Working with SMEs throughout the North West to develop ideas, initiatives and activities aimed towards helping the business – and its people – reach their potential
Jean Atkinson is a Sales and Marketing Guru who works with you to ‘Make It Happen’
01 | Experience
Jean Atkinson has been in sales and marketing for over two decades, working in both business and consumer markets within an international arena.
Holding senior positions on a global level, Jean’s wealth of experience has contributed to the growth of numerous SMEs and organisations over the years via her structured approach and ability to identify opportunities and deliver results.
Throughout her career, Jean has actively led and delivered on entering new markets, innovation and product development, processes & systems, research, employee engagement, brand repositioning, cultural change, franchising & licensing and much more.
02 | Knowledge
A Chartered Marketer, Jean is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) and takes the development of her own knowledge – and that of her clients – seriously.
Jean follows a continuous professional development programme (CPD) and is well-versed on both a strategic and tactical level.
Jean holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Marketing, a degree in Business and Computing and is a qualified teacher. Jean has been a guest lecturer on both Level 4 and Level 6 programmes for the CIM, receiving four commendations from the CIM for the exceptional pass rates.
03 | Approach
Any credible senior business development consultant should possess the relevant experience and knowledge to be able to advise and guide your business to success.
What really makes the difference is how they approach tackling the challenges which lay ahead.
Jean’s clients describe her as a no-nonsense, jargon-free, say-it-as-it-is individual who embeds herself within your company to get to know your market, your people and your proposition. All this is topped off with oodles of passion, fun and creativity.
Jean seeks out opportunities, asks the questions others won’t and works with you to achieve results.
When another person’s experience and point of view can make a difference to the performance of your business and its people
There are various triggers which prompt a business owner, senior manager or marketer to invite Jean into their company including:
- interim cover for senior sales & marketing positions
- organic, unplanned or rapid growth
- requirement for strategic direction
- focus on acquisition and retention of business
- change in people or business direction
- introduction of new products and services and innovation
- entering new markets and new routes to market i.e ecommerce
- requirements for sales & marketing processes and systems
- staff development and internal communications
01 | Consultancy & Strategy
If it’s a sales and marketing plan or strategic support you’re after then look no further.
Jean works with SMEs on their sales and marketing plans as well as providing strategic direction as part of the Senior Management Team and at Board level for larger businesses.
Jean works with you over a period of 6-12 months to ensure you keep focused on the strategy and to address the sales and marketing challenges which may lay ahead. Typically this is delivered either weekly, fortnightly or monthly and is identified in the initial consultation.
If you find you’re lacking in sales or marketing direction at Board level, then Jean will attend Board meetings and bring the sales and marketing insights to the meeting in order to ensure strategies and activities are aligned with the strategic direction of the company.
02 | Mentoring & Training
Jean supports individuals and teams throughout the UK on developing their sales and marketing knowledge.
If you have recently promoted an individual to take on a more strategic role within the business, then Jean will come in and provide mentoring support over a period of 6-12 months to ensure they fully understand and are able to contribute on a strategic level; carrying out research, creating strategies and managing their team.
If you have recently recruited and require 1-2-1 or group training, then Jean provides a range of tailored sessions covering topics such as understanding the sales & marketing process and sales techniques, thorough to tackling Mailchimp, metrics and customer engagement.
As a qualified teacher and guest lecturer on the CIM Level 4 and 6, Jean can provide you with mentoring and training that delivers results for both the individual and company.
03 | Interim Cover & Recruitment Support
Jean provides interim cover and recruitment support for Senior Sales and Marketing roles across the North West.
Whether this is due to maternity, illness or a vacant position, Jean will take on the role of managing your sales or marketing team until they return or a suitable person is recruited.
If you’re unsure as to what skill-set you are looking for, but know that you require a Senior person to manage the sales or marketing function, then Jean will work with you or your recruitment company to ensure you recruit the right person.
From identifying the skills gap within the business to interviewing potential candidates, Jean can support you every step of the way; minimising recruitment costs and time in the process.
Client Testimonials
Jean was the perfect match for us. She offered some really good ideas which left us scratching our heads thinking why didn’t we think of that! We have already put these ideas into practice and we have been successful in gaining additional sales. I cannot recommend her enough.
Jean is a wonderful trainer, delivering course material in a friendly and engaging manner. She has a knack of explaining tricky concepts and theory by encouraging her students to apply them to their own real-life scenarios, making it relevant and relatable. She passionately cares about her students and encourages them to deliver the best they can. Whilst completing my CIM level 6, Jean provided extra support as my study skills were a little rusty having not done any academic work in almost 15 years. Highly recommended.
We have been a client of Jean’s since 2016 and have continued to use her on a regular basis we have always found her to be extremely efficient, thorough and responsive to our marketing needs. Over the years Jean has been very helpful and constructive in addressing many issues, in so doing providing a service that is efficient, cost effective and very client friendly. A great person to work with and great service. I would absolutely recommend Jean to any business.
Jean’s strategic input and no-nonsense approach has been fundamental in taking us forward. Jean has energised our team, is not afraid of challenging the status-quo and has worked closely with our Commercial Manager to get results. Her commercial knowledge has helped us to identify our core audience and align our sales and marketing activity towards this.
Jean was instrumental in developing our Strategic Marketing Plan, the benefits to our business have been way above our expectations. Jeans style of working fitted really well with my vision and our development is due in no small way to Jean, always willing to listen and offer sound advice are two great qualities be prepared for a direct straight comment!. Would recommend any company which wants to develop their on or off line marketing to contact Jean.
Jean has provided us with a credible Marketing Department and a workable strategy that can be understood, implemented and measured in results. She has brought a wealth of best practices to our strategy and continuous support and motivation. This has enabled us to grow and adapt to new opportunities.
Jean’s direct approach is a refreshing change and you know that it comes from a place of having ‘been there & done that’ and not just from a theoretical perspective; however, she clearly has this has well, which shows itself in her structured approach.
Jean led strategic sessions with our team which resulted in a marketing strategy that has provided focus for the team as a whole, reducing overheads in the process. Jean’s approach is engaging, structured, consultative and measured, with the whole experience made easy due to her straight forward, jargon free approach.
Sell Your Way…
I have written this book for sales people, managers and business owners who are keen to refresh their approach to sales. The book is also ideal for those new to sales who want to learn more about the strategies available to support sales teams, productivity and growth.
I’ll be taking you back to basics by reviewing the importance of setting objectives and identifying your sales toolkit. We’ll take a look at the art of negotiation and work through 25 sales strategies you can adopt quickly and cost-effectively within your own company.
Go to the ‘login’ area of my website where you can access a range of resources exclusive to readers of this book.
“A must read for small business owners/managers when trying to make sense of the perceived complex topic of selling. This book helps to simplify the process by offering clear and concise sales strategies which will help deliver sales growth.” – Andrew Fitzer, Managing Director, Hitaltech UK Ltd
Clients include…
