01732 759725 30 CONFERENCE continued... one which led him to embark on a set of personal challenges. He explained how each challenge tested him in different ways both physically and mentally, admitting that despite all of the preparation he put into rowing the Atlantic, it was only on the morning of the race, he realised he had forgotten to learn to row! Fogle has had a few near death experiences; the most harrowing was when he entered the death zone of Mount Everest and with just 48 metres left before he reached the summit, his oxygen tank exploded. His co-climber gave him his own supplementary oxygen tank (he later fashioned a new mask out of an empty coke bottle) and urged him to go on. After a gruelling two hours, he reached the roof of Everest. In closing, he encouraged everyone to “follow your dreams and climb your Everest” before opening up the floor to questions. Gala dinner and awards evening Sebastian Walton, previous winner of The Magic Circle Stage Magician of the Year Award entertained guests pre and post dinner. The after dinner entertainment continued with Elvis Presley Tribute, Paul Larcombe, taking to the stage. Integra’s guests once again demonstrated their generosity, helping to raise over £2,500 for three chosen charities. The final amount will be split equally between Hospice Isle of Man, ANDYSMANCLUB and the British Heart Foundation in memory of Bob Clague, Steve Bilton and Ken Trenberth. www.integra-business.co.uk service providers, manufacturers, wholesalers and distributors who pulled out all the stops to support them, talking through new solutions, products and promotions, as well as network with their peers. This year’s exhibition housed 49 key partners across all industry sectors including VOW Wholesale, Dynamic Office Solutions, DAMS Furniture, Stabilo, 3M, Hamelin, Pentel, JGBM, Fellowes, Acco Brands, Beeswift, Nestle, Prima Software, Snopake, Antalis, Verbatim, Bi‑silque, Pukka Pad, and many more. An audience with Ben Fogle The highlight of the day for many was the chance to sit down for an audience with broadcaster, traveller and adventurer, Ben Fogle. He has racked up an inventory of incredible achievements from rowing the Atlantic Ocean, crossing Antarctica on foot, completing a 160 mile race across the Sahara Desert, and crossing the Empty Quarter on a camel. He spoke eloquently about his adventure-driven journey which began with a year-long experience on the BBC project Castaway in 1999, which he described as extraordinary and sales techniques. He reflected back on the traditional sales role, strategies and approaches, pointing out how times have changed. “Unless you’re adding value to the sales process, your job will be replaced by technology,” he warned. He spoke about how today’s B2B buyer wants to self-educate before engaging face-to- face with a salesperson and that they typically expect sales professionals to use up to ten channels from chat, to email, through to social media, during the decision journey. “Research reveals that 75% of buyers want to totally self-serve and trends point to the fact that they are prepared to spend high without any human interaction,” he noted. “Buyers expect a B2C-like personalised experience from all websites and in terms of the digital path to purchase, three-quarters of buyers will check a company’s website and 66% their social feeds,” he added. Christiansen described today’s buyer as being digitally-savvy, a social media user, happy to self-serve, and expects a value-add, this, he says has changed the sales role irrevocably. He encouraged members to widen the net and consider that today’s sales professionals are looking for a hybrid role. “Salespeople today should be relatable, a good listener and use a variety of tools. Relationships aren’t dead, people buy from people they can relate to and trust,” he concluded. Supplier Exhibition A packed exhibition hall, saw members taking the opportunity to engage with Integra Awards Winners Account Manager of the Year Darren Renshaw, VOW Wholesale Manufacturer of the Year Hamelin Brands Wholesaler/Distributor of the Year JGBM Product of the Show Acco UK: Pro V Light Directory Member of the Year Office Essentials Alliance Member of the Year Discounted Office Supplies Gold Member of the Year Geoff Ball Office Supplies Ben Fogle
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