UK. Former travel retail and beauty industry executive Annette Kurer has created a specialist company called ARK Consultants.
Comprising Coaches, Consultants and Trainers, ARK helps to create bespoke solutions to develop business relationships and improve the quality of in-house communication and performance.
In particular, ARK works with speakers who are preparing to deliver specific presentations at conferences, or to financial institutions, media, sales meetings and AGMs. Areas of expertise include presenting to win tenders; delivering specific financial news; and developing dialogue skills.
ARK’s Consultants focus on clients’ business development strategies: retaining and developing existing customers and winning new ones. Its ‘coaches’ claim to improve the quality of the organisation’s communication, motivation and performance, while its trainers design and deliver bespoke communication solutions to improve performance in terms of leadership, presenting, meeting skills, consulting/selling, people management and coaching.
“Leaders today understand that effective communication is of the utmost importance,” Kurer explains. “However, one aspect of communication that often goes unrecognised by communicators is the “˜non-verbals’.”
She added: “Over 90% of what people remember about a speech has to do with the non-verbal factors of communication – how you look and how you sound.
“Presenting at seminars must be done effectively or the audience will fail to be inspired and will not benefit from [the presenter’s] expertise.”
Kurer claims that her team works with a company’s speakers to help them enhance the way they communicate; learn and practice skills that they use immediately; and observe how coaching interactively maximises participation, skill retention and application.
Note: Kurer is a qualified Corporate Coach and Trainer. She originally qualified as a dental surgeon before changing career. After three years at Pearl & Dean working in publishing and advertising for the duty and tax free industry, she moved to Unilever Cosmetics International (UCI). During her 12-year tenure there, she was involved in the launch of fragrances such as Obsession, Eternity and cK one.
At UCI Kurer managed multi-million pound businesses in over 20 countries in regions including the Middle East, the Nordic market and Europe. She was also responsible for the design and delivery of product training programmes, as well as coaching and talent management. She has extensive experience of winning and retaining client business. Clients to date include GE Healthcare, NASDAQ, Trinity Mirror, General Mills, Ford Finance, Kedge Capital, the Carbon Trust and Visteon.
Kurer/ARK Consultants can be contacted on tel: +44 (0)20 8444 3490, at info@arkconsultants.net or www.arkconsultants.net
