In-house sales training course testimonials : Marketing Nous

Sales training, presentation skills, sales management, sales strategy development.

Sales Training Client Testimonials

Each training program is tailor-made to suit the requirements of the client. Group sizes vary from 6 to 30. To achieve maximum impact the course development process includes a combination of:

Pre-training input from participants
Personal interviews with your staff and management
Review of your current practices
Company-specific training exercises
Follow up and extended workshop options

Download selection of testimonials (PDF)

Previous training clients have said...

"Stuart Ayling recently ran a sales training day for our team of business accountants and financial advisers. We had a mix of partners, client managers and other staff in the sessions. I found the day to be a great way of picking up new communication and selling skills. We also brushed up on our existing skills.

When talking to the rest of the team, they concurred with my assessment of the day. Our team are now more comfortable and confident in the sales arena, knowing that they are now better able to help our clients."

Peter Crothers
Partner
Insight Business & Financial Services
Toowoomba & Goondiwindi QLD
(Accounting and business services)

"Like every business we have a Sales Team that is varied in experience levels and of course abilities, so we were attempting to bring them together and deliver some structured training so that a core set of skills could be developed.

What impressed me straight away with Stuart was his alibility to get the right information out of us as Managers as to what we really wanted to achieve as a business.

Stuart then tailored his course detail to suit life experiences from a day-to-day point of view which really gave me some confidence that we were on the right track with this style of training.

We all learnt or were reminded that a structured approach to everything in business is vital. For our Team members that had never been exposed to this style of training, it gave each individual some understanding and structure for review or simply to remain on track in their daily routines.

For our Team members that had been through courses in the past it was a timely reminder that there is a structured approach to selling and that was a motivation for many of the Team! Successful sales is not just based on personalities there is a science to long term success. I expect to see very positive results from this investment in our people and business.

In fact we have already seen a new client on board as a result of our revised learning's from the two-day workshop."

Mark Mahoney
Managing Director
iMS Group, Sydney NSW
(Print pre-press services)

"AUSCOAL Super was looking for refinement and improvement for our Australia-wide based team of financial advisers, planners and managers who constantly present face to face seminars and workshops.

Being a not for profit AUSCOAL Super needed the presentation skills without the hard sell and after extensive research Stuart Ayling was a clear leader to partner with AUSCOAL Super.

The professionalism of our organisation has been lifted through both presentation content design and presenting skills thanks to the great support and assistance from Stuart Ayling."

Bruce Watson
CEO
AUSCOAL Super, Newcastle NSW
(Industry superannuation fund)

"We have never had any formalised sales program. Different people in different locations doing it differently. Wanted to bring them all together share experiences and get everyone to use the best methods.

I did not speak to anyone else, as I have done quite a lot of sales training in the past and Stuart seemed to GET what we were after on our first meeting.

Our people are technical types and sales does not come naturally to them. Stuart put the sales training across in a way they could accept as a part of our service offering with out them feeling like "salesmen".

All our staff are all now using similar improved techniques and more importantly they feel better about themselves and what they can offer the customer. They feel now they offer a valuable service, giving them more confidence dealing with the customers."

Gary McDonald
Managing Director
Grip Moto, Brisbane QLD
(Automotive panel repairs)

"Our staff aren't involved in direct selling and therefore we don't hire sales persons. However we are often negotiating deals and needed to train staff who are seen to be in a public relations role on how to "close the deal". We needed to be more assertive.

We initially decided to use Marketing Nous because of the comprehensive website. It was very informative and user friendly, and Stuart Ayling was in touch with me immediately after I requested contact.

We engaged Stuart to conduct a one day in-house course specifically designed to suit our company's needs. Every aspect of the course applied directly to our day to day jobs.

If we had gone to a generic course we may have only picked up one or two relative points, whereas the entire contents of the tailor made course were useful, well delivered and interesting. As a result of the course we are able to understand how sales fitted in to our current roles and how to deal with people in business with confidence."

Kathy Boorman
Manager Taxi Services
Black & White Cabs, Brisbane QLD

"Thanks Stuart for your presentation at our 2009 convention. It was extremely well received and the time you spent researching our industry prior to presenting was evident and appreciated by our delegates."

Rennie Schafer
Executive Officer
Self Storage Association of Australasia
(Industry association)

"As I expressed after your presentations to our team, I was very impressed with the presentation, content and direction taken. More importantly, our people have absorbed the many points covered, and the concepts are now coming up in conversation.

Better yet, these discussions are positive and outcome oriented - yes, they are using the stuff, and it works!

We are now revisiting the workbook from your presentation as a refresher, and we will be doing this quarterly. As an aide-memoir, the workbooks are priceless, and since they were used to record personal observations, are easily built on.

Overall, the cost of your seminar was a great investment for CPAP Australia. Thanks mate!"

Trevor Cuthbert
Operations Manager
CPAP Australia, Brisbane QLD
(Medical products)

"After researching several marketing / sales training companies AMS selected Stuart Ayling of Marketing Nous to run a custom-designed sales training course in Melbourne.

All staff at AMS were impressed by the approach of Stuart and the simplicity of the programme without the hype generally associated with these courses. The comments by all staff were very positive and that they picked many things that can be used in their sales presentations to customers.

We thank Stuart very much and look forward to using Marketing Nous again in the future."

Dirk Kuiper
General Manager
AMS Instrumentation and Calibration, Melbourne VIC
(Industrial instrumentation products)

"We wanted to improve our Customer Service Representatives understanding of how important the delivery and handling of our corporate message is in the sales process, how to handle different personality types and to improve their communication skills.

I choose Stuart as he was local, had a solid following, was professional and importantly he tailored his presentation to our areas of interest. As a result our CSR's now have a clearer understanding of listening, asking the right questions, probing and properly handling customers and prospects. I believe they will incorporate what they learnt into their everyday routine of meeting, greeting and selling to customers."

Colleen Holliday
Director
Innotek Australia, Gold Coast QLD
(Hi-tech pet products)

"We wanted a workshop that would help us to increase confidence, focus on asking the right questions, overcoming blocks, basic sales training and a refresher for some staff. We looked at Stuart's website information and after a discussion with him we felt
confident about his ability.

I'm very satisfied and believe everybody got some thing out of it. The team is more confident, knows what questions to ask, and has learnt that repeat visits will get
results most of the time. There has already been some great achievements resulting from the sales course especially in our NSW territory."

Eric Wai
Managing Director
Sentry Medical, Sydney NSW
(Surgical and medical devices)

"With a new and young team with little previous sales and client meeting experience I wanted to provide a training workshop that would improve our teams confidence and provide simple easy to use strategies to arm them for those daunting client meetings.

Stuart delivered every aspect of this and more, providing us with simple easy to use steps and procedures to effectively hold a meeting to gain the desired result, plus invaluable information in other important areas of communication.

Thank you Stuart for opening our eyes to how easy a client meeting can be if planned well."

Phoebe Greening
Partner
MGA Accountants, Gold Coast QLD

"Stuart Ayling was invited to speak at the Centenary & Districts Chamber of Commerce 2009 AGM meeting to educate our members on how to improve their sales results. We weren't disappointed. Stuart provided practical tips and strategies we can all use in our sales conversations with customers.

After many years in sales even I came way with some ideas for improvement! On Wednesday I listened to Stuarts advice and on Friday I applied it with great success.

Personally I found Stuart to be an impassioned, positive, and polished speaker who engages and brings out the most in his audience. I have already recommended Stuart to other Chamber Presidents. Thank you Stuart!"

Beau Jones
President
Centenary & Districts Chamber of Commerce

"As a results driven business we are always looking for new ways to continually develop and challenge our team to deliver greater results not only for our business but also our clients.

Stuart provided us with practical, easy to use systems and techniques that I have no doubt will deliver new and exciting results in the future.

Thank you Stuart for your energy and knowledge imparted to us!”

Andrew Oldham
General Manager
GPL Network, Gold Coast QLD
(Business coaching services)

"After being asked to find someone to deliver a session on presentation skills, my search lead me to Stuart’s website. As the attendees were our professional coaches and high performance staff it was imperative that the day be run with a practical perspective, with the premise that at the end of the day we all had to be better at delivering powerful messages.

The fact that Stuart has worked with a prestigious university gave the credibility and scientific rigor that I could trust. Although it could be seen as out of the ordinary to choose someone with a marketing focus for addressing sporting coaches, we all believed that we had to better at selling our message to the players and officials alike.

We were all very impressed by Stuart’s preparation in coming and interviewing us to determine what we wanted from the program and indeed in how he was then able to tailor a program to suit our presenting format and requirements.

The day gave us an easy structure to follow and some presentation guidelines to ensure that at every opportunity we were delivering the messages as effectively as we could.

The feedback from the participants was very positive and more importantly the structure and communication at meetings has since improved markedly, with the coaches now more comfortable in presenting because they have a simple formula that works."

James Holbeck
Personal & Career Development Adviser
Queensland Reds, Brisbane QLD
(Queensland Rugby Union)

"We wanted our managers to be better prepared to initiate and manage sales opportunities and to be more pro-active in looking for new sales opportunities. We also wanted them to be able to manage their time better.

It was very important to our company because we are moving from a technically focused service base to a more sales oriented company.

My initial discussions with Stuart on the telephone and the very positive feedback received from 3 individuals we had already sent on different open workshops gave me the confidence to engage Stuart's services. I really appreciated his willingness to put together a specific program for our company.

We provided attendees with feedback sheets and all comments on content and delivery of the program were very complimentary. Stuart kept the interest of a very diverse group and everyone came away with something of value.

Our company will achieve better results because our team is more focused, they have improved communication, time management and delegation skills."

Steve Russell
National Human Resource Manager
Siltech Group, Sydney NSW
(Maintenance services)

"The main focus of the (Country Areas Program) conference this year was cost effective marketing. Stuart Ayling from Marketing Nous soon felt quite at home in our small group and learnt what the obstacles are to educating a group of educators.

He conducted some very informative sessions and did a wonderful job of keeping us on track and imparting the cost effective marketing ideas that will work in our colleges. We all left with challenges - even if it was just to update our websites or blogs."

Lorraine Grierson
Principal
Emerald Christian College
(Commenting on conference held in Mt Isa by Association of Independent Schools Qld)

"Snelleman Tom enlisted Marketing Nous’ services in May 2008 to give our accountants practical selling and communication skills. As the investment of time and money were substantial, we compiled a detail brief and contacted four training providers who specialised in the area of providing sales and communication training to professional services firms.

In his proposal, Stuart from Marketing Nous clearly demonstrated an understanding of our team and our needs. Stuart presented a tailored workshop program for discussion that would optimise both the training outcomes and the retention of the newly learned skills.

When considering the various proposals from the training providers we found Stuart’s recommendation to be priced competitively and more importantly, spot-on for what the company wanted to achieve.

Stuart delivered the workshop program to our consultants over 3 days within an 8 week period. Our team found that building their skills this way and the email communications from Stuart over the 8 weeks helped achieve more meaningful results.

Stuart Ayling has exceeded our expectations. Not only has he delivered on his promises, but he has provided us with valuable ‘follow-up’ guidance which can be managed in-house to make the most of the training."

Grant Titman
Director
Snelleman Tom Consulting Accountants and Financial Planners, Brisbane QLD

"Stuart was engaged by OAMPS Insurance Brokers to assist with refining our sales teams core selling skills.

Stuart took the time to understand both our business as well as our client expectations. His efforts resulted in a valuable educational session at our Regional Sales Conference which has provided us with some core building blocks on which we can build future sales activities."

Scott Denning
Northern Region Manager (QLD and NT)
OAMPS Insurance Brokers

"After our first successful training session with Stuart Ayling in March 2007, I decided to engage Stuart's services again to conduct another full-staff training day in January 2008 - this time to look at up-selling to our highest level product, as well as at techniques to increase conversion rates from our public information sessions.

Once again Stuart produced a motivating full-day session with easy-to-use techniques that we practiced through role plays and peer sessions. This training was conducted within the first week of January, and, by the next week, sales of this product had doubled from 10% of all new sales to 20%.

As January comes to a close, we are looking at 22% of all new sales at this highest level product.

The extremely cost effective session with Stuart paid for itself within the first week of applying the new techniques and I have no hesitation to continue engaging Stuart's services to work with me from both a consulting perspective as well as a trainer for my staff."

Maria Morton
General Manager
Teach International, Brisbane QLD

"Danley Construction Products engaged Stuart Ayling to facilitate a series of planning sessions involving our Board Members and senior Executives. Throughout these sessions Stuart was very organised, personally engaging, and professional in his manner. He encouraged participation from everyone and kept us focused on the main issues, making sure we didn't waste time pursuing the many comments, ideas and side issues that came up. We were able to put those ideas aside for discussion at another time.

To prepare himself Stuart spent time with our General Manager and Marketing Officer, as well as reviewing documents and information from previous marketing plans. This made a big difference on the day as we could get straight into the agenda and Stuart really understood our situation.

His task here was particularly challenging as it was I who had totally designed our current marketing/corporate image, and I was not going to let go without a fight or vigorous debate.

The outcome was that we reached consensus for our new direction, and identified key actions to move forward. Everyone was very pleased with what we achieved, which was quite surprising given the scope of changes we were implementing. After this experience I'd certainly engage Stuart again - his contribution to our company was excellent.

Danny Underwood
Managing Director
Danley Construction Products, Brisbane
(Winner of Telstra Business Award 2007)

"I was looking for training in an area where we had no skills, no previous training and possibly a natural resistance. For most accountants, “sales” is a dirty word and most sales training programs seemed geared to product type sales which I felt may have conflicted with my idea of professionalism and long term client relationships.

When I saw on your website that you specialised in sales for professional services firms, I felt comfortable approaching you. And after our initial discussions (and the questions you asked), I was confident I’d made the right decision.

From the training sessions we’ve learnt new skills for communicating with clients and can now get them to articulate needs that we can meet. Consequently we are able to increase revenue for the firm.

Most importantly, we’ve learnt to shut up & listen! And we no longer feel like we’re trying to talk clients into something (which is how we have felt previously when in any type of sales situation).

For me the most valuable thing was how much work you had put in personalising the training to our firm. The training had maximum relevance because we looked at every day problems we encountered in real life. There were no glib answers that we could have brushed aside as being irrelevant to our situation. You helped us develop scripts for sticky situations & greatly increased the confidence levels of my team.

Also, you imparted a lot of information. At other training sessions I’ve felt the trainer has about 1 hour of content and spins out the day with endless “now break into small groups and…....”. You didn’t do that.

Your follow up after the sessions was also relevant & valuable. I will definitely get you back for a refresher!"

Anne Barry
Principal
Anne Barry Accountants, Brisbane QLD

"After months of searching for sales training courses we stumbled upon the Marketing Nous website and was taken in immediately by the Selling with Confidence program, of which Stuart then tailored to our specific business needs.

There were very high expectations going into our sales training day. Stuart had to prepare an in-depth presentation to cover all aspects of sales and selling techniques, as our experience in this field was little or none. He did this with great confidence and knowledge and used the little time we had in a productive professional manner.

By the end of the course we felt we had acquired the basic selling tools, the confidence, and direction to go away and strategically plan our sales approach.

Stuart worked with us in the weeks leading up to our training day gaining all information needed to prepare a training day specific to the needs of the isoki team. Every member of the isoki team was impressed and motivated by Stuart's presentation, his advice and direction was all relevant and very useful.

We are very confident that we made the right decision in choosing to work privately with Stuart and are sure that we now have the sales and marketing direction needed to build a profitable thriving business."

Rachelle Baker
Managing Director
isoki Pty Ltd, Sydney NSW

"Stuart’s preparation in tailoring a program specific to our needs was outstanding. The goods delivered on the day really hit home, and I was so impressed I immediately signed the national sales team up for more of Stuart’s training. I have no hesitation in recommending Stuart’s services to anyone who needs a positive influence on their sales team."

Brian Irvine
General Manager
Bernafon Australia, Brisbane QLD

"I engaged the services of Stuart Ayling in March 2007 to present a dedicated sales session to all staff involved with selling our training packages.

I had been working with Stuart for a short time using his consulting services, and, at the time, we were not very successful at selling our higher priced courses, even though they were superior products to the more basic lower-priced product.

After discussing our goals with Stuart, he worked with me to produce a specific sales training session which helped motivate my staff and give them new techniques to sell the preferred higher-priced product.

Within one week of completing the training, our sales of the higher-level product had risen from 20% total sales to around 40% total sales, and by the end of 2007, that preferred product was being chosen by around 60% of all new customers.

Stuart taught us simple techniques that even 'non-salespeople' could use comfortably and confidently, and the results were beyond all expectations."

Maria Morton
General Manager
Teach International, Brisbane QLD

"Stuart, you took the time to understand our business, which resulted in a training session that targeted our business requirements and benefited our employees. We do not have dedicated sales people and our managers have to fulfill this role.

They were easily able to understand the sales and marketing concepts you presented and found the course to be extremely practical and rewarding."

Denise Gallagher
Managing Director
CCI Australia, Hunter Valley NSW
(Coal testing services)

"Stuart energised our national Business Development Team and provided them with an appreciation of the technical and human aspects of sales and marketing. The self evaluation tests and pre-workshop questions provided an opportunity for personal evaluation, as well as giving the group an insight into its perceptions and skills.

Stuart certainly fulfilled the challenging brief I issued for our course. He meet our requirements given the short notice we provided and the broad range of subjects we desired all in one day! Thanks Stuart."

Dr. Gail Kelly
Business Development Facilitator
AAMHatch, Brisbane QLD
(Engineering services)

"I engaged Stuart Ayling from Marketing Nous on behalf of Elite Fitness to develop and deliver a one-day sales training component for Elite's franchisee training program. Stuart's delivery of this program not only exceeded my expectations but also of the franchisee's who participated in the training for the following reasons:

Stuart's material is based on current approaches to sales, with a focus on lifetime value.
Stuart's presentation style engages the participants so they become personally involved.
Stuart takes students on a journey of self discovery.
His communication style is open and reassuring that allows his students to absorb, ask questions, and to believe in themselves.
He uses personal evidence to support his theories and uses practical application.

Students emerge from the program believing they can sell. I would highly recommend Stuart's sales training program as a modern approach to building a system to increase sales."

Gary Tapiolas
Business Development Manager
Elite Fitness, Gold Coast QLD

"My company spent a day with Stuart Ayling, working to improve the sales presentation skills of our national team. Stuart has an easy comprehensive style that appealed to my staff. Stuart stays at the top of his game the whole time and practices what he is teaching.

Our staff are mostly woman and they found him very personable, even disarming. When doing sales training with staff who don’t claim to be sales people this is very important.

Stuart wasted no time, there was no filler in his presentation and everything was very purposeful. I am confident with Stuart’s training under our belts we will see marked results."

Adam Morehous
Managing Director
Teach International, Brisbane QLD

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