The past number of years has seen a trend emerge each Christmas, amongst the big brands and retailers with lavish, feel-good advertising campaigns.

For many people, it signifies the start of Christmas when these festive ads play on prime-time TV and trend on social media. It’s also a time of year when spending is at an all-time high and competition is rife. As a result, many of these brands try to out-do each other to get their slice of the pie.

These big-budget campaigns can cost hundreds of thousands between production and advertising space. Some can even go into the millions, notably the recent John Lewis advertisement, which was estimated to have had a budget of around £7million. Yet, many people wonder are they worth it?

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How often do we hear people say that someone has the “gift of the gab” or they could sell “apples to an orchard”?  When it comes to describing stereotypical salesperson, do we imagine them to be an outgoing individual who talks a lot, oozes charm and wit?

Many of us will agree with this image. Yet, one might ask - what is it that makes good salespeople so great?

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We’ve all been in situations when we meet someone for the first time and we instantly hit it off. We can’t put our finger on it, but we immediately like the other person. We feel at ease with each other and there is an immediate connection.

This type of connection doesn’t happen all the time. Normally, it takes longer to build this 'long term rapport'. However, when we do succeed, relationships can last a long time. We may not see each other for a long time; yet we can pick up from where we left off every time.

Having great connections with customers is what we all ultimately want. We need to saviour them, nurture them and develop more of them. So, how can we get there?

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As we work through September and another school year, it’s hard to believe that over 53 years ago, the opportunity of obtaining a secondary school education was considered to be just for the elite.

Life in Ireland was very different in 1967. At the time one third of students who finished primary school were dropping out of education. By the age of 15 years, fewer than 50% were still in full-time education and just 20% of students stayed in school long enough to complete their leaving certificate.

This era of poverty in Irish society was about to change on the 10 September 1966.

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I am often asked how trainees can make an impression with customers over the phone, sound confident and make a connection.

Naturally, there is a certain amount of knowing what to say, the words we choose and when to say them. However, a lot of good communication comes down to how we say it! In other words - our tone of voice.

Over the telephone our voice carries 85% of the message we wish to convey. Just the remaining 15% is based on the actual words. We need to speak clearly and effectively to create a positive impact.

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