Greetings!
This month I bring you details of clarification from BRE on the use of their Green Guide, hints for running successful exhibitions and details of initiatives to help you with your business in 2009. |
| Misuse of the Green Guide |
 You may have read in the press of the misuse of the Green Guide by Milton Keynes council who made it mandatory for all new buildings to use materials with a high rating from the Green Guide. BRE and the CPA have issued a joint statement;
"Specifying materials or products solely on one criterion, such as embodied carbon or recycled content, can lead to sub optimal overall sustainability choices. Specifiers must understand that the embodied environmental impacts, as measured in the Green Guide, are only a part of (and not the same as) the overall sustainability of a building as measured in BREEAM and CSH. Materials or products not getting A or A+ ratings in the Green Guide can still be, and already are, part of buildings achieving high levels in CSH or BREEAM." Extract from press release issued jointly by BRE and CPA on 1st December 2008.
This statement support's the use of products with ratings below A and could be a useful tool to support their use in the correct applications. I suggest that you make this statement available to your sales team to help them when working with specifiers. |
| Awsome Exhibitions |
I recently attended a presentation by Austen Hawkins on successful exhibitions. It made me realise that so often we commit the money and time to create the stand but then fail to follow-through properly. Austen reminded us of the importance of setting objectives for the exhibition and targets for the individual stand personnel. He talked about the unique environment of the exhibition and how important it is to engage customers effectively, and having got their details to follow-up properly. If you are going to be exhibiting next year have a look through his presentation, or better still talk to him about some training. |
 Housebuilder Watch |
We have made some revisions to our survey Housebuilder Watch so that it better copes with the flat housing market. It should also give an early indication of the first green shoots of recovery, which I hope we will see in 2009. At only £250 per quarter it represents good value. The next survey will be conducted in January. learn more
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| Innovation & Downturn Marketing |
There are two events early next year which CIMCIG have arranged to help you face the challenges ahead. " Organising for Innovation", an evening seminar on 29th January tells the secrets of creative idea generation and problem solving. On 11th February there is a one day marketing conference " Downturn Marketing: A survivors guide to recession". Designed to help construction companies come through the downturn in good shape and be ready for the upturn. Book before 9th January to get discounted prices. Both events take place at the Building Centre in London.
Finally, don't forget my popular one day training course Effective Specification Selling, ideal for people selling to specifiers for the first time, or as a refresher for the more experienced sales person. The next course will be run at the Building Centre in London on 29th January, cost £295 + VAT. |
