2017 Dates for Sales Excellence Programme

Wednesday 1st February 2017

the Local Enterprise Office (LEO)

in association with Dungarvan Enterprise Centre

will commence their A La Carte

SALES EXCELLENCE workshop.

To be a top performer today, you as a salesperson need to know more and know it at a higher level of competency than ever before.  What makes this more challenging is that your customer expectations are a moving target.  What your customer expected five years ago versus today presents a dramatic contrast.

Keeping this in mind, this workshop is aimed to help you  

• improve your personal selling techniques 
• improve your presentation and time management skills and
• equip you with all the tools so as you can close that all important sale.

But what makes this workshop different from any other workshop is that it is tailored for you!  On the first day (morning 10 am to 1 pm then afternoon 2 pm to 5 pm), after your initial one to one clinic you will have the opportunity to choose which modules best suit your requirements.  Here is what is included in the "Sales Excellence" programme: -

• Wednesday 1st February Introduction and Individual Needs Assessment (all day)
• Wednesday 8th February Goal Setting (10am - 1pm) Personal Selling Techniques 1 (2 - 5pm)
• Wednesday 15th February Personal Selling Techniques 2 (10am - 1pm) Developing your USP (2 - 5pm)
• Wednesday 22nd February Presentation Skills 1(10am - 1pm) Preparation for Cold Selling (2 - 5pm)
• Wednesday 1st March Presentation Skills 2 (10am - 1pm) Time Management 1 (2 - 5pm)
• Wednesday 8th March Closing the Sale (10am - 1pm) Presentation Skills 3 (2 - 5pm)
• Wednesday 15th March Time Management 2 (10am - 1pm)
• Wednesday 22nd March Presentation Skills 4 (10am - 1pm) 

What a great opportunity to excel.

I'm sure at this stage you would like some info about your tutor ....

Local business woman, Colette Bannon launched the Workcoach brand in 2009.  Since then she has provided business training and coaching to businesses, schools, and organisations throughout Ireland and the UK.  Her long list of clients includes Sky Ireland & UK, GSK, Bank of Ireland and LIDL.

Colette says "Success is almost impossible in any field, without solid sales skills.  However, selling is a skill and like any other skill, it can be developed and nurtured with the right focus.  This course is designed to help you perfect this all important skill".

Interested? Of course you are!

As I already mentioned, the programme commences on Wednesday 1st February 2017 at 10am and runs every Wednesday thereafter.  As this programme is tailored around your needs, you can pick and choose which module suits you best.  It is €30 per module or €140 for the entire programme.
To find out more about this unique a la carte programme you can log onto www.localenterprise.ie/waterford or call us here in the Enterprise Centre on 058 23598.
To book a place, you can email the Local Enterprise Office Waterford at info@leowaterford-council.ie or go to www.localenterprise.ie/waterford

Start Your Own Business / Idea Generation

On Tuesday 18th October

the Local Enterprise Office Waterford 

are running a

"Start Your Own Business" programme

here in the Dungarvan Enterprise Centre

Do you have an idea for a business and want to know how to take it to the next level?  Have you just started a new business but need to know more about the many aspects about running the business, i.e. bookkeeping,market research, sales and marketing?

Then this is the course for YOU.

This programme will provide you with the skills, management tools and expertise in making the right decisions, planning and organising effectively.  It will assist you in what is required in order to keep your new venture running efficiently and effectively.

How is the course made up?

The course runs over 7 consecutive weeks (two days each week from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm), here in the Dungarvan Enterprise Centre.

• Tuesday 18th October: Effective Entrepreneurship
• Thursday 20th October: Idea Generation 1
• Tuesday 25th October: Idea Generation 2
• Thursday 27th October: Introduction to Business Planning
• Tuesday 1st November: Online Sales & Planning
• Thursday 3rd November: Market Research
• Tuesday 8th November: Marketing Plan
• Thursday 10th November: Sales Plan
• Tuesday 15th November: Bookkeeping - Cash Flow
• Thursday 17th November: Bookkeeping - Tax & VAT
• Tuesday 22nd November: Marketing Plan Review
• Thursday 24th November: Elevator Pitch
• Tuesday 29th November: Business Planning Review and Funding

As I already mentioned the course commences on Tuesday 18th October at 10:am here in the Dungarvan Enterprise Centre.  The course fee is €130 and payment confirms a place on the course.  To book your place, please log on to www.localenterprise.ie/waterford.  If you are in receipt of Social Welfare payment you may qualify for a reduced fee, please call 0761 10 2905 or email info@leo.waterfordcouncil.ie Looking forward to seeing you on the day.

Writing Content for Social Media and Blogging with Derbhile Graham

On Tuesday 20th September

Dungarvan Enterprise Centre

will be running a workshop for 

Writing Content for Social Media and Blogging

Social media is a fantastic way of reaching your customers.  Creating quality social media content  is an even better way to develop a greater relationship with your customers.  By making a few adjustments to how you create, publish, and post your content, you can increase the likelihood that others will share it more often.  Being able to write compelling and engaging content on a consistent basis over time is the core.  In this workshop, we will show you how to create draft blogs and social media posts, and draw up a plan to help you develop that content further in the long term.

So what's involved the workshop?

The workshop will be based on the 5 W's of good Social Media content.

1. Why - why you want to write social media content in the first place
2. What - what you want to say in your social media content
3. Who - who you want to reach
4. Where - which blogging and social media platforms are the best fit for your business?
5. When - how frequently you are willing and able to post

From this you will then come up with a content plan based on your questions.  Then in the second half of the workshop, you will write a draft blog entry, and if time allows, a batch of five social media posts.  Sounds interesting doesn't it.

A little bit of info about your tutor.

Dearbhile Graham is a writer and editor based in the sunny south east of Tramore, Co. Waterford.  She holds a Masters in Journalism, is a former Toastmaster and is also the author of the novel, "The Pink Cage".  In 2009, she set up a copywriting service for small businesses called WriteWords Editorial, which aims to help businesses tell their stories.  She has written blog posts for Congratulations.ie, Market Lane Restaurant, The Virtual Office and nearForm.  She is an experienced workshop facilitator and has delivered content creation workshops for Tipperary Enterprise Board and Dungarvan Women in Business Group.

As mentioned earlier, the workshop takes place here in the Dungarvan Enterprise Centre on Tuesday 20th September from 9.30 am to 1 pm.  The cost of the workshop is just €30 per person.  

For more information, or to book your place, please call us here at the Dungarvan Enterprise Centre on 058 23598 or email dungarvanec@gmail.com. 

Video Casting with Amanda Webb of Spiderworking.com

Dungarvan Enterprise Centre 

are delighted to announce that we will be running a

 "Video Casting" workshop 

on Wednesday 14th September.

Why videocast?

Its the way forward, its the future.

Not convinced? OK, here are just a few reasons:-

Your customers are watching a ton of social video.  Facebook and Snapchat have both surpassed 8 billion video views and YouTube's 1 billion-plus users are watching hundreds of millions of hours of online video every day.

•  At the moment 18 to 33 year olds are spending less time in front of their TVs and more time watching video on their mobile devices and laptops. So in the next 5 to 10 years, these same people will make up a large percentage of the workforce, making it hard to ignore video platforms. 
• Video is unique in its ability to connect with viewers.  Social networks favour video in their algorithms, knowing that this rich content is favoured by users.  You can respond to a customer enquiry by text or you can take a few minutes and record them a 30-second video message (they'll appreciate the extra effort).
• A 2016 survey found that 61 percent of businesses are using video as a marketing tool.  In the previous year, 66 percent of those businesses were not using video at all.  To me, its clear that companies are quickly recognising the growing power of video.
• Social media videos can deliver impressive return of investment (yes).  Have a look at the below: -

1. 72 percent of businesses who use video say it has increased website conversion rates
2. 74 percent of all internet traffic in 2017 is projected to come from video
3. YouTube receives over 4 million daily views
4. Almost one-third of all people on the internet are YouTube users
5. More than half of YouTube views come from mobile devices
6. Facebook has 8 billion average daily video watch time
7. Periscope users watch 40 years' worth of video every day
8. Snapchat daily video views surpassed 8 billion in January 2016

I don't think I need to go on!

Your return on investment of social video depends on how you choose to use it.  Every business will have different targets and goals.  The key thing is that you actually set goals and track the success of your videos using analytics.  It's only through tracking that you will learn what clicks with your audience and what doesn't, allowing you to refine your social video strategy.

And just in case you are still not convinced, Mark Zuckerburg (co-founder of Facebook - you knew that!) believes video is the future of Facebook.  He imagines a time, 5 years from now when video will account for the majority of posts shared and viewed (best to be prepared, I think)!

So at this half-day workshop you'll learn: -

• YouTube V Facebook, which should you make your home
• Live video streaming - how to use Facebook Live and Periscope to communicate with your audience
• How to get comfortable in front of the camera
• How to shoot and edit a video
• How and where to upload your video
• How to promote your video casts
• Measuring success - the metrics that matter

I hear you ask who's delivering the workshop?

Amanda Webb of Spiderworking.com.  Amanda formed Spiderworking.com to work with SME's, local and small businesses to help them develop social media strategies, offering them training and support.  Whatever you need to know, whether its as simple as setting up a Facebook page or as challenging as putting together a social media campaign, Spiderworking.com can help.  Amanda learnt her skills whilst promoting her first business, Feelgood Organic Hampers.  Prior to this she worked as an Assistant Director in the Irish Film Business working on productions such as Adam & Paul and Angela's Ashes.  In 2010 she co-founded the KLCK bloggers Network in order to encourage and support both business and personal bloggers as they learnt how to use both blogging and social media tools.  In 2011 she went one step further with Bloggers International co-managing their inaugural event.  Then in 2012 Amanda founded Blog Awards Ireland along with her KLCK colleagues and head up the online marketing and project management of the event.  Amanda's blog reached the final of Social Media Examiners International top 10 Social Media Blogs of 2011 and 2012.  The Social Media Awards 2012 and her Video Blog reached the finals of the Irish Web Awards 2010.

I think she is someone we would all like to meet!!

The workshop takes place on Wednesday 14th September from 9.30 am to 1 pm.  The cost is just €40 per person.  For more information, or to book your place, please give us a call here at the Dungarvan Enterprise Centre on 058 23598 or email dungarvanec@gmail.com.  Looking forward to seeing you!

Using the new "Snapchat Memories" feature

Using the new "Snapchat Memories" feature

So first of all a quick rundown on what Snapchat is.

Snapchat is a mobile messaging application used to share photos, videos, text, and drawings.  Its free to download the app and free to send messages using it.  The one feature that makes Snapchat different from other forms of texting and photo sharing is that the messages disappear from the recipients phone after a few seconds - this message will "self-destruct" in 10 seconds!  

Snapchat's logo, named Ghostface Chilla (based on Ghostface Killah of the Wu-Tang Clan), is a ghost to represent the "there, then, gone" nature of their photo sending service. 

How do you use Snapchat?  Well its simple, you take a picture using your camera phone, select who you want to send it to from your contacts, decide how long you want your picture to be visible for (up to 10 seconds), and click send.  If you are the one receiving the picture, well its just like receiving a text message, simply tap to view the pic.  Remember though that the message disappears from their phone once the time limit has expired.

Last month, Snapchat launched "Memories", a major change to the social app known for its quickly disappearing images and videos.  Snapchat now lets you save old photos, videos and snap stories within the app.  In other words you can now save a funny snap or if you had a bunch of photos on your phone that you want to share, you can now publish from your camera roll in a single-story like memory. 

So how do you use Snapchat Memories to publish more content on Snapchat?

Navigate the Memories Feature

On your Snapchat screen, tap or swipe the small circular button below the main caption button to enter Memories.  I'm going to take it that this is your first time using Memories, so you'll find two tabs along the top, i.e. Snaps and Camera Roll.  If you tap Snaps, you'll see any snaps or videos you've saved since you received the Memories update.  Tap Camera Roll to access your phones saved images and videos.  You can now use these to create and share Memories. 

To enter selection mode in Memories, tap on the check mark icon at the top right of your screen.  Navigate to any tab to select specific snaps or camera roll items.  You can select a single item to edit and share as a memory or multiple items to make a longer memory.  You can use the section mode to delete, share, and send items to your story.  You can also set an item to "My Eyes Only", which hides that item (using a password) in Memories.  (Once you begin using Memories, the All, Stories, and My Eyes Only tabs become available).

Create and Share your Memories

To get started, take a photo or video.  Tap the in-tray icon to save it to your Memories, then go into Memories and find it.  Tap on the item to enlarge it and then press hold on the screen to enter edit mode.  In Edit mode, you can change the duration of a photo, add stickers, text, and doodles.  You can also share the memory to your story or Snapchat friends.  Your other options are to Export Snap, Save to Camera Roll, Move to My Eyes Only, or Create Story from this Snap.  

Remember though to capture your items in the order you want them to appear in the Memories story as it doesn't currently allow you to manually rearrange the items you select.  Then tap on the Create Story icon at the bottom of the screen.

With regard to your Business, Snapchat Memories will now allow you to use and re-use any photo or video, and content from other networks can also be re-published on the platform.  In other words, you can now create your own designs and videos using your own programs and market them on your Snapchat account without them looking so Snapchatty (that probably isn't a word!!).  Then keep running it, repetition, repetition, repetition.

Its also important to remember that the number of users over the age of 35 has steadily been increasing.  The addition of Memories will likely multiply these numbers as Snapchat begins to appeal to older audiences.  This will give brands that have an older target audience more opportunity to market effectively on the platform.

All good me thinks!

ARE YOU STUCK ON SOCIAL MEDIA?

Hi my name is Siun Morrissey,I am 19 years old and I am currently a student in Cork Institute of Technology and I am studying Marketing.

Your customers are on social media so you need to be too! Many of us don't know where to start with social media, but this is where Devin Joubert a blogger comes in she has written a very interesting blog  which helps businesses gain more traffic(followers) on there Social Media platforms. It is titled "50 Social Media Marketing Tips That Will Help You Build Traffic." I have read this Blog and made my own interpretation on it. I am going to write about the tips which I believe will be the most useful for businesses on social media.

FACEBOOK

 Facebook is one of the worlds biggest communication websites, but even if you have a Facebook profile for your business it can still be quiet difficult to get people to notice your company. These are the tips which I believe will make people notice your brand.

Groups:

Groups are a great way to get the consumer interested and involved in your business. The reason that a business would set up a group on Facebook is for their repeat and loyal customers, to get their input on the business such as what they would like to see in the business and also what they would like to change in the business..

Creating a group is a very easy thing to do once you know how.

1. Go onto your Facebook page and click on the top right hand corner.
2. Click on the arrow down, scroll down and click on Groups
3. Add whoever you want to your group.
4. Then add the group to your favourites as it will be easy yo access.

Its that simple and will make a lot of difference in the amount of followers and customers that you will receive.

Carousel and Canvas:

This is a way of presenting your images and videos that will draw the public in, it increase the views on your page and to get more people interested in your business and what you have to offer. It is like a slide show for Facebook a way of telling a story and like the Facebook Groups it is also quite simple to do if you know how of course!

1. Go onto your Facebook profile and click on Photo/Video.
2. A list should appear and you should then click either Carousel or Canvas they are both similar.
3. Then add in your desired photos, videos and descriptions.
4. Once you have finished editing your content you are done.

This is an excellent form of communication as you could show your followers how you set up your business, what type of products you have and what new products or ideas that you might have in the future.

Link Messages:

Many companies post photos  along with a link to get people to click on this link and to get them to read what they have written, however it has been proven that the majority of people don't even bother clicking the link but instead look at the photo and continue to scroll down the page. Instead what business should be doing is posting a link without an image. it has been proven that it sends more people to your website.

Although these three are very different they all work the same. They all manage to boost the amount of consumers looking at your Facebook Page which is a success for business.

Twitter.

Along with Facebook, Twitter is an excellent platform for communication with the public. These are the tips which I believe will get you the most "traffic" on your twitter page.

Retweets:

Retweets are extremely important as it shows the public what you are interested in which could lead you to connect with your customers. Retweeting is also very important when a customer has chosen to write about an experience with your products, by retweeting their post it shows that you care about their opinion and what they have to say regarding your product.

Polls:

Polls are a brilliant way to communicate with the public, by using polls you get to ask your followers what they would like to see from you in the future, have they tried your new product and what they thought of it. This is a great way to know what your customers want and what their interests are.they are also a good way with keeping up with new trends and asking people for their opinion on them, such as sports, fashion, new technology etc .Polling is very simple you just need to use these steps and you should be okay.

1. Log into your twitter account.
2. Compose a tweet.
3. Before you click Tweet click on the "Add a Poll" icon on the bottom left.
4. Then ask your questions and you are ready to go

Hashtags:

Hashtags are so important when it comes to Twitter they show the public what you like and what you are interested in. Hashtags also make it easier for your followers to find your content. However it is important not to use too many hashtags as this could mean that your content ends up being hard to find. Stick to using between 1-2 hashtags between each tweet, this will just make it easier for your followers and the public to find and reply to your tweets much easier.

Social Media is a big platform in today's society which means that we have to embrace it and understand it to be able to compete with the much larger companies. I believe that Twitter and Facebook are a great place to start.

Hi my name is Siun Morrissey,I am 19 years old and I am currently a student in Cork Institute of Technology and I am studying Marketing.

http://coschedule.com/blog/social-media-marketing-tips/?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=50%20Social%20Media%20Marketing%20Tips%20That%20Will%20Help%20You%20Build%20Traffic&utm_content=50%20Social%20Media%20Marketing%20Tips%20That%20Will%20Help%20You%20Build%20Traffic+Version+A+CID_9ecaacdc69c886a6640348480a0a3844&utm_source=todaymail&utm_term=READ%2050%20Social%20Media%20Marketing%20Tips%20That%20Will%20Help%20You%20Build%20Traffic

How to make the most of your Instagram

How to make the most of your Instagram

So lets start at the beginning.

Instagram for those of us who know little if not anything about it was launched in 2010.  It is an online mobile photo-sharing, video-sharing, and social networking service that enables you to take pictures and videos, and share them either publicly or privately on the app, as well as through other social networking platforms, such as Facebook, Twitter, etc.  (Facebook bought Instagram in 2012 for a whopping $1 billion!).

So what is an Algorithm?  For a computer to do anything you have to write a computer program.  To write a program, you have to tell the computer exactly what you want it to do, step by step.  The computer then "executes" the  program, following each step mechanically.  When you tell the computer what to do, you also get to choose how its going to do it.  Hence, Algorithm.  The algorithm is the basic technique used to get the job done.  (Hope you are still with me!).

So why use Instagram?  Used correctly, Instagram can be a highly-targeted, visual advertising channel for your business.  Like any social network, there are right ways to use it, wrong ways to use it, and clever ways to use it.  The most successful strategy overall is to be authentic and social.  Businesses can use this platform as away to showcase their product and services in a rich, visual context.

On March 16, Instagram posted plans that they would be moving away from showing posts in strict reverse chronological order, and instead boost those based on the "likelihood you'll be interested in the content, your relationship with the person posting, and the timeliness of the post".  So all posts are still there, just in a different order!

If this new set up has your worried or concerned, here a a few helpful tips (I hope!).

How to increase your visibility:

Become ACTIVE - engage with your social media followers more.  If they like your photos, you like their photos.  If they comment on your photos, you need to reply to them and thank them.  Build a relationship with them so that they continue to like you and continue to follow you.  The more likes you get the more likely they will see your photos in their news feed.  

REVIEW your most successful posts and then replicate them!  Be strategic about what you post, look at your most popular posts, review the similarities between them and then create a similar content. This will help you to create a strategy that will enable you to withstand this change in algorithm and keep the followers engaged.  YES.

Take advantage of your CAPTION - Say something like "I love this book / product", what do you think"?   This gives them an opportunity to comment on your photo.  The more comments, likes, the more activity on your photos will translate to their feed.  Instagram will then see that hey this person likes your photos and they will then see your posts in their feed more often.  Or should you have a website:- "I love this book / product", what do you think"? click the link in our profile to see full details.  This gets people off the platform and on to your website.

#HASHTAGS - You can have up to 30 #hashtags.  My suggestion to you is to add 1 to 2 #hashtags in your caption, add them into your sentence for example "Out driving in my new #audiA3convertable, enjoying #splendidsun" (I wish).  This gets your message across to followers, but its not going to be lost in a whole bunch of #hashtags.  Make sure the #hashtags you use relate to your business. your location and industry. 

Incorporate TRENDING topics in your posts, i.e. Waterford Hurlers!! 

Use short VIDEOS, record a company promotional day, a behind the scenes video, a summer barbecue, the Christmas party (maybe not!).  Keep them short and remember when you post them to add as many relevant hashtags as you can to spread the reach of your video.

Introducing Video on Instagram from Instagram on Vimeo.

Make sure your Instagram page is PUBLIC.  If its not Public, no ones is going to see it.

My message to you is - your creativity and knowledge can drive success no matter.