After an in-depth chat with the legendary John Macleod from LUX Creations Ltd I found his story about his product CLEAR NOTES inspiring. I asked John if he could provide me with a blog post about how it all started:

Whilst working at an insurance firm after university I was often asked to annotate original and legal documentation, needless to say we weren’t permitted to inscribe directly onto the document so we had to use traditional sticky notes. As most people probably do I would use a yellow paper sticky note and place it over the document, this meant I couldn’t see the information I needed below the note. So problem one; I need to see the details below the note, right so I’ve got a transparent note in my mind.

Next issue is the document gets passed on to action via several staff and each time the note is thrown away and a new one attached. So problem two is waste; by having a re-usable note if a mistake was made or the note simply needed modifying it would solve the huge amounts of waste from paper sticky notes. From this fairly simple thought process the idea for Clear Notes was born, over the next two years I worked away with my business partner to create the best product we could, apply for the patent and get it to market.

So here we are now, we have just officially launched the product at the London Stationery Show to a truly overwhelming reception, it is a great reward of our hard work to date that industry specialists have shown a great interest in our product. Since creating the product we have found through our market research several other markets beyond our initial target market of office professionals. We have had great interest from schools, libraries, architects, accountants, map users, crossword and Sudoku players who all find our product useful. Stuart Buckley from POD Consultancy said “Having worked in the production of building contracts for many years I can certainly see the benefits of your product and was very impressed with the idea”. We have a range of 5 different sizes of Clear Notes each designed for specific applications of the note as well as whatever the consumers sees fit (we get informed of many weird and wonderful uses every day!).

An ever increasing importance within our personal and business lives is to reduce waste and recycle as much as possible, this is of real prominence to us and as such we produce Clear Notes from 100% widely recyclable material. Our product produces considerably less waste than any of our competitors not only making it environmentally friendly but also highly cost effective due to its re-usability.

We are so excited about Clear Notes and have a real belief they will make a great impact on the stationery market. We can’t wait for the product to be widely available so people in homes, offices, schools and beyond can enjoy the benefits of Clear Notes. At the core of all our work at LUX Creations is to create simple and effective ideas and transform them from concept to reality. That is exactly what we have done with Clear Notes, it is a simple product but it serves a purpose and it works. We are already working on developments for the Clear Notes range and look forward to showing you all our new products over the coming months and years.

What are your thoughts on “Clear Notes, the only transparent & re-usable sticky note”? Please leave a comment or share this article with your friends and followers by using the social buttons down below!

For more information about Clear Notes visit www.clear-notes.co.uk

Thanks so much and I’ll speak with you soon..

Internet expert, Dad and founder of various money saving blogs.

How would you like to use “price comparison” for purchasing your office supplies?

Mintprice.com, offering live price comparison on office supplies and stationery. They’ve grown to win over 2,500 new customers in just 20 months – and are now asking business owners to step up and take the “Mintprice Challenge”.

The site uses innovative ‘best-price-on-the-basket’ technology; a patented system that was first introduced in 2001, long before most people had become familiar with the concept of comparing prices online.

The Challenge is simple – take your last 3 months’ invoices for office supplies and stationery, and send them to Mintprice.com – they will produce a comparison report, showing you how much you would save if you bought the same items (or equivalent quality) from Mintprice.com. And they are so confident that they will save at least 25%, the company will send a £50 voucher to any business where the savings are less than 25%!

Nigel Hudson, the company’s Managing Director, is confident that everyone using the system will find a saving:…

“It’s all down to the unique system that we developed. We built a web shop with a difference. Our development team put all of the 20,000 stationery and office supplies items in the shop that other suppliers offer, but instead of just one supplier receiving all of the orders, we included several suppliers who compete “live” for every order placed” he explains.

The advantages to the consumer are expansive. Not only do businesses save time and money, but they also create more visible expenditure and compliance. The company conducts monthly price checks and find that, by using the site, Mintprice.com often offers the same basket as much as 70% cheaper than some high profile online stationery shops.

All of this has allowed Mintprice.com to experience rapid growth. Customers are coming from both the business and home markets at a rate of around 120 each month.

Nigel thinks he knows why:
“I have to be honest and put this growth down to the quality of our service, as well as the savings Mintprice.com offers. This is due to the strong word-of-mouth marketing we see every day, with 94% of customers reporting a willingness to recommend our services to others. It just proves – if you build a solid foundation and listen to customer feedback, the marketing happens automatically” he adds.

Businesses large and small are invited to take the Mintprice Challenge today.

Visit: http://www.mintprice.com/challenge

About Mintprice.com

Mintprice.com is developed and wholly-owned by Newcastle-based Best Price Purchase Limited.

The technology was initially implemented as an e-procurement platform for larger businesses, and was re-branded and launched to the public in January 2010.

The site holds over 20,000 products in seven categories: Office Supplies (stationery), Printer Paper, Printer Ink, Furniture, Technology, Hygiene & Cleaning and Catering Supplies.

Over 2,500 customers now use Mintprice.com; the site is open to the public as well as businesses and is winning over 120 new customers every month.

Larger businesses spending £15,000+ per annum can register for contract prices which are available by a secure log-in.

Average savings made by customers are 35%+ for smaller businesses and 25%+ for larger businesses.

The technology has a patent granted in the US and a patent pending in Europe.

Why not take the “Mintprice Challenge” the next time you need to order some office supplies or stationery?

What are your thoughts about “Price Comparison For Office Supplies and Stationery”? Please leave a comment or share this article with your friends and followers by using the social buttons down below!

Thanks so much and I’ll speak with you soon..

Internet expert, Dad and founder of various money saving blogs.

To aid this new venture Jemma Hookham has been appointed as Sales Manager to Promotional Merchandise.  Jemma brings a reputation for outstanding customer service, along with a wealth of experience and expertise within the industry that will hopefully see Red Inc become one of the leading distributers within the promotional gifts market. Adam Huttly, managing director of Red Inc Ltd said “Jemma will form a significant part of the sales team and will be dealing with existing customers as well as developing new accounts, and working alongside our marketing team on a variety of new projects. It is an exciting time for Red Inc and we are delighted to welcome Jemma to the team.”

Red Inc are acknowledged specialists in the cost reduction, streamlining and consolidation of Office Supplies, Printing and associated products. They now launch the business gifts and promotional department as a reaction to high client demand in an attempt to offer a sustainable long term complete supply solution for all your business needs.

To celebrate the launch Red Inc are giving away £50 worth of high street gift vouchers to every new client (placing an order value of £350 or more).  This offer will run throughout January.
For more information please contact Red Incorporated Ltd by telephone on 0845 180 0005, email jemma@red-inc.com or visit their website www.red-inc.com.

1: See Your Client as an Equal

The first step is seeing your client as your equal. You will not win any clients by treating them in a condescending manner. Additionally, it does not work when you consider your client who is above you. This can cause you to come across as groveling. If you approach your client as a peer with a product that can help him or his business, he is much more likely to respond positively. If you struggle with this, be sure to come across as being confident without being overbearing. Meeting your client’s eye, and shaking his hand is just the first step in doing this.

2: Be Prepared

Understanding your client’s needs and what his company does will help you make a strong connection when you go into your first sales meeting with him. It does not take long to do your homework on a client, find out what his business does, and what his possible business needs are. It is also important to understand his competition so that you can offer products or services that will help his business do better. Just like when you interview for a job, and you need to demonstrate an understanding of the company you are applying to work at, you should have that same basic understanding for a client you are trying to win over.

3: Keep It Short and Simple

It is important to remember that every client is busy, and you are one item in a long list he needs to get through during the day. This means you need to make your presentations short and sweet. Rambling conversations that do not focus on your product can be frustrating and a turn off to your client. It can also be frustrating to hear overlong explanations of the products you are selling. Although you do want to build a good working relationship, which means getting to know your client, you do need to keep it professional, which means not taking up too much of his time.

4: Understand Your Client

All the research you do on a company may not prepare you to understand your client’s current needs. Take the time to ask him open-ended questions about the services he needs to make his business succeed. It may be that your initial thought or product you want to offer him isn’t as important as another one that your company provides. Understanding his needs, listening to his priorities and looking for solutions to his current problems can land you a client that will keep coming back to you.

5 Be Honest

When you are trying to impress a client, you may be afraid to state your true opinion about a product or service, or try to promise something your company can’t deliver. Telling the truth or asking him about a point you disagree with can help you gain the respect of your potential client. This helps him see you as an equal instead of someone who is lower than him. This is a fine line and while candor is important, you should do it in a respectful way.

Using these strategies will help you turn your contacts into steady clients. It takes effort, and practice to win over new customers. You should work on building your people and presentation skills throughout your career. What have you done to successfully turn a contact into a client?

What are your tips to winning more business? What strategies do you use to get a potential customer to say YES!?

Please leave a comment or share this article with your friends and followers by using the social buttons down below!

Thanks so much and I’ll speak with you soon..

Internet expert, Dad and founder of various money saving blogs.

No Means No

It is a sales person’s job to be persistent and get the customer to place an order, but it can damage your long-term relationship if you become too pushy, and ignore the customer’s original answer. The customer may not need new supplies or may be under a tight budget, and it can be frustrating to have you persist, after they have told you it simply will not work right now.

You Don’t Have to Be Right All of the Time

Do you know someone that has to be right no matter what? Do you have those tendencies? This can be a major turn off in a sales relationship. There is a reason that the statement the customer is always right has such a lasting impact on others. If you feel the need to correct your customers at every turn, and can be rude when you are doing so, you need to fight that urge. Since your customer knows what he needs for his business, and has likely used the product more than you have, you should acknowledge that his experience may make his opinion more valid than yours.

Letting Your Mind Wander

Have you ever been in a conversation and realized halfway into it that you have no idea what the other person is talking about? Customers can tell when you aren’t listening, and it makes them feel like they are not important or valued. You want your customers to feel that they are important to you and one of the easiest ways to do this is through listening to them. You can let people know you are listening by repeating back a portion of what they said and include it in your response to them.

Avoid Those Interjections

It can be frustrating to have someone who constantly interrupts you in the middle of a sentence or a story. If you find yourself interrupting someone in the middle of conversations you should stop. It gives people the impression that you are not listening to them and that you do not really care about what they are trying to stay. It can interrupt their train of thought. It is disrespectful and can be a real turn off in a conversation. Some customers may choose to use a different vendor to place the orders for their business.

Overt Sales Pitches

Sales people are often trained to ask leading questions to help influence a customer to agree to buy a product. However, this sale technique can backfire, and end up alienating customers. Try to ask questions that are more opened, and let the customers decide what they want and when they want to purchase it.

In order to make sales and build a loyal clientele, it is important to take the focus off of yourself, and put it on your customer and his needs. It is not difficult to do this, and you will find your sales increasing and possibly receive referrals from your most loyal customers.

What is the worst sales experience you have ever had? What strategies do you use to stop yourself from making these mistakes?

Please leave a comment or share this article with your friends and followers by using the social buttons down below!

Thanks so much and I’ll speak with you soon..

Internet expert, Dad and founder of various money saving blogs.

Cost
In terms of costs, managed storage providers are generally able to charge only for the actual space that your documents are taking up. This is a really important distinction, as self-access storage usually involves paying for a set amount of space regardless of whether or not you are filling it. This can mean a saving of around 25% when you use managed storage instead of self-access. Together with the time (and therefore money) you save by not sending your own employees to retrieve documents. This can produce some significant savings.

Efficiency
Managed storage can also increase efficiency by providing you with access to your records 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Highly trained staff can access, pickup and deliver your documents quickly and safely. This means that you don’t have to interrupt your employees’ regular work in order to send them to retrieve documents in self-access storage. It also eliminates the risk of employees accidentally misfiling documents and being unable to locate them in future.
Many managed storage providers also offer real-time online access to documents, and some can offer access to your documents as quickly as two hours after receiving your request, so it can often be quicker than sending employees to an off-site self-access facility.

All these factors combine to make managed document storage a sensible, efficient and cost-effective solution for businesses of all sizes.

With thanks to PHS records management http://www.recordsmanagement.co.uk for the article. Why not ask them for a quote? You might find they can offer your business a more efficient managed document storage solution!

What are your thoughts about “Managed document storage”? Please leave a comment or share this article with your friends and followers by using the social buttons down below!
Thanks so much and I’ll speak with you soon..

Internet expert, Dad and founder of various money saving blogs.