Positive Signs for Professional Selling in 2011 ? from cost cutting and balance sheet rebuilding to expansion

The secret of success in life according to the Victorian PM Benjamin Disraeli is to be ready for opportunity when it comes.

Maybe the signs of opportunity can be found from those " experts" who forecast as picked up in the press at the moment.

The latest survey from Deloitte which questioned finance bosses 35 FTSE-100 and 45FTSE-250 companies sates that companies are now shifting to expansion and undertaking capital expenditure.

The study undertaken in the last quarter of 2010 with chief financial officers suggested increase confidence about the economy and that fears of double dip have calmed.

Finance chiefs at the companies surveyed are shifting to expansion strategies including taking on new staff and undertaking capital expenditure, according to the survey


Click for Deloitte CFO Survey Q4

Meanwhile the world's biggest banks have their analysts hard at work in their Delphic arts of prediction.

Goldman Sachs Expect economic activity in the advanced economies to pick up during this year and more markedly in 2012, led by US but visible in Canada, the UK and Japan.

Morgan Stanley reckon Europe can pull through " even if Portugal and maybe Spain seek external assistance.

UBS expect Britain to remain in recovery mode and her economy to grow by 2.3 % during 2011.

Standard Chartered reckon that the euro is likely to remain weak during the first six months while sterling should begin the year on a "fairly strong footing".

Credit Suisse said that current yields from UK commercial property suggested that real estate prices could potentially rise by about 12% while property stocks could improve by 24%.
Other factors such as the recent stabilisation of rents ad the fact Britain's real estate sector has lagged behind the US counterpart rather than performing in line with it, lent further support to its predictions.


Further economic optimism persists in industrial activity from both Europe and the USA which are showing growth. The manufacturing purchasing manages' index showed factory activity across the euro zone improving in December for the third successive month due to increasing orders and hiring of new staff.

In USA manufacturing activity expanded at its quickest rate for 7 months.

Well that is what some experts are suggesting. For those who are more cynical you may like David Butler's definition of experts

An expert is someone who does the wrong things for the most sophisticated of reasons

In Professional Selling it is probably worth keeping both Disraeli and Butler in our minds and actions during 2011.

25th New Year Day's London Parade supports good causes

January 1st 2011 saw the 25th Anniversary of one London's great days out -The New Year’s Day Parade London is the biggest event of its kind in the world.


I (accompanied by stowaway Aleksandr Orlov) was lucky enough to be invited to join one of the 'floats' of the parade- an open topped London Bus carrying the Mayors of the London Boroughs.

Dressed in their magnificent robes they made a colourful display.









I learnt that the collective noun for a group of mayors is a "Chain gang of mayors"!

The Parade started on Piccadilly at the junction with Berkeley Street outside the Ritz Hotel and finishing around 3.30pm in Parliament Street.


The Parade route was - Piccadilly, Piccadilly Circus, Lower Regent Street, Waterloo Place, Pall Mall, Cockspur Street, Trafalgar Square, Whitehall and Parliament Street.




Apparently over 10,000 performers representing 20 countries world-wide assembled for this year's Parade.

More than half a million were reckoned to pack these London streets to see this fantastic spectacle as it weaved its way along the 2 mile route.






The 2011 Parade was filled with marching bands, cheerleaders, clowns acrobats, balloons .....

Stars of the show were the entries from the London Boroughs and the Capital's two cities London and Westminster.




Characters from Star Wars.

We had to be brave and like Luke Skywalker let the force be with us!




















One of the many groups of young cheerleaders. This group had travelled the furthest ...Hawaii




Turning down Whitehall from Trafalgar square. The mayors wish the crowds a "Happy New Year."










Many good causes below. I have put some links to those charity sites where I have been able to identify them plus some short information on their important work.

(I will update and populate with more sites as and when I can )





Do spend some time and read what great work these organisations undertake.


London Mayoral Charities

Click for help for heroes.org.uk/

Cllr Nirmal Singh Sher Gill Barking & Dagenham
Help for Heroes raises money to support members of the Armed Forces who have been wounded in the service of their country. We ask our supporters to “do their bit” to show these extraordinary young men and women that they are cared for by us. Over a million people have responded to date and millions of pounds have been raised to buy much needed services that will aid their recovery, but we need more! So far, we have allocated almost all of the money we have raised in order to fund direct projects and support other service charities. We are passionate about what we are doing and as far as we are concerned the sooner we can see results, the better!


Registered Charity number 1120920
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Cllr Harbhajan Singh, Brent
APDA's aim is to provide a full range of the highest level of services to disabled people, their families and their carers, based on their specific personal, cultural and community needs.It works in the UK and Internationally
Registered Charity No. 1047916
Click for Shooting Star Children's Hopsice
The Shooting Star Children's Hospice provides care, support and advice for children and young people with life-limiting conditions and their families. These care services are offered free of charge to families, 365 days a year across the western half of London and north Surrey.
Click for St. Luke's Hospice

St Luke’s is the local hospice for Harrow and Brent. We care for people whose illnesses are no longer curable, enabling them to achieve the best possible quality of life during the final stages of their illness. We care for patients through our in-patient unit, out-patient clinics, and day care unit, as well as in their own homes through our Hospice at Home and Community Palliative Care Teams.
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Cllr Rajinder Mann, Ealing
Click for Age concern Ealing

Age Concern Ealing was formed in October 2003 following the merger of four local Age Concern organisations - Acton, Age Concern Ealing Borough, Age Concern Ealing Central and Hanwell.

Charity Number 1100474
Ealing Association for Blind

The Ealing Association for the Blind (part of the MAB) is a registered charity working locally to provide support to blind, partially sighted and deaf/blind people throughout the Borough of Ealing. Our staff and trained volunteers work together to provide a range of high quality services, information, advice and training, all aimed at assisting visually impaired people lead independent lives.
registered charity No. 207007.
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Cllr Jayne Buckland , Enfield

Local Arts and Business Charities


Cllr Adronie Alford, Hammersmith & Fulham
The Mayor has chosen the RNLI – Royal National Lifeboat Institution - as her charity for 2010–2011. All money raised during the mayoral year will go to them.
If you would like to donate money or gifts to the charity please contact the Mayor’s office on 020 8753 2013 020 8753 2013 . All cheques to be made payable to the Mayor’s Appeal Fund and sent to the Mayor’s Office, Room 201, Town Hall, King Street, London W6 9JU. If you would like more information on the activities of RNLI please visit: www.rnli.org.uk .


Cllr Eddie Griffith, Haringey
Whittington Hospital Cardiac Unit
The Whittington Hospital NHS Trust, Magdala Avenue, London, N19 5NF, 020 7272 3070 020 7272 3070
Copyright ©2002-2010 The Whittington Hospital NHS Trust (Registered Charity Number: 1056452)

This busy clinical investigation unit offers inpatient and outpatient tests for heart conditions

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Click for MacMillan
Cllr Asad Omar , Harrow
MacMillan Cancer Support
Macmillan Cancer Support improves the lives of people affected by cancer. One in three of us will get cancer. We are all affected by cancer. We can all help. We are Macmillan.
Macmillan Cancer Support, registered charity in England and Wales (261017
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Cllr Pam Light , Havering
The Rainbow trust



Cllr Mouna Hamitouche, Islington
Islington Play Association

>
Cllr Neeraj Patel, Lambeth
The Sprinfield Community Flat
The Sickle Cell Society
College of Emergency Medicine

Cllr Oonagh Moulton, Merton
Macmillan Cancer Support
Wimbledon Civic Theatre Trust

Cllr Jim O’Shea , Redbridge
Dream factory
Alzheimer’s Society


Cllr David Marlow , Richmond upon Thames
The Shooting Star Children’s Hospice

Cllr Tayo Situ , Southwark
Macmillan Cancer Research UK

Cllr Margaret Court , Sutton
Sutton Carers Association

Cllr Masood Ahmad, Waltham Forest
Whipps Cross Hospital – portable ultrasound scanner
Transport for Farishteh Trust

Lord Mayor Cllr Judith Warner , City of Westminster
St. John’s Hospice


 

12 Selling New Year's Resolutions to enact 2011

G.K. Chesterton author and Poet said of New Years

"The object of a new year is not that we should have a new year. It is that we should have a new soul".

Many sales professionals will be making traditional New Year resolutions and writing new to-do lists in the first week of this new year whether on paper, on their PC or just mulling such things over in their head.

The i newspaper's business pundits Sarah Arnot, Nick Clark and James Moore have already made suggestions of what some of the newly appointed bosses of some of the UK's biggest companies should do.

Among some of the suggestions to these new CEOs are some we in professional selling might care to adopt within our organisations.

Advice the i newspaper experts suggested to the new CEOs included:-

" Stay out of the headlines" for BP,

"Work out who your customer is" for M&S,

"Take On I-Phone and Blackberry" for Nokia,

"Step out of pre-decessor's shadow" for Tesco, "

"Be nice to your customers" Lloyds Banking Group and Santander,

" Make friends with the Internet" ITV and

"Learn Chinese" for GM.

We also need to set clear objectives for the new year in terms of decisions we have to obtain and activities we have to carry out our targets but what of the 'SOUL' that Chesterton refers to?

Well perhaps we could all in selling resolve to integrate or reintegrate some of the values outlined below along with the aspects of the process of our selling models, metrics and scoreboards and make them a touch more human.

I came across the following wise words a while ago. They are good food for thought and prompts for our behaviour and conduct in what is likely to be a testing 2011 for Selling.

There are 12 values in all, so I have set one for each month but you may care to focus on all or some in a timing more suitable to your needs


January...................The value of time





February.................The success of perseverance




March......................The pleasure of working




April........................The dignity of simplicity




May .........................The worth of character


June.........................The power of kindness


July ...........................The influence of example



August .......................The obligation of duty



September ................The wisdom of economy




October ....................The virtue of patience



November .................The joy of originating



December...................The beauty of cheerfulness

Good selling throughout 2011
Click for Training Courses for 2011

ALEKSANDR ORLOV TOURS LONDON PART2

In this new year holiday period, I ,Aleksandr Orlov have been editor for this blog for Mr Appeal.



This postings is Part 2 of my grand tour of London metropolis. Mr Appeal will be back soon.












Here I am posings in front of Blond Boris mayor's castle. He big boss of London and lively character.











Behind me the famous Towers bridge.

Bridge does splitz in middle when tall masted vessels come up Thames.


















Here is berthings the City Class Cruiser Ship "The Belfast" This vessel sole survivor of the Arctic convoys that kept Russia supplied and able to fight the Germans during Second World War.












Always new buildings in London.





Behind Tower Kremlin walls is newest block Skyscrapings.



They calling it "Shard". It will be tallest building in London when opened.








London peoples always make fuss about weatherings. Celebrate when snow comes then after only few days going into big sulkings and complainings about cold and slipperiness.
Then when snow melted make artificial ice to skate on below Kremlin known as Tower of London.



Strange citizens!






Here I standings in front of old abbey church where Prince Wills and beautiful Katey to be married.


It will be splendid occasion


Many top VIP peoples going to attend. They will wear 'Top Hat and Tails'. I say I have own tail and am very proud of my meerkat tail. No need for extra tail!





Apparently my nifty dressing gowns and natty smart cravat not suitable attire for royal wedding ceremonies.





All this walking in West Endings of London tiring. So stop off for very refreshings drink of barley water and hop.



This traditional beveraging is known locally as " Nice Pint".

Not as strong as Vodka but pleasant none less.












Fountains in Trafalgar Square in front of national Gallery of Arts Paintings.


Gallery impressive but no pictures of Meerkats to compare.














Column of Nelson very tall. I nearly fall over to see Admiral.


Give me idea to have my own Column like Nelson Horatio in extensive gardens of Orlov mansion back home.



















Picture of me trying on crown for special wedding coming up in Spring.

It is very hush hush but I have been invited to attend as most famous meerkat in world.

Have enjoyed my guest editorship of fruitsofsuccesswithhugh blog. Mr Appeal back tomorrow.

Aleksandr Orlov tours London part 1

Welcome to Blog site Fruitsofsuccesswithhugh. Mr. Appeal is still away on holidays. In his placings I , Aleksandr Orlov am editor of blog. Sergei my trusted assistant and companion manages the technologicals and type up my travel journal here in London.

London is old city like Moscow with many attractive sites. Here I visit Royal Arcade like GUM store in Moscow but smaller.

A new system of bike hirings available. These vehicles are known as "Boris Bikes" after Russian sounding named blond Mayor. He also to be seen riding his bikes around city.

If bike too slow for hectic tourists they can use time travelling T.A.R.D.I.S of Who Dr. who leaves his machine outside the metro tube station of the Court of Earls.

Here I am standing outside Royal St James Palace. London has many palaces for Royal persons and the Peoples. Peoples Palaces include the Palace of Crystal in Selhurst where they play football to Palace of Alexandra where early broadcast of BBC conducted.

London have many clubs for gentlemen and Ladies in this district. It sometimes called land of clubs. This brassing door number is for the Club Reform where inveterate traveller Fogg Phineas travelling round world in Eighty days in famous book also made into movie entertainment. No 104 in Pall Mall is exclusive address. Before Internet domains, postal address for snail mailings was indication of physical location. SW1 ( south West One) indicated to people posh address. Now with Internet you cannot tell. My comparethemeerkat.com business for examples is in city of Peterborough many miles from London.

London peoples very fond of animals. This square is called parade of guard of horses.

















Here I am with smart guardian of horses. He nearly as smart as me in my tasteful dressing gowns and natty cravat.

In next part of journal I visit more famous London marks of land and enjoy traditional strange foamy barley water drink.

Aleksandr Orlov- Intrepid Tourist Shoppings in London

Whilst Comrade Appeal is on vacations I Aleksandr Orlov am taking care of blog in his absencings.

(This is unoffical and unauthorised account by Dobry Utrio ("D.O") Magazine ( like British Hello Matey magazine). D.O. owned by Moghul of media proprietorial Meerdoch Roopeert.) For official sites... comparethemeekat.com and comparethemarket.com Click for Official Comparethemeerkat.com site trading name of BISL Ltd

London is Meerca for shoppings therapy.


The West endings area full of quaint specialist shops with appointings by Royal British Family.



Just stone's throwing from Royal Palace of St. James.



Smart green velvet hat to go with my smokings jacket and fashionable cravat when back in comforting drawings room in Orlov mansion.

This Lock shop is best hat shop in St. James'


(Note distinction white hat boxings)

Click for James Lock & Co - Ladies’ and Gentlemen’s hats and caps










Natty slipper at handmade cobbler Lobb shop in St. James posh area.

They will go well with my stylish cravat.

Best quality only good enough for meerkat superstar.


Click for John Lobb – makers of fine shoes & boots










London has no juicy grubs but I find here store that sell Caviar. Remind me of home.


Must remember to get tin for Sergei. Fish balls good for brainys like Sergei. Now to find blinis.












At last find cocktailings shaker for my vodka and beetle juice martinis.


Sergei also like Vodka and beetle juice cocktailings but his typing go wonky after tii meerny martoonis!













Here I enter exclusive store with no price tags. Doormat very classy.



This store says if you have to ask price you probably cannot afford item.


Different consumer culture when most meerkats live in world of market comparings nowadays.



Click for Asprey






Here I am in old fashioned auction house Sotheby's. This is how auctions were conduct before ebay and modern compare sites like my iconic comparethemeerkat.com business. This old system conclude bidding when man with gavel hammer strikes table. Quaint English system!



Click for Sotheby’s













Here the Sotheby's staff take the picture of horses that I bought for the Snooker Room at Orlov mansion. Sotheby's had no pictures of meerkats but this horses picture was nice enough but a lot of roubles and plenty kopeks.









The apartments and mansions of famous peoples in London are marked by a Blue Plaque.

Here I look at blue plaque of best balalaika player world has ever known. His song "Purple Haze" when he was with his "Experiences" is one of favourite songs.
.Song is known for use of "Hendrixsky chord" (dominanting 7 # 9) played as the first chord after introduction. Risky lyrics " ...'scuse me while I kiss this meerkat" puzzles Sergei.

Song remind me of when revered ancestor Vitaly was awarded Order of the Purple claw.

I will inaugurate Purple Plaque system for my mansion which is many years ancient.








Iconic black hansom taxi- cabs are good way for superstar meerkat to travel around metropolis of London. Also excellent way to carry plenty bargains back to my hotel.

All this shop from store to store very tiring.



Fortunately hotel suite has soothing jacuzzi bath. Sergei already preparings this for me.

Happy New Year 2011