Think alternatively and give energy to your sales!
May 6, 2009
Pentelikon Hotel
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| Ελληνικά |
On May 6, 2009, the 3rd Sales Executives Conference took place, organized by KPMG in Greece. The success of the conference was sealed by the presence of about 150 top executives from the fileds of customer service, marketing, and general commerce, representing all segments of the Greek market. Attendants who took part in the evaluation process confirmed the event’s success, by responding positively to over 90% of the questions posed. In sum, they stated that they were satisfied with the conference overall and that they intended to suggest next year’s conference to their colleagues as well.
This year’s key-note speaker was Dan Clark, co-author of the best-selling book “Chicken Soup for the Soul”. In a separate panel discussion, distinguished academics and executives discussed sales-related issues and analyzed the current situation of the market and the way that it affects sales.
Dan Clark, founder and CEO of Clark Success Systems, is a renowned public speaker whose views on success and the attainment of objectives are well-known around the world. Dan Clark was an American-football star, when a paralyzing injury cost him his sports career, and nearly his life. Recovering that, he entered the business world and he is now part of the National Speakers’ Hall of Fame in the USA, while his story has been presented on over 500 radio and television shows.
In the course of his three session talk, i.e. Forgotten Fundamentals: The answers are in the box, Don’t Waste a Good Recession, and System of Success, Dan Clark explained the main axes of his strategy for the achievement of personal goals.
Relying largely on personal experience, Dan Clark highlighted, in his very descriptive way, the value of committing to a clear goal - both on the part of the team and its leader. He also stressed our need to “stretch” our limits irrespective of the circumstances, and urged us all to always think outside the boundaries that have been set for us in order to fully develop our creativity, passion, and imagination.
Following his sessions, a high executives panel discussed Sales during a recession: The role of top management. The discussion was coordinated by George Avlonitis, Professor of Marketing, Athens University of Economics and Business. The executives who took part were Christos Kartalis, Group Chief Commercial Officer, Lavipharm Group of Companies, Costas Tsaganos, Chief Executive Officer, Multirama, and Lefteris Chaloulakos, Country Director, Cadbury.
Covering a wide range of commercial activities (pharmaceuticals, foods, technology, and retail), speakers focused their discussion on practical tips and team-management techniques, as well as ways of dealing with consumers and the marketplace regarless of the external financial conditions. Drawing on his significant academic experience and deep knowledge of the marketplace, the panel’s coordinator posed penetrating and motivating questions to the speakers, eliciting important conclusions from their answers, and stirring the audience with his enthusiasm.
Dan Clark during one of his sessions
From left to right: Lefteris Chaloulakos, Country Director, Cadbury, Vangelis Apostolakis, Partner In Charge of Advisory, KPMG, George Avlonitis, Professor of Marketing, AUEB, Peggy Velliotou, Partner, KPMG, Christos Kartalis, Group Chief Commercial Officer, Lavipharm Group of Companies, Kostas Tsaganos, CEO, Multirama.