May Talk with Andy Entwistle

May is speeding up and summer is round the corner! How is our business community feeling about National Walking Month? Today we're talking to Andy Entwistle who is the director and principal trainer at Salient Sales and Training. He helps clients find more customers and win more sales to make their businesses grow. Salient is based at Bowman House, Whitehill Lane, Royal Wootton Bassett.

May is the last month of Spring – how has Spring been for you so far in your business? 
Spring is great, my favourite season and at last I have seen the shoots of new business from the corporate side of my company.  I have completed four proposals in the last three weeks!  Smaller businesses too are becoming more active.

Have you got any milestones coming up in May, personal or in your business?
Business – I have won the first of these opportunities.  Winning the second will bring me back to pre-Covid business levels! 

June 16th I am holding my first full workshop in three years.  Marketing this in May will show me if people are really ready! 

Personally – it’s the start of my new ‘effectiveness’ regime which will combine aspects of fitness, energy, organisation and wellbeing.  

Basically, I need more energy to tackle the new business opportunities and to be able to help with our new granddaughter!

This has been a challenging time for some businesses – with issues around supply chains and cost of living rises – how are you facing that as a business or as a consumer? 
As a business, there is little opportunity to reduce costs, other than less travel and more Zoom, so my answer is to work smarter by winning more opportunities at a slightly higher price than pre-covid.

As a consumer, we are having smart metres fitted to make us all more aware of our energy consumption.  Greater insulation is next and possibly an air-fryer!

Do you have any money-saving tips or hacks you could share?
Business – plan your meetings and your contacts to optimise online working. If selling, try and see them as soon as you can, but visit only to ‘seal the deal’.  

Delegation can cost less than trying to do it all yourself, especially if you do not enjoy the task, because others will do it quicker and cheaper than you!

Snacking on fruit is not only better for you but is significantly cheaper than vending machines!

Do you have any plans for the Queen’s Jubilee at home, in your community or in your business? 
We live in a cul-de-sac, and are planning a mini street get-together with the neighbours.  My latest barrel of homebrew will be ready by then!  We will be toasting HMQ!

Have you ever met the Queen?
Some years ago, when in the school choir, we sang to her when she opened a new wing of a local hospital. At 12 years' old I was surprised to find I was taller than her!

What do you think of our Queen?
I think she is a very impressive monarch, hard working and very perceptive. To remain a constitutional monarch after 70 years and in these changing times is a fantastic achievement.

To us she is our daughter’s former boss. For three years Sophie worked at Buckingham Palace as the Queen and Duke’s personal housemaid.  She would meet the Queen fairly regularly and had a room in the palace which we visited often! 

May is National Walking Month – it’s also one of the most beneficial exercises – do you walk at all?
I try to walk regularly. At present I walk around three miles a day.  I intend to increase this if our ten-year-old dog lets me!

Have you got any events which you’d like to mention?
On Thursday June 16th I am running a day’s workshop called ‘Selling Yourself and Smart Networking’. This is my most popular workshop and now includes tips and techniques for video meetings too. In the room AND on Zoom networking and selling.

What’s your one top business tip to help others be positive about their business this summer?
Now is the time!  Businesses are becoming active again – do not miss the opportunities.  Raise your profile, write posts, comment on others’ posts, network as much as you can, promote your offers….get out there before the competition takes it all!

Tell us one thing we won’t know about you.
I once dropped my trousers in front of a Swedish Prince.  It’s a long story!

Have you got any special offers you’d like to mention? 
All those attending my workshop in June will not only receive a free copy of my book ‘The Persuasive Power of Ethical Selling’ but will also have the opportunity of a substantial discount from the cost of a ‘1 to 1 Coaching day’ or my ‘Business Mentoring Programme’.

For more information visit www.salientsales.co.uk