How Hiring an NED Can Add Value to Your Business

Posted by Eilis Cope MCIM on August 27th, 2021

Today, non-executive directors (NEDs) are playing an increasingly important and influential role in how businesses develop and grow. Indeed, the NED’s role itself has evolved over the past few years from its historical focus on corporate governance, to a more active, advisory involvement in everything from operations to strategy – and their input can be simply priceless for a company’s growth.

An NED is able to bring an outsider’s unbiased perspective to the business, helping it focus on the most optimal path forward, rather than allowing it to be steered exclusively by executives who may have a much narrower view as to which direction it should be going in.

Categories: Benefits of Interim / NED Roles, General

Top 3 Reasons You Need an Interim Sales and Marketing Director

Posted by Eilis Cope MCIM on November 2nd, 2017

In today’s world of constantly connected consumers and businesses, sales and marketing has become a 24/7/365 endeavour. Pressure on marketing teams to deliver more and more – and better and better – leads has never been higher, with expectation piled onto sales teams to close larger percentages than ever before.

Many companies, of course, have marketing and sales strategies that can often appear as if they are running like well-oiled machines.

Categories: Benefits of Interim / NED Roles, General

Why Good PR Matters and How to Do It Right

Posted by Eilis Cope MCIM on September 25th, 2017

Today, perhaps more than ever, the way an organisation is represented in the media has a huge impact on the way it is perceived by the public. Influencing these representations is what good PR is all about.

And let’s be clear from the outset – it takes more than a press release. Indeed, I’m sure that some companies must actually think that PR stands for “press release”, as that’s pretty much all they do on the public relations front.

Categories: General, Marketing, PR

10 Top Tips to Be a Better Negotiator

Posted by Eilis Cope MCIM on September 26th, 2016

“A negotiator should observe everything. You must be part Sherlock Holmes, part Sigmund Freud.” – Victor Kiam

Negotiation. It’s a tricky business – and even trickier to get right. We negotiate on a daily basis with everyone in our lives – be they friends, relatives, colleagues, or potential business partners who could be worth millions to our company.

It’s not uncommon for people to routinely shy away from negotiation – the fear of conflict, and even the fear of losing, can indeed be enough to prevent some from even entering into the process in the first place.

Categories: General

How to make stress your friend

Posted by Eilis Cope MCIM on March 21st, 2015

Stress has many permutations for everyone but in essence it is a state of mental or emotional strain resulting from adverse or demanding circumstances. In the main people have a tendency to think that stress is really bad for them and is often the root cause of illness. However if we could change how we think about stress could that reduce the effect on our bodies?

I recommend this talk on TED by Kelly McGonigal, a psychologist at Harvard University, where she states that studies demonstrate that when you change your mind about stress then you can change your body’s response to it.

Categories: General

The power of vulnerability

Posted by Eilis Cope MCIM on February 22nd, 2015

People don’t usually think of the workplace as an environment for demonstrating vulnerability. Instead, they often see a place of business as where they go to perform a role.

Whether you’re the CEO of a large corporation or a new startup your focus undoubtedly has been largely on appearing professional. While professionalism is a necessary part of business, some surprising benefits result from leaders allowing vulnerability to enter the workplace.

Categories: General