Student Housing Quarterly - 001 - Summer 2015

STUDENT HOUSING OUARTERLY

ISSUE 001 • SUMMER 2015ISSUE 001 • SUMMER 2015

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National NewsA round up of Student Housing news from around the UK

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Student Housing Quarterly – Summer 20152 [email protected] · shquarterly.co.uk

Welcome to the new StudentHousing Quarterly (SHQ) –

The new magazine for thestudent housing industry.

You can subscribe to SHQ atshquarterly.co.uk – the webversion is FREE or if you prefera printed magazine it is just£20 a year.

The magazine replaces ourStudent Landlords News (SLN)which we halted in 2010. Overthe three years SLN waspublished we had fantasticfeedback from readers.

There is so much going onin the property world andstudent letting market that wethought there was and still is aneed for a publication like this.There have been a lot ofchanges in the market placeover the past five years. Nonemore so than the rise ofpurpose built studentaccommodation. This year wehave seen an unprecedentedlevel of activity in sales,investments and planningapplications in this sector ofthe market. Which is why we’vebrought the magazine backand under a new title to refectthe changes in the market

If you have any ideas forarticles, features, interviews,press releases or even just tohave your say you can drop usa line at the address below oremail: [email protected]

Student Housing QuarterlyWhilst the information is believed to becorrect, neither the publisher nor editoraccepts responsibility for its accuracy.

Editor: Emma LukePublisher: Paul AllisonDesign: Paul AllisonPhotographer: Marnie Elizabethmarnieelizabethphotography.co.ukAddress: New Student Ltd, Office 5, Amron House, North Shields, NE29 6RNTel: 07957 371 847Email: [email protected]: shquarterly.co.uk© New Student Ltd 2015

STUDENT HOUSING OUARTERLY

ISSUE 001 • SUMMER 2015ISSUE 001 • SUMMER 2015

And the Winner is...

Celebrating the very best in Student Housing in the North East



Sponsored by

And the Winner is...

Celebrating the very best in Student Housing in the North East



Sponsored by

Is student housing becoming a luxury?

According to the National Union of Studentsthe cost of student accommodation hasdoubled over the last decade, the average

student living outside of London has to budgetmore than £12,000 a year for living expenses.

The maximum loan that a student can takeout is less than half that at £5,740. Add to thatthe strain of one’s tuition fees piling on toexisting debts after graduation and there’s nodoubt that being a student these days can be anexpensive business.

When we last asked our local institutions howmany of their students were ‘stay at home’studiers they told us that they don’t keep figuresfor that, but figures from the Higher EducationStatistics Agency show that 322,000 full timestudents lived at home with their parents in theUK in the last year, five years earlier this figurewas at 278,500.

While this may seem more, proportionallyboth figures represent around 20% of thestudent population, a percentage that has

remained the same for the last decade. Givenrecent changes to fees, loans and maintenancegrants it’s unsurprising that the cost of studentaccommodation and other living expenses hasforced more of those from lower income familiesto consider studying at a local university andliving at home.

Is student accommodation more expensivenow? There are certainly some pricier options outthere if that’s what you’re looking for. One newstudent development in Newcastle is charging upto £245 a week. But these are high endproperties and while it is true that the studentproperty market has seen a boom in newdevelopments with immaculate facilities andshiny price tags to match, great value, traditionalstudent HMOs in city suburbs still provide anexcellent option to the money savvy student.

What’s clear is that student attitudes arechanging, more are coming to university becausethey are serious about their education, they seeit as an investment in their future and factoringin the cost of their accommodation is all part ofthe deal.

COMMENT

Cover: Paul Allison at the NESHAAwards Photo © Marnie Elizabethmarnieelizabethphotography.co.uk

A student landlord has beenjailed for six months and orderedto pay £12,441 after pleadingguilty to three charges relating tobreaches in fire safety at a rentalproperty he in Bristol.

Students had to be rescuedfrom the multi-occupancypremises at Nine Tree Hill inCotham after a fire in January2012.

Landlord Garreth Wilson wasfound to have breached firesafety regulations and was givena four-month suspendedsentence and told to pay£10,000 costs.

But just five months after theblaze Avon Fire and Rescue

Service checked the flats againand found there were still firesafety risks which had not beentackled.

Wilson, 62, of BeaufortCottage in Clifton, pleaded guiltyto the additional breaches of firesafety law.

Judge Martin Picton toldWilson: “I just don't know howpotent a warning someone hasto have to behave differently asa landlord of multi-occupancyflats.

“People who rent propertiesare entitled to expect theappropriate level of care takenfor their safety.”

The solicitor defending Wilson

Giles Nelson told the court hisclient paid £60,000 to have theformer office space transformedinto student accommodation.After the fire in January 2012his client spent £80,000 sortingdamage.

He told the court: “It has costhim a fortune. Financially it hasbeen a complete disaster. He'sdone up the property. It's gonewrong. He's spent a hugeamount trying to get it right. He'sfallen at this particular hurdle.”

After the case Avon Fire andRescue Service's head oftechnical fire safety, GroupManager Matt Peskett, said:“We are satisfied with theoutcome of this case and thatthe sentence reflects theseverity of the charges.

“As the responsible person forthe property Mr Wilson had aduty to ensure the safety ofthose living in theaccommodation. Withoutadequate fire safety measureslives were put at risk.”

“Landlords should carry out arisk assessment and ensuretheir premises are up to theappropriate standard.’l From October 2015 newlegislation is due to beintroduced to augment this,requiring all private sectorlandlords to install smokealarms on each storey of theirproperty and ensure they areworking at the start of atenancy. There will also be arequirement to install carbonmonoxide alarms in propertiesburning solid fuel.

Student Landlord Jailed for Fire Safety Breaches

Students had to be rescued from Landlord Garreth Wilson’s property at NineTree Hill in Cotham, Bristol after a fire broke out in 2012. After the fire Wilsonfailed to tackle some fire safety risks and he was fined an jailed for six months

3Student Housing Quarterly – Summer 2015

Pitt Street in Newcastle is a hive of activity as workcontinues on a number of Student Accommodationprojects on this unassuming street.

In close proximity to St James’ Park andNewcastle University Business School, the streetused to be mixed use social housing and lightindustry.

Now adjacent to the blossoming Science Citysite, on the former Newcastle Brewery’s brownfield, developers have jumped at the chance toimprove a piece of prime empty space.

Downing Developments continues its ambitious

student accommodation projects following on fromthe success of the View next door.

Prime Student Living is working hard on StJames’ Point 2, a follow up to the studiodevelopment on the former site of the Magpiepub. St James’ Point 2 will be a cluster flatdevelopment.

On the former site of Henry Hirst foodprocessing plant a 65 studio apartmentdevelopment is taking place: JSK PropertyDevelopments is making its first foray into studentaccommodation in the city.

Work continues on Newcastle’s Pitt Street Developments

Investment in Purpose BuiltStudent Halls continues togrow: Report Shows

Investment into the country’sstudent housing market hit£3.98bn in the first half 2015,well ahead of the £2.35bn forthe whole of 2014. Within thattotal, London has witnessed arecord £1.98bn of transactionsacross the first half of the year,according to research fromCBRE, the commercial propertyand real estate services advisor.

Jo Winchester, Head ofStudent Housing Advisory atCBRE, said: “So long as demandoutstrips supply, upwardpressure on both rents andcapital values will continue tomake the market an attractiveproposition for investors, and wedon't expect the market to comeoff the boil for some time.

“Some investors see studenthousing as a more cost effectiveway of gaining access to thePRS, both in terms of higheryields and lower capital valuesper sq ft.”

Newcastle studentdevelopment acquired byEmpiric Student Property.

Empiric Student Property hasbought the freehold to the newmulti-million pound studentdevelopment on ClaremontPlace in Newcastle upon Tyne.

The development seesterraced properties transformedinto luxury student apartments ina location that is ideal forNewcastle and NorthumbriaUniversities.

The Grade II listed propertiesare currently owned and beingdeveloped by Ziggurat StudentLiving, with the aim ofcompleting them in time for thenext academic season inSeptember 2015. Empiric,which owns 25 other studentproperties in the UK, made thepurchase for £11m and willbenefit from a 100% rentalguarantee in the first academicyear.

Bookings for theaccommodation are now beingtaken. The luxury properties areshaping up to be some of themost expensive studentaccommodation in the city; withprices starting at £160 a weekand a platinum studio could setyou back £245 per week.Studios have en-suitebathrooms, stylish kitchens withall modern conveniences as wellas modern furnishings andbroadband.

After Exeter City Council lost aHigh Court battle of the planningapplication of 120 homes on aGreenfield site, experts areworried about the ramificationsfor student accommodation andhousing provision in the future.

In January 2014 Exeter CityCouncil planning committeeoriginally rejected plans for 120homes on a site near HomeFarm.

They refused the planningapplication due to harm of thesurrounding landscape of thecity and concerns over theimpacts on the local transportinfrastructure.

The council was previouslytold that student housing couldcount towards its new housingprovision, but the inspector forthe High Court concluded that

that was not the case.The Council could not

therefore demonstrate therequired five year housing supplyplan. The Council was worriedthat the scheme would set an‘undesirable precedent’ but theinspector for the High Courtruled that the development wasnot ‘intrinsically harmful to thesetting of the city.’

“Where student population isrelatively stable, and the numberof general market dwellingsoccupied by students declinesas a consequence of theprovision of student

accommodation, I consider theinclusion of suchaccommodation as part of thehousing supply would beconsistent with the guidancewithin the PPG.

“However, within Exeter, dueto the considerable increase inthe number of students relativeto the provision of purpose-builtstudent accommodation, therehas not been a reduction in thenumber of general marketdwellings occupied by students.On the contrary, there has beena significant increase…”.

Rulings made in the HighCourt do set a precedent forfuture cases so it will beinteresting to see if otherCouncils choose to furtherappeal planning disputes goingforward.

High Court ruling implications for student housing

Pitt Street: Far Left (where the two works are on the scaffold) JSK Property Developments 65 studio development justpast this Prime Student Living is working hard on St James’ Point 2. Right of the Swain truck Downing Developmentslatest Newcastle Hall under construction. Directly behind the Swain truck is Newcastle University Business School.


Student Housing News RoundupA controversial student housing block willgo ahead - despite being rejected by theCity Council. The £30m proposals for thesite of a former Homebase DIY store on StLeonard's Street were turned down earlierthis year amid fears that the 579 bed unitwould push the Southside's studentpopulation above 61% - twice the figurerecommended in city guidelines. Thedeveloper, Unite Students, appealeddirectly to the Scottish Government andwas successful. Work is expected to beginshortly.

Work will start on two large studenthousing projects in Belfast after theschemes were approved by planningcommittees. The schemes will house atotal of 1,300 students and are the latestin a series of proposals put forward toregenerate an area of the city that hasbeen boosted by the new Ulster Universitycampus. Opening in Summer 2017, thefirst involves the demolition of the formerMetropolitan College building, while theother makes use of an existing brownfieldsite.

In Liverpool the mayor has ordered areview of all the student housingdevelopments in the city, amid concernsthat the number of beds are rising fasterthan student numbers. In February andMarch this year some 86 storeys worth ofstudent housing was proposed or approvedin the city. The results of the enquiry areexpected in the next fortnight.

Students at Aberystwyth UniversityStudents' Union have passed a motion toban Gideon Bibles in student bedroomsbranding them ‘inappropriate in amulticultural university’. The officials at theuniversity now must decide if they are toaccept the motion after the vote was wonby 300 votes to 175. In October 2013Huddersfield University banned GideonBibles in their halls and in August 2014Travelodge hotels did the same.

A £10m 'Gateway to Winchester' willhouse 280 Winchester University studentsnext to the city's railway station if plans goahead. The proposals, backed by theUniversity will help redevelop the StationApproach area, and if approved would beopen to student residents in September2018.

New controls over the private rental sectorin Scotland could price visitors out ofstaying in Edinburgh during the festivals, ithas been claimed. In Edinburgh, manylandlords who let out flats to studenttenants for nine months then let theproperty over the summer to Festival-goers. New proposals by housing ministerMargaret Burgess aims to give tenantsgreater security: Any required “notice toquit” period will be linked to how long thetenant has lived in the property and the“no fault” clause would be scrapped.

Students and landlords in Durham willbenefit from a brand new scheme thatlaunched on June 1st. The DurhamStudents' Assured Housing Scheme willrun from 2015 to 2018 with the aim ofimproving the quality of private studenthousing by introducing a voluntary codefor landlords. To participate propertiesmust be inspected and reach a certainstandard set by Health and SafetyExecutives and Durham University.

Cambridge City Council has come underfire after it green-lighted a change oflease at a potential student developmentsite on land it owns. If the plans areapproved the council would benefit fromincreased rent on the land which has afurther 53 years left on the lease. Thoseopposed to the scheme are also criticalthat it does not provide integration withthe rest of the community and lacksbacking from the University.

Students moving out from private rentedaccommodation in Reading are beingurged to recycle during change over time.In a scheme running since 2006, around750 students are given a moving outpack containing information on waste andrecycling services and dates in the city.There is an extra bin collection date andthe Council will take away unwanted smallelectrical goods and recycle them withinthe student community.

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NewcastleStudentLandlord of the Year

Winner: Select Property Developments

Runner up: Andrew Pellegrino

3rd Place: Oaks Properties Ltd

TeessideStudentLandlord of the Year

Winner: Kexgill Middlesbrough

Runner up: Taniya Properties

3rd Place: Python Properties

DurhamStudentLandlord of the Year

Winner: Kexgill Stockton

Runner up: Moira & Adam Bent

3rd Place: Hope Estates

North EastStudentLandlord of the Year

Winner: Kexgill Middlesbrough

Joint runners up: Select Property Developments and Kexgill Stockton

NewcastleStudentLetting of the Year

Winner: Walton Robinson

Runners up: NU:lets, letslivehere &Easiliving

TeessideStudentLetting of the Year

Winner: 1st Degree StudentAccommodation

Joint runners up: C&M Property Management & Linthorpe Property Management

DurhamStudentLetting of the Year

Winner: Bill Free Homes

Runner up: Harringtons

3rd Place: Student Cribs

North EastStudentLetting of the Year

Winner: Walton Robinson

Runner up: Bill Free Homes

3rd Place: 1st Degree StudentAccommodation

Newcastle Student Hall of the Year

Winner: Union Square

Runner up: Trinity Square

3rd Place: Student Castle

SunderlandStudent Hall of the Year

Winner: Scotia Quay

Runner up: Panns Bank

3rd Place: The Precinct

Teesside Student Hall of the Year

Winner: Kexgill House

Runner up: Linthorpe Hall

3rd Place: Drinkwater House

North EastStudent Hall of the Year

Winner: Union Square

Runner up: Kexgill House

3rd Place: Scotia Quay

North EastStudentLettings Negotiator of the Year

Winner: Ran Ho (Walton Robinson)

Runner up: Lucy Smith

3rd Place: David Boyd & Rachel Twycross

North EastStudentProperty Manager of the Year

Winner: Lindsey Green (Exchange Residential)

Runner up: Amelia Lloyd (Walton Robinson)

3rd Place: Andrew Simmonds (Tyne and Wear Property Services)

Student Tenant of the Year

Katherine WhiteNorthumbria University

Innovation &EnvironmentalImpact Award

Northumbria University

LifetimeAchievementAwards

Peter Smith – Bill Free Homes

Mark Walton – Walton Robinson

Mike Lee – Kexgill

And the winners are: The winners and runners up fromthe inaugural North East Student Housing awards 2015

The Inaugural North EastStudent Housing AwardsTop left: The team and a few tenantsfrom Student Castle. Top Right:Manon Goetshcel, TeessideUniversity Students’ Union andWill Ridley one of the NESHA Judgesand President of Teesside UniversityStudents’ Union. Bottom Left: KieranO’Moore and David Boyd from Stud-Lets with Andrew SimmondsTyne and Wear Property Services.Bottom Right: Trudy Doran, SheilaShickle, Hannah Pike, David Machin& Lesley Watson from University ofSunderland Accommodation OfficeAdam Gavine & Eleanor Farringdonfrom University of SunderlandStudents’ Union, NESHA Judge LizMcEvoy from Sunderland CityCouncil, Chloe Jackson NESHA Judgeand President of University ofSunderland Students’ Union

All Galla Dinner Photos:Marnie Elizabethmarnieelizabethphotography.co.uk

The inaugural North EastStudent Housing Awards tookplace at a glittering Gala dinneron 4th June


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Envirotec Bathing design andmanufacture leak free showerunits in the UK, for the Europeanmarket. The units have anantibacterial finish which makesthem very low maintenance andthey don’t gather soap scum ormould. Already popular withhotels, developers and studentlandlords, Envirotec offer freedelivery and a range of coloursand sizes.

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The demand for NHS services isincreasing, with more and morepeople going to A&E, GPs orwalk in services, when manycould have looked afterthemselves.The Keep Calm campaignfocused on encouraging peopleto look after themselves againstcommon illness and ailmentssuch as coughs, colds and hayfever, and free up NHS servicesfor those people in need ofmedical help.

Page 6 Top left: Kexgill Stockton collect their Durham Student Landlord of the Year Award Top Right: Kexgill Middlesbrough collect their Teesside StudentLandlord of the Year Award from Andrew Goodacre, Chief Executive of the Residential Landlords’ Association & NESHA Judge (Far Left). Bottom Left: SelectProperty Developments collect their Newcastle Student Landlord of the Year Award (L to R) Michael Mortimer & Abigail Miller from Select PropertyDevelopments, Paul Allison from NESHA and Richard Wilson from Select Property Developments. Bottom Right: Joe McGrath from Envirotec Bathing Leak FreeShower Enclosures and Paul Allison from NESHA present Kexgill Middlesbrough with the North East Student Landlord of the Year. Page 7 Top: Valerie Bannister(far left) Head of Lettings at Your Move and President of the Association of Residential Lettings Agent and NESHA Judge and Paul Allison from NESHA presentWalton Robinson with the North East Student Letting Agent of the Year Award (they also won Newcastle Letting Agent of the Year). Bottom Left: Steve Simpsonthe National Landlords Association representative for County Durham and Tees Valley and NESHA Judges accepts the Teesside Student Letting Agent Award onbehalf of 1st Degree Student Accommodation who could not attend the gala dinner. Bottom Centre: Manon Goetshcel from Teesside University Students’Union presents Cheryl Barber from 1st Degree Student Accommodation with the Teesside Student Letting Agent Award Bottom Right: (L to R) Paul Allison fromNESHA presents Sean Lawless & Peter Smith from Bill Free Homes with the Durham Student Letting Agent of the Year Award.


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Newcastle’s only dedicatedStudent Housing Magazine andWebsite. Since 1999 this annualpublication has been bringinghousing advice, listings and tipsto the students of Newcastleupon Tyne. Last year they delivered over35,000 copies were printed anddistributed direct to students inNewcastle. Published everyOctober, Student HousingMagazine is the place to marketyour student properties inNewcastle.

Student Housing Quarterly is anew magazine with a diverse mixof news, legislation updates,interview as well as marketingand selling tips. With both printand online editions, StudentHousing Quarterly is aimed atStudent Landlords, StudentLetting Agents, Student HallCompanies, Student PropertyInvestors and University andPurpose Built StudentAccommodation Providers,Owners & Managers.

The specialist print, writing,editing and design service forlandlords, letting agents andproperty professionals. Fromleaflets to fully blown PropertyGuides we make you look goodin print and helping you let yourhouses.

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The Judges

q Adrian ThompsonChairman of the Guild of

Residential Landlords

q Andrew GoodacreChief Executive of the

Residential Landlords’ Association

q Anthony LockDirector of the National Landlords

Association and non-executive

Director of My Deposits

q Chloe JacksonPresident of University of

Sunderland Students’ Union

q Graham BatesFounder CEO of Eddisons Residential

and Liv, a specialist PRS operator.

q Claire BoothmanPresident of Newcastle

University Students’ Union

q Ian FletcherDirector of Policy (Real Estate)

British Property Federation

q Joanne WallerHead of Environment, Health and Consumer

Protection at Durham County Council

q Laura CarterCommunity Officer at

Durham Students’ Union

q Liz McEvoyThe Principal Housing Manager

Sunderland City Council

q Marie McDonaldPrivate Housing Team Manager

Newcastle City Council

q Natalie-Dawn HidgsonPresident of Northumbria University

Students' Union.

q Nick TaddCo-founder of PropertyTribes.com

q Steve SimpsonNational Landlords Association

representative for County Durham

and Tees Valley

q Valerie BannisterHead of Lettings at Your Move and

President of the Association of

Residential Lettings Agent

q Vanessa WarwickCo-founder of PropertyTribes.com

q Will RidleyPresident of Teesside

University Students’ Union

Page 8 Top: The team from Union Square (Adderstone Group) collect their award for North East Student Hall of the Year Award (union Square also wonNewcastle Student Hall of the Year). Bottom Left: Paul Allison from NESHA presents the team from Kexgill House Teesside Student Hall of the Year award.Bottom Right: The team from Student Accommodation Office and Scotia Quay Hall accept the Sunderland Student Hall of the Year Award. Page 9 Top Left: Northumbria University accepts the The North East Student Housing Awards Innovation and Environmental Impact Award. Top Right: LindseyGreen from Exchange Residential (middle) accepts the North East Student Property Manager of the Year 2015 from Sponsor Chris Walkling of fixflo (right) andNESHA founder Paul Allison (Left). Bottom Left: Katherine White a student at Northumbria University (left) accepts the North East Student Tenant of the YearAward from sponsor Caroline Latta of the NHS North of England Commissioning Support Unit (right). Bottom Right: Ran Ho from Walton Robinson receives theNorth East Student Lettings Negotiator the Year Award (right) from NESHA founder Paul Allison (left).


British PropertyFederation

The BPF sustains andpromotes the interests ofall those who own andinvest in property in theUK.

Its members includeproperty owners anddevelopers, institutions,fund managers,investment banks andorganisations that supportthe industry. Its mainactivities are lobbying,raising the profile of theindustry and encouragingsustainability and bestpractice.

To find out how tobecome a member, visitwww.bpf.org.uk.

Association ofResidential Letting Agents

ARLA is the UK’sforemost professional andregulatory body for lettingagents; representing over7,500 members.

Our members operateto professional standardsfar higher than the lawdemands and wecampaign for greaterregulation in this growingand increasingly importantsector of the propertymarket.

By using an ARLALicensed agent,consumers have thepeace of mind their agentwill provide a professionalservice and their money issafeguarded by a ClientMoney Protection scheme.

Guild of ResidentialLandlords

The Guild of ResidentialLandlords helps landlordsthroughout England andWales.

As landlords ourselves,we never offer a servicethat we wouldn’tpersonally use on our ownproperties.

The Guild offers manybenefits including legalhelpline, access to over100 forms and muchmore to help landlords bemore productive.

Residential LandlordsAssociation

The ResidentialLandlords Association(RLA) represents 20,000small and medium-sizedlandlords in the privaterented sector (PRS) whomanage over 250,000properties across the UKwith a total portfolio worthan estimated £40.6billion.

Membership has grownby 56.5% over the pastthree years.

National LandlordsAssociation

The National LandlordsAssociation supports over55,000 Members andAssociates, ranging fromfull-time landlords withlarge property portfolios tothose with houses-of-multiple-occupancy or withsingle bedroom flats.

Their aim is to create afair legal and regulatoryenvironment for landlordand tenant, and activelylobby the government atall levels on behalf of theirmembers.

Their network ofregional representativesand branches provide animportant link with localauthorities and ourmembers.


Call us: 0191 265 4166

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We sat down with Walton Robinson,winners of Newcastle and North EastStudent Letting Agent of the Year 2015

to talk about this year’s North East StudentHousing Awards.

Sally Bettinson from the firm told us thatthese were the first awards that thecompany had ever entered. She said “AsNewcastle student experts, we wereconfident we would have a good chance of doing well in these awards and knew itwould be a great celebration of the student housing industry across the NorthEast.”

The Student Letting Agent categorieswere very hotly contested, in the NewcastleStudent Letting Agent of the Year categoryWalton Robinson were up against Baskeys,Stud-lets, Easiliving, letslivehere, NiceLandlords, Exchange Residential andNU:Lets. The judges had a hard job as thequality of entries was so high.

To win the North East Student LettingAgent Walton Robinson went up against BillFree Homes from Durham and 1st DegreeStudent Accommodation in Middlesbrough.

Sally told us that the win was a greatsurprise, she said: “We had lots ofcompetition in those categories so for us towin both makes us very proud. Our wholeteam work very hard to offer the best

possible service to our tenants and landlordsso to have this recognised with awards isfantastic.”

Sally feels that winning the awards willhelp bolster the firm’s reputation in thestudent letting community; “The awards willhelp Walton Robinson stand out from otherstudent letting agents in Newcastle and theNorth East. Students and landlords ofstudent properties know they are coming toa professional agent when they use any ofour services and they can trust WaltonRobinson to uphold the highest standards.”

Walton Robinson also picked up an awardfor North East Student Lettings Negotiatorfor Ran Ho, Sally told us that they areimmensely proud of Ran and thecontribution she makes to the company:“Ran is totally deserving of the North EastLettings Negotiator of the Year award andcontributes a great deal to our team.

“She loves her job, is a skilled negotiator,and has built up excellent relationships withlandlords and students from all over theworld.

“Ran uses her Chinese language skills toprovide invaluable help and advice tointernational students arriving in Newcastlefor the first time and throughout theirtenancies.” We spoke to Ran about being

crowned North East Student LettingsNegotiator of the Year 2015 and she told us“Accepting this award means a lot to me,over two years ago, I knew nothing aboutthis industry but now I am totally enjoyingmy job and proud of my career!

“This job gives me the opportunity to useand develop all my personal skills. I am veryproud that I can help build up bettercommunications and relationships with bothstudent tenants and landlords from Chinesebackgrounds in this industry.”

Director Mark Walton also picked up aLifetime Achievement Award on the night, formore information on his award please seepage 15

There’s plenty more to look forward asSally described upcoming projects within thefirm: “Walton Robinson pride ourselves onalways improving and developing ourservices so there’s lots in store for thefuture.

“We’re investing into new IT serviceswhich will help our clients to access andmanage tenancy documents and makepayments online.

“This year we are refurbishing our officesas part of the re-development of the BruceBuilding, which will also be transformed into57 apartment plus office and commercialspace, so it’s a very exciting time for us!”

The week after the first ever North EastStudent Housing Awards we grabbed thechance to talk to Adderstone Group,

parent company of Exchange Residentialand Union Square, about their three wins atthe inaugural event.

On June 4th their team walked away withNewcastle and North East Student Hall ofthe Year 2015 for Union Square and Lindsey Green won the accolade of NorthEast Student Property Manager of the Year2015.

Head of Marketing Nicola Redhead toldus that being crowned the winners in threecategories was a great honour, she said:“the team behind Union Square weredelighted to be nominated as finalists, so tobe voted overall winners by our peers was ahuge and very pleasant surprise.”

“We entered the awards for a couple ofreasons. Firstly, we know how well-read andinfluential Student Housing Magazine iswithin the student community in the city sowhen we heard about the launch of theawards we knew it was important to beinvolved.”

She told us that the awards offered themthe chance to promote their business andcelebrate the hard work of everyone involvedin their most recent project, purpose builtstudent hall Union Square.

“Secondly, we have been workingextremely hard over the last few years tocreate a very special building in UnionSquare. From developers, to the

construction team to the students livinghere, we wanted to create anaccommodation with a real community feel.Our aim is to integrate Union Square and its students into the local communitythrough communications and dedicatedevents and we really feel like we’vesucceeded in this.”

With competition strong in the NewcastleHall of the Year category (Union Square wereup against Trinity Square, Victoria Hall andStudentcastle) Nicola said it was fantastic tosee them come out on top.

“We hoped that Union Square had achance of doing well at the awards but younever quite know what the judging panel arelooking for, so naturally we were delighted towin Newcastle Halls of the Year, especially in

such a strong category. “Then to win North East Halls of the Year

really was the icing on the cake for us andit’s a tag we’re delighted to have for the next12 months.”

Speaking of Lindsey’s win at the GalaDinner Nicola said: “we’re all incrediblyproud of Lindsey’s achievements. She hasbeen with Exchange Residential since 2008and, over the last seven years, has reallygrown with the business.

“Her work in managing the relationshipsbetween the development and constructionteam, managing the entire furnishing of thebuilding and also being the first point ofcontact for all of our students in this firstyear of opening at Union Square has been

first class throughout.”The future is exciting for Adderstone

Group, as Nicola told us “we’re confidentthat on the back of these awards we’ll beable to raise even more awareness tostudents both in the city and before theyarrive, giving them the confidence to bookwith us and enjoy the best possible studentexperience.”

With improvements to the externalcourtyard at Union Square to provide moreseating and internal plans to createcommunal space, there’s no resting onlaurels here.

In terms of future projects Nicola told usa little about the exciting work beginning onnew student accommodation developmentStepney Yard: “This will be located in theheart of Ouseburn on Stepney Road and willallow us to incorporate the artistic andcreative influences of the area into both thelook and feel of the accommodation.

“Students will be able to secure theirrooms for Stepney Yard later in the year andwe’re really confident demand will be highwhen they see what we have planned!”

“We’re all very positive about the lettingsseason ahead.

“We really believe in the accommodationand, through the relationships we have withmany of our current student tenants, wecontinually use their feedback to improveour offering, working hard to make sure thatthe accommodation is one of the best in thecity.”

Winner Catchup: Walton Robinson

Winner Catchup: Adderstone Group


In the first of our lifetime achievementawards we were so pleased to honour aman who has made such a significant

contribution to student housing in Durham.Peter Smith, Director of Bill Free Homes, hasmore than three decades of experience inthe industry and has helped to shape thestudent market in the city as it is today.

From humble beginnings managing familyinvestment properties, Peter purchased hisfirst house in 1996. Over the next few yearsPeter grew his portfolio to 22 propertieswhile he maintained a full time role as adirector of a stone business workingbetween Durham, Portugal and Brazil!

Eventually he left the stone business tofocus solely on his houses, creating Bill FreeHomes, a visionary concept of all inclusiverent, which in the early 2000’s was fairlyunique. Such was the success of this ideathat it is now uncommon to find propertiesin Durham that don’t offer inclusive bills.

The Bill Free approach makes life easierfor student tenants as Sevi Rixson,Managing Director of The Urban StudentGroup said “Students are the principalbeneficiaries of his standards and marketswill have to follow his trends”

As well as the benefits to the studentexperience, offering a Bill Free approachmeans that Peter can ensure that everyproperty he owns uses green energy,reducing the company’s carbon footprint.

His passion for improvement is evident inthe schemes he runs – tenants are able torent a bike for free for the period of theirtenancy, and any house that is car free for ayear goes into a prize draw.

Free membership to Co Wheels Car Clubis also included in the rent, so that there’s

less of a need for tenants to bring their owncar to Durham, which as a historic city is notvery big on parking!

The Bill Free Homes office is paperless,they use customised software that canprovide leases online, and online signaturesas well as bespoke management softwarecreated under Peter’s direction.

Peter constantly strives for better,personally pushing for accreditation andtighter safety standards in the city. He is anavid supporter of HMO licensing and seesnew legislation not as a burden but as anopportunity to improve student housing.Working closely with the university he is keento see an accreditation scheme come intoforce.

Such is Peter’s determination to seesafety standards heightened in Durham, hehas ensured all Bill Free Homes propertiesare Unipol compliant to have peace of mindthat these properties are conforming to anaccreditation standard despite a local onenot being in operation.

Personal improvement is also high onPeter’s to-do list. At the age of 51 he isstudying for his Master of Science in RealEstate from Salford University, as well aspassing his ARLA and APIP exams in recentyears.

Perhaps Peter’s biggest contribution tostudent housing has been his desire toimprove Durham for both the students andthe city’s residents.

He’s been involved with a variety ofprojects such as improving low qualitystudent accommodation and larger purposebuilt halls. Michael Rainsford, Co-founder ofStuRents told us “Peter is a pleasure to workwith. His contribution to the Durham student

property market is considerable and hishunger to innovate unmatched.” Two derelictpubs have been renovated under Peter’swatchful gaze, Rev Dorothy Wilson,neighbour to the former Britannia Pub said"Peter has been a wonderful landlord who'sproperty is next to mine.

He has always ensured that my concernsand needs are considered when letting theproperty or looking at the upkeep of theproperty. He renovated a derelict pub into awonderful student house next to mine and Ican honestly say that the student tenantsare much better than having a pub full.”

He has been actively dedicated toimproving the Sidegate area of Durham aswell as implementing the non-contentiousstudent halls on Rennys Lane in Gilesgate.He sits on the local resident and landlordcommittees and his opinion is often soughton key student housing issues from those inthe council all the way through to those inthe media.

Nominated by Sean Lawless of Bill FreeHomes, it’s clear to see that Peter’s staffalso hold him in high regard: “Peter hasbeen a wonderful example to me as alandlord, person and a colleague.” SaysSean “His proactive nature, pragmaticapproach and work ethic sets him apart fromanyone who I have ever met. I couldn't thinkof a more worthy winner of this award thanPeter!"

The story of Peter Smith’s success then isone of changing, adapting and alwayssearching for an innovative solution. Thislifetime achievement award is so deserved,to reward his dedication to his tenants, thecity of Durham and the student propertymarket as a whole.

Lifetime Achievement: Peter SmithLifetime Achievement: Peter Smith from Bill Free Homes accepts his award.


As a recipient of one of our lifetimeachievement awards we were happy tohonour a man who has impacted not just

student accommodation in Middlesbroughand Stockton, but also the housing marketsin nine university towns and cities aroundthe North of England. Mike Lee, nowChairman of Kexgill Group created a multi-million pound business from one singleproperty purchased whilst a student himself.Since then he has been blazing a trail in thestudent accommodation market for almostfour decades. His beneficence in towns suchas Middlesbrough and Stockton can beclearly seen with affordable, high quality andwell managed property now easily accessiblewhere it was not before.

Born in South China, Mike moved to theUK with his family in the 1950s they were apoor / impoverished family. He was educatedat Gateshead Boys Grammar School thenattending Aston University, in Birmingham,during a time when students had a negativeimage following student activism on a largescale in the mid to late 60s. Struggling tofind anywhere suitable to live he recogniseda gap in the market and invested in aproperty of his own, renting the rooms out tolocal students. Moving on to study for a PhDin Psychology at The University of Hull in the70s and later a job as research fellow at thesame university, he acquired a dozenproperties and rented them to students.Recognising the high demand for hisproperties he decided to leave his researchfellowship and set up Kexgill in 1978 withthe vision “to provide students with afantastic letting experience”.

Since then the company has gone fromstrength to strength. Mike’s significant

analytical accounting skills coupled withentrepreneurial flair has resulted in theKexgill Group becoming one of the largestprivately owned student landlords in theNorth of England.

Kexgill’s large portfolio of HMO propertiesand halls of residence across the North andMidlands provide homes for 2,700 plusstudents.

In the last 37 years, Mike has dedicatedhimself to purchasing and modernisingproperties for students. He is a true creatorand innovator who enjoys turning unlovedproperties into places students can callhome.

He has led the company with the missionto treat all tenants with respect and providethe best service and product in the market.This was a radical idea in the early days;when landlords felt it acceptable to housestudents in squalor whilst charging themhandsomely for the pleasure. The KexgillGroup remains customer focused with anenduring philosophy of “would you live in theproperty, if not, why would you expectstudents to live in it?”

Mike has always striven to head the packand shape the student accommodationmarket, constantly changing and adapting tomeet student expectations. The introductionof utility inclusive rent packages, continualmodernisation of property, the use of socialmedia and employing caring approachablestaff has helped Kexgill lead the way inMiddlesbrough and Stockton.

When asked to describe Mike, staff atKexgill all talked about him with greatwarmth and respect. He is clearly a leaderwho is held in high regard:

“ Kexgill is a testament to Mike's vision

and tenacity in closing deals enabling thegroup to expand out of the UK into Germany.Following the herd is not Mike. He likes tochallenge the norm and as a result oftenstays ahead of the competition throughinnovation”. Say Richard Stott, Kexgill MD

Malcolm Grassam, Kexgill Chief Executivesaid that “Mike is a ferociously determinedentrepreneur not afraid to back hisjudgment. He is also very loyal to hisemployees. Mike’s primary objective is togrow the Kexgill business. All in all a man itis my privilege to have worked with.”

Emma Colbeck, Branch Manager ofKexgill Middlesbrough said “Mike is one ofthe most driven and passionate people I’vemet. He’s animated, engaging, intelligentand brilliant. It has been and remains to bea pleasure to work for him”

Finally Michelle Fang, Kexgill, FinanceAssistant said “Mike Lee is an incrediblydetermined, decisive yet understandingboss. Everybody around him can feel hispassion for property and for Kexgill. He trulydeserves this award for his dedication toprovide students with good qualityaccommodation. ”

In recent times, Mike has taken a stepback, appointing Richard Stott as thecompany’s new Managing Director. Stillpassionate about the company Mike hasn’tstepped down completely and is nowChairman. Although helmed by a new leaderthe Kexgill Group is still driven by the goalsand aspirations that Mike began; innovation,expansion and above all else customerdriven service (in the guise of the new KexgillClub Class). Determined to provide the bestquality student accommodation on themarket.

Lifetime Achievement: Mike LeeLifetime Achievement: Richard Stott (right) MD of Kexgill accepts the award from NESHA founder Paul Allison (left) on behalf of Kexgill founder Mike Lee

15Student Housing Quarterly – Summer Advertising Feature

The final award went to a man with twodecades of experience in the Newcastlestudent property market. Mark Walton left Northumbria University

with a degree in Estate Management andafter several years working at GeneralAccident Property Services and RoseworthProperty management in 2001 he set upshop with business partner Marcel, andWalton Robinson was born.

Walton Robinson started life in a smallfirst floor office on St mary’s place with smallteam of staff dealing with 70 properties thatwere mainly aimed at the professionallettings market.

In 2004, as the business grew, Mark andMarcel took the chance to move to 101Percy Street, in the iconic Bruce Building.

In 2006 Mark became the sole owner ofWalton Robinson and oversaw a period ofgreat expansion for the business and as theworkforce and portfolio grew, so too did their use of office space in the BruceBuilding.

Mark is now managing the conversion ofthe Grade II listed building into studioapartments, office and commercial space.Once the transformation is complete theoffice space will be used by the ever growingWalton Robinson team, who now number 40full and part team members of staff.

Mark's aim has always been to offer the'Full Circle Service' and his determination,hard work and passion for the industry hasseen Walton Robinson flourish into what it istoday - one of the largest, independentagencies in the City.

It has been a natural progression fromlettings and property management into therealms of refurbishment, sales and buy-to-let investments. Mark has such enthusiasmfor developing the company and enabling itscontinued expansion.

Randhir Puri, MD of Markbourn and CityApartments told us that “Mark’s hands oninvolvement within his firm, along with astrong stable team, has supported landlords, property developers and investorsalike.

This confidence has been bolstered bythe firm’s innovative marketing strategy, theirinvestment in technology and their stabilityand reliability in offering excellent service.”

Mark is also a landlord in his own right,with ARLA and NAEA qualifications, and aJesmond student portfolio that always letsearly and is maintained and regularlyrefurbished to the highest standards.

His knowledge of the property markethelps the business grow - Peter Tanner,Operations Manager at Roseworth PropertyManagement said “Mark is a formercolleague of mine and I have known him formany years.

Not only does he run a very successfullettings agency but he is a landlord himselfand is also involved in large scale propertydevelopments in Newcastle. It is easy to seehis enthusiasm and passion for the studentlettings market and providing a highstandard of accommodation to all of histenants.”

In recent years Mark has taken a stepback from the shop-floor at Walton

Robinson, concentrating on a selection ofretained clients and dealing with large scaleproperty acquisitions and disposals, with afocus on bringing investment into Newcastleand the North East, promoting theinvestment opportunities available in theRegion.

Paul Rigby, a Partner at FaulknerBrownsarchitectural firm had this to say aboutMark: “He has made an exceptionalpersonal contribution to the growing successof the Newcastle Student housing marketover many years.

Marks enthusiasm to own, let anddevelop high quality residential properties isunbounding and his passion to provide greatplaces for students to live and have a greattime in Newcastle is truly unique in themarket.

As Marks business endeavours havegrown from letting to, investment anddevelopment, he has successfully used hisextensive market knowledge to attractsignificant new investment to the city, whilstleading by example and himself undertakingto deliver developments that extend andinnovate in terms of the housing typesavailable to students.”

Mark’s achievements in the propertyindustry are extremely impressive and haveno doubt had a huge impact on the studentlettings market in Newcastle.

We believe that he is fully deserving ofthis lifetime achievement award inrecognition of his commitment to hiscompany, his job, his properties, his city andto the property industry as a whole.

Lifetime Achievement: Mark WaltonLifetime Achievement: Mark Walton from Walton Robinson accepts his award.


By Paul C Allison

This sales technique is so simple andpowerful that if you are not currentlyusing it, you will want to implement

it straight away.And where you do use it, this should

give you some help and tips to improvewhat you currently do.

When people buy in the absence ofany other information ‘price’ oftenbecomes the determining factor. Inother words if your prospects don’t knowotherwise they will choose on price.

So if you fail, as a seller, to giveprospects a criteria on which to make adecision (other than price) everybodywill, more than likely, buy on price.

We all like a bargain. I like a bargain.You like a bargain. It doesn’t matter howmuch money you have. It doesn’t matterhow much you make. All things beingequal why wouldn’t you buy thecheapest? You are not going to buy themost expensive one just to buy the mostexpensive one.1

The step selling technique, doneproperly, will educate your prospectsempowering them to choose on thosecritical factors important to their needs.

I first took notice of the power of thiswhen applying for a credit card

processing machine. The applicationwas long and complex, so the payment company separated theprocess into 11 steps.

Each step was broken down intosimple easy to follow instructions.

If what you sell is difficult to buy, orcomplex, or your prospects are unsurewhat to do (or what to do next) thenyou’ll lose sales.

Prospects need to be lead, they needto be told what to do. There should beno guess work. If you leave them toguess you will have less success.

In effect you need a handholdingservice that tells your prospects what todo, when and how. This is exactly what‘Step Selling’ does.

There are a few types:q Selection Sequenceq The Talk-Walk-Thoughq Assessment, Diagnosis & Prescriptionq Call to Actionq Proprietory

Selection SequenceWhere you have a bewildering array ofoptions the Selection Sequence breaksit down so it is easy to comprehend.

There is little or no education here –you are simply presenting buyingoptions in a logical sequence that is

easy to understand, follow and buyfrom. Tesco have done this brilliantlywith their ‘3 Easy steps to your perfectglasses’ leaflet (see page 3 for photos): 1 Choose your Frame2 Choose your Lenses3 Choose any Extras

While there is little or no education inthis technique you can use it and trainyour staff to educate and ask questionsas they take prospects through thebuying process.

The Talk-Walk-ThoughTalk (or walk) your prospect through theprocess letting them know what to do orwhat happens at each stage.

The ‘Seven easy steps to advertisingin Student Housing magazine’ and RedHot Buffet’s Six steps are both classicTalk-Walk-Thoughts.

The seven steps takes a prospectiveadvertiser through the process ofadvertising in the magazine.

In this case only the first two stepsare required to book an advert. Peoplewill hesitate to advertise because theythink they have to have their advertready when they book. Not so. Theseven steps helps to alleviate this.

There is a lot of education involvedhere too – not just in the steps

Bewildering array of options: Tesco simplifies the selection and buying process, of their prescription glasses, in a logical sequence: 1 Choose your frame, 2Choose your Lenses and 3 Choose any extras They make it easy for customers to choose what they want. Ultimately they make it easier to buy.

STEP SELLING


themselves – but in the supportingmaterials: Guides and workbooks areavailable for some of the stages. Thereis a guide to work through to helpprospects choose the right size advert.Once they have booked, another guide takes them through how toconstruct an advert to get maximumresponse.

Red Hot Buffet’s six steps walkscustomers through how their restaurantworks. Your server explains the stepswith you, before taking your drinksorder. The placemat (shown above)reinforces the six step system.

Assessment, Diagnosis & PrescriptionA more advanced way to use stepselling. You assess your prospect,diagnose what they need and prescribethe best solution for them. TrySports“five steps to the perfect fit” for runningshoes, is an excellent example of this.

TrySports profile their customer: Theyfind out how and what the shoes will beused for. A serious marathon runner hasdifferent needs to an occasional jogger.

Next they measure feet and the archof your feet and assess how customerswalk and run.

How we walk, step and run differsfrom person to person. If you have weakankles your feet collapse inwards as youwalk and run. It means you needathletic shoes that give you support onthe inner edge of your feet. Knowing thishelps TrySports staff prescribe thecorrect shoes for you.

The process does a number of things: q It’s a prescription. It gives authority to

the shop and the employee doing theanalysis.

q It educates customers about shoeselection. There is a bewildering arrayof different types of shoe so thisprocess helps narrow that down toshoes suitable for the customer.

q It cuts out price resistance as it takesaway selection based purely on price.Take a prospect through this processand do you think they will grumbleabout price? No. The client may stillchoose the cheapest shoe suitablefor them. But it makes price the lastconsideration not the first or only one.

Assessment, Diagnosis & PrescriptionGIVES your customers the correctcriteria to buy your products.

TrySports have now updated their fivesteps process and split it into threeoptions for walking, running and refit.

Placemat reinforcement: Red Hot Buffet’s six step process is a classic Talk-Walk-Through

4. Draw a rough sketch of youradvert on the Advert Copy Form, you will find this in yourconfirmation pack. There aretips on the form to help you too.If it is easier – you can use a plain sheet of paper.

In the confirmation pack youwill find tips and work sheets to help you get the best advertpossible.

TIP: You will want to keep youradvert style similar to yourwebsite, to-let boards and othermarketing literature.TIP: Where you already have adesigner or company thatcreates your advertising – we’llwork with them.

5. Once you are happy with yourlayout send it together with anyphotos and copies of your logo(where you have one) in thelarge FREEPOST envelopeincluded in your confirmationpack.

You can email photos, logosand copies of your old adverts tous too.

We’ll take your rough layout,photos and logo and design youa professional advert.

Once your design is completewe will post you two copies oneto keep and one to send back tous – where it is easier for you –we can email a PDF version foryou to check too.

6. Go through your advertchecking it very carefully andmake any corrections (to help wewill send you a handy checklist).

Now either send your artworkback and we’ll make all theamendments and send you twomore copies.

Or once your advert is correctwrite on one copy “Good to run”,sign and date it and then send itback to us in the FREEPOSTenvelope.

Or where we have sent you acopy by email simply reply sayingyour advert is “Good to run”.

7. Once you have agreed youradvert we will email you anelectronic version of your designin PDF format. You can print thisand use it for leaflets, postersand even email it to prospects.

You will also get a copy of themagazine sent to you once it ispublished.

We’ll distribute the magazineto first year students in Halls aswell as door-to-door in the mainstudent areas (see the map onthe back of this newsletter forthe areas).

Now all you have to do is sitback and wait for the calls,emails and extra traffic to yourwebsite.

2. Pop your completed orderform and payment in theFREEPOST envelope and post itstraight away. That’s all youneed to do right now.

If you prefer you can call tobook and pay for your advertover the phone. Call 07957 371847 and speak to Paul Allison orEmma Luke.

We’ll process your order andsend you a confirmation pack.

Steps 1 & 2 are all you need to do right now

3. Once you get yourconfirmation pack you can startto design your advert.

Remember – We’re always at the end of the phone in caseyou need any further advice.TIP: Read the tips sheets and gothrough the workbook includedin your confirmation pack.TIP: Go through the magazine forideas about the ‘style’ and ‘type’of advert to do.

4 Do take style inspiration.4 Always write orginal copy inyour own words.

You do not need to be a designeror even have a flair for layout aswe will take your rough idea,text, photos and logo and createa professional advert for you.

Not sure what type of layoutyou want? We’ll send you sometip sheets and a workbook to getyou inspired. Plus you can lookthrough the magazine to getideas from current adverts. Andwe’re always at the end of thephone in case you need anyfurther advice.

In short: We work with you toproduce a professionallydesigned advert.

What’s more, this is allincluded so there are no hiddencharges. In fact you don’t evenhave to pay for postage.

As an added bonus you willbe able to use your final designfor leaflets, posters and you caneven email it to prospects too.That’s not all: you get to proofand approve your advert beforeit is printed in the magazine. Itmeans your advert will be justright and how you want it.

1. Go through this advertisingpack and decide what type andsize of advert you want. At thispoint you do not need to worryabout what you will say in youradvert.

Once you have decided what size advert you want, completethe order form and payment –either use the credit/debit cardform, send a cheque or you canalso pay by BACS.

TIP: Read the ‘Choosing theRight Size Advert’ guide in yourpack. It will help you decide whatsize advert is best for you.TIP: Look through the magazineto get an idea of what you cando from other advertisers.

Seven easy steps to advertising in Student Housing magazine

1 2 3

5 764

Talk-Walk-Through: The seven steps takes a potentialadvertiser through the process of advertising in themagazine. Only the first two steps are required to bookan advert.

5 steps to the perfect fit: Try Sports five stepstakes you through how they help you get thecorrect footwear for running.

As well as this they have the “fivesteps to the perfect ride” and the“perfect fitness bra”. See their websiteat trysports.com.

Call to ActionYour prospect has decided to buy –what do they need to do now? Call toaction steps tell your prospect exactlywhat they should do.

Sky’s ‘upgrading is easy’ is a goodexample. It was used at the end of anemail, promoting a special upgradeoffer. It tells you what you need to do toupgrade. The steps make it easy to buy.

ProprietoryThe speed of competition is fierce. Anyadvantage you have right now, is veryquickly gobbled up as your competitorsadopt (steal) and copy what you do.

This technique can be made to beunique to you, making it very hard forcompetitors to copy.

You can make your process – eventhe steps themselves – proprietory. Thesimplest way to do this is to give theprocess a propriety name or title. Youcan even invent words and terminologyto describe what you do. Word ofwarning don’t dress it up in

Sky’s Call To Action: Tells you exactly what youneed to do to upgrade

Colds, sore throats, hangovers, upset stomachs and headaches can all be treated by you at home.

Self-care Pharmacy NHS 111

KEEP CALMAND

LOOK AFTER YOURSELF

Make sure you get plenty of rest

Take a painkiller if needed

Keep a well-stocked medicine cabinet

www.nhskeepcalm.org.uk

@keepcalmne


gobbledegook that prospects won’tunderstand - adopt and adapt wordsthat we already know and have meaningto us.

David Sandler coined the phrase ‘TheSandler Submarine’ to describe theseven step sales process Sandler Salestrainers teach.

The use of the word submarine isn’trandom as each stage of the saleshould be locked down (like a watertight compartment of a submarine)before moving to the next.

Where you have invented a techniqueor process or system that only you have,then you already have propriety built in.Now you need to make sure yourcustomers and prospects are aware ofthis.

Which should you use and how should you use it?Some steps you or your staff do withyour customer. Others are for yourcustomers to follow and do themselves.

In some ways each of the first threetypes of step selling areinterchangeable. Elements of each canbe used in either. Tesco’s “3 easy stepsto perfect glasses” could easily beturned into an Assessment: You get aprescription for the strength of glassesyou need. So this process is done afterthis. But Tesco could add more to it.

Once you have the prescription theycould train their staff to make a furtherassesment of how, when and where youwill use the glasses. Will you wear theminside or outside? Are they for reading,

watching television for driving? Will youwear them at work? What types ofenvironment do you work in – an office,a warehouse, a factory? Will you want towear them when you play sports?

All of these are important to get thecorrect selection for a specific customer.There are even opportunities to up-sellhere too: Remember Snooker playerDennis Taylor’s trademark ‘upside down’glasses? They helped him win the worldchampionships in 1985. If you are ascuba diver you can even have a maskmade with prescription lenses (idealupsells for any optician).

The Talk-Walk-Through is selfdirected. That is prospects do itthemselves. So it is great to use wherecustomers have to follow complex

Our Toolkit is an essential read before you sign on the dotted line!

Don’t slam the door after the horse has bolted: Two Don’t Panic! Sheffield campaigns (above) nearly a decade apart but still making the same mistake. Inorder to understand ‘Don’t Panic” we rehearse it in our heads – in other words we rehearse panicking. In all of your communication you should avoid negation(telling what not to do). Always state actions in a positive way. You may say that the continued use of the ‘Don’t Panic’ Campaigns in Sheffield have helped tofuel the panic seen every year. There are other factors at play too but running. A point to note here this is used here as an example – it is fair to say that thereis a lot of important and good information and advise in these campaigns that are both useful and essential for students. So both Unions in Sheffield shouldbe proud of their work. They could, however be made better and have a stronger impact if they followed the lead of the NHS campaign above: – the original2006 Sheffield University Union campaign makes quite a few errors (this is not intended to embarras Sheffield Hallam or Sheffield University or their Students’Unions – no, but, as well intentioned as these campaigns poor use of language means they are less effective than they could have been). In fact the use of thewords work against the way our brains work Inset the Sheffield Hallams House Hunting Don’t Panic from 2015 is still make the same.are these are great


instructions without you or any of yourstaff present (like applying for a creditcard machine) or choosing what sizeand type of advert they should have.

Even so, there should be options forthem to seek help where they need it.Give a telephone number they can call,if they get stuck or, need further help.

Even the most intelligent, smart,articulate people can get stuck doingsomething they are unfamiliar with.

You can still use Talk-Walk-Through‘in-person’ too just like the waiting staffat Red Hod Buffet.So start with either aselection sequence or a Talk-Walk-Through. Once you have that add in theAssessment, Diagnosis & Prescription.Then where you can make it proprietory.

Your call to action steps, thatcustomers need to follow to book, buy ororder should be added to all salescommunications: letters, emails, webpages, phone scripts etc.

It is not just about having the steps -you need to train your staff how to usethem too. Especially for the Assessment,Diagnosis and Prescription type.

Next are there any images or photosyou could use to demonstrate eachpoint? Photos can aid comprehensionso where you can include them. Boththe “5 steps to the perfect fit” (above)and “Seven easy steps to advertising inStudent Housing magazine” use photosto demonstrate each step.

Tell them what to doThe language you use is critical. Youneed to avoid negation; saying or tellwhat not to do. If you have ever hadchildren repeatedly slam doors, say“Don’t slam the door” and the likelihoodis they’ll keep doing it. It is not theirfault. It is to do with how our brainsprocess information. To understandwhat you said they mentally rehearse it.

So in their mind they slam the door.So when they get to door for real they dowhat they rehearsed - slam it.

Tell them to “close the door quietly”and they will. It is important to tellpeople what to do, not, what not, to do.

Corporal Jones from the 1970’sDad’s Army sitcom would shout “Don’tPanic” and proceed to run aroundgetting more and more in panic. Betterwould be to say “Keep Calm” or “StayCalm.”

“Don’t Plagiarise” should be “Alwayswrite original copy in your own words.”

Probably the most misused of all timeis “Don’t forget...” should be stated“Remember to...”

Summaryq Make it easy for people to buy.q The complex needs to be broken

down into logical, simple steps.q Smaller chunks (steps) are easier to

follow.q People want to be lead. Fail to lead

and less will buy. Tell them what todo.

q Explain each step.q Where it is self directed include ways

they can seek help it they need it.q Use positive language - tell them

what to do not the opposite.Eliminate negative language (whatnot to do).

q Make it proprietory – invent namesand terminology.

q Include all the steps. Missing onesmall thing can confuse prospects.Confused prospects buy less or don’tbuy at all.

q Use pictures and photos todemonstrate each step.

How to create your ownq Observe what others do. Some have

it clearly displayed and definedothers use steps without realising orvocalising it to customers. Takephotos (where you can) and notes ofwhat they do and how they do it.

q Observe what you and your staff donow.

q Write it out. Remember to include ALLthe actions that need to be done. Some steps are often ingrained andautomatic. Miss them and you canconfuse your customers.

q Small steps are easier to follow & do.q Train your staff how to use the stepsq Test it. Try out what you have written.

It is best to use people unfamiliarwith your business and processes asthey are more likely spot omissionsand errors better that you.

q Refine your steps.q Implement. Once you have fully

implemented your step system youcan still tweak and refine it.

l There is an accompanying worksheet youcan download to assist in creating yourselling steps. Complete the form atshquarterly.co.uk/steps and a link to thedownload will be emailed to you.1Dan Kennedy, Sales & Persuasion Strategies.

Mollie The MARKETING MAVERICK

This issue Mollie looks at one littleword that can help you with yourcustomer service.

I hate long car journeys so theopportunity for a welcome rest, stretchof my legs, something to eat and a littlewater gets a bigs paws up from me.

That’s why I like Moto service stationsbecause they know how to look after usfour legged friends. Anyone doing thatmust be doing something right in mybook. Moto train their staff in customerservice and have a very simple serviceterm that they teach their customerfacing staff: F.I.S.H. It stands for:Friendly, Interactive, Smile and Helpful.

Sadly while researching this month’sarticle I called Moto (on the dog andbone - of course) and there was nobodywho could discuss the scheme as theyno longer use it. I think that’s a shamebecause, I for one, thought their littleacronym was barking up the right tree.

So for once I’m not sure how theyapplied this, but I will give you myinterpretation:

To me this is all common sense.Motorway journeys can be stressful atthe best of times so a warm welcomefrom a friendly, smiling member of staffgoes a long way.

‘Interactive’ to me means beingproactive with your customers: sayinghello, thank you and goodbye for a start- small common courtesies but goingfurther by being alert and attentive forthose customers who need help andassistance. Then ensuring they get thehelp they need. Do all that and you’llsell more too. Motos’ use of this clever,easy to remember, littleacronym was pure genius. Ashame they don’t still use it.

Sage business advice from our resident canine marketing guru...

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Documents

Student Housing Quarterly - 001 - Summer 2015