Guest post by Martin Clark, Ripple Effect Sales Training.

They fail to understand the fundamentals of selling!

First of all to clarify, when I say ‘sales people’ I’m also referring to business owners who are responsible for making sales.  If you’re in business, then one of the many hats you must wear is that of a ‘sales person’.

There are 2 key fundamentals that drive ALL sales…  Failing to understand these is why most ‘sales people’ struggle and businesses suffer… continue

Since the very beginning we have been involved with Talking News Islington charity. It has been set up by a group of volunteers who wanted to provide a valuable service to the blind and partially-sighted in London Boroughs of Islington and Camden. There are Talking News in many parts of the UK, produced similarly by volunteers. The News are recorded and posted to anyone registered to receive it on a CD or tape, the users listen to the news and send back to the charity. The service is free and relies on donations and funding. continue

Guest post by Sally Kettle.

I run, but not very well, my arms spin like windmills and my feet land with the subtlety of an elephant but, on occasion, I can pull off a marathon; but it’s through running that I’ve learnt a very valuable lesson. ‘You can be your own worst enemy!’ Once the mind starts chattering you can literally turn every pounding footstep into a torturous experience.

But why running, when the title of this blog is ‘No Hope on the Boat’? Well, in 2004 I rowed across the Atlantic for the first time; by 2006 I’d rowed it again becoming the first woman to do so. As I write, I’m just a day away from sailing back across the Atlantic in a 68ft racing yacht.

You’d think with that experience I’d have all the confidence in the world? I’ve been there and done it; the trouble is I am as nervous and anxious now as I was standing on the pontoon for my first rowing attempt. It seems these things never get any easier. My imagination has run away with itself turning my preparations into an exercise of torturous self-doubt! continue