UKAct Website

About ACT

Founded by Val Down whose educational management background ensures sound experience in managing sizeable teams of people and large budgets; ACT has delivered training and assessment in a lively, relevant and incisive way since the late 1990’s.

Well known for highly motivational input coupled with clear feedback and guidance, ACT’s particular areas of expertise centre around:

Helping you to gain attention through:

Working on a one to one basis with owners of small businesses to improve their marketing skills in communication, presentation and networking.

Ensuring the highest quality of team selection and performance through:

Recruiting and developing management and staff through psychometric, attribute and personality testing.
Organising and running assessment centres and interviews for recruitment and development purposes.
Assessing and training staff within small businesses with a focus on team improvement and effectiveness through performance management, appraisals and personal development

Supporting the educational sector through: Fast Track Assessment and Centre Management. Governor Training in Performance Management. Training of School Staff in development and responsibility.

actnow: For further information contact Val at ACT

Attention Seekers

It has become increasingly important for companies to stand out from the crowd. To make customers think of them before their competitors. To deliver their message clearly and succinctly at every possible opportunity.

This is exactly what we help you do WITHOUT going to extremes!

People buy people – there is no doubt about that, so how do you promote your company when you are reluctant to put yourself forward, when you are nervous about giving presentations and when networking puts you way out of your comfort zone? AttentionSeekers helps individuals find the confidence to present themselves effectively in order to progress their business. Delivered on a one to one or workshop basis our toolkit includes:

Giving presentations	Customer relations
Understanding body language	Clearly describing your business
Making the best of yourself	Chairing or participating in meetings

actnow: For further information contact Val at ACT

Time Management

Good Time Management has always been an important skill to possess but for a business, it has become increasingly essential. Avoiding overload and managing your time effectively helps to improve that all-important Work / Life Balance.

We can help you gain more control over your activities, help you be more efficient in your job and reduce those pressures that rob you of even more time.

Time Management is different for each one of us – we all have different challenges and priorities. Our training can cover the general principles that will help everyone become more effective and can also be designed to encompass the needs of specific individuals and groups.

Training includes:

Planning & Organising	Setting Goals
Prioritising	Eliminating the Time Wasters
Manageable Chunks	Delegation
Getting Ruthless With Paperwork	What Is Your Time Worth?
Procrastination	Motivation

actnow: For further information contact Val at ACT

Snakes and Ladders

It's a knotty problem, how do you get to the top of the board in gaining clients when there are so many pitfalls along the way? Oh and, just to make it interesting, you have one chance to get it right...

Your first sales letter must be engaging and memorable.

Your follow up call must be succinct and persuasive.

Your presentation must be convincing.

Your leave behind material must be outstanding and

Your website must be briefly informative.

Presentation skills trainer Val Down of ACT and Marketing Mentor Jane Buswell of Business Fulcrum have joined forces to keep you ahead of the competition whilst dealing with the likely presentation and marketing obstacles you will meet along the way.

actnow: For further information contact Val at ACT

Dealing with “Business PMT”
Procrastination, Motivation and Time Management

You’ve got the brilliant sales letter, you know how to follow up and …you’ve done nothing at all about approaching new companies. A familiar tale? Worry not, Jane and Val to the rescue…

Are you putting off tasks so that you end up working to tight deadlines? Are you staring with horror at the empty pages of your diary but not doing anything about it? Have you lost that all essential “business whizz”? Then this is for you. We cut to the chase of procrastination, motivation and time management and give you hints and tips such as:

• Doubling your productivity in less than a month
• 8 rules to success
• 12 reasons to get motivated and stay motivated
• Nailing those personal strengths, weaknesses, habits and behaviours
• Motivational quotations!
• How to say “NO”
• 28 day bite size targets
• Identification of time wasters
• 10 Top Tips for effective time management
• Keeping a time log

We already have bookings from Snakes and Ladders attendees who realise this advanced workshop could just be the making of their business in 2007, so don’t miss out!

Any queries? Call Val Down on 01489 781758 or Jane Buswell on 07970 632077
*sorry, no refunds for cancellations made less than 5 working days before the workshop date

actnow: For further information contact Val at ACT

Class Teams

It takes all sorts…so how exactly do you make the most of your staff and harness their skills to best effect when your team exhibits a mix of dominance, dependence and downright disillusion?

No wonder managing people has been likened to herding cats!

We help business organisations get the best out of their staff. From assistance with initial recruitment to the assessment of individual strengths and weaknesses. From the identification of areas that need improvement to the provision of appropriate solutions. We are also skilled at raising the effectiveness of teams operating in newly challenging circumstances. Our toolkit includes

Team leadership effectiveness	Self review & evaluation
Reviewing performance	Effective management
Class team recruitment	Successful interviewing

actnow: For further information contact Val at ACT

Class Teams-recruitment

Have you any idea how profits can be affected by the exhausting distraction of poorly performing staff? Have you any idea how much of this could have been avoided by having an expert on hand to help you recruit the right person in the first place?

It’s your choice. Which would you prefer?

Of course company requirements and budgets vary, and for this reason
Class Teams-recruitment offers the selection of three packages to suit your business:-

Bronze	Silver	Gold
Assess business needs in respect of the vacancy Draft job description and person specification Assess present staff – do you really need to appoint a new employee? Draft the advertisement	As per bronze + the following: Assess applications against job and person specifications Assist with the short-listing process Devise a bank of interview questions	As per silver + the following: Identification of issues arising from the applications that need to be explored with interview candidates. Assistance with interviews as part of the interview panel or as an observer/assessor. Assessment of candidates using objective assessment tools specific to post advertised. Provision of Assessment Centre for recruitment day (+ role players for assessment situation if necessary). Assistance with final decision-making process
All packages can be followed up by the provision and delivery of an induction package and monitoring arrangements (details availalble on request).

actnow: For further information contact Val at ACT

ACT FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

There are loads of training companies out there, why should I use you?
Because I’m good at it and because, being self-employed, I’ve actually had to do what I train in i.e. Make presentations, Manage my time effectively, Market my business.

Do you only work with companies?
No, I can work with companies, groups or individuals.

Why should I pay out for training?
By developing you and your people to work more effectively,
I can actually save you money as a result of what I do.

What geographical areas do you cover? Are you prepared to travel?
Well, The Bahamas are quite acceptable! Seriously, I am prepared
to travel throughout UK.

I hate cold calling – can you help?
Yes! I can do this on a one-to-one basis or as part of a workshop, whichever suits you best.

I can't find what I need on your website, can you deal with other business challenges?
Probably! But if I can't, I have many useful business contacts through networking, so click on 'Contact me' and send me an email.

actnow: For further information contact Val at ACT