At SMART Way Forward, we always like to deliver events and training programmes which leave people feeling energised, inspired and motivated. However, we also like to be different and stand out from the crowd. So this year, our annual CPD event is going to be something very special. We have organised a SMART Way Forward CPD Management & Leadership Experience!

What is a ‘Management & Leadership Experience’ I hear you say? Well, instead of keeping to a traditional seminar format, this year we have decided to organise a day that will not only challenge your teamwork, management and leadership skills – but will also test your logical thinking, strategic planning and ability to work under pressure.

The SMART Way Forward CPD Management & Leadership Experience will take place on Wednesday 22nd October 2014 in the glorious setting of rural Warwickshire. Please see the details below for further information:

When: Wednesday 22nd October 2014, between 10am – 4.15pm

Where: Adventure Sports Outdoor Centre, Wedgnock Lane, Warwick, Warwickshire, CV35 7PX

Who should attend: Private or Public sector Chief Executive Officers (CEO), Managing Directors, Commercial Directors, Sales Directors, Sales Managers, Marketing Directors, Marketing Managers, Customer Service Managers, Team Leaders, Operations Managers , Department Managers and anyone who looks after or manages a team.

Overview of the day: A fun motivational day, with a healthy mixture of management & leadership seminars, along with 1 x one hour Archery session, 1 x team building exercise and 1 x Strategic thinking task. Are you up to the challenge?

Clothing: The weather can be unpredictable, so please dress appropriately in comfortable outdoor clothing. The day will be a mixture of indoor seminars and outdoor activities.

Cost: £250 per delegate, with an Early Bird discount of 20% if booked before 31st August 2014

Delegate fee includes the following:  Tea, coffee throughout the day, plus lunch, an Archery session, various team building exercises, SMART management & leadership seminars and a delegate bag packed full of goodies!

Exclusivity: Delegate places are limited to 20, so be a leader, take ownership and book your place now to avoid last minute disappointment!

How can you book your delegate place: Please click on the link below to register your interest or book your place online now. You will have the option to either pay by credit / debit card now or request an invoice. If you request an invoice, please be advised that all invoices need to be paid within 7 days from the date of issue. Terms and conditions apply.

Find out more about the speakers, seminars and activities

Book your place now!

When and where is the SMART Way Forward Conference being held?
Wednesday 18th September 2013 at Lee Valley Athletics Centre.

Who will be attending the conference?
Chief Executives, Directors, Sports Development Managers, sports coaches and community leaders from County Sports Partnerships (CSPs), sport National Governing Bodies (NGBs), local authorities, sports clubs, leisure trusts, leisure operators, universities and commercial private sector companies looking to make a difference working within the sport leisure, health and fitness industry.

Will the conference programme be suitable for commercial businesses as well as sports coaches?
Yes, there will be Business Workshops as well as Coach Development Workshops running concurrently throughout the day, delegates can chose which workshop they wish to attend.

How much does each Conference delegate place cost?
The standard delegate rate is £120, which includes lunch and access to all workshops throughout the day. Early Bird discounts / Multiple delegate discounts are also available.

Is there an ‘Early Bird’ discount available?
Yes. If you book your delegate place before Friday 9th August you receive an Early Bird discount of 20 per cent, making thye price just £96 per delegate!

Are there discounts available for multiple delegates wanting to attend from the same organisation?
Yes. The following discounts apply:
5+ delegate places booked together = £90.00 per person (a 25 per cent discount off the standard rate)
10+ delegate places booked together = £84.00 per person(a 30 per cent discount off the standard rate)

Please note, the rates above will also apply during the Early Bird period up to Friday 9th August 2013. All discounts are only taken off the standard rate, not the early bird rate.

Is car parking available on site?
Yes. There will be plenty of FREE onsite parking available on the day.

Will lunch be included on the day?
Yes. Lunch will be provided FREE of charge, along with tea, coffee, fruit juice and water during break times.

Can you pay for your delegate place online via credit card?
Yes. We offer a secure online payment system using Paypal. Please click here for further details.

Are you able to invoice my organisation if I give you a Purchase Order number and email you an official confirmation?
Yes. SMART Way Forward are happy to invoice your organisation, as long as an official Purchase Order Number or authorisation code is given. All invoices must be paid within 7 days from the date of issue and cleared in full prior to conference day.

Attendance to the SMART Way Forward CPD Business and Coaching Conference 2013 is by pre‐registration and advance payment only. Delegate fees are non‐refundable in the event of delegate cancellations or no shows on the day. Payment can only be taken by Credit card (PayPal), BACS transfer, CHAPS, invoice or cheque prior to the booking deadline date. All Invoices will need to be paid within 7 days from the date of issue. All cheques payable to SMART Way Forward. Thank you.

Click here to book your place now.

Motivation, Inspiration, Enthusiasm = Results. PMA is a small thing, which can make a big difference to the final outcome!

PMA or Positive Mental Attitude is the foundation of everything we believe in at SMART Way Forward. So we are very proud to introduce another in the series of our Nationwide CPD Business and Coaching Conferences. This time, the event will be held at Lee Valley Athletics Centre  on Wednesday 18th September 2013!

Following the success of our last two events at Bisham Abbey National Sports Centre and Welford Road Rugby Stadium, the home of Leicester Tigers, we are delighted to announce this event in North London.

SMART Way Forward CPD Business and Coaching Conferences are ideal for inspiring, innovative people wanting to enhance their skills further through learning and continuous professional development. For this reason, our conferences are attended by chief executives, directors, sports development managers, sports coaches and community leaders from County Sports Partnerships (CSPs), sport National Governing Bodies (NGBs), local authorities, sports clubs, leisure trusts, leisure operators, universities and commercial private sector companies looking to make a difference working within the sport leisure, health and fitness industry.

The conference programme for this event has been very carefully thought out to ensure there is something for everyone.

For delegates attending from the commercial world of business, there are a number of business related workshops which will not only help management teams to engage with the people better, but also help sales teams become more proactive, inspirational and strategic with their customers. Our experienced speakers will share some great advice, along with some hand hints and tips to help you and your business flourish in this challenging economic climate. After all, having a focused team working efficiently towards the same end goals is always going to be very successful!

In addition, for sports clubs, officials, team managers, sports coaches, community coaches, performance managers and sports development officers, there will be a variety of workshops focused entirely on the ‘softer skills’ of sports coaching. These workshops will be delivered by established coaches and industry experts who will share their knowledge and experience to help delegates get the best out of their athletes and player at training sessions, right through to major competition.

Each coaching workshop will endorse the essential skills already being taught by sports NGBs through their grassroots development or elite performance pathways. However, it will focus on the softer skills required for coaching, within areas such as effective communication skills, awareness of body language, personal management skills, delivering constructive feedback and effective mentoring programme to help you get the best out of your athletes and players.

We have an excellent line up of speakers confirmed, all of whom are really looking forward to sharing their wealth of experience, knowledge and expertise with you.

As any successful business or sports person will tell you: “Perfect Planning Prevents Poor Performance – but frustration comes to those who thought & never did, or did and never thought!”

The SMART Way Forward CPD Business and Coaching Conference 2013 will be a great interactive day, where you will be able to refresh existing skills, learn new ones and network with like-minded, enthusiastic people, sharing their passion for working in the sport, leisure, health and fitness industry. So don’t hesitate, book your conference place now, we look forward to welcoming you on the day!

Nadeem Shaikh
Managing Director, SMART Way Forward

On Thursday 7^th March, Leicester Tigers Welford Road Stadium played host to  more than 40 delegates to the SMART Way Forward CPD Business & Coaching Conference.

Attendees included managing directors, directors of sport, finance managers, line managers, development officers, sports coaches, coach development managers, international athletes, Olympians, consultants and representatives from a variety of sports National Governing Bodies (NGBs), County Sports Partnerships (CSPs), universities and sports clubs.

The organisations represented  included British Cycling, British Athletics, England Athletics,  England Squash & Racketball, England Handball, The Amateur Swimming Association (ASA), The Rugby Football Union (RFU), Saracens RFU, Leicester Tigers RFU, Lee Valley Regional Park Authority,  Shaftesbury Barnet Harriers, Nuneaton and Bedworth Leisure Trust,  Team Beds and Luton CSP, Nottinghamshire Sport CSP, Bentley Holland & Partners, Sports-Vision, BCR Associates, Essentii, Performance Vision,  Mizuno Corporation UK, The David Anscomb Consultancy, Middlesex University, Sheffield Hallam University, Watford FC, Tottenham Hotspur FC, University of Birmingham, Loughborough University, Buckinghamshire New University… to name but a few.

Nadeem Shaikh, Managing Director of SMART Way Forward, opened the conference by highlighting the similarities between successful sports people and businesses, before demonstrating why it is so important to be consistent, persistent and professional in your approach, on and off the sports pitch.

Rachael Betts, Events and Conferences Manager at Leicester Tigers, then gave a brief insight into the facilities available for sport and business at Welford Road Stadium. One of the most iconic established rugby stadiums in the UK, Welford Road is the home of Leicester Tigers.

This was followed by an inspiring keynote presentation from British Cycling’s double Olympic medallist Bryan Steel,  who explained how British Cycling went from being average to becoming world class within a decade. The lessons you learn in sport are often transferable into business, so Bryan explained the model adopted by the British Cycling coaching team which finally put them leagues ahead of their competitors.

Bryan also shared his thoughts and experiences on how he successfully competed at four Olympic Games and finally won medals at Sydney 2000 (Bronze) and Athens 2004 (Silver). Bryan was truly inspirational.

Mid-morning, delegates were given the choice of two workshops to attend, following either the business stream or coaching stream.

Nadeem Shaikh, delivered the business seminar, explaining the importance of building strong customer relationships – focusing specifically on communication comparisons against telephone vs. email vs. face to face.  There was a lot of energy and interaction within the session, which proved to be very popular with commercial businesses.

At the same time, Alasdair Donaldson, British Athletics Endurance Coach at the High Performance Athletics Centre (HiPac) Loughborough University, ran an inspirational workshop for sports coaches and athletes on how to develop mental toughness during training and competition. A very popular session, Alasdair had the delegates completely mesmerised, demonstrating mental preparation methods used by established athletes such as marathon World Record holder Paula Radcliffe and Double London 2012 Olympic Gold medallist Mo Farah.

Just after mid-day, delegates were given the choice of attending a business workshop delivered byNLP body language expert Annie Page from Essentii or listening to eyesight specialists Gavin Rebello from Sports-Vision and Dr Zoe Wimshurst from Performance Vision deliver a practical coaching workshop highlighting the importance of looking after your eyes for maximum vision benefits during sport.

Both workshops proved very popular. Annie inspired delegates with how to manage and exceed customers’ expectations by recognising behaviours, a topic everyone was very keen to learn more about in order to be more effective in their roles. Annie’s energetic, enthusiastic presentation had exactly the right balance of theory and practical based information, leaving delegates very keen to try the hints and tips given to them.

The workshop delivered by Gavin Rebello and Dr Zoe Wimshurst was entitled ‘An insight into your eyesight (keeping your eyes on the ball)’. Delegates were shown why it is so vital to have clear, precise peripheral vision during sport, and how it can make the difference between winning and losing.

Gavin and Zoe shared their knowledge and experience by highlighting practical ways in which sports people could enhance their performance by simply strengthening their eye muscles. Being aware of what, where and how to view moving objects during training and competition, can make an incredible difference to performance, especially when competing at the highest level.  Both Gavin and Zoe have worked with elite athletes and teams from a variety of sports.

After lunch, delegates were treated to a 30 minute tour of Welford Road Stadium by Leicester Tigers guide and expert Eric. Eric shared some incredible facts, figures and trivia with the delegates, before showing them the newly build 10,000 capacity Caterpillar stand and the Leicester Tigers trophy cabinet.

One of the highlights of the tour was being able to see the first team changing rooms.  It was not what anybody had expected! The changing rooms are perfectly placed and designed to ensure every player entering this area runs onto the pitch for Leicester Tigers completely inspired, focused and ready to perform at their best.

Following the stadium tour, Kim Harris from cost reduction consultants BCR Associates gave tips and practical advice on how organisations can save themselves thousands of pounds by simply reviewing their overheads and operational costs in areas such as utilities, telecoms and staffing.  This advice was very well received by the delegates, especially those managing any form of finance, budgets and facilities.

At the same time, Nadeem Shaikh delivered another energetic and inspiring workshop on how sports coaches can communicate more effectively. Sharing his knowledge and experience of being involved in the sport industry for over 26 years, Nadeem highlighted the importance of communication and how to get the best out of players and athletes when it really matters most. Having worked with a number of national, international and elite athletes, Nadeem was able to give practical advice on effective verbal, visual and written communication, along with how to develop proactive listening skills.

The following workshop session was delivered by Ian Wakefield from Sport Nottinghamshire.  Ian delivered a fascinating workshop highlighting the effective use and impact of social media, demonstrating the importance of social media in society and sharing some excellent advice on how to raise your presence and generate interest. Delegates were given a great insight into how to generate and monitor response from sites such as Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook and given practical tips on how to manage social media so it does not take over your life.

The final session of the day was delivered by Olympian Bryan Steel, sharing his knowledge on how installing a winning mentality can help you deliver championship performances.  Bryan explained the methods and development structures implemented by British Cycling help maintain focus and confidence. Looking at everything from mental and physical preparation to environment, equipment, training hours, rest, diet, competition planning and general athlete attitude, has made British Cycling the world leaders. Small changes in training and preparation can often influence a bigger, better outcome. However, it is recognising those changes which need to be made which really make the difference.

“The delegates, speakers, sponsors and exhibitors who have attended at our SMART Way Forward CPD Business & Coaching Conference today have been amazing,” said Nadeem Shaikh.

“The speakers and workshop presentations have been inspirational and the networking between delegates has been excellent! I would like to take this opportunity to thank Bryan Steel, Annie Page, Ian Wakefield, Alasdair Donaldson, Gavin Rebello, Zoe Wimshurst and Kim Harris for their contribution today. In addition, I would also like to thank our sponsors;  Leicester Tigers, Mizuno, Bentley Holland, British Athletics, BCR Associates, Essentii, Shaftesbury Barnet Harriers, Sport-Vision, Performance Vision, for the their continued support. Without inspirational speakers, great sponsors and the fantastic marketing and administration team from SMART Way Forward, we would not be able to make our conferences as successful as they are.”

Many of our speakers and delegates have been kind enough to send us testimonials following the conference, which you can read here.

If you are interested in attending a SMART Way Forward CPD Business & Coaching Conference in 2013, please click here to contact us and register your interest. As soon as details are available we will inform you straight away!

We look forward to welcoming you to our next event!

As a boy, Bryan Steel was uninterested in school, and not very athletic. Then he discovered a talent, cycling. This gave him an outlet and a passion.

He joined cycling clubs, and made it to the British cycling team, which at the time was not a team recognised for excellence. Bryan participated in a revolutionary change management programme that catapulted the team to the world stage. he competed in four Olympic Games, winning Bronze in the Team pursuit in 2000 and Silver in 2004.

From scrawny schoolboy to World Class athlete, Bryan now shares the secrets of success through his own development programme Winning Mindset. The formula for success is as applicable to the board room and business environment as it is to the playing field.

Bryan has worked with various organisations including Sport England, The Youth Sport Trust, Dame Kelly Holmes Legacy Trust and DARE UK to deliver, design and manage mentoring schemes.

He is a Board Member of England Netball, a director of charity Sporting Hearts, Patron of the Thomley Activity Centre, Oxfordshire, Anti-drug Ambassador for UK Sport for the 100% Me Campaign, a Sporting Hero for the East Midlands Advocates Project a Sport England Sporting Champion and a member of the British Olympic Association Planning for Success scheme.

Bryan’s Sporting Achievements:

2000 Olympics: Bronze, Team Pursuit

2000 World Championships: Silver, Team Pursuit

2001 World Championships: Silver, Team Pursuit

2002 World Championships: Bronze, Team Pursuit

2003 World Championships: Silver, Team Pursuit

2004 World Championships: Silver, Team Pursuit

2004 Olympics: Silver, Team Pursuit

Bryan Steel delivered the keynote speech and a workshop on Effective Personal Management for Sports Coaches at our very first CPD Coaching Conference in September 2012. We are hugely pleased and honoured that he has agreed to speak again at the SMART Way Forward CPD Business and Coaching Conference 2013 (Midlands/North).

At the SMART Way Forward CPD Business and Coaching Conference 2013 (Midlands/North), Bryan Steel will be delivering the keynote speech at 10.10am, as well as the following Sports Coaching Workshop:

3.45pm – 4.45pm
installing a winning mentality and delivering championship performance

Bryan Steel was a key member of the British Cycling team at the Sydney Olympics in 2000 and the Athens Olympics in 2004. Therefore, he knows a thing or two about what it takes to successfully perform at world class championships and Olympic Games.

In this workshop Bryan will share some of his experiences of the Games, along with the techniques and processes adopted by the team in the lead up to competition. He will also explain how the specific performance programme designed by British Cycling helped the team progress from a World ranking of 17^th to 1^st in just under eighth years.

To achieve a world-class performance you need to work as a highly effective team, whilst understanding the individuality of its components. A team is only as strong as the people within it; therefore people within that team have got to be right.  Having a team which believes in its ability, with complete focus, total commitment, passion and self belief, will be the team which stands on the podium.

Kim Harris built a ladies’ fashion retail company with 13 branches and 180 staff, where controlling overhead expenditure was vital to the success and ultimate survival of the business.

Now, with BCR Associates, he is working within all business sectors but his love of sport has seen the company look to branch out more and more in to the sport and leisure sectors, working with associations such as the GCMA, SIBA and Expotel and work with clients such as Harlequins and Exeter Chiefs.

BCR Associates are considered one of the UK’s leading cost reduction consultancies and have won the Best Service category at the prestigious Best Business Awards.

The company will identify hidden profit by reviewing a company’s spend on electricity, gas, telecoms, insurance, staff, finance, vehicles and green services. They make no charge for their cost reviews, which are without obligation, PLUS there is no commission to pay as their clients retain 100% of savings realised. BCR Associates are paid by the suppliers for the retention and acquisition of clients.

At the SMART Way Forward CPD Business and Coaching Conference 2013 (Midlands/North), Kim Harris will be delivering the following Sports Coaching Workshop:

2.30pm – 3.30pm
How to save money by managing overheads and operational costs effectively

In this current economic climate, it is fair to say that most businesses and organisations are continuously reviewing their overheads and operational costs to see where possible savings can be made.

Identifying hidden profit by reviewing spend on areas such as electricity, gas, telecoms, insurance, staff, finance, vehicles, and green services can usually save businesses hundreds, if not thousands of pounds! However, this process needs to be managed and controlled properly if businesses are to take full advantage of this additional revenue.

As Director of cost reduction consultants BCR Associates, Kim Harris will explain how easy it is for businesses to save money, if they take a few simple steps and allow their existing procedures to be reviewed. The process to help identify savings within a business does not need to be time consuming or laborious. Internal departments need to communicate with one another more openly, take a flexible approach and act on the information when it is highlighted that savings can be made. Kim will run through the process and explain how easy savings can be identified.

Ian Wakefield was born in King’s Lynn, Norfolk and is proud of his Norfolk roots, he began his interest in sport through athletics, competed for a variety of clubs at regional and national level, reaching nationally ranked status in 1992. Shortly after this due to a back injury Ian had to retire from the sport and subsequently took up Mountain Biking, a sport which he still competes in regularly today as a ‘Veteran’ (over 40 age group) competing in the Eiger Race in 2010 and finishing in the top 300 at the Trans Germany 4 day stage race in 2011.

Ian’s career began in the late 1980’s when he began working on the sports and entertainment staff at a private holiday park, over the last 20 years he has progressed through a series of management positions working for leading companies such as Living Well, Center Parcs and Marriott Hotels. More recently he was employed by ISRM and IMSPA/CIMSPA as Head of Business Development.

He was awarded a ‘Fellowship’ of the Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity (CIMSPA), and is in his 4th year as a ‘Chartered Marketer’ with the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM). He has a unique insight into both the ‘Marketing’ and ‘Sport & Recreation’ sectors.

Ian Wakefield delivered a workshop on Advertising, marketing and promotion for your sports club (inc. social media) at our very first CPD Coaching Conference in September 2012. We are hugely pleased and honoured that he has agreed to speak again at the SMART Way Forward CPD Business and Coaching Conference 2013 (Midlands/North).

At the SMART Way Forward CPD Business and Coaching Conference 2013 (Midlands/North), Ian Wakefield will be delivering the following Business Workshop:

3.45pm – 4.45pm
How to use social media effectively for business

Every day, more and more Social Media networking websites provide people and businesses with the means to interact in real-time. Social media marketing offers a two-way relationship between your business and potential customers – it is much more personal than traditional forms of marketing and can provide instant feedback.

The secret to making the most of social media marketing is to produce interesting and engaging content in order to engage and interact with your potential customers. Ian will highlight the features and benefits of social media websites such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn along with how easy it is to plan an effective social media strategy.

Social media does not have to be a daunting. Simple everyday marketing and general administration can ensure that you offer your customers another form of interactive communication. You can then either share information or simply tell potential customers about you, your products and services or future plans.

As a teenager, Gavin Rebello became a frustrated sportsman because he kept losing the flight of the ball even though opticians told him he had 20/20 vision.

He qualified as an optometrist from Cardiff University and then gained a distinction in the optometry-based sports vision diploma, launching sports-vision.co.uk in 2005.

He specialises in ‘what and how the eye sees’ with the specific aim to give sports people a winning edge. He helps them see the ball quicker than their opponents, improve their aiming skills and on-field awareness so passing and reaction times are better and more consistent. Sport starts with what the eyes are seeing and Gavin helps players be the best they can be.

He has worked with elite athletes across a range of sports at club, national, international and Olympic levels.

Gavin and Zoe met whilst attending a sports vision training program at Harvard University with Gavin becoming the sports contact lens and eye mechanics consultant for Zoe’s company Performance Vision Ltd.

Together Zoe and Gavin are the vision experts for Harlequins Rugby, among others.

At the SMART Way Forward CPD Business and Coaching Conference 2013 (Midlands/North), Gavin Rebello will be delivering the following Sports Coaching Workshop with Dr Zoe Wimshurst:

12.20pm – 1.20pm
An insight into your eyesight (keeping your eyes on the ball)

Whether you are an elite athlete, amateur or simply enjoy sport to keep fit and socialise, your eyes have a big say on how well you play. Having 20/20 vision means that you should be able to see the ball well, but what if your opponent sees the ball before you? What if your opponent can follow the ball better than you? You’re immediately on the back foot and they have that all important edge.

A fitter and well trained athlete will generally play better because their eyes have faster focus, which in turn means that they have quicker reaction times. Most people judge their vision by how clearly they see. However, vision is much more complex than this. There are many processes contributing to vision, clarity of sight is merely just one of them.

Other areas to consider could be things like speed and accuracy of focus, depth perception, peripheral awareness, stability of eye dominance, how efficiently the two eyes work together as a team, etc… to name but a few.

Elite athletes understand that they need to keep their bodies at a peak level of fitness in order to perform successfully under pressure at the highest level. With vision being the dominant sense in most sports, it is vital that sports men and women maximise all aspects of their vision to ensure a championship sporting performance.

Nadeem Shaikh is the Managing Director of SMART Way Forward, a specialist sales management, CPD and training consultancy working within the sport, leisure, health and fitness industry.

Nadeem has a wealth of knowledge and experience, having been involved in sport for over 25 years. Nadeem is qualified sales and management trainer, a UK Athletics Level 3 Performance Endurance coach and a coach on the National Coach Development Programme with England Athletics. Over the years, Nadeem has worked with a number of sport’s National Governing Bodies (NGBs), County Sports Partnerships (CSPs), Local Authorities and a number of corporate companies around the UK.

Prior to SMART Way Forward, Nadeem held senior management positions with companies such as Disney, Reed Elsevier, Leisure Media, Sports Management and The Nichem Group. Nadeem has designed and implemented many successful development programmes, bid proposals, training seminars and workshops, along with many sales and management strategies within a variety of organisations.

Nadeem is passionate about sport, especially athletics, having represented his club, Shaftesbury Barnet Harriers at County, Region and International level. He now coaches some of the best young endurance athletes in the UK, some of whom have already represented Team GB.

Nadeem is also the Vice President for Shaftesbury Barnet Harriers and sits on a number of sports committees, including those which organise, train and coordinate marshals at events such as the London Marathon, London Mini Marathon, Bupa 10k and the Adidas Women’s 5K road race. Nadeem was also a very proud London 2012 Olympic and Paralympics Games Maker, who worked on the men’s, women’s and Paralympics marathon and road cycling events.

Nadeem  delivered a workshop on Effective communication skills for sports coaches at our very first CPD Coaching Conference in September 2012. He will of course be speaking again at the SMART Way Forward CPD Business and Coaching Conference 2013 (Midlands/North).

At the SMART Way Forward CPD Business and Coaching Conference 2013 (Midlands/North), as well as welcoming delegates at 9.30am and concluding the day at 4.45pm, Nadeem will be delivering the following workshops:

11.15am – 12.15pm (Business Workshop)
Building strong customer relationships – telephone vs email vs face to face

Building strong relationships with customers is vital if you want to maintain a healthy partnership and a successful business. Therefore, using the correct manner in which to communicate your message is of paramount importance, especially in business.

Technology is there to help us, but it should not mask the fact the ‘people buy from people’. Using the right communication at the right time, with the right level of detail can make a huge difference to the final outcome. The way in which you and your team communicate with customers over the phone, email or face to face, can have a huge bearing on how your company ethics is perceived. After all, we all want to experience a successful outcome rather than a steep learning curve of disappointment!

This workshop will provide some handy hints and tips to ensure you always relay your messages correctly and communicate in the right way, so that you and your business is perceived correctly in the marketplace.

2.30pm – 3.30pm (Sports Coaching Workshop)
Effective Communication skills for sports coaches

A successful sports coach or team manager must have excellent communication skills otherwise the whole process becomes extremely difficult. Communication must be open, honest, regular and consistent if coach, athlete and player are to build mutual trust and form a healthy working partnership.

Developing effective communication skills will help you recognise the different characteristics adopted by each athlete and player before, during and after training or competition. Therefore, communicating appropriately is vital when you are working towards success at international and elite level. Coaches must be able to relay instructions clearly and express urgency in a calm controlled focused manner. Coaches and managers must be able to communicate effectively to groups, as well as engage with athletes and players on a one‐to-one basis.

This workshop will give you a brief overview on how to use verbal, visual and written communication effectively. It will also highlight the importance of being aware of your own body language and perception on and off the sport pitch.