Events Week 30/31 July 2011

Swansea Bay TV weekend activities 23/24 July

Be successful in Life.

Weekend Events 23/24th July 2011

Out and about this weekend. If you have events coming up tell us about them for coverage.

The crowd of runners just kept passing us for several minutes. A real air of  festivity and lets enjoy the event. At the same time raising money.











Jade Williams won on a record breaking time of nder 20 minutes. As a Welsh Champion runner perhaps not too unexpected but nevertheless a great time.And when I spokee with her just minutes later she was hardly ot of breath. Amazing!!

Emily Jones came was in the leader pack and was a sch a young rnner to do so well. Congratulations









The changes around the Marina over the last 3-4 years are amazing. Take a walk along the beach path and be surprised.








Thundercat Racing in the distance. Another national championship that wants to come to Swansea Bay

Mal Pope stops by for a cappuchino

Tomorrow we'l be out and about taMal Pope stopped by today and spoke to Louise Houghton. It was a really relaxed interview and it was good to hear him talk about how much Swansea means to him. Don't miss this interview which will be in one of our first programmes when we start broadcasting in 2 weeks.

Mal has written several musicals and is such a wealth of information about Swansea history. I'm hoping we can persuade him to join us again . . and again . . .and again. He certainly brought some feel good dust with him today.

And talking about the theatre if you have an amateur production coming up shortly call us and we'll come along and talk with the cast, film an extract at rehearsal and show it prior to your event. It takes so much effort to take part in any production and what do we need? Audiences. So lets talk.

Tomorrow we are ot and about talking to people around town and seeing what you like most about Swansea. What you'd like us to include in our shows and if you have any interesting stories. Watch out for us

Swansea Coastguards fight to keep open

7.45am went to Mumbles to try and speak with Sir Alan Massey, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency Chief Executive but he wasn't available. The sudden decision to close the Swansea Coastguard operation came as a shock to everyone living in the area. In the announcement it seemed to me that the arguement was not to do with the location but on two other factors. Firstly it was stated that there were enough employees from the Government Dept working in the area and it is felt that this is an excuse and cover for the loss, and secondly the heavy campaign at Fishguard may have tipped the scales on which station to close. It seems that locally the decision was not even considered. Or was it?  There are support and campaigning groups now and  understand the Facebook group closed today because it was full!

This is a vital service that does save lives. As an area of outstanding beauty and such a magnet to tourists with a whole range of outside water activities this service is not just necessary but essential. Please support

Surfing today at Rotherslade Bay

As a local on-line Swansea TV Show we aim to bring you local interest. Here's some shots taken this morning around 7am. The winds were up and surf was high. Watch the surfers

Neath Steam Vintage Show

Yesterday I went to the Neath Steam Vintage Show. It was only the second year that it had run but it was full of the most interesting vehicles. There were full size, half size and quarter size steam engines fired up and going as if they'd just come off the assembly line.

It was held at the Cefn Coed Colliery Museum, Crynant so there was plenty to see. And we'll be talking to some of these enthusiasts on one of our first Swansea Bay TV Shows.

Just take a look at this incredible steam engine that was used on local farms when first built. Looking at it you'd be srprised at the immaculate state that it's in.

I talked to Joe Davies who has an amazing collection of petrol cans. "Petrol Cans!" I can hear you exclaim.What is there to know? Surely one is the same as the next." The simple answer is "No!"

Joe is just so knowledgeable that he held me enthralled about the different petrol companies. The way the cans were manufactured. What paint was used and how the companies amalgamated or traded under different names in different places. Watch out for Joe talking to me on a forthcoming show.

There were also skilled artists. Here you see Paul Strange. I didn't get his contact details. If you know him please let me know. He is a qualified stone mason and has moved on to what he describes as "the joy of slate" and he creates the most beautiful reliefs with incredible detail. These are absolutely unique and take many, many hours of work to complete.

If you are holding an event that you think our viewers will enjoy then let us know ask@swanseabay-tv.co.uk

Welsh English Tactile Signs limited stock

SPECIAL OFFER UNTIL DECEMBER 31st 2015
ALL SIGNS £8 incl post in UK send order to ask@mikeleahy.com and we'll give payment details
In contradiction to common belief over 97% of people who are registered blind can recognise tactile signs from a distance but may not be able to read them. Many have blurred vision which will allow them to identify an outline and colour so that they need to know where they should be looking and at what. 

See more at   http://accessaudit.blogspot.com/p/tactile-signs.html
We have a selection of the most common tactile signs on our separate page. Take a look. We have made them as cheap as chips so there's no reason not to use them in your business. Tactile signs are one of the most visual adjustments you can make and help not only visually impaired people but everyone because they are designed to be easily identified and read.

All tactile signs comply with legislation and best practice. All, unless otherwise stated are bi-lingual in Welsh & English. All have raised text and symbol (where applicable) and bi-lingual Braille.


All signs are in blue, unless otherwise stated, and have  contrasting white text, symbols and border so that they are easy to identify.There is an indent raised white arrow head marking at the beginning of the Braille so that it can be easily identified. All signs are made of a durable long-life plastic, vacuum formed to be usef both indoors and outside. They come with a self-adhesive peel-off backing sitable for most surfaces but can be screwed for added security.

Signs should all be located at a standard height of 1750mm from floor level so as to be easily distinguished and at a suitable height for both tall people and wheelchair users.

See more at   http://accessaudit.blogspot.com/p/tactile-signs.html

There are many other access issues associated with sight impairment and the Access Audit Co can help and advise you on overcoming this. Call 07976 827959 for a realistic and pragmatic approach.

Marketing is dead Finding and selling to customers is in

The word is out "Marketing" is dead! Well not marketing exactly, just the word itself.

I think that we have got tired of "marketing" and especially self elected marketing specialists.
Finding and selling to customers is one leg of the business holy trillogy - and that's marketing.

Ask 85% of small businesses if they want some marketing help and they'll say  "No! I do all my own!" When you ask them what they do, they finally tell you then it's often "I stay open later now", "I had an advert in the xxxx local magazine last month" or "I've got some special offers, and the leaftel's on the counter" . If you don't broadcast that you are open longer nobody will know. If you advertise just once the results will be slim - you need to be regular. If your leaflet is on the conter it won't get new customers into the shop. I don't think these are marketing.

Big business have the resources and cash to employ a marketing team and pay for adverts, buy space and carry out huge leaflet drops. Small business are looking for way to bring customers into their retail units and shops for as little as possible but few are using innovative ideas.

I did see this small a-trailer being towed by a bike on Sunday and the same business set up big posters around town. There was also a stilt walker dressed as a baker but little else.

Possibly small business owners don't know who to listen to or what to do right now. They keep reading about these marketing guys but often don;'t want to spend money on what may not work or what they can do themselves anyway.

And everyone is talking about social media. The problem seems to be few business owners actually understand it. And there are people out there charging large amounts but usually not achieving measurable results. There are some good people out there. It's just finding them. If you want someone who is really hot with social media for small businesses just e-mail me at ask@mikeleahy.com. I've found a real gem.

Meanwhile here are some ideas that will get either new customers or existing customers buying from you. Ideas that aren't new, that you know about but which you haven't tried.

Pick one a week and try it out:

1. Hand out leaflets with a special offer. Do it from your shop doorway is allowed.

2. Get existing customers to sign up to your newsletter

3. Make sure your website has your phone number at the top of each page and answer the phone within 2 rings every time

4. Give amazing service. Today I have seen some really excellent customer service that I;ll desribe on another occassion 

5. Get a loyalty card system in and advertise it in your window etc

6, Ask customers what you can do to improve their shopping experience with you

7. Set up some joint ventures with non competing adjacent shops (both of you get an offer on a leaflet and hand out each others to customers as they pay for their purchase)

8. Check your window display looks good and is current and there is something to entice people over the threshold.

9. Check your staff are trained and are attentive to customers. Smiling is a great way to start a good shopping experience for customers

10. Try for additional sales. Today I watched a girl sell a handbag for £180 then went on to get a matching purse and credit card holder worth an extra £87

and a bonus:


Bonus: Hold an open evening where customers are invited in to try some products, hold a fashion show, see a demonstration. Get invites and encourage them to bring a friend. When the friends become customers send out a thank you card to whoever brought them along.

It's not knowing but doing. So take action now.  Good luck

How business appears to have changed

Today I went on a pre-arranged appointment at 11 o'clock. On arrival I was told that the partners were too busy to see me. A client has just dropped in and they'd been able to fit her in! I'd have to come back. Could I leave some information. "Yes I have your number so I'll arrange a new time on Friday!!"

Now I think I'm well mannered and not forceful in any way. The appointment was made by phone and I was asked when could I call to discuss the proposition. So I was really there by request.

Is the old courtesy of calling up to change an appointment gone?

Last week I visited a local business to give a presentation. It went well and the director asked for a quote so he could talk it through with his co-director (no! I don't know when I'll see him). After several unsuccessful calls back I was told he was in "just a minute, I'll see if he's free" shortly the guy came back with "He's not interested!" Now I can understand that if I'd cold canvassed an unknown company but no. This was someone I was on more than nodding terms with. Shouldn't he have spoken to me, no matter how briefly, and told me himself. At least I'd have found out why. And probably felt a bit better.

Is the old courtesy of telling bad news personally gone? I understand that texting is now used to fire or make staff redundant. Is this the new way?

A couple of weeks ago I had the last of 3 appointments with another business person. The first appointment was denied when I called? The second was a waiting game. I waited 38 minutes why he attended to a custommer who came in just behind me. Meanwhile 3 sales assistants stood by and waited for customers!! On the 3rd appointment I drove to town, parked up and went into the retailer. He wasn't there. "He's gone to Cardiff" I got an assistant to call him on hios mobile. "Something cropped up and I had to come to Cardiff". That's a 40 minute journey so wouldn't a phone call have been in order?

I write this because it seems that attitudes have changed. E-mail and texting are altering the way we do business. I guess I've been brought up to beleive in relationship selling, that it takes more than a quick glance over a website before spending money on something that may not actually be right. I believe that we buy from people and that our first impressions (right or not) generally are important: but it takes more than a first glance to build up a relationship. 

Is selling thought of as old hat? The amazing thing about all three scenarios above is that each was with the top man in a retail business. What do they think when someone doesn't arrive for an appointment with them? Do they charge a "no show"? I spoke with a letting agent just last month and he had 12 out of 19 appoinments fail on one weekend. 

I've had about 40 years selling experience and run quite large sales-forces. I've trained sales-people for major companies and have been national sales and national trade sales managers. I have created businesses and been successf. My customers over the years have includeda whole range from small one-man enterprises to the BBC, Marks & Spencer, BHS, BP and Shell, 27 local authorities, major hotel chains police authorities and many more. So I have had some experience. It;'s not as if I've blustered in and  forced myself or tried high pressure selling. hese experiences have been a surprise.

Now despite all of this I have found that most appointments work. That there is still plenty of good manners and business form around. And despite the recession which is biting hard right now for many  there is business out there. I am pleased with the business I've written up in just the last month. 

I'm off to Cardiff and Bristol during the coming month and will be telling you about my sales experiences there. I feel there will be a change as the pond gets bigger.

Your comments are really appreciated. I'd love to hear from you. 

Since writing this late morning I have had two really good appointments, both culminating in sales for services, not products, with a high value so I feel that I'm doing something right. And to make matters even better I've had a phone call and two texts supporting and agreeing with my experiences. Small ponds big problems. 

Just to tell you about a great way to record conversations and anything else

I've been recording conversations on Skype using prettymay (available under extras freeware on the Skypwe site for a year now and it's always come up trumps. Simple and reliable. If you want to record Skype interviews or for any other reason then mp3freedownloader is the answer.

Boy how technology has moved on! I remember when music came on thick vinyl records, played on a turntable. The arm was gently placed on the record and a metal needle ran along the groove picking up the vibrations (I guess) and transposing them into music that came out rather crackly.The first one we had was wound by hand and you needed to listen out for the music slowing down.

I remember my first sound recorder back around 1958. It was like a Walkman in size but a dinosaur in technology by today's standards. A school friend made this and fitted it into one of his father's tobacco tins! I could record about 8 minutes of sound and play back. It worked on a very basic reel-to-reel player and you needed headphones to hear. I used a pair of ex RAF headphone, probably second world war surplus.

So what a contrast between then, when crystal sets were common, and now when we can record using a variety of devices and play back to such high quality that you'd think the musicians were in the same room. Anyone under fortyish wouldn't understand. 
 

Now I have an on-line radio show which you'd probably call a podcast but I like the sound "radio show". It rings of entertainment. And of course my show is made up of some music but lots of interviews a, handy hints and tips, and live news items. I use Skype for phone interviews because it's clear and I can record easily. I use mp3 free downloader because it has so many benefits.

When I call using Skype my mp3freedownloader automatically switches on and records as an mp3 which I can then use directly or edit. All files are stored together in a dedicated folder so they are easy to find. I used the free version but it's limited to 15 minutes of conversation and it is awkward telling an interviewee that we'll pause after 15 minutes whilst I re-set the recorder. It's a good way to trial the software and you can do that for as long as you like: but the pro version is really low-cost so it's a natural progression.

And here are some uses. Interviews are a natural. But what about those difficult conversations where you need a recording, just remember that you need to tell the other party and you need to get agreement. Record a sales conversation and listen back. Did you talk too much? Did you close enough? You'll learn to exchange words, vary the pitch and pace of your voice and speak with clarity. And you can pick up testimonials from satisfied customers. Give it a try and surprise yourself. Go to http://www.mp3freedownloader.com

Don't sell yourself short

This is short notice but I feel it’s so important that I urge you to read on!

“Swansea is going to have a very slow recovery from the recession!”

Around 40% of people employed in Swansea are employed by the Local Authority!”

Bad news on the TV last evening.

Or is it? It’s good news if you have products or services that people want to buy at a price they are willing to pay – provided you have the ability, know-how and commitment to find those people and convince them to place an order. And no matter how good we think we are that’s often the stumbling block. The difference between success and failure. Sometimes it’s just that we’ve forgotten how. Sometimes we just don’t know how. And sometimes we are bogged down with so much non-productive work that we just don’t take the necessary action.

And that’s why I want to tell you about my exciting short seminar “Sales Success” that will turn prospects into pots of gold customers.

This seminar is designed for owners and managers of growing businesses. So if you can’t see a positive productive 2011 then this isn’t for you. In fact I’d go as far as to say that anyone who doesn’t really want to succeed shouldn’t sign up. BUT if you’re a “half-full full” person take the plunge and once you’re in and caght your breath with the biting cold you’ll suddenly feel the surge of blood racing around your body carrying that vital oxygen that will push you forward.

This seminar will have the same rush when you hear the magic words from a prospective customer  “Can I give you an order?”

With the new government restrictions and cuts in place now is not the time to say “It’ll be alright” or “ Wonder how long we can go on like this!”

Now is the time to hone up your sales skills and cut the carpet from under your competitors feet. If you don’t get the business I can tell you who will. Yes! You are right, your biggest competitor.

So let me tell you about what I’m offering in the 90 minutes of this seminar.

You’ll learn or remember the 7 steps that culminate in you holding an order in your hand.  The 7 steps are preparation, the first meeting, questions, presentation, overcoming objections, and finally closing.  Sounds simple. Like riding a bike or swimming. You learn once and it’s always there at the back of your mind. If you don’t practice you’ll become skilled: if you don’t then you’ll get rusty and find it hard to keep up with the rest.

And with selling it’s not just knowing the 7 steps but being able to carry them out well. Well enough to persuade the prospect to sign an order and pay a price that gives you a respectable profit. And do you know the two most common faults in the selling process? Yes! You’ve guessed it. Firstly not actually asking for the order. Haven’t you ever said “Well. What do you want to do?” Often the prospect is actually thinking “I’d like to go swimming but I suppose I’ll have to wait til you’ve finished!” and sometimes they feel “I just don’t know what to do. Can I afford it? Do I really want it?” and bingo, the opportunity has gone. By asking “When would you like this delivered . . . ?” or “I think we’ve covered everything now. Let’s get the paperwork out of the way. Can you just OK the paperwork here!” you’ll find you’ve suddenly gained another customer. ***See the bottom of this page for the second most common fault of the selling process.

Often we come away saying “I lost the order!” when we really mean “I didn’t work hard enough to convince them?” or “What did I do wrong”

Successful selling is setting up a system, using the right type of words, getting positive reactions and persevering. Most sales don’t happen because the sales person goes in without a plan, doesn’t use the right kind of words and gives up too early.

So invest £37 and a couple of hours and you’ll get your money back 100 times over provided you walk the walk and talk the talk rather than putting your newfound knowledge in a dark corner of your mind.

Your only commitment is to plan your work and work your plan. Planning is just writing down a sequence of events. It includes finding out who wants your products or services: how they would find you so you can find them: how you will make appointments: an appropriate presentation: rehearsing and visualising. Planning is the essence of successful selling. Then you must work your plan and you’ll succeed. And there’s nothing like the feeling you get when you walk away with a signed order and know it’ll go towards building your business so you can buy that new car or take that holiday of a lifetime.

So book now just click below.

Then come along on Tuesday 1st February to the Metropole Chambers, Salubrious Passage, Swansea, just off Wind Street. Starts at 9.15 so come at 9.00. Pay by Paypal or send a cheque. There are a maximum of 7 places so sign up now. You can text or call me on 0797 63 64 681.

See you on 1st February and get those orders flowing in.

***Second most common fault made when selling?? Discounting or giving to much away so you don’t make enough profit. Remember turnover is vanity and profit sanity. Getting enough orders isn’t enough. Making good profit is!

Sales Success Seminar

Success starts with sharing your dreams

Success starts when you create an idea and make your dream. Sharing it with someone else and fixing that dream firmly as an ambition is the real launching ground for the success to happen. 
Work with me over at least 3 months and see the difference a critical friend can make. See how new ideas and skills can help you expand your business. e-mail me on ask@mikeleahy.com for more information

Start the New Year with success in mind

Please listen to this short podcast. If I can help you in your business with disability access, health and safety, selling skills or marketing ideas then call me. The start of a new year is a great time to take stock of where you are and where you want to be.
If you are an average person you'll make resolutions now that will have died by the end of next week. But if you are outstanding and want to succeed by doing average things well then this is a great opportunity.

Business Consultancy Overview

Be successful with your Business.

Use our range of services built up over more than 35 years. Whether you are looking to:

• gain new selling skills
• market your business successfully
• need a health and safety review, inspection
• have a disability access audit

Do listen to this short podcast
MikeLeahypromo1 by MikeLeahy

http://soundcloud.com/mikeleahy/mikeleahypromo1

Braille and other media for visually impaired people

Hi Guys

Have you seen those pages with massed of little bumps? Braille was devised in 1821 by Louise Braille, a blind Frenchman. Each Braille character, or cell, is made up of six dot positions, arranged in a rectangle containing two columns of three dots each. A dot may be raised at any of the six positions to form sixty-four possible subsets, including the arrangement in which no dots are raised. For reference purposes, a particular permutation may be described by naming the positions where dots are raised, the positions being universally numbered 1 to 3, from top to bottom, on the left, and 4 to 6, from top to bottom, on the right. For example, dots 1-3-4 would describe a cell with three dots raised, at the top and bottom in the left column and on top of the right column, i.e., the letter m. The lines of horizontal Braille text are separated by a space, much like visible printed text, so that the dots of one line can be differentiated from the Braille text above and below. Punctuation is represented by its own unique set of characters.

Almost two million people are suffering from sight loss to one degree or another. That's about 1:30. And the majority have gradual sight deterioration through Age-Related Macular Degeneration. But there are many guiding aids now around to help. Braille is just one of these. Unfortunately there are only about 100,000 people who can read Braille and fewer who write it.

The Access Audit Company have carried out street audits and feel not enough has been done. Possibly through lack of understanding. It certainly isn't due to financial restraints because most aids are low or no-cost, just a bit of clever thinking.

There is some help out on the street including at traffic lights. Put your fingers under the control box and when the lights show red you'll feel a revolving bar,. This is particularly useful for people who can neither see or hear.

You'll notice that it is customary for street furniture, that is signs, lamp-posts, other signs, waste bijns and so on to be close to the kerb or buildings so that there is a clear pathway down pavements. It is now usual now for tables and chairs put out by cafes etc to be cordoned off, usually with cloth or metal panels. Just a bar or rope between bollards is insufficient and in fact I know of a local cafe that has just added the panels as a blind person stumbled over the rope they had in place. With the smoking ban in pl;ace most places now have an outside area so there are more pavement tables and chairs. Unfairly, I think, some councils introduced a ban on tables and chairs to make a clearway for visually impiared people: then they introduced a charge to cafes for putting chairs and tabes back out. Some people might suggest this is a cash-cow!!

There are also tactile slabs with dimples that denote a  crosingg place, such as flush kerbs for wheelchairs and buggies, traffic lights and zebra crossings. Take a look when you are ouit and you'll notice some are light coloured and some dark. The darker ones show safe crossing places.

Interestingly there have been local navigation systems around for some years now and these are improving year on year. Local systems usually work with a hand-help unit that receives from transmitters attached to street lamps and signs. They tell the informer about shops they are passing, road crossings and points of interest. The latest run of satnav technology. And of course these are getting more accurate all the time, now with some down to just a couple of metres.

Shop signs are also often recognizable by shape or colour by us all. This is particularly useful to partially sighted people. Think about  pharmacies with the green cross, the post office symbol which is so easy to recognise.

This still doesn't help many people who have a severe sight loss and I noticed a guy with a white stick standing on the edge of the pavement the other day whilst several people just passed by!! It takes but a couple of seconds to stop and help. I'm sure you do so keep on. When you do don't grab the person by the arm and pull them along, just offer an arm they can hang onto and guide them, talking about any obstacles or problems ahead. Try it and you'll feel good afterwards too. Remember we all need help sometimes in our lives and it's often the small things like taking an extra 30 seconds to help someone cross a busy road or direct to a shop.

Snow in Sketty

We thought the snow and ice would never end. Small hills that would have us cruising up were sheets of compacted snow frozen to ice. Pavements became danger zones.

 
There are approximately 10 million disabled people in Great Britain covered by the Disability Discrimination Act: about 18 percent of the population. There are over 6.9 million disabled people are of working age which represents 19 percent of the working population. Only 50 percent of disabled people of working age are in employment compared to 81 percent of non-disabled people of working age. 76% of disabled people with a higher education qualification are in employment compared with 90% of non-disabled people. Of those with no qualification, 23% of disabled people are in employment compared with 60% of non-disabled people. Disabled people are almost twice as likely as non-disabled people to have no qualification at all. Disabled people are more than twice as likely as non-disabled people to be out of work and claiming benefits. Of the 2.4 million disabled people on state benefits and not in work nearly a million would like to work. The incidence of disability increases with age. Whilst 9 per cent of adults aged 16-24 are disabled, this increases to about 33 per cent in the 50 to retirement age category. In 2004 40% of the English population are over 45, the age at which the incidence of disability begins to increase.

 And here is the rub.

One in every three people either has a disability or has a close relative or friend who is disabled. Office of National Statistics, Census 2001 The estimated annual purchasing power of people with disabilities is £80 billion. Family Resource Survey 2002/2003

That means that the chances are that either you or a friend is disabled, so it's very close to all of us. AND if you have a business then there is around £80billion worth of purchasing that you might be missing out on.

And if they aren't good enough reasons then you have a legal responsibility. So what is holding businesses back from making access better? It seems that many businesses think the work would be too expensive. Others think that it doesn't matter. What do you think?

I believe that you can improve access for most businesses and properties

Visually impaired people often just need a guiding arm

Just back from a trip to Liverpool to carry out a disability access audit for a company before they sign the lease on their office.

While travelling I sat next to a lady who was blind and we had a most interesting discussion. Well, actually she answered some questions I had in the back of my mind.

Most people just associate disability with wheelchair users: they forget those who can't hear or see to well, have learning difficulties, arthritis, are very short or tall, have no feelings through nerve loss or the many other impairments.

Some disabilities are not obvious and some that you think will be, aren't There are also different levels of disability. For example most people who are registered blind can actually see to some degree. They may just be able to see shapes and colours: might only be able to read at a few inches away from their face. I remember a friend who had a guide dog but could read at very close quarters. When she read the paper on the train she'd get comments - so she stopped reading in public. But on one occasion I recall her almost falling over on the beach when she just couldn't see a large piece of driftwood.
My co-traveller told me how difficult it was recognising steps and stairs. and that she'd fallen down a couple of times.There are special slabs that are used to tell blind people when they are approaching steps and stairs. These are called tactile slabs and the one for steps has a corduroy pattern. These are often used in the wrong place which could lead toreal problems. Only last week I saw the corduroy slabs running along a railway platform. This could be mistaken for a step with dire consequences.