News

November 13, 2007
Leading paper manufacturer empowers its partners
Crown Van Gelder (CVG), based in The Netherlands, is a major supplier of quality uncoated and single-coated paper. To access its markets around the world, the company has developed close partnerships with a number of key paper merchants. For several years now, CVG has been developing its strategy for gaining a prominent position in the newly emerging market for digital printing papers. Digital printing requires no time-consuming set up and is suited to short print runs and for producing documents containing variable information. The major opportunity is transactional documents (bills, statements etc) being personalised and used to promote other services and products that the customer may be interested in (the so-called "TransPromo" application). To enable its partners to sell its new range of digital inkjet papers successfully around the world, CVG has commissioned a Sales Brief. The Sales Brief is a focused, compact version of the Sales Guide that has been used so effectively by many companies in other industries to boost sales of their products and services. CVG, however, is the first company to use this approach in the paper industry. To learn more about the Strategic Sales Program that delivers the Sales Guide and the Sales Brief click here.

March 6, 2006
Two major corporations put their faith in the Sales Guide
Invensys is the latest major company to benefit from the istarisMarketing Strategic Sales Program Sales Guide. Operating across a diverse set of industries, Invensys is seeking ways to better harness the tremendous skillbase, experience and market leadership of its various brands. After trialling two Sales Guides, one for industrial mixers and another for upstream solutions to oil and gas customers, Invensys Process Systems has recently placed an order for three more Sales Guides. In the meantime, Nortel – a long-term beneficiary of the Strategic Sales Program – has ordered six interactive versions of the Sales Guide for solutions ranging across its Enterprise and Carrier divisions. These multiple orders, from two such prestigious organisations in their respective industries, are a ringing endorsement of the value of the Sales Guide and a clear indicator of the benefits that companies can gain from our unique approach.

October 10, 2005
A Sales Guide for market-leading wireless embedded modules supplier
Ezurio is a small company with a big reputation in the wireless embedded modules market. A spin-out from TDK, Ezurio is a market leader in the supply of Bluetooth wireless modules to the retail, healthcare and automotive industries. Portable chip and PIN terminals, wireless heart monitors and remote vehicle diagnostics are just a few of the many and diverse products powered by Ezurio technology. Now Ezurio is expanding its market in two ways: first, by encouraging distributors to look for new wireless applications, in areas such as transport, warehousing, process control etc; second, by adapting its powerful technology to two other radio standards – Wi-Fi and ZigBee. To help in this rapid market expansion, Ezurio commissioned a Sales Guide and accompanying Solution Presentation to clearly and unambiguously communicate its key market messages, and to provide a complete "how to sell Ezurio" guide to its channel partners. And because Ezurio is a start-up, the company qualifies for the Sales Guide SME package, and so is paying in instalments over two years. It's early days yet, but Chris Shannon the CEO has already said he would definitely recommend the Sales Guide to others. To find out more about the Istaris Sales Guide click here.

August 16, 2005
Leading mobile infrastructure company Apertio implements Partnership Development process
Apertio is the leading supplier of software infrastructure solutions to mobile, fixed and converged telecoms network operators. Already in partnership with Motorola, Telcordia and IBM, Apertio is being courted by traditional infrastructure providers and system integrators alike, who wish to ally themselves to this fast growing and successful business. Recognising the need to remain in control, Apertio commissioned the implementation of a Partnership Development process based on the istarisPartnerships programme. Adapted to meet Apertio's specific requirements and situation, the process has a full set of documentation identifying how potential partners are to be assessed and recruited, then taken through a series of activities to make them self-sufficient at selling Apertio solutions into target market segments. Templates have been provided to assist Apertio personnel to follow the process and ensure a consistency of approach. Wallace Ascham, Partner Marketing Director at Apertio said: "With the help we have received in putting this process together, not only do we now have a rigorously defined set of procedures based on real experience that will enable us to establish the partnerships we need to achieve our business objectives, but we also have the tools to run the process effectively and efficiently."

March 18, 2005
Alcatel UK trials the istarisPartnerships programme
The UK operation of Alcatel Telecom is evaluating the results of a recent trial of the istarisPartnerships programme. Faced with a growing need to work with other companies to take full advantage of emerging opportunities in a variety of UK markets, Alcatel UK has conducted a review of its partnering options under the guidance of Istaris Business Services, and is now considering its next steps. The initial results of the exercise have led to an increased focus on partnering priorities across all of Alcatel UK's customer account teams, and have been circulated within Alcatel Telecom as an example of best practice.

October 4, 2004
Powerful new business book now available
It's not often you get the chance to access the cumulative wisdom of over 60 business and financial mentors, but that is exactly what a recently published business book offers its readers. Create the Business Breakthrough You Want: Secrets and Strategies From the World's Greatest Mentors is a handbook for business people who want to achieve more than year-on-year improvements in sales or profits. It is full of insights and ideas to help readers understand the dynamics of today's markets and how to leverage the opportunities that are out there. The authors were chosen following a worldwide search for subject experts who had something important to say to business practitioners. Charles Stubbs, founder of Istaris Business Services, was selected as a co-author, writing on the subject of "Partnering in the New Economy for Increased Market Share". Ken Blanchard, co-author of The One Minute Manager® and The On-Time, On-Target Manager said of the book: "Powerful, perceptive, practical advice from some of the best business minds today." The book is sold in the US and is available from Amazon at a price of $19.95US. Or to order from Istaris Business Services for delivery in the UK click here.
Create the Business Breakthrough You Want: Secrets and Strategies from the World's Greatest Mentors ©2004 Mission Publishing, a division of The Mission Marketing Mentors, Inc., www.missionpublishing.net, or www.missionmarketingmentors.com.

July 15, 2004
Nortel Networks helps customers sell hosted services
Taking the lead from its Enterprise division, the Carrier division of Nortel Networks in EMEA has employed the Istaris Business Services Sales Guide in an innovative move to help its service provider customers sell hosted multimedia services. The principles are the same: equip your partners – in this case Nortel Networks customers – with all the information they need to sell the services effectively, and your level of business increases. Further, by providing such proven and easy-to-use sales material, Nortel Networks has clearly demonstrated its commitment to helping service providers grow their business, a move that will position the Carrier division well in an increasingly competitive market. For information about the Strategic Sales Program from which the Sales Guide is delivered click here.

May 24, 2004
New Sales Guide package for SMEs
Building on the success of the Sales Guide for larger companies like AMS, Nortel Networks and Advantica, the same benefits of increased sales effectiveness, a higher profile in sales channels and reduced distribution support costs are now available to smaller companies in an attractive "pay as you go" package. Small and medium-sized enterprises can now have a Sales Guide within a few months of ordering, but may opt to pay for the guide together with two years' maintenance and support service on a monthly basis. This means there is no capital outlay, and the monthly payments are covered by increased revenues from using the Sales Guide. To find out more about this scheme and to check whether your company would qualify for the SME package contact us.

February 19, 2004
Istaris founder to be published in upcoming business book
Istaris Business Services founder Charles Stubbs has been selected as one of “The World’s Greatest Business Mentors” – an honour bestowed to only 55 professionals internationally. Along with other top mentors including world-renowned Brian Tracy, Mark Victor Hansen and Robert G. Allen, Charles has contributed a chapter to a business book entitled “Create the Business Breakthrough You Want: Secrets and Strategies from the World’s Greatest Mentors”, scheduled for an August 2004 release. To read a press release that describes the author selection process and the publishing programme that created the book click here.

December 18, 2003
A Sales Guide for the Defence Industry
Istaris Business Services is pleased to announce that our first Sales Guide to be produced for the defence industry is shortly to be delivered. Our customer, AMS, is headquartered in Chelmsford in the UK, and is jointly owned by BAE SYSTEMS of the UK and Finmeccanica of Italy. AMS' pedigree includes companies such as Raytheon, GEC, Ferranti, Selenia, Plessey and Marconi. For more information about AMS, its worldwide presence, capability and systems click here.

November 20, 2003
Two more Sales Guides for Nortel Networks
The Enterprise division of Nortel Networks was so pleased with the reaction it received following the distribution of its Converged LAN Sales Guide that it has ordered two more. Under the Istaris Strategic Sales Program, two full-day Marketing Workshops were held with key Nortel Networks EMEA personnel in Maidenhead in October and November. Speaking about the success achieved with the first Sales Guide, Peter Finter, VP Enterprise Solutions for EMEA, said in a message to Nortel Networks' channel partners: "From our experience of working with the Strategic Sales Program, from which the Sales Guides are derived, I would strongly recommend that you adopt a similar approach." The two additional Sales Guides are for Nortel Networks Contact Centre and Self-Service Solutions, and for IP Telephony. The three Sales Guides together cover the whole of the Nortel Networks Enterprise Convergence Portfolio. To read more of what Peter Finter has to say about the Strategic Sales Program click here. For information about the Strategic Sales Program click here.

October 11, 2003
ICT firms debate partnering challenges
In the second of a series of events aimed at stimulating business opportunities for ICT companies, a workshop chaired by Istaris Business Services addressed the issues faced by firms as they seek to enter into successful collaborative partnerships. The demands of the new ICT economy will change the way that organisations co-operate. As workshop attendees learned, no longer will there be a simple, easy-to-understand value chain. Instead, the delivery of product and service to the end customer will engage a variety of players working together in a 'value web'. Working out where your firm wants to engage in the value web, and in what markets, is a key challenge facing all businesses. Organised for the West Midlands IT Association in the UK, and with presentations by Aseriti and Alcatel, the event attracted a wide range of small and medium-sized ICT companies. One of the most valuable outputs from the workshop was a prioritised list of key activities and actions that all ICT firms should be paying attention to. To learn more about the content of the workshop and see the results click here.

August 1, 2003
Advantica orders third Sales Guide
In a move that speaks volumes about the effectiveness and value-for-money of the Strategic Sales Program, UK-based energy consultancy Advantica has placed an order for its third Sales Guide. Speaking about the way the Sales Guides have been received by the salesforce, Advantica's VP for worldwide sales said: “The salespeople love it. It enables them to understand what we have to sell and shows them how to sell it”. The Strategic Sales Program process drove Advantica to a clearer packaging of its service offerings, and the materials produced were exactly what Advantica's salespeople and partners needed to achieve peak sales performance. For the full story of how Advantica successfully deployed the Istaris Strategic Sales Program service click here. For information about the Strategic Sales Program click here.

May 27, 2003
UK's DTI advises organisations to follow Istaris guidelines
In a recently published document, the UK's Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) advises organisations how to partner successfully for European-funded research. Co-authored by Neil Sandford, an independent consultant specialising in European collaborative research, and Charles Stubbs of Istaris Business Services, the specially commissioned document sets out the istarisPartnerships principles as they apply to Framework Programme Six, the latest round of funding made available by the European Commission. The guidance from the DTI offers partnering advice all the way through the project lifecycle, from the initial decision about whether or not to participate, right through to ensuring that your organisation is able to benefit from the project outcomes. The document has been lodged on the DTI's FP6UK website, or you can access a copy by clicking here.

January 31, 2003
Nortel Networks implements Strategic Sales Program
In an exciting move aimed at boosting sales in Europe of its Converged LAN solutions, Nortel Networks Enterprise division has commissioned a Sales Guide from the Istaris Strategic Sales Program. Following a one-day Marketing Workshop held at Nortel's Maidenhead offices shortly before Christmas, the first draft of the Sales Guide was delivered on time earlier this month, to widespread positive acclaim. Nortel anticipates that the Sales Guide will focus the efforts of its direct salesforce on the key selling messages of the Converged LAN solutions, whilst enabling Nortel's channel partners to better understand the products' business benefits and public network quality features. To find out more about the Strategic Sales Program and how your company could gain competitive advantage in the same way as Nortel Networks click here.