We are finally into February after what feels like the longest month of the year: January!
With the brief snowstorm now also out of the way, we can really get settled into 2019 and look ahead to what promises to be another busy and interesting year.
We’re excited about welcoming some new clients on board that will keep us, as always, on our toes through the year with their interesting products and solutions that ensure that we're always learning and evolving.
New clients have meant new solutions to learn about - and there are some great ones including document comparison specialists, Workshare.
Workshare’s comparison software is really interesting and particularly important for teams who work with documents that require multiple reviews and changes by multiple people. We’ve had our heads down learning about this and looking forward to talking to new prospects about how it can help their business.
As well as new clients, we’re always happy when existing clients continue working with us due to results we have produced for them. You can’t get a better endorsement than that.
We’ve expanded our team and added to our portfolio of business experience. Our newest recruits bring with them a background in legal conveyancing, internal channel sales in the networking security arena, and extensive IT sales and marketing experience specifically in the areas of data communications and management. The level of experience we have across the board enables us to approach each campaign with a good level of understanding and knowledge backed up by extensive industry exposure and familiarity to communicate the campaign message effectively.
Watch this space for more details when we feature our new faces in our 'Meet The Team' series.
As promised in our earlier blog; It’s a team effort, we thought we’d check in with another member of our team to find out a bit more about their background, and the things that make them tick!
Lawrence Keen has been a Next Call consultant for four years and has worked on many of Next Call’s key campaigns for clients. With a degree in computer science and a background in IT sales and project management consultancy, he is well placed to fully understand and appreciate the solutions our clients are offering, but also the problems their customers might be facing and how those solutions can benefit them.
One of the clients that Lawrence has been focused on is Huntsman Security - cyber and data security experts - and their Managing Director for EMEA had this to say…
From the start the process was straightforward; we were able to provide Lawrence with an overview so he could have the initial conversation with the prospects, which meant it wasn't just a brief appointment setting exercise, these were informed and useful dialogues that would remove any incorrect assumptions or doubts, leading to a more positive outcome.
Mairead Keaney, Managing Director of EMEA, Huntsman Security
Our 'Meet The Team' fun quiz with Lawrence went like this...
What drew you to IT as a career path?
"I grew up in the micro computer era and one of my favourite Christmas presents was a BBC Model B computer.
"What is it about working at Next Call that you find so appealing?
"I would say mostly it’s the variety of clients, and the interesting cutting edge technologies. It keeps you on your toes and provides a window into what is happening in the world of IT."
What bit of advice would you give a would-be telemarketer?
"In a nutshell, perseverance. Don’t give up at the first call, be persistent, but not annoying!"
Are you a coffee or tea drinker?
"Tea all the way!"
What’s your favourite film?
"The Good, The Bad and The Ugly"
Where is your next holiday destination?
"Scotland"
What are you favourite hobbies?
"Surfing"
If you could meet any historical figure, who would you choose and why?
"David Bowie. I’ve always loved his music and it would be so interesting to talk to him about his life and career."
Can you play any instruments?
"I can play the piano a bit."
What is the nerdiest thing you do in your spare time?
"I’m a bit of a cars and planes geek, and I watch too much star trek!"
What are three things still left on your bucket list?
"Fly in a spitfire.
Write the book I’ve been meaning to write but have never got round to.
Go to space."
What item that you don't have already, would you most like to own?
"A Light Sabre!"
We hope you are also looking ahead to a successful 2019 and we look forward to either working with you or networking with you.
Get in touch if you’d like to find out more about how Next Call can work with your organisation to drive lead generation, appointments and event fulfilment.
If you'd like to know more about some of the others in the Next Call Team, you can find their 'Meet The Team' stories in these blogs:
Melissa Craven is featured in What it takes to really stand out from the crowd and be the best at what you do…
Suzie Martin is featured in It’s a Team Effort
Lyn Stewart-Ashely is featured in What Does It Take To Be a Next Call Consultant
Alison Farrell-Price is featured in Improved Campaign Analytics: Getting Your Data Ready
Nikki Brooks is featured in As One Door Closes Another Door Opens: Looking ahead to 2020
Lisa Lawson is featured in The Key To A Successful Campaign Starts With The Data