Posted January 30th, 2020 By JWAdmin
by Emma Storey
2020 is seeing Just Williams adopt multiple charities throughout the year, chosen by staff members as causes close to their heart *no pun intended…*
As many of you may already know why Just Williams is choosing to support The British Heart Foundation in the first quarter of 2020 – but for those of you who don’t know; here’s why…
I am a true ‘family gal’, with a really close connection with my parents, siblings, aunts, uncles etc. This is important as my Dad, a bit of a legend in Teesside after teaching in secondary schools for over 50 years(?!); suffered cardiac arrest at home at the end of August. He was resuscitated and taken to North Tees where he suffered a further cardiac arrest – was resuscitated AGAIN before spending a week with the unbelievable Critical Care team; but unfortunately on 1st September; a third arrest took him. Nobody can say he wasn’t ‘tough as boots’ to have survived so much.
However, given that he had no previous cardiac diagnosis or condition – the fact he died so suddenly has left a huge, un-fillable whole in mine and my family’s lives. But, the support and understanding I received from the Just Williams team was incredible – allowing me time to spend with my family until I was ready to return to work.
As a result I wanted to ‘do my bit’ to make sure that at some point in the future other families may not have to go through the same heartache; losing someone close. That is why I am choosing The British Heart Foundation.
On Friday 14th February we will be hosting a Valentine’s Heart Party at Fusion Hive from 11am-1pm, where we will be selling delicious baked goods, running a Secret Tombola and an amazing raffle! Then, at 12.30 I’m running a short quiz where the victorious team will take home the (soon-to-be coveted) Hive Heart Champion Trophy! We’ll be running little games and competitions on the day and will release information on how to purchase raffle tickets in advance very soon – but it would make a wonderful difference to see as many of you there as possible!
Please help us support The British Heart Foundation, and beat heartbreak forever!
Please feel free to contact me directly if you would like to be involved (you don’t have to be a Fusion Hive resident to join us either!) on emma@justwilliamsltd.co.uk
Posted January 14th, 2020 By JWAdmin
By Mark Shayler
“If you always do what you’ve always done you’ll always get what you always got”, this quote by Henry Ford has been used time and time again and is one we can all relate to. This famous quote is the opening gambit to this challenging (and as its front cover indicates) ‘disruptive’ book which questions your perception of normal and everyday activities challenging you at every step. Why do we do things a certain way? Because we always have…. But does that make it the most efficient, cost effective and the best way of doing it?
Do Disrupt is the type of book that is very much an interactive read, it’s a workbook and encourages scribbling and scrawling on all its pages as I have myself found myself doing throughout. So why have we chosen this book as our first book review of the decade? Well innovation and challenging the norm is at its heart. So in a time when we hear on such a regular basis ‘New Year New Me’, this small accessible and very interactive book allows the reader and scribbler to immerse themselves head first into thinking differently by disrupting their own thought pattern. Scary right?!
So as we embark on 2020 how are you going to do things differently when we all have the same amount of time? Do Disrupt suggests this starts with giving yourself permission as asking for forgiveness over permission is far easier. Thinking differently and being deliberately different after all is the key thing that enables us as individuals and companies to stand out, but change is hard right? I once saw a jar with coins in it on a desk with the label ‘if you fear change, leave it here’. This illustrates the point perfectly. In this age change is inevitable and so Do Disrupt gives you the opportunity to lead it rather than follow others need for change. Change, Disrupt and Implement. It may be your role, pursuing your dream job or setting up on your own, implementing a full new strategy for your team or business or increasing your sales. Whatever it is, this book will make you think. It will also make you uncomfortable as from front cover to back page, it will make you think about your own life and how disruption can indeed be for the Good.
So, again, why have we chosen this book at Just Williams as our book of the month? Well its about doing what you love, disrupting a traditional model without fear and all whilst being deliberately different. All things we endorse and support whole-heartedly here. As we start 2020 all our team members have an hour a day ‘Goal Time’ to do exactly this. Work towards their own personal and professional goals as well as time to think, reflect, innovate and of course Disrupt.
The best innovators are the ones solving problems that we didn’t even know existed and the ones who challenge the norm. So if you want to start 2020 differently whether it be achieving your sales targets, embracing a new market, a new career or dare I say it, being a new you… read this book. In fact don’t just read it, scribble on it, highlight it and cover it in stick it notes. Carry it round with you and start by thinking in ink, giving yourself permission and time to challenge your own thought processes.
Got a book you think we should read and review? Let us know!
Posted January 9th, 2020 By JWAdmin
It may not be the start of your new financial year yet year on year, the first week back in January gets us all a little philosophical about how we are going to do things differently. How this year we are all going to smash our sales targets, enter new markets and increase market share as well as launching new products and services and achieving those pesky KPIs.
So where do you start? Is doing something differently classed as innovation? Innovation is a word used so regularly it almost begins to lose its meaning. Yet the actual meaning is greatly debated and if asked to a crowd, you are more than likely to attract a wide array of answers. A fair definition for innovation is the ability to turn an idea into a solution that adds value to the organisation and customer. It is not therefore simply doing things a little differently or just the initial idea that is the innovation, it is bringing that idea to life and making it happen which is key.
Doing things differently in your every day sales life is a good start but how can sales be truly innovative? Well let’s see… are you chasing the same old contacts in the same markets in the same way yet expecting different results? Is this not the definition of madness according to dear Mr Einstein. So lets look at doing things a little differently shall we…. Let’s turn it all on its head and start at the very beginning. What is your mission, your vision and what are your objectives? Start with The Why as Simon Sinek’s global bestseller promotes. You’ve got to start with the right questions to achieve the results you are looking for….., obvious right?!
As an example, our Vision as a sales company is to professionalise the Sales Industry. So whilst we offer a range of sales solutions; our impact is relatively small on the sales sector as a whole for now!. We wanted to professionalise the sector creating entry criteria for all those entering the sales industry and started right at the beginning with our Vision. After assessing entry criteria, existing provisions and conducting market research on what our clients wanted we launched The Just Williams Sales Academy. The last three months have been quite the journey and the next twelve months present a huge opportunity for the business in achieving its national ambition and reaching 10,000 learners in the coming years. It’s taking the original vision and bringing it to life through innovation and surrounding ourselves with those who know and understand the training market, taking a service based business online and becoming an accredited provider.
Back to your new year, ‘New You’ mindset and the definition of innovation in its purest forms – how are you going to be deliberately different this year? Start at the beginning, start at why you launched your business, strategy or why you joined the business you work for. Why do your clients buy from you? What do you do differently? Why do you conduct sales in the way you do? So if all your business comes from referrals (lucky you) look at the opportunity this provides to think bigger and how much more you would generate with a little more pro-activity. Or do you receive leads from social media and if so what’s your conversion rate? Are you attracting the right customers enabling you to make the margins you are keen to achieve?
So very many questions, yet all key to ensure you reevaluate your position allowing you to change and adapt your business or tact to support your sales strategy and overall business growth. So start small with thinking differently – challenging your existing processes. Start with a reflection summary on what worked well last year, think about your wins and focus on what you can do BNT (better next time). We do this daily – it’s a great exercise to really look at the detail in each day and quickly work out the most efficient and effective routes to market.
Make sure you check out our first book of the year in review next week which is Mark Shayler’s Do Disrupt – well worth a read if you are looking to do things differently and innovate your own mindset and actions. It breaks down the word innovation which can be quite daunting in its own right and is a great way to start.
So here‘s to the next decade of being deliberately different, disruptive and even innovative in the way we conduct sales.
