Helsinki Embassy Showcase for East Devon Firm Business Linked Teams

Online, June 25, 2014 (Newswire.com) - A Devon training company is extending its reach to new customers in Europe and around the world with help from UK Trade and Investment.

Business Linked Teams Ltd, based in Salcombe Regis, near Sidmouth, helps organisations maximise business results through staff training.

Having already established a customer base in Finland, the East Devon firm recently co-hosted a successful breakfast seminar with the British Embassy in Helsinki at the Ambassador's residence.

Managing director Kevin Fox said: "We were delighted to be able to share our approach to developing business results at the breakfast meeting in Helsinki. Having worked with many global organisations, we were able to use the platform provided by UKTI to teach others how to develop the sales and business skills of their sales teams around the world.

"The core theme of our event was collaborative selling - focused on the fact that the best results are achieved in collaboration with an organisation's customers. This idea is central to how we operate on a day to day basis, listening to our customers and aligning our training to their strategy and business goals."

Diahann Byrne, BLT's operations manager, who organised the event with the help of UKTI and the embassy in Finland, said: "Over the past 13 years, BLT has established very close ties with Finland.

"In recognition of the support received and partnerships created, we decided to host this event welcoming all our existing Finnish clients.

"With the help of the British Embassy in Finland and the invaluable support from UKTI, we were able to extend the invitation to new Finnish organisations. We chose our seminar topic - Collaborative Value Selling - very carefully, as we wanted the seminar to be an informative session our guests would benefit from and take back to the workplace.

"It was a wonderful way to start a Friday morning, an informative session in a beautiful residence with a full English breakfast. Our managing director Kevin Fox began the presentation and was delighted to be supported by guest speakers and loyal clients, Dr Kalle Härkki, the president of the minerals processing business area at Outotec and John R Lynly, head of segmentation and value creation at KONE.

"The event was a complete success with all guests providing very positive feedback. We never realised UK businesses could use the British embassies to target decision makers of industry in an attempt to unlock potential new customers in other countries. We would certainly look at hosting another event in another country."

The company has made use of UKTI's Overseas Market Introduction Service, which gave them access to trade specialists based in the UK's embassies, high commissions and consulates across the world.

UKTI international trade adviser Steve Southcott said: "BLT is a great example of a small company using UKTI's services to reach out to new businesses in different markets around the globe. By making use of the embassy in Helsinki, BLT was able to take their offer to new companies which are now providing encouraging sales leads for them."

According to new figures from UKTI, during the last 12 months South West firms secured overseas business worth £2.6 billion over the next five years with help from the organisation.