Bernard Taylor Partnership

How a firm of architects has increased its market share by 30% for the next three years, at a time when others are struggling for new contracts

Vicky Saunders and Colin Savage know the importance of being able to stand out in the market place.

As Directors of the Bernard Taylor Partnership  they regularly have to present to clients and to prospects in interviews as part of the competitive tendering process.

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Vicky says: “We contacted Cath Daley because we had a really important interview coming up that we knew would make a huge difference to the firm were we to win it.

“Our previous presentations were often sketchy and lacked focus and I used to get that dreaded feeling when I knew one was imminent.

“We had no real knowledge of how to present professionally. We knew there was room for improvement but we didn’t know how to make it better.”

Colin adds: “We provide a really great architectural service for our clients but we were unable to get that across effectively in presentations.

“In the past we were nervous and lacked confidence. I know I was a bit robotic in how I presented and felt dreadful at the thought of standing up and talking in front of people. I actually found it traumatic.”

“In the past we were nervous and lacked confidence. I actually found presentations traumatic”

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Everything changed after just a day and a half of training with Cath

In a highly competitive field Vicky and Colin had a very successful interview and won a contract which potentially will increase their turnover by between 20 and 40% for the next three years.

It has opened up their market to new clients and in a time of great uncertainty they feel more secure in the future of the firm.

“Going into the presentation feeling comfortable and confident meant that I could focus on what I was going to talk about rather than how I was feeling,” says Colin. “We were very well prepared and gave a fantastic presentation which we could never have done before. We made a great impression and made the interviewers comfortable which made for a more open, honest and relaxed interview.”

Vicky adds: “Working with Cath has changed our thinking. It has made a vast difference to us. Our whole approach has altered.

“We are now able to think in a wider context about the impact of each presentation and tailor it to best suit whoever we are talking to. Having this knowledge saves you time.

“Like climbing Everest it feels like we’re now at level five rather than at the bottom of the hill. Our delivery is confident and much more refined and because I know we can give an excellent presentation it reduces the risk for the next one.”

Colin agrees: “Because we are more confident and relaxed when presenting we know we can deliver and we’ve become more ambitious in the contracts we are going for.”

“Because we are more confident presenting we’ve become more ambitious in the contracts we are going for”

It’s had an effect outside the office too

Vicky says: “The training has given me new ways to manage stress and get rid of nerves and I use the techniques every day. They help you to get rid of the negative stuff which means that I’m more relaxed, more focussed and less frustrated with other people.

“I’ve got a greater awareness of what my actions mean and it’s resulted in much clearer communication. It’s made my life easier and even helped me to get the children to do their homework better!”

Colin adds: “The training that we had not only helped us with our professional skills but it also had a great impact on our social skills to the point that when I was in Australia recently I ended up on the Shane Warne TV Show being interviewed with Merve Hughes – something that I instigated! I would never ever have done that before meeting Cath.”

Vicky adds: “Working with Cath has got us where we wanted to be. It’s given us a huge confidence boost and we’re extremely happy that we have the knowledge to succeed in BTP as we move forward. We are actually looking forward to doing more presentations – and I never thought I’d be able to say that!

“We had lots of fun doing it and we know that we can get even better with more training. All of our staff is keen to work with Cath too.

“To anyone who is thinking of working with Cath I’d say be very open minded, trust what she says, trust what she does because if you want to be successful Cath will certainly help you in achieving that. We highly recommend her and look forward to working with her again in the future.“

“We are actually looking forward to doing more presentations – and I never thought I’d be able to say that!”