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PRO NEWS
DECEMBER 2016 PRO INSTALLER
www . proinstaller . co . uk
TRAINING TOMORROW ’ S TECHNICIANS TODAY
Eurocell has brought in a technical apprentices scheme alongside its successful in-house Management Development Programme . The aim is to underwrite a talent base for the future and ensure leadership training is balanced across all workplace disciplines . The first group of apprentices will spend a year in customer services before moving on to two years in design engineering . Others will be spread throughout the company and in divisions such as Merritt Plastics , the recycling arm . David Leighton-Berry , national training co-ordinator said : “ Planning for the long term is crucial if we are to continue our success and nothing can be more important than training young people in the skills that we will need in the future . We have designed programmes that will attract talented young people into the business and train them according to the needs of each department and the business as a whole . “ These programmes will enable the apprentices to learn skills quickly and so make a significant contribution to the business .” The Management Development Programme is delivered over nine months . It covers essential management skills , teams and team performance , personal effectiveness and presentation skills . Two further courses have also been developed in association with the company ’ s major training provider , Maguire Training . Level Two is for managers with a few years ’ experience who are looking to build on their skills and experience to further develop and improve their managerial abilities . Level Three is for experienced managers looking to take their skills to the next level and develop a more strategic approach to management .
www . eurocell . co . uk
RETURN TO DIRECT MARKETING ?
You can ’ t help but notice the explosion of new marketing channels as businesses jump on the digital band wagon . In recent years , the shift from print and traditional marketing towards digital has been seen as a ‘ must ’ among sales and marketing professionals . While there is no question that expertly implemented digital strategies work , having all your eggs in one basket doesn ’ t – as many B2B companies have discovered to their peril according to market intelligence experts , Insight Data . Troy Hannam , Insight Data ’ s marketing manager , explained : “ The problem is people don ’ t just live in a digital world . We live in the real world where real interactions occur – every day we are exposed to newspapers , magazines , radio , TV , bill-boards , bus advertising , exhibitions and events , merchandising and more .” The heavyweight of B2B advertising and lead generation has always been direct marketing , and while it went out of vogue when the ‘ new kid on the block ’ – digital – made the headlines , it ’ s not surprising that organisations large and small are moving back to direct marketing in droves . Online marketing relies on the customer searching for relevant products or services , or coming across the advertising content .
Direct marketing interrupts the customer and demands immediate attention . Post has to be opened , the telephone has to be answered . Suddenly , direct mail , email marketing and telesales are all back on the agenda . There is another reason why marketers are swinging back towards direct marketing . As more companies invest in digital , the results are diminishing with greater competition and rising acquisition costs . Meanwhile , with fewer companies investing in direct marketing , the impact is greater and the results are even better than before . The secret to success with direct marketing is the contact list . Using fresh , highly targeted marketing data that identifies your ideal target customer can increase response rates 10-fold .
For more information , call 01934 808293 or visit www . insightdata . co . uk
Chancellor right to double housing spend
Doubling capital investment on house building and relaxing the timeline for deficit reduction is the right way to boost economic growth , the Federation of Master Builders ( FMB ) has said in response to the Autumn Statement . Sarah McMonagle , director of external affairs at the FMB , said : “ The Chancellor ’ s commitment to double annual capital spending on housing by 2020 demonstrates that he understands that house building and economic growth are intrinsically linked . For every £ 1 invested in construction , £ 2.84 is generated in the wider economy and therefore the best way to protect ourselves from an economic wobble as we leave the EU is to invest in our built environment . For that reason , the £ 1.4 billion announced for 40,000 affordable homes is welcome , as is the £ 1.3 billion for roads – the latter will help improve the UK ’ s infrastructure and make our economy more competitive .” She concluded : “ The Chancellor ’ s £ 2.3 billion Housing Infrastructure Fund is welcome and could go some way to solving the housing crisis . The burden of funding local infrastructure for new homes should not fall entirely on private house builders – however , as council budgets have been stripped back , local authorities have increasingly looked to developers , including even the very smallest developers , to plug these funding gaps . Heavy demands for Section 106 and Community Infrastructure Levy can make many small developments unviable . “ Key to the Fund ’ s success will be to ensure that it focuses on unlocking large numbers of small sites and not just small numbers of large sites . The Chancellor wants a ‘ housing market that works for everyone ’ and central to this is empowering small local house builders . We look forward to the government ’ s forthcoming Housing White Paper which we hope will include further interventions to boost housing delivery through SME house builders , including a presumption in favour of smaller scale developments .”
www . fmb . org . uk