Insight newsletter from Banner - issue 4

http://www.bebanner.co.uk/
insightNEWSLETTER
ISSUE4
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To celebrate our fantastic new product range for 2015 we’re giving away some of our
favourite new products, so make sure you enter our competition.
In this edition we look at the key procurement trends for 2015 and discover why
social media is essential for business today. Other features include tips to shine in
meetings, and how germs can spread through
the workplace in just a few hours.
And if your New Year Resolutions
involve fitness, don’t miss our guide
to keeping fit at work.
5853-Insight_Newsletter_Issue_4_Layout 1 09/01/2015 11:35 Page 1

We’re delighted that our 2015 catalogue is
currently arriving at workplaces across the
country, packed full of essential new products.
To celebrate we’re giving away 3 goodie bags –
packed full of some our favourite products.
Everyone will be entered into a prize draw, with 3 winners
picked at random. And to make it extra special we’ll also be
giving away a Plantronics BackBeat Fit to our first lucky winner
and a Voyager Legend UC (product code 601 0089) to the
second person picked.
You can enter at bebanner.co.uk or by emailing your details
(name, company and job title) to news@office2office.co.uk
with #bebanner as the subject line.
Best of luck to all – and Happy New Year!
Our prizes include:
• Philips Voice Tracer, Digital Recorder for notes and
conversations DVT4000 or Philips DVT 2700 Stereo
Digital Voice Recorder (product code 601 0033)
• Fellowes PrivaScreen™ Blackout Privacy Filter for iPad
(product code 099 3562)
• Unibond Aero 360 humidity absorber
• Jalema Resolution desk set
(product codes 044 1300, 044 1305 and 044 1301)
• Jalema Grips for A7 to A0 in 900mm, 600mm and 1,200mm
– a new display solution (product codes 900mm – 790 9218,
600mm – 790 9217, 1200mm – 790 9219)
• Blakes Premium Secure 20 pack of C4 gusset pockets, tear
resistant paper envelopes (product code 027 1640)
• Blakes Premium Office SOHO box, 250 sheets A4 paper
and 50 DL envelopes (product code 204 2711)
news@office2office.co.uk
For full terms & conditions email marketing@bbslimited.co.uk
Enter our new products competition insightNEWSLETTER
• Pilot Friction yellow highlighter (product code 050 3133)
• Pilot Friction clicker ballpen 07 (product code 050 0525)
• B2P Gel 07 – Bottle to Pen ballpen (product code 050 0526)
• Pilot Refillable Rollerball 0.7 (product code 050 1933)
• A selection of Snopake polyfiles including the new A4 Polyfile
with USB pocket (product code 040 4217)
• Kleenex balsam tissues in a square box
• Packet of Kleenex hand and surface sanitising wipes
• Kleenex 50ml luxury foam non-alcohol instant hand sanitiser
The competition opens at 8am on Monday 12th January and
will close at 5pm on Sunday 25th January.
1st Prize: Plantronics
BackBeat Fit
2nd Prize: Voyager Legend UC
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How to shine in meetings insightNEWSLETTER
Attending meetings is part and parcel of the world of business. Emails and
phone calls are effective, but they can't replace a face-to-face meeting for
getting things done. Meetings are the perfect opportunity to collaborate, tackle
problems, discuss important issues and hear ideas from a range of perspectives.
Everyone likes to get their
voice heard in meetings. Not
only can it earn you brownie
points from your boss, it also
demonstrates your ability in
your role and your
determination to succeed.
However, if you are
introverted you may struggle
to contribute to a meeting,
and extroverts can create a
barrier of resistance by being
too overbearing.
Whatever your personality,
you've worked hard to get to
where you are and your ideas
and opinions matter. Here are
a few strategies to help you
shine in the boardroom.
Be prepared
This is a mistake that many
people make. Preparation is
essential for building
confidence and getting the
facts clear in your head before
saying them out loud. Before
the meeting, re-read your
notes and minutes from
previous meetings and write
down your talking points.
Listen
This doesn't mean you remain
silent throughout the meeting,
instead that you listen well
and make relevant points at
appropriate times. If you
acknowledge and expand on
what others are saying they
are more likely to return the
favour.
Don't interrupt
There's a fine line between
jumping in on a discussion and
interrupting someone. This
can be a tricky one to master
but the secret is to anticipate a
break and then contribute
your ideas. A good way to
start your point is by saying: "I
agree with Clare's suggestion
and think we can add to it by
doing ..."
Know when to interrupt
Of course, sometimes it is
acceptable to interrupt. If
someone is rambling and has
strayed off topic it is better for
be smart
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everyone involved if you say
something such as: "Can I stop
you there so I can be clear
about the point you are
making?"
Think about your body
language
If you feel nervous make sure
your body language tells a
different story. Sit up straight,
lean forward and use hand
gestures to emphasize your
points. Being aware of body
language is just as important
for extroverts too – gestures
and movements that are
over-the-top or overbearing
can quickly lessen your
credibility around the table.
Speak with confidence
If you sound like you know
what you are talking about
and believe in your ideas then
others are more likely to listen.
At the other end of the scale,
make sure you avoid sounding
arrogant when you speak. If
you come across as bossy in a
meeting you won't win many
allies.
Learn from experience
Once the meeting is over, think
about the part you played.
Identify what went well and
make a note to repeat it in the
future. Also identify any
mistakes you made and think
what you would do differently
next time.

Did you know that once a virus makes it
onto a door handle at work, it can spread
to up to 60% of employees within just a
few hours?
Viruses can infect the entire workplace – within hours insightNEWSLETTER
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Gerba, a well-known germ
scientist, conducted a study
by using tracer viruses, which
whilst not harmful to health,
mimic viruses which are. His
team then looked at how
quickly these viruses spread
through the workplace. The
virus he used, MS-2, is similar
to the winter vomiting bug
norovirus, which infects
millions of people in the UK
each year.
In one of the experiments,
Gerba put the tracer virus on
the doors of an office with 80
people and found that in three
hours, MS-2 could be
detected on over half of the
employee’s, as well as over
half of the surfaces people
touched in the building. “What
we learned was, the first area
to be contaminated was the
coffee break room,” said
Gerba. “That actually turned
out to be a hotspot, because a
lot of people go in there —
more of a hotspot than the
restroom.”
The good news though, is that
the spread of viruses can be
halted through practising good
hygiene at work. In phase two
of the experiment, Gerba
educated office workers on
the importance of washing
hands and using antibacterial
wipes and cleaners, and
placed hand sanitisers around
the workplace. He then
released the tracer virus back
into the office and found his
interventions overwhelmingly
halted the spread of the virus.
“'Make it convenient’ is what
we really went for,” said Gerba.
“I’m sure a lot of people who
were involved or said they
would use a hand sanitizer or
disinfectant also participated
because it was there and
made available to them.”
Gerba repeated the
experiment several times in
different locations, to validate
the research.
What we
learned was,
the first area to
be contaminated
was the coffee
break room

Networking
The traditional way of networking saw CEOs meeting clients and
business peers face to face. Now LinkedIn allows all employees
to check for suppliers and reach out to their business
communities at the click of a button. That is not to say that
today's digital networking fully replaces what happens in the
real-world, but it makes for a quicker route in. And if businesses
are to stay ahead of the competition, then they need to strike
the right balance between online and offline networking.
Social media is now unquestionably a major part in most of our daily lives.
Even though sites such as Facebook and Twitter have been around for less
than ten years, it is hard to imagine life without them.
Social media is something that crosses from our personal to our
professional lives. From global corporations to small start-ups, businesses
are creating social profiles through which they can network with other
professionals, interact with clients and collaborate as a team. If your
business hasn't embraced social media yet, it ought to. Here's why:
Why social media is essential for business today insightNEWSLETTER
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The rise of the start-up
Some of the most successful and rapidly expanding
businesses are small start-ups using social media and
other forms of technology to give them the upper hand.
By creating a social buzz through viral content, these
start-ups are bypassing the need for huge advertising
budgets. Of course, using social media in this way does
not guarantee you instant success. The results are not
always instantaneous and might not be as powerful as
a television advert, but when it does work, it really works.
Patience and the smart use of analytics are the routes
to success here.

Why social media is essential for business today insightNEWSLETTER
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Putting the customer first
Customers are clearly crucial to all businesses. Social media is increasingly being used by businesses
as an additional customer service channel. More and more consumers are going straight to Twitter
when they want to make a complaint and it is up to businesses to deal with these situations. If a
brand is seen to be listening and responding to feedback, customers will respond accordingly.
Driving decisions
By looking at the numbers being created by social media – which posts received how many 'likes'
on LinkedIn, for example – marketers are able to piece together the bigger picture. A huge amount
of insight can be gained in this way. The more companies are able to decipher the data, the more
prepared they are when it comes to making the decisions that matter.
Stay focused
There are many social channels out there and it would be foolish for a business that is new to social
media to tackle them all at once. Instead, look at the main players – Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn,
Google+ and YouTube – and see which ones are best for your business. Another way to focus your
efforts is to make sure that your social media activity is fully integrated into your marketing strategy.
It needs to work hand-in-hand with everything from email marketing and SEO to direct mail and
mobile.

Procurement topics: Trends for 2015 insightNEWSLETTER
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What's new in procurement for 2015?
Regardless of the industry you are in, any business that is
buying or selling products or services (aka the majority of
businesses) needs to have a robust project and procurement
management strategy. Having streamlined procurement
processes in place not only saves a business time and money,
it also opens up a range of opportunities that the business as
a whole can benefit from. Today's businesses are constantly
competing with one another and need systems in place to
manage large, complex projects.
So, as we start the New Year, we have selected some of the
key procurement trends to look out for in 2015.
Collaborative sourcing
When it comes to sourcing,
businesses need to think
collaboratively. There are
many ways in which a
company can approach
sourcing, but a collaborative
approach ultimately leads to
lower project costs. By
allowing a number of selected
suppliers to compete for a
contract via a central platform,
savings of around 20% can be
made. To take full advantage
of this trend you need to
arrange your list of existing
suppliers into groups
according to strengths and
competencies, behaviour,
performance, and efficiency.
Once in groups, you will be
able to manage the task of
supplier rotation and secure
the lowest prices.
Project management based
on deliverables
We are increasingly seeing
that while project turn-around
times remain the same, the
number of deliverables
required per project is
increasing, almost as much as
50%, according to research.
The successful completion of
these complex projects will
see your business gain a
competitive edge, so your
employees need to focus on
deliverables rather than
separate tasks.
In an industry survey, 44% of
businesses stated that their
company was able to manage
a maximum of 250
deliverables a year, while for
30% that figure was a
maximum of 175. However,
place a deliverable-based
project and procurement
system into a business and
the number of achievable
deliverables was reported to
be anything from 550 to
more than 2,000 a year.
Technology allows employees
to be empowered and get a
greater sense of achievement
from their work. This
translates into greater
engagement and productivity
so cannot be overlooked by
your business in 2015.
Collaborative change
management
Many businesses consider
change orders a necessary
part of the project and
procurement management
process - this doesn't have to
be the case. By investing in a
system that enables
transparent collaboration on
the requirements of a project
before it is put out for
estimate, you can streamline
the process and prevent
unnecessary errors. Change
orders only serve to increase
the cost of a project, and a
collaborative approach can
avoid these costly mistakes
and lack of communication.
Focus on innovation
Businesses that embrace
innovative project and
procurement management
strategies will be able to take
on a higher number of
complex projects compared to
their competitors. But more
importantly they will be able
to do so in the same amount
of time, with increased
efficiency and at a reduced
cost. The more a business is
willing to innovate, the faster
it will grow, the more business
it will win and the better the
future will look.

Keeping fit at work - top tips insightNEWSLETTER
Making a few small changes to your daily
routine really can make a difference. If
you want to up your fitness levels, try and
build more exercise into your day. Our top
tips are designed to help keep you that
little bit fitter – and hopefully you’ll feel
happier and more positive generally.
be smart
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A healthy commute
Walking or cycling to work is a
simple way of building
exercise into your day without
too much effort. If you can’t
walk all the way to work, why
not get off the bus, train or
tube a stop earlier and walk
the rest?
Exercise before work
Go the gym on your way to
work - find a gym that’s on
your route to the workplace
and get your workout done
early.
Don’t skip breakfast
If you skip breakfast you’re
more likely to reach for the
chocolate biscuits or eat your
lunch at 11am. Eating breakfast
will help motivate you to keep
moving.
Move around the office
You don’t need to perform a
series of squats whilst waiting
for the office photocopier to
warm up, but move around
the office regularly. Go and
talk to people rather than
firing emails at people who
work in the same office as
you.
Top up on water
Regular trips to the water
cooler are another good
reason for moving around the
office. Drinking water aids
concentration and digestion –
plus its calorie free!
Take a lunch break
Even if you just walk around
the block, it’s good to get away
from your desk if you can.
Remember, you can walk a
mile in 15 minutes if you walk
at a fast pace.
Find a friend
Get an exercise buddy! Having
a friend to run with, or attend
a class with, will mean you’re
less likely to skip a session.
Be part of a team
Why not join, or set up, an
office sports team? Football,
basketball, netball or whatever
takes your fancy. It’s a great
way of encouraging that team
spirit.
At the end of the day
If you really want to get fitter,
why not do some post work
exercise? Go for a swim or jog
home.

insightNEWSLETTER
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Visit our resource centre at bebanner.co.uk for all
our latest insights, tips and news.
We’re always keen to hear from you, so do get in
touch with us on Twitter. Or why not follow our
company page on LinkedIn?
If you’d like to receive the next issue by email just
send your details (name, job title and email) to
news@office2office.co.uk or sign up at
bebanner.co.uk

Insight newsletter from Banner - issue 4

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Insight newsletter from Banner - issue 4