers, and each time it seems that everyone is trying to “get work” as opposed to offering any! If you network with the right people, over a long period of time it seems to be more effective as a lot of business is based on trust, which takes time, not just meeting someone for a few hours.

Who do you consider to be an exceptional business person and why?

CS: Being happy with what you have done at that moment in time. It is very easy to always want more, but success is also about enjoying the moment and what you have achieved so far.

What’s next for Celia Sawyer in the future?

CS: I am developing an “interiors” App at the mo-

ment which I am aiming to be ready in August, which is exciting. I am also designing the interior of a yacht, which is something new for me and working with an Award winning exterior yacht designer. So I am enjoyCS: Richard Branson, he is versatile ing both of these journeys and I am taking more shows on TV, which I enjoy as it is great fun and and doesn’t let failure stop him reinventing himself. It will be interesting to makes a change from my day job. see how he copes with this awful situa- I should have been already designing some houses in tion at the moment.

Barbados, but this will now happen when we are

What is your definition of success?

eventually allowed to travel again, so I hope not too far away.

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BUSINESS DIGEST AUGUST 2020

FROM ENTREPRENEUR TO FRANCHISOR

REBECCA NEWENHAM Keep your eyes on the prize

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hy did you become an entrepreneur?

I grew up knowing that I wanted to run my own business one day, just like my mother did. After university I enjoyed a career in corporate buying in London, working for retail giants Superdrug and Sainsbury’s. I loved the fast pace of retail, but once my daughters were born I decided to take a step away from the career ladder. When my youngest started school, the time felt right to start my own business.

Being able to work flexibly around my family was key. After researching various options and seeing how the economic landscape was shaping up after the 2008/9 recession, I decided to launch a virtual agency. Though the term virtual assistant was relatively unknown in the UK back then, it was well established in America and I could see the potential. Outsourcing enables agile businesses to keep fixed costs low and respond quickly to market changes.

is so rewarding. I talk about going into business for yourself, but not by yourself, as I am there to support franchisees every step of the way.

What major challenges have you had to overcome?

Knowing what to invest in and why has always been a challenge. I invested in a new website a few years ago which made a real difference to our reach online. Events have also generally worked out well for us. Though they can seem a big investment at the time, individuals I met at networking expos have gone on to become franchisees so it has delivered a good return on investment.

Losing my first virtual assistant felt like a big set-

What led you to move into franchising?

By 2016 the business had seen sustained years of revenue growth. The team and the range of business services we offered had expanded, as had our client base. We had even won a ‘Flexible Business of the Year’ award. But I was keen to take the business to the next level and unlock new growth opportunities.

I worked closely with a franchise consultant and took time to develop the right franchise offering.

In 2017 I welcomed our first franchisee to the team and it has been an exciting journey ever since. Mentoring and supporting our franchisees

back. At the time I took it personally, as she went to work for a client. But I learnt from it. I realised that actually, it was a compliment. My virtual assistant had done such a good job, she had helped grow the business enough that it was ready to take on a permanent employee.

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Rebecca Newenham founded Get Ahead VA in 2010. After 7 years of successfully growing her award -winning virtual agency, she decided to branch into franchising and welcomed her first franchisee on board in 2017. Since then she has gone on to add franchisees from Wakefield in the north right down to Woking in the south. As a virtual agency, Get Ahead VA helps businesses of all sizes and from all sectors get ahead

What is your secret to success?

make time for me – to give me perspective and

My mother always said to me ‘Keep your eyes on the prize’ and I think it’s a really useful piece of advice. It can be easy to get distracted by the day job or the competition. But remembering why you are doing something is so important, especially on the more challenging days.

balance. Physical exercise like Pilates classes and boot camp helps me to process and digest everything mentally and renew my focus on what needs to be done.

For me, being able to work flexibly around my family, and enabling other people to benefit from that flexibility, is my guiding principle and anchors everything I do. Flexible working works for everyone – our virtual assistants, our franchisees and our clients.

I think another secret has been not being afraid to

What advice would you give to others thinking about starting their own business?

Don’t be afraid to follow your dreams. Do your research up front and then just get on with it. If things don’t turn out quite as you expected first time don’t panic. Take stock and think about how you could do things differently. Keep evolving until you get it right.

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BUSINESS DIGEST AUGUST 2020

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NETWORKING STRATEGIES OF AN INTROVERT Take baby steps Extroverts are known to freely form networks at ease as compared to introverts. This is due to their social nature. On the other hand, introverts are known to be less social, giving them a back seat in networking. However, their introverted nature can help them in forming strong networks. As an introvert here are a few tips that you can employ to help in networking: BE A GOOD LISTENER Introverts are naturals when it comes to listen-

Be more impactful and precise in your conversations.

BE OBSERVANT Introverts due to their calm nature tend to be more observant. This is helpful as they will be able to identify the right people to mingle with in a networking event. Identifying the right people will help them in time management since the available time is used in beneficial interaction.

A STEP AT A TIME Being in the midst of a crowd is exhaustive to an introvert. Large crowds of people tend to scare introverts away. However, in a networking event one needs to take baby steps while interacting.

This is done by approaching one person at a time and creating a conversation with the person and finally exchanging contact information. As you manage to interact with individuals, you will eventually find it easy to be in a group. These steps are key to follow since it will make you find the networking event relaxing rather than overwhelming.

ing. As an introvert you should use it to your advantage since an effective networking depends on good listening skills. Maintain eye contact and interject with valid questions to show you are keen on what the speaker is saying. Occasional contribution to the conversation helps the speaker to know you are attentive.

FOLLOW UP After the networking event is over a follow up activity is required to enhance the connections that were made. These could be done in form of emails or social media platforms.

MIND YOUR BODY LANGUAGE When in a group of people, be aware of your body language as this will either invite newcomers to join in the conversation or push them back. Folding your arms in front of you is a sign that you are not interested in others. Smiling is essential as it will create a welcoming atmosphere. Non verbal communication is as powerful as verbal communication.

BE YOURSELF Networking is communicating with the right people. Don’t beat yourself for not reaching a wider audience in a networking event, instead with your introverted nature, choose your targets with care. Talk less people and create meaningful and lasting connections.

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BUSINESS DIGEST AUGUST 2020

Y OUR C USTOMERS W ON’T T ELL Y OU T HIS Getting Customer Feedback

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Getting Customer Feedback

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n the business world many things are left unsaid by buyers. And as a seller, your organization, together with its logistics department, ought to be wary of customer satisfaction. Customers are observant. They notice the shortfalls in your organization. Unfortunately, most of them leave without telling you. Your job is to find out what requires improvement through customer feedback. Your customers won’t tell you this: •

DIRTY FACILITIES

•

UNFRIENDLY EMPLOYEES

Employees are the image of the organization and play a major role in their daily conduct. Customers will notice that unfriendly employee when they come in.

Rude employees are also a set-back to any organization. Customers will always notice the tone of phone operators and might feel unwelcomed. This simple etiquette gestures are observed by customers and unfortunately, they leave without a word.

Operating in a clean premise is not only healthy but also appealing to customers.

A customer walks in an office and the first thing they notice is the cleanliness and tidiness. They will notice the dusty shelves and disorganized counters. Filthy toilets and dirty carpets will also come to their attention. This will be a major set-back to your organization since they won’t inform you about all this, but it will contribute to whether they continue dealing with you or not.

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•

Customers rarely give a feed-back of their experience in your organization. They end up telling other people and this could either build or destroy your company’s image. As a result of this ensuring customer satisfaction is paramount to any organization. One way to arrive at it is by having good public relation with them.

A WEBSITE THAT IS NOT USER FRIENDLY

Having a website that your customers can use with ease is essential. However, when the website becomes tiresome and boring, they leave without a word. As a seller you need to design a website that puts your customer’s interest first, this should be done by providing an easy navigation interface.

BETTER COMPETITORS

In the business world, competition is fierce. Customers are quick in identifying better sellers who offer the same commodity as you at better prices and good quality. Customer rarely tell you about this, instead they switch allegiance to a better service provider offering lower prices. Therefore, identifying your competitors and learning from them is key to survival.

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THEIR EXPERIENCE

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BUSINESS DIGEST AUGUST 2020

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Setting Alight

Rules of Networ king

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ne key element to a successful business is to have a strong network of people sharing a common interest or in the same profession. This helps one to acquire important details, information and even ideas that will contribute to the success of the business. In order to have a strong and reliable network, certain rules must be adhered to. These rules are:

Group Joining As the saying goes ‘if you walk alone, you will walk fast but if you walk as two, you will walk far’. To ensure the longevity of any business, joining groups of common professionalism is key. Joining common groups will not only improve your networking connection but also help u acquire necessary skills from experienced people on a first hand level. Social media in this day and age has made it possible for people with a common interest to form groups in the online platform and interact without physical contact. This shows that groups formed can be both physical and virtual.

is essential, it will help you keep in touch with people you share a common interest with.

Swapping of phone numbers and business cards is key. After the event is over make a point of following up the people you met within a period of 24hours.

Talk Less and Listen More The showing of good listening skills will indicate spirit of interest in whatever the speaker is saying. Non-verbal cues such as eye contact and nodding should be displayed as the speaker talks and this will encourage them to give out more information. Only talk if necessary, especially when asking questions and seeking clarity.

This is essential in building a strong network.

“Networ king is the

bu

Sallie

Exchange Contacts In a social networking event people of different professionalism attend. Contact exchange

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the Networking Flame

Give More as You Receive As you pursue your career there is always that person below you in your profession.

The person seeks a mentor and a guide in the career path, make it upon yourself to help them out. Offer advices and help out where required. It’s not all about being on the receiving end but also giving out a helping hand.

Identifying the Right People Not all people you interact with in your career life and in networking events are of benefit. Some bear malicious intentions to bring you down. Having the third eye helps one to identify such people who masquerade as angels and close contact with them. Networking with the right people is key.

Keep the rules above and be assured of a strong network circle!

e No.1 rule of success in

usiness�

e Krawcheck

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BENEFITS OF BUSINESS NETWORKING

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n this day and age, to run a successful business it is essential to be in connection with like-minded people.

There is no such thing as an island in business. The benefits of networking are:

sharing their experiences, successes and failures. Most of these ideas are hardly found in textbooks or literature. These are lessons and ideas that come from the ‘school of hard knocks’.

WIDE RANGE OF OPPORTUNITIES

UPDATED WITH NEW BUSINESS TRENDS

Networking unearths a lot of fresh business insights. As partnerships emerge, new strengths and new ideas develop.

Once there are several opportunities on the table, always identify the ones that work well for you. It would have been impossible to see these opportunities were it not for networking.

BOOST YOUR CONFIDENCE Regular networking allows one to talk to a lot of people you don’t know. This, in the long run, helps increase your knowledge and confidence as a business owner. The more you make people aware of your business the higher your chances to make more profit and grow. Networking enhances one’s confidence and helps in forming lasting connections with new people. Remember the growth of the business is dependent on the right connections you make.

ACQUIRING ADVISE Encountering challenges in the daily operation of a business is quite common.

Sometimes one may lack the proper solution on handling a given challenge, however being on a platform with like-minded people assists you in getting sound advice. Caution must still be taken since the final decision rests with you. One should tap solid advice from the right experts, mentors and consultants.

Technology is ever changing. New and efficient ways are developed in the business world which helps in the daily operation of the business. Having a reliable network of people who will always update you of the changing technologies and trends will give you an advantage over your competitors.

POSITIVE INFLUENCE Surrounding yourself with like-minded people enhances your business profile.

The more people you know, the more they will refer you to their own circle. A network with other business owners is important since it will challenge and push you to do better. This will result to more profits and growth of your business.

DEVELOPING LASTING RELATIONSHIPS Networking helps in creating bonds among fellow business owners. Some of these business relationships develop into strong bonds that can last a lifetime. A professional relationship can mutate into a strong interpersonal relationship.

You never know who your door opener could be unless you talk to people. But seek to empower them first.

GETTING NEW IDEAS Networking provides a source fresh ideas.

One may acquire this by sharing experiences on what you do and the problems you have solved. This leads to others

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BUSINESS DIGEST AUGUST 2020

Diversity & Inclusion: More than just 2020 buzzwords

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aking waves in the tech and startup space since establishing Occupop alongside her director of sales, David Banaghan, Caroline Gleeson offers business owners expert insights into recruitment and the HR industry. Caroline’s knowledge of the tech recruitment industry and several years of commercial experience focused on recruitment, project management, journalism and sales is what shaped her passion for reshaping and revolutionising the recruitment process. This led her and David to create Occupop where she now offers business insights into a range of topics affecting companies across the globe.

CAROLINE GLEESON

Between the pandemic and the sea change in attitudes towards race and gender, it’s more vital than ever that businesses have a developed, progressive attitude towards inclusivity in the workplace, writes Caroline Gleeson, CEO and co-founder of Occupop.

continue to innovate the recruitment industry with our products and to grow market share in Ireland, UK and USA.

For our audience can you tell us about Occupop what its values are and the direction it is heading?

As CEO and Operations Director of the business, my role can be quite versatile and tends to switch between legal, finance, tech, HR and any other business! My main focus is strategy and business planning. I work closely with each team within the organisation to drive collaboration, structure and growth.

Occupop is a powerful hiring tool that connects people, creating strong teams and building longlasting relationships. A range of dynamic features put the power in your hands, allowing you to easily engage with the best candidates and manage the entire hiring process on one smart recruitment solution. We strongly believe in the power of technology to drive an effective, people-focused, recruitment process. People are at the core of every successful business, Occupop helps you to find the best people for your business and create success through hiring. Our core values are to be forwardthinking and transparent in everything we do, as well as being friendly and just having fun. The company was founded in 2016 and has been growing steadily since then. A big focus for us is to

What does your role involve and how are you moving your company forward?

How is AI superior to previous methods used on hiring employees?

AI can dramatically reduce the time spent on reviewing CV applications. The AI we use applies advanced logic matching by reading the job description and the candidate CV and determining how relevant the application is.

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It's not a simple keyword matching process, it uses word association to make assumptions about a candidate's experience based on relevant industry and skills experience that match the profile but may not actually be listed in the CV. Some of our customers receive 200 plus CVs a day. To filter through all of those applications can be extremely time-consuming.

Using AI with CV screening means that the most relevant CVs receive the highest score enabling you to prioritise the most suitable candidates. Ultimately saving time on the process and ensuring you are reaching out to the top talent ahead of everyone else. Not to mention the removal of any bias.

Has the pandemic and subsequent lock-down had an impact on employment hiring for Occupop or other companies that don't use AI? The pandemic has had an impact on hiring everywhere. Face to face contact has been significantly diminished, if not removed altogether, which has meant companies need to rapidly adopt technology in order to continue to recruit, for example, video interviewing tools, online psychometric testing, etc. The positive outcome is that talent has now become global rather than local with the rapid adoption of remote working. If we are looking solely at the adoption of AI, I believe companies not using AI are at a disadvantage when it comes to recruiting. Their identification of suitable candidates will be significantly slower and without the use of AI there is a greater risk of making a bad hire which ultimately costs the business greatly.

What’s next for Occupop and what is the ultimate goal they would like to achieve?

We're currently running a pilot in the US which is very exciting, and we’re hoping to fully launch in Jan 2021. The US market is really interesting for us as the tech adoption is so advanced that we feel there is a real opportunity for a product like ours. We're also planning some very exciting new features that we will be launching this year, some of which have not been seen in the UK market yet so watch this space!

Occupop recently launched its “Beginner’s Guide to Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace”; what prompted this research and what were its main findings?

Over the last few months there has been a shift in the mentality towards diversity and inclusion (D&I) and how individuals won't accept a lack of diversity and inclusion within organisations anymore. It's long overdue and extremely welcome, because time and time again the benefits of having a diverse workforce are evident. A Forbes survey found that companies who actively encourage D&I reported a 58% decrease in employee turnover and a 67% increase in company morale. We found that a lot of companies want to embrace and actively encourage diversity and inclusion but are apprehensive about approaching it in the right manner. That is why we created this guide, to

demonstrate that it's very achievable through small changes that can have a really positive impact for both attraction and retention.

Our main finding is that companies have to embrace D&I from the leadership level down and ensure it is embraced company-wide. Though the responsibility of creating diversity & inclusion programmes generally falls with HR, if it is not embraced company-wide, it won't work.

If an employer wishes to ensure they are nurturing a positive workplace in this area, what are some of the key steps they should take?

The first thing a company should do is set up training courses for all employees to acknowledge and tackle bias. Biases are part of human nature but not helping employees overcoming bias will lead to a constant underlying issue. It's important that bias training is dealt with in a progressive, positive and forward-thinking approach. As HR is primarily involved in hiring and that is where most bias occurs, it's a great starting point to test training on HR teams and then the proven model can be rolled out company-wide.

From there, review the hiring process with diversity and inclusion in mind. Review the wording of your job descriptions, review candidates based on what they can add rather than how they will fit and ensure you are promoting your diversity & inclusion values on your careers pages and social networks.

Finally, make D&I part of everyday life, it's important to normalise and promote a diverse and inclusive culture. Set D&I company goals and share them openly with all employees, including these goals into manager performance reviews and create a diversity & inclusion council to actively maintain a positive culture.

How can technology play a role in nurturing a more inclusive workplace, both in the hiring process and in day to day practice?

Technology is key for companies looking to create a more inclusive workplace in both the hiring stage and to monitor employee experience. For hiring, blind screening tools allow you to anonymise information that may lead to bias, for example, education, gender or ethnicity. Then at the interview stage, psychometric testing allows you to review candidates, in a psychological unbiased manner, based on soft skills and what they can add to a team and organisation as a whole.

In regard to the ongoing nurturing of inclusivity, intelligent employee surveys and pulse surveys are a great way to actively monitor and ensure D&I is being maintained. These surveys are quick, continuous surveys that foster a culture of openness and being heard which is hugely beneficial.

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HOW TOP CEO’s DRESS TO IMPRESS In my time creating tailored clothing for successful CEOs, I’ve noticed that they share a common ability to communicate their personal story effectively, and relay their company messages to others in a persuasive and confident manner. They know who they are and what they do, and can quickly make people believe in them.

Dressing for the job Most CEOs admit that dressing for the job they wanted and the life they desired was an important skill they learned to pay attention to. They understand that it has the power to influence how others perceive and remember them. As very few of us are born with natural style, many CEOs realise that the right professional advice goes a long way towards simplifying the styling process. It helps guide them through the unwritten rules of today’s ever changing dress codes.

Creating a personal style Creating a balanced and workable wardrobe takes a little practice, and there’s no one better practiced than a Savile Row tailor. They’re experts in cloth, style and cut, and will immediately, almost instinctively, know what will look good on a client. They’ll also be able to communicate this clearly when required. Good bespoke tailors are kept so busy not just for their ability to craft great clothing, but for their insight and practiced eye -they often know what people want before they do.

Then, some gentle probing to uncover the client’s real needs allows them to make recommendations and meet their brief in a timely, and of course cost effective way.

Mirroring environments Knowing their environment and what is expected of them day to day is the key to creating a strong personal look. It demonstrates to others that they have understood the importance of dressing appropriately -- it builds respect, empathy, and trust.

There are big differences between working in the fields of finance, technology or for a design company, so appropriate sartorial planning with some skilled help is often required. Knowing the basics of what to wear and when is important as they know this gives them freedom to expand their horizons and budget accordingly. Being honest with oneself and recognising the changes they need to

make is a key element in achieving one’s daily goals. Dressing for work is no different.

The devil in the detail Most of us can recall a time in our professional lives where we’ve been summoned, or even cornered, by the boss. Perhaps there was an oversight in the detail of your work, perhaps you didn’t give quite enough consideration to an important pitch or proposal. Now here you are, feeling exposed, worrying if your shoes are polished enough, if your tie is straight and if your suit is the right fit -- in short, worrying if your appearance is creating a less than stellar impression of you. If only we’d had the foresight to see that the way we dress and look is an opportunity to impress! Often, the ambitious are able to turn these situations in their favour as they know the value of investing in every aspect of themselves. Leaving nothing to chance, they dress with care, paying attention to the smallest detail so when they are summoned to the boardroom they look as if they already belong there.

Knowing how to accessorise Knowing how to avoid looking like a bank manager or an untrustworthy politician is desirable if you are to impress, influence, and win friends. Pairing an impeccably cut Savile Row bespoke suit with a tennis top or a pair of crocodile loafers is going to do more harm than good after all. We mentioned unwritten dress codes already -- knowing how to navigate these goes a long way in helping any aspiring executive prepare for his push to become the next company CEO. Understanding the power of a well cut suit is important; however, accessorising it with an impeccable shirt is equally important. It can elevate the suit to a higher plain and allow you to better express your personality.

Buying a few pairs of quality shoes is a sound investment too. They’re often overlooked by junior executives who don’t realise the importance of a well-polished shoe in completing any outfit.

Buying quality, not quantity Many of our customers have quickly realised the benefits of bespoke clothing, and they now see it as an investment in themselves and their wardrobe, adding tremendous value to how they look and feel as a person. The good news does not stop here either, as an experienced tailor can save you a great deal of time and ensure you make smarter choices when spending your 21

BUSINESS DIGEST AUGUST 2020 hard-earned cash. You shouldn’t have to visit dozens of stores in search of just the right suit. Frankly, that’s a daunting, exhausting process that doesn’t always bear fruit. Struggling with limited choices of fabric type, colour and pattern, and then leaving empty-handed or worse: settling for less.

Bespoke tailoring removes all of these problems and comes with the added bonus of providing an expert to navigate you through a huge range of suitable options. No one likes to feel that they must accept a choice between A & B, or being presented with so many choices that the process becomes overwhelming. A good tailor will have an educated idea of what cloth, styles and colours will suit you.

Then they'll gently guide you towards making wiser decisions. The result? A fantastic, complimentary personal style, and a good deal more time to figure out your next big career move.

Written by Jamie Henfrey who founded Marc Oliver Bespoke Tailoring in 2008.

Why Networking Is So Important To Your Success Networking or “Not Working” as some people

with strangers, ask them how call it, is either something you love or loath. to improve, it’s Whether you like it or not, there is no getting a good way to away from the fact it can kickstart your business, start a converthat next business deal or a killer referral partner. sation and get But why is this and why should you bother going? vital feedback.

I’ve put together a few bits of advice to help you It’s not all about get started or dive in again. you, we’ve all You never know who’s in the room, so go find be stuck with out. This is a fantastic piece of advice you don’t that person know who’s in the room unless you go and speak where you can’t to people and find out what they do. I find I’ll ap- get a word in proach those on there on who are looking a little edgeways, scared, they’ll admire you for coming over and don’t be that you’ll look like a pro. When approaching groups, person, everyit’s best just to go over and ask if you can join. one hates it. If you do find Mix it up, most of us go to the same events and see the same people, while there nothing wrong yourself talking, ask them a question and listen to with that and you do need to find out what people the answer. are up to, you won’t meet anyone new. My rule is Follow up, even if it’s connecting on Linked in. to start with those I don’t know, then you’ve done this is step everyone forgets, how can people the hard bit! (Saying hello). work with you if you don’t remember your name! always ask for their card and if they don’t have It’s not what you know it’d who you know and one whip out you phone and ask to connect on who they know! That old adage is back, just relinked in. Don’t forget to ask before you add them member that your speaking to a potential lead though a friend. Before there is even a hope of a to your email list. referral, they need to like you and trust you’ll do a I’ve still not figured out how to step away from a good job, this may take time, Rome wasn’t built in conversation without seeming like I’m board, so a day after all. do leave a comment and let me know.

Practice makes perfect, it’s ok if you’re not polished, there is no better place to practice than Ed Hollands is the founder of Driven Media an advertisement company that uses large format to wrap lorries with his customer's adverts. Ed Co-presents the advertising podcast show Adcast, when he's not slaying Dragons in the Den. Ed is also a keen Dodgeball player.

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CHALLENGES FACED IN BUSINESS NETWORKING

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As there are many benefits that comes with networking, creating a strong and reliable connection of like-minded people may not be easy. A lot of challenges are encountered that may make one give up on ever having a fruitful network. Some of these challenges can be overcome.

your investments and can lead to major losses.

EXITING AND JOINING CONVERSATIONS

Joining a group of people already on a conversation can be difficult. Certain measures like approaching while smiling and being patient with them to accommodate you should be taken. While TIME WASTAGE talking to a person or a group of people in a netFor entrepreneurs time is money. Most entrepreworking event it becomes difficult to exit a converneurs want to spend time on the income generatsation and join another. Excusing oneself to talk to ing ends of the business. Therefore time spent on someone else creates an image that the person networking might look like a waste of time. Howevyou are to talk to is of much importance. This may er this is far from the truth. Relationships that are not be taken kindly. based on trust last longer and form stronger business partnerships. Therefore, networking is a skill that is needed by entrepreneurs and senior busiFINDING A GROUP TO FIT ness executives as a long term strategic tool to Looking for a group of people who match your build a successful business. business needs together with your personality can TOO MANY SELLERS be difficult. So, you will end up moving from one group to another and end up not getting the value Another challenge faced in business networking is of the event. the convergence of too many sellers in a networking event with no buyers in attendance. Attending the networking event becomes a dead end since expectations of meeting new clients are not met.

And convincing other sellers to buy from you may be difficult especially when you are offering the same products.

NETWORKING TENDS TO BE EXHAUSTING Meeting new people and generating a conversation is quite difficult especially for introverts. Introverts based on their nature are reserved people who like to keep their personal space. Being in a networking event becomes exhausting for them.

Also following up on people after the event becomes tiresome. The lunches and coffees become tiring to keep up with and end up giving up on the new connection made.

LACK OF AUTHENTICITY People present themselves nicely in networking events and win your trust. However, three to four years of dealing with a seller yields to some negative aspects that were not present initially. For example, in the beginning a seller may win your trust in investing in his or her company but fail to be transparent. Then a few years down the line the company crumbles and falls. This in turn affects 25

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HOW TO CREATE A SALES PITCH

Sales pitch is a sales presentation strategy that initiates and closes the sales of a product. It is aimed at persuading potential clients in buying the goods and service you are offering. Certain benchmarks need to be met in the creation of an effective sales pitch.

These benchmarks are:

PRIORITIZING BUYER’S NEEDS Placing your customer’s needs first is essential in capturing their attention. Displaying customer care in your presentation is very important. Create a pitch that the client will be able to see increase in revenue and decrease in cost of the operation. A smart way in making a pitch is by adjusting to the different client’s personas.

BUILD YOUR PITCH AROUND A CAPTIVATING STORY As humans we tend to understand things better if they are inform of a story. Creation of a good sales pitch is no different. These stories help in evoking customer’s emotions and also in acquiring the moral lesson. These stories should also help the buyers on how they are going to effect change in their different departments in the organization. Many sales pitch become successful if they are built around a good story since it helps the buyers relate to your products on a personal level. And once the personal connection is there it convinces them more to purchase the product.

PROVIDE A SUITABLE STRUCTURE FOR YOUR PITCH Give your pitch a simple structure that will help the buyers to follow. The structure may entail a buyer’s problem, presenting possible solutions and agreeing to the next step with the buyer. A pitch that lacks structure is often seen cumbersome to follow through. A pitch that is well structured is what will make many potential buyers to pay attention to your presentation. Structuring it makes it simple and helps many buyers overcome the challenge.

CREATE A TWO-WAY MODE OF COMMUNICATION For an effective pitch presentation ensure that you not only talk alone but also involve the buyer. Create a scenario where the buyer will be compelled to agree with you or disagree, at intervals of five minutes ask the buyer relevant questions and if they need clarity at the end of each segment. All these will facilitate a two-way communication between the buyer and the seller.

OUTLINE THE BENEFITS OF THE PRODUCT As you have already put the buyer’s needs first and captured their attention through a story the next essential step will be informing the buyer on the benefits of your products. Make them aware of the benefits offered by your products and why they need to purchase it.

Make your products outstanding to those offered by your competitors. Once buyers know the value of your products it will position you on a better ground.

“Establishing trust is better than any sales technique.” Mike Puglia

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Networking

is a lot like

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nutrition and fitness

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etworking and nutrition are similar. We all know what we should eat well and exercise to maintain a good weight but we don't. Same thing with networking. We know that to build a sound business you need to meet the people who will buy our products or at least who will introduce us to our customers. But we don't do it.

card and asking yourself how you could be a solution. That may mean asking questions about their business. What they do. The challenges they face. It becomes natural to talk about your business and the challenges you need. That's the nature of networking.

People complain of being shy. They are scared of meeting new people. And their fear Networking is an essential skill for any entre- is rejection. But the nature of life is that you preneur or professional who needs to grow. will be rejected by some and accepted by othYour business thrives on ideas, concepts from ers. It's having those quality relationships that others. Those people are beyond your office matters. In real life one wife is sufficient. doors. When you go out of your comfort zones you are likely you will meet that excep- To bulldoze your organisation into success, tional employer or that long established cuscreate new ties. Develop the existing ones. tomer.

Review and prune the existing ones.

But why do entrepreneurs not invest in such a powerful skill?

The aim of networking is to build relationships that are profitable. I go to networking events to be a solution to someone. Not only to be a recipient.

As a result I enter into discussions to hear what people are saying and to try and be a solution. Sometimes it is taking that business

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