Insight newsletter from Banner - issue 4

http://www.bebanner.co.uk/

insightNEWSLETTER

ISS

UE

4

be up-to-date be informed be aware

To celebrate our fantastic new product range for 2015 we’re giving away some of our

favourite new products, so make sure you enter our competition.

In this edition we look at the key procurement trends for 2015 and discover why

social media is essential for business today. Other features include tips to shine in

meetings, and how germs can spread through

the workplace in just a few hours.

And if your New Year Resolutions

involve fitness, don’t miss our guide

to keeping fit at work.

5853-Insight_Newsletter_Issue_4_Layout 1 09/01/2015 11:35


We’re delighted that our 2015 catalogue is

currently arriving at workplaces across the

country, packed full of essential new products.

To celebrate we’re giving away 3 goodie bags –

packed full of some our favourite products.

Everyone will be entered into a prize draw, with 3 winners

picked at random. And to make it extra special we’ll also be

giving away a Plantronics BackBeat Fit to our first lucky winner

and a Voyager Legend UC (product code 601 0089) to the

second person picked.

You can enter at bebanner.co.uk or by emailing your details

(name, company and job title) to [email protected]

with #bebanner as the subject line.

Best of luck to all – and Happy New Year!

Our prizes include:

• Philips Voice Tracer, Digital Recorder for notes and

conversations DVT4000 or Philips DVT 2700 Stereo

Digital Voice Recorder (product code 601 0033)

• Fellowes PrivaScreen™ Blackout Privacy Filter for iPad

(product code 099 3562)

• Unibond Aero 360 humidity absorber


• Jalema Resolution desk set

(product codes 044 1300, 044 1305 and 044 1301)

• Jalema Grips for A7 to A0 in 900mm, 600mm and 1,200mm

– a new display solution (product codes 900mm – 790 9218,

600mm – 790 9217, 1200mm – 790 9219)

• Blakes Premium Secure 20 pack of C4 gusset pockets, tear

resistant paper envelopes (product code 027 1640)

• Blakes Premium Office SOHO box, 250 sheets A4 paper

and 50 DL envelopes (product code 204 2711)

[email protected]

For full terms & conditions email [email protected]

Enter our new products competition insightNEWSLETTER

• Pilot Friction yellow highlighter (product code 050 3133)

• Pilot Friction clicker ballpen 07 (product code 050 0525)

• B2P Gel 07 – Bottle to Pen ballpen (product code 050 0526)

• Pilot Refillable Rollerball 0.7 (product code 050 1933)

• A selection of Snopake polyfiles including the new A4 Polyfile

with USB pocket (product code 040 4217)

• Kleenex balsam tissues in a square box


• Packet of Kleenex hand and surface sanitising wipes


• Kleenex 50ml luxury foam non-alcohol instant hand sanitiser


The competition opens at 8am on Monday 12th January and

will close at 5pm on Sunday 25th January.

1st Prize: Plantronics

BackBeat Fit

2nd Prize: Voyager Legend UC


be up-to-date

be lucky

be inspired


http://www.bebanner.co.uk/[email protected]

How to shine in meetings insightNEWSLETTER

Attending meetings is part and parcel of the world of business. Emails and

phone calls are effective, but they can't replace a face-to-face meeting for

getting things done. Meetings are the perfect opportunity to collaborate, tackle

problems, discuss important issues and hear ideas from a range of perspectives.

Everyone likes to get their

voice heard in meetings. Not

only can it earn you brownie

points from your boss, it also

demonstrates your ability in

your role and your

determination to succeed.

However, if you are

introverted you may struggle

to contribute to a meeting,

and extroverts can create a

barrier of resistance by being

too overbearing.

Whatever your personality,

you've worked hard to get to

where you are and your ideas

and opinions matter. Here are

a few strategies to help you

shine in the boardroom.

Be prepared

This is a mistake that many

people make. Preparation is

essential for building

confidence and getting the

facts clear in your head before

saying them out loud. Before

the meeting, re-read your

notes and minutes from

previous meetings and write

down your talking points.

Listen

This doesn't mean you remain

silent throughout the meeting,

instead that you listen well

and make relevant points at

appropriate times. If you

acknowledge and expand on

what others are saying they

are more likely to return the

favour.

Don't interrupt

There's a fine line between

jumping in on a discussion and

interrupting someone. This

can be a tricky one to master

but the secret is to anticipate a

break and then contribute

your ideas. A good way to

start your point is by saying: "I

agree with Clare's suggestion

and think we can add to it by

doing ..."

Know when to interrupt

Of course, sometimes it is

acceptable to interrupt. If

someone is rambling and has

strayed off topic it is better for

be smart

be confident

be inspired

everyone involved if you say

something such as: "Can I stop

you there so I can be clear

about the point you are

making?"

Think about your body

language

If you feel nervous make sure

your body language tells a

different story. Sit up straight,

lean forward and use hand

gestures to emphasize your

points. Being aware of body

language is just as important

for extroverts too – gestures

and movements that are

over-the-top or overbearing

can quickly lessen your

credibility around the table.

Speak with confidence

If you sound like you know

what you are talking about

and believe in your ideas then

others are more likely to listen.

At the other end of the scale,

make sure you avoid sounding

arrogant when you speak. If

you come across as bossy in a

meeting you won't win many

allies.

Learn from experience

Once the meeting is over, think

about the part you played.

Identify what went well and

make a note to repeat it in the

future. Also identify any

mistakes you made and think

what you would do differently

next time.



Did you know that once a virus makes it

onto a door handle at work, it can spread

to up to 60% of employees within just a

few hours?

Viruses can infect the entire workplace – within hours insightNEWSLETTER

[email protected]

be smart

be informed

be aware

Gerba, a well-known germ

scientist, conducted a study

by using tracer viruses, which

whilst not harmful to health,

mimic viruses which are. His

team then looked at how

quickly these viruses spread

through the workplace. The

virus he used, MS-2, is similar

to the winter vomiting bug

norovirus, which infects

millions of people in the UK

each year.

In one of the experiments,

Gerba put the tracer virus on

the doors of an office with 80

people and found that in three

hours, MS-2 could be

detected on over half of the

employee’s, as well as over

half of the surfaces people

touched in the building. “What

we learned was, the first area

to be contaminated was the

coffee break room,” said

Gerba. “That actually turned

out to be a hotspot, because a

lot of people go in there —

more of a hotspot than the

restroom.”

The good news though, is that

the spread of viruses can be

halted through practising good

hygiene at work. In phase two

of the experiment, Gerba

educated office workers on

the importance of washing

hands and using antibacterial

wipes and cleaners, and

placed hand sanitisers around

the workplace. He then

released the tracer virus back

into the office and found his

interventions overwhelmingly

halted the spread of the virus.

“'Make it convenient’ is what

we really went for,” said Gerba.

“I’m sure a lot of people who

were involved or said they

would use a hand sanitizer or

disinfectant also participated

because it was there and

made available to them.”

Gerba repeated the

experiment several times in

different locations, to validate

the research.

What we

learned was,

the first area to

be contaminated

was the coffee

break room



Networking

The traditional way of networking saw CEOs meeting clients and

business peers face to face. Now LinkedIn allows all employees

to check for suppliers and reach out to their business

communities at the click of a button. That is not to say that

today's digital networking fully replaces what happens in the

real-world, but it makes for a quicker route in. And if businesses

are to stay ahead of the competition, then they need to strike

the right balance between online and offline networking.

Social media is now unquestionably a major part in most of our daily lives.

Even though sites such as Facebook and Twitter have been around for less

than ten years, it is hard to imagine life without them.

Social media is something that crosses from our personal to our

professional lives. From global corporations to small start-ups, businesses

are creating social profiles through which they can network with other

professionals, interact with clients and collaborate as a team. If your

business hasn't embraced social media yet, it ought to. Here's why:

Why social media is essential for business today insightNEWSLETTER

[email protected]

be social

be aware

be connected

The rise of the start-up

Some of the most successful and rapidly expanding

businesses are small start-ups using social media and

other forms of technology to give them the upper hand.

By creating a social buzz through viral content, these

start-ups are bypassing the need for huge advertising

budgets. Of course, using social media in this way does

not guarantee you instant success. The results are not

always instantaneous and might not be as powerful as

a television advert, but when it does work, it really works.

Patience and the smart use of analytics are the routes

to success here.



Why social media is essential for business today insightNEWSLETTER

[email protected]

be social

be aware

be connected

Putting the customer first

Customers are clearly crucial to all businesses. Social media is increasingly being used by businesses

as an additional customer service channel. More and more consumers are going straight to Twitter

when they want to make a complaint and it is up to businesses to deal with these situations. If a

brand is seen to be listening and responding to feedback, customers will respond accordingly.

Driving decisions

By looking at the numbers being created by social media – which posts received how many 'likes'

on LinkedIn, for example – marketers are able to piece together the bigger picture. A huge amount

of insight can be gained in this way. The more companies are able to decipher the data, the more

prepared they are when it comes to making the decisions that matter.

Stay focused

There are many social channels out there and it would be foolish for a business that is new to social

media to tackle them all at once. Instead, look at the main players – Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn,

Google+ and YouTube – and see which ones are best for your business. Another way to focus your

efforts is to make sure that your social media activity is fully integrated into your marketing strategy.

It needs to work hand-in-hand with everything from email marketing and SEO to direct mail and

mobile.



Procurement topics: Trends for 2015 insightNEWSLETTER

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What's new in procurement for 2015?

Regardless of the industry you are in, any business that is

buying or selling products or services (aka the majority of

businesses) needs to have a robust project and procurement

management strategy. Having streamlined procurement

processes in place not only saves a business time and money,

it also opens up a range of opportunities that the business as

a whole can benefit from. Today's businesses are constantly

competing with one another and need systems in place to

manage large, complex projects.

So, as we start the New Year, we have selected some of the

key procurement trends to look out for in 2015.

Collaborative sourcing

When it comes to sourcing,

businesses need to think

collaboratively. There are

many ways in which a

company can approach

sourcing, but a collaborative

approach ultimately leads to

lower project costs. By

allowing a number of selected

suppliers to compete for a

contract via a central platform,

savings of around 20% can be

made. To take full advantage

of this trend you need to

arrange your list of existing

suppliers into groups

according to strengths and

competencies, behaviour,

performance, and efficiency.

Once in groups, you will be

able to manage the task of

supplier rotation and secure

the lowest prices.

Project management based

on deliverables

We are increasingly seeing

that while project turn-around

times remain the same, the

number of deliverables

required per project is

increasing, almost as much as

50%, according to research.

The successful completion of

these complex projects will

see your business gain a

competitive edge, so your

employees need to focus on

deliverables rather than

separate tasks.

In an industry survey, 44% of

businesses stated that their

company was able to manage

a maximum of 250

deliverables a year, while for

30% that figure was a

maximum of 175. However,

place a deliverable-based

project and procurement

system into a business and

the number of achievable

deliverables was reported to

be anything from 550 to

more than 2,000 a year.

Technology allows employees

to be empowered and get a

greater sense of achievement

from their work. This

translates into greater

engagement and productivity

so cannot be overlooked by

your business in 2015.

Collaborative change

management

Many businesses consider

change orders a necessary

part of the project and

procurement management

process - this doesn't have to

be the case. By investing in a

system that enables

transparent collaboration on

the requirements of a project

before it is put out for

estimate, you can streamline

the process and prevent

unnecessary errors. Change

orders only serve to increase

the cost of a project, and a

collaborative approach can

avoid these costly mistakes

and lack of communication.

Focus on innovation

Businesses that embrace

innovative project and

procurement management

strategies will be able to take

on a higher number of

complex projects compared to

their competitors. But more

importantly they will be able

to do so in the same amount

of time, with increased

efficiency and at a reduced

cost. The more a business is

willing to innovate, the faster

it will grow, the more business

it will win and the better the

future will look.



Keeping fit at work - top tips insightNEWSLETTER

Making a few small changes to your daily

routine really can make a difference. If

you want to up your fitness levels, try and

build more exercise into your day. Our top

tips are designed to help keep you that

little bit fitter – and hopefully you’ll feel

happier and more positive generally.

[email protected]

be smart

be confident

be inspired

A healthy commute

Walking or cycling to work is a

simple way of building

exercise into your day without

too much effort. If you can’t

walk all the way to work, why

not get off the bus, train or

tube a stop earlier and walk

the rest?

Exercise before work

Go the gym on your way to

work - find a gym that’s on

your route to the workplace

and get your workout done

early.

Don’t skip breakfast

If you skip breakfast you’re

more likely to reach for the

chocolate biscuits or eat your

lunch at 11am. Eating breakfast

will help motivate you to keep

moving.

Move around the office

You don’t need to perform a

series of squats whilst waiting

for the office photocopier to

warm up, but move around

the office regularly. Go and

talk to people rather than

firing emails at people who

work in the same office as

you.

Top up on water

Regular trips to the water

cooler are another good

reason for moving around the

office. Drinking water aids

concentration and digestion –

plus its calorie free!

Take a lunch break

Even if you just walk around

the block, it’s good to get away

from your desk if you can.

Remember, you can walk a

mile in 15 minutes if you walk

at a fast pace.

Find a friend

Get an exercise buddy! Having

a friend to run with, or attend

a class with, will mean you’re

less likely to skip a session.

Be part of a team

Why not join, or set up, an

office sports team? Football,

basketball, netball or whatever

takes your fancy. It’s a great

way of encouraging that team

spirit.

At the end of the day

If you really want to get fitter,

why not do some post work

exercise? Go for a swim or jog

home.



insightNEWSLETTER

be connected be in touchbe inspired

Visit our resource centre at bebanner.co.uk for all

our latest insights, tips and news.

We’re always keen to hear from you, so do get in

touch with us on Twitter. Or why not follow our

company page on LinkedIn?

If you’d like to receive the next issue by email just

send your details (name, job title and email) to

[email protected] or sign up at

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Insight newsletter from Banner - issue 4

Business

Transcript of Insight newsletter from Banner - issue 4