Pitching is only 15% of the process your company will go through with clients to win business. The BBC in association with Plymouth Media-Partnership and Media Sauce is offering 10 Digital Media companies in the South West an opportunity to attend an intensive workshop on the whole sales process which will be held over 2 days on the 13th & 14th January at Tamar Science Park in Plymouth.

‘Beyond the Pitch’ is the first workshop that demystifies the whole sales process: from what you need to do before you approach a potential client, to how you can close the deal, and to managing your client’s fears. Most pitching workshops just focus on the pitch itself and the time you spend in front of a potential client. This workshop is an intensive, interactive workshop, on the whole sales process, giving you the skills to sell ethically by focusing on your clients needs.

As businesses we all have to sell our content/product/services and it can be challenging but what if you could learn an ethical sales process as a framework to improve your sales and build confidence in dealing with difficult clients?

This is an intensive, interactive workshop giving you the skills to sell ethically by focusing on your clients needs. By the end of the workshop, you will be able to:

• Apply an established ‘7 stage sales framework’ to your current process.
• Deal with objections and difficult clients.
• Apply ‘3 key components’ to making a successful sale.
• Learn different ways of improving sales, and building a lasting relationship with your client.

The Facilitator is Mel Norman from Media Sauce who has worked in traditional and new media over 12 years both as a producer and consultant. Recently, with Media- Sauce Mel has worked with Skillset designing and running the first Train the Media Trainer workshop. She has programme directed over 50 events for Screen South, Own it, B’tween, C4, Digital Hollywood and consulted with over 30 different companies on their business models and sales performance including: Business in the Community, Npower, Robert Half, Pathway Recruitment, Yipp Films, Tyneside Cinema. In 2007, Mel won the ‘Socially responsive category’ at MIPtv’s ‘360 Content’ Competition.

The workshop is intended for senior managers and directors with a responsibility for sales and company business development. Selection for this FREE 2 day opportunity will be competitive and in order to qualify there are 5 key criteria your company must meet:

• You must have been trading for more than 12 months
• You must have 5 or more employees
• Your turnover must be in excess of £100,000 with high potential for growth
• You must be based in the South West
• You must work in digital media (this includes mobile, web, television, advertising and marketing)

The deadline for the receipt of applications is 12noon on Friday 18th December. For a course outline, an application form or to discuss how your company can benefit from this free workshop please email: karen@pm-p.com or call 01752 346530.