Esselte Sales Conference 2011 the final countdown

One of the privileges of my job is to work with some of the finest salespeople in the world.

Esselte certainly 'walk their talk' and hold their successful salespeople in the highest regard. One way that the top management at Esselte express this is in their annual Sales Awards ceremony.

As in all things Esselte they hold this event with the highest quality and standards. They run it like a Golden Globe Awards or OSCAR ceremony.

This year's ceremony was held at the hacienda El Vizir just outside Seville. As night fell on the Thursday evening we boarded the coaches at 6.30 p.m. suitably scrubbed up and dressed up.
On arrival to the Hacienda we were entered on a red carpet lit by flaming torches.

We were then served drinks and tasty snacks by ladies in colourful and traditional Spanish dress. This pre- supper time was accompanied by live acoustic guitar music.









Then it was time to go into the awards dinner. Set before the tables was a stage and two large screens. The superb AV team from Universal Live had moved the staging and kit from the Melia Conference hotel in Seville to the evening venue in just a couple of hours. That must have taken some organising! 01274 200292

Universal Live Technical event Solutions



Instead of the usual place names there were framed photographs of the dinner guests at each table. How Chris Lord - master photographer had time for all this as well as record all the events of the conference I know not.

We also saw a brilliant slide show at the awards ceremony by Chris plus some stunning photos of the special sites we had visited in the beautiful city of Seville.
Chris Lord Photography


Between the dinner courses were short speeches by the Esselte top management, inspiring stories of the work of the award winners, moving and genuinely humble acceptance speeches ( so often they mentioned their teams even when the award was for individual work) plus dancing from a flamenco dancer all rounded off with Esselte's very own rock band playing and dancing the night away.

Of course such an event as the Esselte Sales Conference can only work when all work as a team.
One of the teams who make it all work of course are event supremos Yes.
Some while ago Unipart motor spares had a slogan " The answer is Yes! Now what is the question?" Well Charlotte Hughes and her associate Nicola lived up to that challenge throughout the conference.The team at Yes who have won AWARDS 2004, 2007,2008, 2009 & 2010 - BEST EVENT MANAGEMENT AGENCY and get my vote for 2011


Yes - The total Event management Agency

I would also like to thank my TACK International colleagues including the ballistic Anna Marie Pepin, the multi lingual Jacobus Onneken, the creative Simon ( Picasso) Broom and the zestful and resilient Neil Parry.

Special thanks to my friend and colleague Simon Cooper and our ring master and master puppeteer TACK's Sales Director , Carole Hudson.

Modesty forbids me tell you which team won the TACK training award for the conference but I was privileged to facilitate the Conquistador team who lived up to their team name and conquered all before them at the finish! Of course it was the delegates who were the real heroes in the team- they lived up to their slogan - A PASSION TO WIN.

Once again team Esselte I and all my colleagues salute you. Well Done and good selling in 2011.

Some additional photos follow:-

Jacobus Onneken , TACK








Neil Parry, TACK







Anna-Marie Pepin, TACK










Sunset over the plaza de Espana view from the Melia Hotel
Not quite up to Chris Lord's photographic standards!
















The river Guadalquivir and the Golden Tower















One of the tile displays from the plaza de Espana nearby to the Hotel Melia









Creative display typical of the interior of the Hotel Melia Seville - hotel with panache

Melia Hotel group


Click for free executive summary of the Buyers Views of salespeople research study

Alexandr Orlov in Seville, Spain

I am stowaway in Comrade Appeal's baggagings. I am off to Sunny Spain . Viva Espana.

On the Iberia Ailrines they have very beautiful young ladies with trolleys with drinkings and snackings but no Gekko sandwich with extra millipede mustard, stag beetle and cheese panini, nor centipede with mayfly mustard (but not too much with the mustards as it is make me windy).






Ah this is the simples life!

Luxury flyings much quicker than the intrepid sea journey my ancestor Kefentse had on his epic journey of courageousness .












I watched enraptured by Comrade Appeal doing his "Trainings thing" for the Conquistador's syndicate team at the Esselte training in Seville at the Melia Hotel/ Conferencings centre.

He used me Alexandr Orlov brandings hero as an example of branding success in a competitive market place like compare the market insurance site not to be confused with my brilliant comparethemeerkat.com site.


Here I am walking over the bridge that crossses the little canal at the plaza de Espana with its ceramic tilings.

When I get back to Orlov Mansion I must commisssion my own canal in front courtyard like here.









The beautiful ceramic ballustradings with in the background the Alcoves of all the districts of Spain illustrated with interestings histories. The Plaza de España is building in Maria Luisa Park, in Seville built in 1928 for Ibero-American Expositionings of 1929.

It is landmark example of Moorish Revival style in Spanish architecture.
Plaza de España was used for location shootings some scenes in the films Lawrence of Arabia and Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones. Maybe I should use this place in my next filmings after stupendous success of "The Journey of Courageousness" and " The streets of ambitiousness"







So I am outside Cigar Factory where is Carmen? No cigars to be seen but lots of hard studying young students with their books and files including some Esselte files!





Torre del Oro - Golden Tower is dodecagonal military watchtower in Seville, southern Spain, built by the Berbers during Almohad dynasty in order to control access to Seville's Guadalquivir river










Constructed in first third of the 13th century, tower served as prison during Middle Agings and as secure enclosure for protection of precious metals. periodically brought by the fleet of the Indies.


The tower is divided into three levels, with third and uppermost being circular in shape and added in 1760.















The city of Seville has over 40,000 orange trees.

The city must smell fantstic at orange blossom time.

Enough now it is back to UK and rainings!

Day two of Esselte Sales Conference 2011 - to Infinity and beyond

And so into the second day of the Esselte Sales Conference in Seville , Spain.
The focus of the day was centred on some more key skills of the art and science of professional selling.




The delegates started with a quick quiz on their company’s heritage and products.
There were also some fun questions about the previous evening’s guided tour of the Cathedral of Seville and the concert.

Then we broke out into groups to analyse in depth the Product and Brand offerings that both differentiate and distinguish the offering from the competition.
Over the five years that I and my colleagues have worked with Esselte at these high profile conferences I am always amazed and inspired by the speed and quality of the work of Esselte people.
It is easy to forget that for the majority of the delegates at this European conference, English is their second or third language.

Despite that TACK are so flexible that one of the break out teams had their sessions conducted in German by Jacobus Oneken.

All the tasks were completed on time and the quality of work was good.
Then two courageous delegates were selected to represent the team in a 5 minute presentation to a tough Procurement Director a certain Mr Jacobus von Bremen ( Played by Esselte’s Chris Exner ) accompanied by Tack’s Simon Cooper and an entourage of Esselte top management team.
In next to no time the break out produced imaginative product displays to support the presentations.
After coffee the next session centred on Negotiation skills with a stretching and paired role-pay exercise which generated much laughter, passion and learning.
The delegates then reflected on what they have learnt from the experience. Their feedback was intelligent and positive.
The final session of the break out groups was a refreshment on gaining client agreement , commitment and closing.
Then the break out teams, The Flamenco, the Matadors, the Bulls, The Rioja and Conquistadors regrouped in the main room for the final and very testing assignment. Under very strict timing the group were set a four part exercise to prepare for a detailed negotiation, develop a creative slogan, answer some very stretching objections and produce a painting on a five feet square canvass.

Could they complete “ Mission Impossible” – of course they could. The team all went at it with gusto. Just take a look at their “ Masterpieces” clearly inspired by Goya etc!!!

Then it was time for Simon ( master of ceremonies) Cooper of TACK to conclude the training session.

“…Thank you for all your effort and enthusiasm with which you have approached all the tasks we have set you.
Some of you have seen some of what we have done before. Some of you have not. However what I want to remind you of is the profession of sales.
Like any professional we have to practice, practice , practice.
We also need to constantly look at what we do and how we do it so that we can improve. Just like a professional.



So our job was done and it was our duty to hand back the conference to Cezary Monko to reflect on what we had learnt and set the Esselte team the mission for 2011.
He concluded ” … failure is not an option”
Then it was time for a break before the Esselte awards ceremony in the Hacienda.

From Zorro to Columbus - Becoming Sales Heroes - Esselte sales Conference

( Outside shot of the Cathedral at Seville. Just 15 mins walk from the conference centre where Esselte's sales Conference is taking place)

Nigel Gunn, Senior Vice president - Sales Group of Esselte used the heroic character of Zorro as a metaphor for his conference address. He used use Zorro to illustrate the aspects and attributes of a sales hero.

Fitness – mental and physical
Well trained – knowledgeable and skilled both technically and commercially ( the sales equivalent of skilled swordsmanship)
Passionate
Agile and Nimble – this meant applying the company’s ‘lean’ philosophy into the sales arena not just the province of the Esselte’s manufacturing and operations.
Developing to be a master tactician- beating the competition by being SMART.
Growth being the main thrust of this year’s conference Nigel stressed that such growth had to be

“...both significant and quality growth but above all profitable growth.”

He laid down the gauntlet as a challenge to the Esselte team – All the Esselte team “ Everyone is a salesperson”

Were they armed and ready?

They have the products, the campaigns, the team plus the strategy and tactics.
The success of Esselte had a key. That key is those in the room- the people.

The conference was shown many new products and other innovations set to excite the market over the coming year.





And so to the afternoon’s work with TACK. The conference was split up into groups with assigned TACK trainers.
The team took on a Spanish flavour such as The Flamenco, The Rioja, The Conquistadors, the Bulls and the Matadors.

The team worked on their Preparation, planning and objective setting skills. They had assignments on investigative skills, handling and overcoming objections and a session on Relationship Management from a psychological and behavioural perspective.
The work finished by 6p.m. after an 8.00 a.m. start.

Despite a long day Esselte delegates were still full of energy ready to go out on the town.

Accompanied by special guides they were taken around the magnificent cathedral of Seville. We saw many treasures and the tomb of a real hero -The great explorer Christopher Columbus.

Our visit was rounded off with a short recital on the amazing Church Organ of the cathedral especially for Esselte. We sat in the beautiful Choir Stalls and marvelled at the skilled playing, the variety of sounds from the pipes of the Cathedral organ played by a maestro of the instrument Fr. Jose Enrique Ayarra and bathe in the wonders of the building and its rich art.

It was amazing to view the cathedral - a cultural gem- at this exclusive event.

Now it was time for a beer and hit the Tapas bars.

( Below are some of the great flipcharts that Simon Broom ( TACK's own Pablo Picasso!) produced to welcome delegates to their team rooms.
























Related Links:

One who is not satisfied will grow

Team work exercise

Rewarding with awards

Stowaway Meerkat

Sales proposals and leveraging your Differentiated Value Proposition

"Target Growth as One" Esselte Sales Conference -Seville 2011

I am here in Seville with a team of TACK International trainers working with the World's leading global office supplies manufacturer, Esselte.

(Famous for its great brands Esselte, Leitz, Rapid, Xyron etc)

The Sales Conference is being held in the Melia Hotel Conference centre a stone's throw away from the Plaza Espagna.

The Esselte Sales team are on sparkling form. This fantastic group of professional salespeople managed growth for the company last year in what was a very tough market.

Part of their growth has been the acquisition of Rapid.

Speeches have been presented this morning including from Cezary Monko, President of Esselte Europe.Cezary oulined the tremendous work done by the team during 2010 and the successful integration of the Rapid and Esselte businesses.
The Conference theme sums up the Strategy for 2011

" Target Growth as One"

"...Esselte will continue to keep tight control on costs, leverage their Lean processes programme effectively, invest in brands and innovation, drive growth and profit....to work as One!"

Lots of exciting things happening at the Conference and TACK are faciltating the Strategy sessions.

Colleagues Simon Cooper, Carole Hudson, Anne Marie Pepin, Neil Parry and Jacobus Onneken and myself are helping team remember,refresh and reveal those key sales skills that keep Esselte Group in an elite team category.

The key here is striving to be an elite but not elitist since Esselte know that to keep on top of their game you need to train and refresh. They are holding to the thoughts from an old Chinese proverb:-

"One who is not satisfied will grow."

The conference is buzzing. There is a great sense of excitement in the room.

It is a real honour to be back working with Esselte whose Sales conferences we have worked with them on for over five years. We hope to further raise their game and they of course will raise ours!

Will keep you posted.....

The King's Speech - How the filmscript was pitched

The new film The Kings Speech is tipped to be a possible OSCAR winner.



It is the story of how King George VIth overcame his stammer to address his people.



A story about the risky strategy for the sales pitch that the film's producers Bedlam Productions took, has started to do the rounds.





The story has parallels for those involved in complex high value sales.





The risky strategy invoked the anger of the film's star Geoffrey Rush by taking the unorthodox step of posting the movie script though the star's letter box in Melbourne, Australia.






Rush's management wrote the filmmakers a furious and lengthy email for their impertinence. Despite this, Rush eventually accepted the role of Lionel Logue, the king's speech therapist.



Joan Lane (theatre producer and agent to David Seidler, who wrote the original script) rather brazenly realised she knew someone who lived two doors down from Geoffrey Rush.



She took the rather audacious move of posting the script in a brown envelope through his door - which flies against the normal protocol of how the film business works.



She ended up with a four page tirade of an email from his manager. But it finished off with Geoffrey Rush saying he liked it and that they should talk.



Joan's audacious thinking had paid off.



Rush's involvement was instrumental in winning the film's financiers which included the UK Film council.



Maybe on 27th February it might even win an Academy Award- in part due to the chutzpah of getting the script through all the barriers that usually baulk such attempts.



Fortune favours the brave in selling.

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.