On the 16th May I’m proud to be giving a short talk at the celebrations of the Chartered Institute of Marketing’s 100^th Anniversary event in Newcastle.  I’ll be looking forward and not tback as I believe that the UK recovery can come from a Sales & Marketing Driven Economy.    We’ve been too much focused on financial management – and look where the banks have got us – and, in doing so, let other countries come steaming past us.

But we need to sell us and the UK better and sharper. And some of that starts with being proud to be a sales person. Tell the bean counters they’ll have no beans to count if the business doesn’t generate sales!

Okay, as always that’s my feelings and not necessarily yours!    But I hear one alarming comment the other day.  

A company finance director told its export sales manager that “our domestic sales are not reaching our budget targets so we are closing the export department!"   And that’s a true story told to me by top UK export sales director, Keith Lambourne!!