Recently, I turned up to hear how a group of customer-facing "Business Development Managers" (BDM's) told the story of their business.

What happened was as I expected.

They immediately launched into what they do and the product/service they provide.

Why do they do this?

It's where they're comfortable and confident as product specialists.

It's what they've always done.

It's what the prospect expects!

They think this is how you win business - it's not!

Is that what the customer wants? Yes, but much later in the meeting when they've built a relationship with you.

How should this type of business meeting start?

My personal favourite is to start with a question.

"In order for me to understand what are your concerns, is it OK if I ask you some questions"?

This question, or a version thereof, is a great conversation opener.

"Please explain to me the problem you are experiencing currently".

In this part of the meeting the person opposite should be doing most of the talking, with you asking questions to understand their issue and teasing out the key concerns of the person you're talking to.

Next:

Once you have ascertained this person's problem that you believe you can solve, you can then move on to telling him a little about yourself and your organisation.

Note:

You do not tell this person everything you do; continue to focus on what you can offer to provide a solution to this particular problem.)

Bring the meeting to a close:

When you have done the above, recap the problem briefly, get the person to agree that your understanding is correct, and then paint a word picture of how their situation will improve as a result of your intervention.

Finally, agree upon the next action:

Who is doing what, and by when?

E.g., send a proposal, ask them to visit a similar project you recently completed, send a sample, visit your showrooms, and discuss dates for commencement.

Finally, agree on the date of when you'll next get together (before you leave the meeting).

REMEMBER: The Number One failure of all meeting leaders is to agree on an action.

With no action agreed, it will be like starting all over again.

By Executive Coach Andrew Keogh of Aristo.ie

More about Irish Tech News

Irish Tech News are Ireland's No. 1 Online Tech Publication and often Ireland's No.1 Tech Podcast too.

You can find hundreds of fantastic previous episodes and subscribe using whatever platform you like via our Anchor.fm page here: https://anchor.fm/irish-tech-news

If you'd like to be featured in an upcoming Podcast email us at [email protected] now to discuss.

Irish Tech News have a range of services available to help promote your business. Why not drop us a line at [email protected] now to find out more about how we can help you reach our audience.

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University of Galway students and the local business community have joined forces for the IdeasLab Hack powered by Liberty IT, with the aim of creating solutions to support and promote the city's sustainable infrastructure growth.

A hackathon is an event which challenges participants to create an idea to solve or provide solutions to a problem. The real-time event gave the students the opportunity to collaborate, experiment, learn and problem solve under the guidance of employees from Liberty IT.

Participants heard from representatives from the local business community on the importance for Galway's infrastructure to continue to develop sustainably to meet the demands of industry and our people. The students then worked in five multi-disciplinary teams to design and develop solutions to support and promote sustainable infrastructure growth.

Liberty IT employees supported the students to give them a sense of solving a 'real world' company problem to help develop their learning and to better understand their approach to planning, problem solving and technology.

The participants were given a Participant Resource Pack in advance of the event and were judged on a range of criteria including problem understanding, innovation, technology choices and presentation.

Students Ethan O'Brien, Ankit Akash, Amandeep Manchanda and Shambhavy Avasthi were announced winners for their solution of a smart meter designed to monitor and analyse the energy consumption patterns within households to provide insightful data on a home's overall energy efficiency.

Darren Muldoon, Liberty IT's Galway Site Lead said: "We were delighted to hold the first IdeasLab Hack powered by Liberty IT in our PorterShed hub to bring together the local business community and students with the aim of developing skills and showing how you can use tech for good to help with. It was great to have students from different backgrounds take part - not everyone had experience in coding or engineering but were interested in design thinking, solutioning, conversation and having fun!

"Hackathons are an excellent vehicle for our students to gain further valuable insight into industry needs as well as expanding their practical skills and it was a great chance for our teams to work directly with the students to create an event where they could connect with industry in a fun way to solve a real business."

Dr Natalie Walsh, Director of Entrepreneurial Development at the University of Galway, said: "At the core of sustainable growth is an understanding of how to create innovative, data-informed responses to our community's most pressing challenges.

In response to that, University of Galway's IdeasLab hope today's event, in partnership with Liberty IT, will mark the beginning of an enduring legacy of cooperation between industry, academia and community to bring about progressive, empathetic and actionable change for Galway."

More about Irish Tech News

Irish Tech News are Ireland's No. 1 Online Tech Publication and often Ireland's No.1 Tech Podcast too.

You can find hundreds of fantastic previous episodes and subscribe using whatever platform you like via our Anchor.fm page here: https://anchor.fm/irish-tech-news

If you'd like to be featured in an upcoming Podcast email us at [email protected] now to discuss.

Irish Tech News have a range of services available to help promote your business. Why not drop us a line at [email protected] now to find out more about how we can help you reach our audience.

You can also find and follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat.

The main unemployment rate was 4.4% in April on a seasonally adjusted basis, up from a revised 4.1% in March of this year and up from 4.1% in March 2023. There was an increase of 9,900 in the seasonally adjusted number of people unemployed in April 2024 compared with a year earlier.

Jack Kennedy, senior economist at hiring platform Indeed, comments on the latest CSO data:

The main unemployment rate was 4.4%, up from 4.1% in March and 4.2% in February, but below the 4.5% recorded in January of this year.

While up slightly, the rate remains well below 5%, a level it has not been above since December 2021, just a month before the Government lifted all COVID-19 restrictions.

This is a remarkably strong performance by a country that is continuing to achieve steady economic growth despite a dip in the final quarter of 2023.

The latest figures show the Irish economy returned to growth in the first quarter of this year as activity in the technology sector increased. Preliminary data found gross domestic product (GDP) rose by 1.1 per cent in January, February and March when compared with the previous three months.

The rebound in the technology sector's activity, while a boost to the economy, has not yet been reflected in increased job opportunities. Indeed's data shows the number of job postings in key technology sectors such as IT operations & helpdesk, information design & documentation and software development remain in decline or flat.

Jobs postings in software development at the end of March were 41% below pre-pandemic levels recorded on February 1, 2020. The same figure for IT operations & helpdesk was 36% and it was also 36% for information design & documentation.

Indeed's data also shows a continuing gradual decline in the level of overall job postings, which could indicate that the unemployment rate is likely to continue to rise slightly over the coming months.

Current figures, recorded on April 19th, show Irish job postings on Indeed were down to 10% above pre-pandemic levels. This is down from 12% at the end of March, 17% at the end of February and 22% in January. It is also down from a record high of 65% in February 2022.

Given the extent of positive economic data issued this week, the gradual drop in job postings recorded since the start of the year should not be a cause for any immediate concern.

The Irish Government's recent stability programme update projected the Irish economy would grow in GDP terms by 2.6% this year and by 3.9% in 2025 as multinational exports return to previous high levels.

Rising geopolitical tensions and further energy price shocks continue to be the main risks to what is otherwise a robust outlook.

Children's Health Foundation is delighted to announce details of a new virtual fundraising campaign, the Big Balloon Bonanza.

This is a wonderfully easy way to support sick children and be a part of something truly 'uplifting'. We are hosting two virtual balloon races - one for individual supporters and one for companies, organisations and clubs.

Our aim is to raise €20,000 to fund vital life-saving equipment, treatments and patient and parental supports, for all sick children in Children's Health Ireland at Crumlin, Temple Street, Tallaght and Connolly. By simply buying a virtual balloon, you could also win up to €1,000!

Supporting the Children's Health Foundation

We will have two races taking flight on 13th June 2024 - one for individual supporters and one for companies, organisations and clubs. You can choose to enter either or both races. The individual supporters' race is €10 per balloon, and you can be in with a chance of winning up to €500! The companies, organisations and groups race are €50 per balloon and your company or team can be in with a chance of winning up to €1,000!

Fionnuala O'Leary, Chief Executive of Children's Health Foundation said, "We are incredibly excited to be launching our new virtual campaign. Your participation in the Big Balloon Bonanza will help us raise vital funds to bring hope and joy to the lives of sick children and their families."

By purchasing a balloon, you'll get to design and customise it and then watch it launch into the digital sky. You can then follow your balloon in the race online on Google Maps to the finish line on Thursday 20th June 2024.

Go to childrenshealth.ie/BalloonRace or scan the QR code for more details and to get your virtual balloon today and help Ireland's sick children.

Big Balloon Bonanza - How it will help

Children's Health Foundation raises vital funds to support sick children and their families in Children's Health Ireland hospitals and urgent care centres - from funding vital life-saving equipment and providing essential patient and parental supports to making ground-breaking, paediatric research possible.

With the continued kindness and generosity of our supporters across Ireland and beyond, we will continue our vital work in supporting the patients, families and staff in Children's Health Ireland- today, tomorrow, and in the future.

See more breaking stories here.

More about Irish Tech News

Irish Tech News are Ireland's No. 1 Online Tech Publication and often Ireland's No.1 Tech Podcast too.

You can find hundreds of fantastic previous episodes and subscribe using whatever platform you like via our Anchor.fm page here: https://anchor.fm/irish-tech-news

If you'd like to be featured in an upcoming Podcast email us at [email protected] now to discuss.

Irish Tech News have a range of services available to help promote your business. Why not drop us a line at [email protected] now to find out more about how we can help you reach our audience.

You can also find and follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat.

Dell Technologies hosted the inaugural Powering AI event in Dublin this week bringing together leaders from across Ireland's start-up and scale-up community to explore the key ingredients needed to power their AI journey and unlock new growth opportunities.

Held in partnership with Scale Ireland over 50 founders, industry leaders and AI experts came together at the Digital Hub in Dublin to discuss the opportunities presented by Generative AI (GenAI) and the obstacles they need to overcome to embrace this technology in their organisation.

The first Powering AI event featured a number of speakers including Catherine Doyle, Managing Director, Dell Technologies in Ireland; Brian Caufield, Chair, Scale Ireland, Dr. Patricia Scanlon, Ireland's AI Ambassador & Chair of AI Advisory Council; Dr. Paul Byrnes, CEO, Mavarick; Andreea Wade, VP & Product Strategy at iCIMS, and Ivor Buckley, Field CTO at Dell Technologies Ireland.

This comes as Dell Technologies unveiled its Innovation Catalysts Study which revealed that 75% of organisations in Ireland have begun implementing Generative AI. 47% cite GenAI's transformative potential to enhance the customer experience while 42% believe it has significant potential to unlock productivity. However, 95% are experiencing data management challenges as they look to adopt GenAI.

Highlighting the significance of the inaugural gathering Catherine Doyle, Managing Director at Dell Technologies in Ireland said: "As the clear leader in computing and storage, Dell is helping to power AI for businesses and organisations across Ireland. That's why we're delighted to host the inaugural Powering AI event which is focused on how GenAI can enable Ireland's vibrant start-up community to grow and scale-up their success.

"Due to their agility and the fact many were born in the Cloud, start-ups and scale-ups are uniquely positioned to adopt GenAI at speed. By bringing together industry leaders, AI experts and founders, we can highlight the ingredients that will power the AI journey of our thriving start-up community and ensure in time that they can compete internationally."

Ceartas DMCA, a leading provider of AI-powered brand protection and anti-piracy services for content creators and brands, has raised $4.5 million to enhance its operations, expand its scalable SaaS solutions for enterprises, and extend its global reach.

This funding round drew support from lead investor Earlybird Venture Capital, a renowned VC firm dedicated to supporting European tech pioneers; Upside VC, a new distribution-focused consumer investment firm established by The Sidemen, collectively one of the largest Youtube presences in the World, with a following exceeding 20 million; and a range of high-profile angel investors.

Founded in 2021 by Dan Purcell (CEO) and Jonny Smyth (CTO), Ceartas DMCA has revolutionised brand protection with the power of AI, setting a new industry standard. Their platform adeptly de-indexes and issues legal notices for pirated content, significantly reducing that content's visibility on Google by 98% and boasts an industry-leading success rate of 99% in overall content removal from both search engines and sources.

Ceartas DMCA's cutting-edge platform offers an array of services crafted to address the multifaceted challenges of copyright infringement and unauthorised content distribution, including the threat of deepfakes. Protecting the valuable assets of both individual content creators and enterprise-level entertainment brands, Ceartas is quickly becoming the go-to fullstack AI-powered copyright and piracy protection platform in a new era of infringements.

Based out of Dogpatch Labs in Dublin and Berlin, and with a remote-first approach, the funding poises Ceartas for global expansion, supporting a strategic opening of a Los Angeles office. It marks a leap in the company's mission to provide unmatched brand protection services worldwide. Alongside pivotal partnerships with platforms such as OnlyFans and Fanfix, the move solidifies Ceartas's stature as a guardian of digital content and intellectual property.

Dan Purcell, Co-founder and CEO at Ceartas, shared: "As we navigate an era rife with advanced piracy, copyright infringements, deepfakes, and disinformation, Ceartas leads the charge in brand protection. By harnessing AI, we develop cutting-edge solutions to these complex challenges. This funding round is a nod to past achievements and a signal of trust in our vision from incredible investors.

"We're excited to bolster our support for content creators and expand our enterprise solutions to meet the needs of industry giants. Looking ahead, we're optimistic about safeguarding the digital landscape against the evolving threats of digital theft, abuse, and misuse."

This latest investment also propels Ceartas to enhance its bespoke anti-piracy solutions, catering to diverse sectors and addressing the escalating sophistication of digital threats. Leveraging advanced AI, the company conducts deep scans across digital platforms to identify and eliminate unauthorised content, including deepfakes.

These efforts underscore Ceartas's commitment to setting new standards in copyright protection and supporting the media and entertainment industry's fight against piracy.

Andre Retterath, Partner at Earlybird Venture Capital, said: "Across media and the entertainment industry, individuals and enterprises alike are facing unprecedented piracy challenges. The nature of copyright infringement is evolving at a pace in line with the emergence of AI technologies. The threats in this new era are tangible, as seen in many recent high-profile cases.

"Training modern AI large language models (LLM) also opened the floodgates for the use and dissemination of unauthorised content. Accordingly, the demand for reliable solutions is vast. As pioneers of this space, Ceartas have developed world-leading protection services which effectively safeguard brands, and we couldn't be prouder to back the expansion of their operations."

Ceartas has seen explosive growth and profitability, signalling a strong market demand for it...

Crystel Robbins Rynne, Chief Operating Officer at HR solutions provider HRLocker, outlines Ireland's journey toward gender equality in STEM and beyond. Highlighting success stories and addressing the ongoing challenges

In recent years, Ireland has emerged as one of the world's leading technology hubs, with a reputation that continues to soar. Yet, if it is to achieve its aim of becoming Europe's STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) leader by 2026, Ireland, like many other parts of the world, has to improve the gender gap that sees women vastly underrepresented in STEM education and careers.

According to recent research from the Department of Education, women only make up a quarter of those employed in STEM roles across Ireland. A figure that comes as no surprise considering just one in three EU STEM graduates is, as the European Commission reports, female.

But it's not all doom and gloom - there are reasons to be optimistic.

Female STEM role models in Ireland

Women such as Abigail Ruth Freeman, Director of the Science Foundation Ireland, who has contributed to advancing scientific research and innovation in the country, and Fionola Cliffe, the Chief Operations Officer of Hooke Bio, are not just highly successful professionals, but they're also preeminent role models for young Irish women with aspirations of a career in STEM fields.

Freeman, Cliffe and their peers epitomise the positive trend of increasing female participation in STEM in Ireland. This progress is not only encouraging but also inspiring, as it paves the way for more girls to follow in their footsteps. The visibility of Freeman and Cliffe, along with other Irish women in STEM, is crucial in empowering more women to pursue leadership roles in previously male-dominated industries.

Another notable STEM role model, Sonya Geelon, the Chief Commercial Officer at Conferma Pay, champions the motto, 'If you see it, you can be it'. As a passionate advocate for nurturing young up-and-coming talent, Geelon embodies and endorses the progress that continues to be made and instilled in young girls and women.

Ireland's low gender pay gap

In addition to positive role models, we can be proud that, according to Eurostat, Ireland's gender pay gap is among the lowest in the European Union. Standing recently at 9.9 per cent, it is almost three percentage points below the regional average and has been falling since 2018.

The gender pay gap doesn't represent illegal pay discrimination but is a measure of the difference between men's and women's average pay across an entire organisation. A high figure indicates a lower proportion of women in higher-paid leadership positions or more women at the lower end of the pay scale.

A relatively low gender pay gap is definitely a positive step in the right direction. Whilst there is undoubtedly still a long way to go here to achieve full gender equality in the workplace, this is a reassuring sign for the future.

Increasing levels of participation

The rise of women and girls studying STEM subjects and entering STEM careers must also be acknowledged and celebrated. In their 2023 Survey of Female Students' Attitudes to STEM, I Wish, an Irish volunteer-led community committed to showcasing the power of Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths to female secondary school students, reports a rise in the percentage of females studying a STEM discipline undergraduate programme from 29 per cent in 2014 to 36 per cent in 2022.

The percentage of those studying ICTs rose from 15% to 23% over the same period. This is particularly heartening, considering the statistics cover the COVID-19 pandemic, when other industries slowed and saw less uptake. Other standout statistics include the percentage of female uptake of undergraduate courses in:

Biology - 68 per cent

Biochemistry - 65 per cent

Food Processing - 64 per cent

Environmental Sciences - 53%

ICT - 51 per cent

In response to the I Wish 2023 Survey, the team notes that over the past ten...

Three leading Irish female entrepreneurs will offer insight into the experience of starting and growing successful companies at an Inspiring Women Entrepreneurs event with THRIVE4women at Dundalk Institute of Technology (DkIT) on Wednesday May 8.

Entrepreneurs Adrienne Magnier of Zarasyl, Aisling Kirwan of Positive Carbon, and Sinéad Crowther of Soothing Solutions will address the gathering and answer audience questions at the event which starts at 6.30pm at the Recital Room in the Carroll's Building.

Now in its second year, Inspiring Women Entrepreneurs is supported by Enterprise Ireland and KPMG. Those attending the Dundalk event will have the opportunity to apply for the Inspiring Women Entrepreneurs support programme itself.

The Inspiring initiative seeks to ignite a flame among women with entrepreneurial ambitions to start a business, but who may not have yet taken steps towards making their aspiration a reality. It is designed to appeal to women from a variety of backgrounds who are seeking a change of direction, including female professionals and women in senior corporate positions, or those with doctoral and postdoctoral qualifications.

Research shows that almost one in five women in Ireland aspire to start their own business and the initiative is focused on encouraging women to follow through on their entrepreneurial ambitions and establish businesses that are scalable, innovative, and focused on export markets.

The May 8 event is just one of a range of events around the country aiming to inspire future female entrepreneurs and inform them about the supports available. The Dundalk event is being hosted by Thrive4Women. Tickets are free but those hoping to attend are requested to register in advance as spaces are limited. Places can be booked here

Adrienne Magnier founded Zarasyl in 2018 to bring innovative dermatological and wound care products to the global animal health market. The formulation was the result of a decade of research at Cambridge University (UK). Zarasyl is now widely available in the veterinary market in Ireland, the UK and the USA.

Aisling Kirwan is the co-founder of Positive Carbon, which provides food waste data to commercial kitchens to enable them to substantially reduce their food waste, waste collections and reach sustainability goals. Aisling had been working in the food waste sector for over eight years across Ireland, the UK, Australia, and Chile, before establishing Positive Carbon in 2020, with her former colleague, Mark Kirwan.

Sinéad Crowther, co-founder of Soothing Solutions, was named the Enterprise Ireland High-Potential Start-Up (HPSU) Founder of the Year for 2023. Founded in 2017, the Louth-based healthcare firm manufactures a range of honey jelly pops called Tonstix to help children suffering from sore throats and coughs.

The event is organised by Lavina McGahon, Manager of the THRIVE4Women Programme, which is delivered by the Regional Development Centre in DkIT.

MC for the evening is Paula Fitzsimons, the founder of Inspiring Women Entrepreneurs and national director of a range of business development initiatives including Going for Growth, Starting Strong, ACORNS and Back for Business.

Lavina McGahon, THRIVE4women Programme Manager, Dundalk Institute of Technology said:

"THRIVE4women has been at the forefront of supporting women in the region to launch STEM careers and businesses, and now we are truly delighted to host this event, giving a platform to three very successful female entrepreneurs to spread their stories of resilience and success. MC for the night is Paula Fitzsimons, the visionary force behind Inspiring Women Entrepreneurs initiative.

Her dedication to empowering women, fostering entrepreneurship, and creating lasting networks has ignited many female entrepreneurs, and we genuinely look forward to being inspired.

"We hope this event stimulates thought and discussion, generating some ideas on starting businesses of your own and following in the footsteps of Adrie...

Founded in 2016, ZOMA specialises in cutting edge web design, content creation and digital marketing solutions; working across a range of industries including corporate, health and wellness, fashion, food and hospitality, tourism, sport and events, construction, property, agriculture, medical, and manufacturing. It is one of the leading Shopify partners and largest Wix partner in Ireland & UK; official Google Partner. ZOMA recently launched Munch a new online food platform.

Ronan recently spoke to David Kieran the Managing Director of ZOMA.

David talks about his background, ZOMA, Covid, Munchd and more.

More about Munchd:

Munchd is a new online food ordering platform, developed by Dundalk based ZOMA, that was built specifically to empower local restaurants and takeaways to maximise their profits, and ultimately offer more competitive prices to their customers. t is set to shake up the food industry with its game-changing 0% commission model and minimal 1.4% transaction rate on orders.

See more stories here.

Our team took the iPhone12 through its paces, after surviving an initial scare. Swappie suggest that you may save 78% CO2 when buying a refurbished phone compared to a new one. They also offer a trade in for your older models, and also a phone switch option too if it breaks.

Swappie iPhone 12 reviewed

A few years ago our testers got their hands on another Swappie iphone, and they were happy with their experience that time around. Therefore it was with baited breath that they anticipated returning to this company and their refurbished iPhones. It almost began very badly too.

While the exterior packaging was all as to be expected, when the tester opened the box, not anticipating that the phone inside was not secured, it fell straight out. Thankfully it only landed on the testing table, but some quick investigation suggested that the inner cradle where the phone sat was not spoke to that particular model.

While we know it can be a pain to find the right cover for new phones, this should not be an issue for the iPhone 12, due to its time on the market already, and it's relative success too.

However it seems critical that the internal packaging of the box also ensures that the phone is secure until the user takes out. Naturally there was some internal discussion about if our tester was ham fisted, but they held to their belief that it was the phone and lack of appropriate packaging, rather than their cavalier approach to opening boxes.

After all of that drama, and perhaps a little rose tinted, our reviewer was extremely positive about the device. It delivered all the things you would expect from the iPhone family and the 12 in particular. It looked and felt like the real deal. The price point is naturally a big appeal too, and Swappie have aimed to address concerns about battery life too.

Everyone knows that iPhones are not great for the length of time they hold a charge, and so it makes sense that you would then walk that concern through to a previously used phone too. They aim to ensure that your attempts to be ecologically conscious are not comprised by a poorer user experience at the same time.

ABOUT SWAPPIE

Swappie, Europe's largest iPhone refurbisher, is the leading online destination for selling and buying refurbished smartphones. Its mission is to give people a way to upgrade their phones that is high quality, affordable and environmentally friendly. Swappie currently operates across Europe, including Ireland, Sweden, Italy and Germany.

The company grew in 2022 with sales of €208M, and since its inception in August 2016, Swappie has become one of the most innovative and fast-growing companies in Europe, expanding its team to over 750 and raising $171M (€149M) from investors to date.

For more information visit: www.swappie.ie

Driving Circularity: Our Impact To The World

Did you know that smartphones are one of the fastest-growing streams of e-waste globally? This is particularly interesting when you think about the fact that technology actually has a very long expiry date - one item could have up to 4 different owners in its lifetime!

That's why circularity is at the core of our business model. By extending the lifespan of each device that we sell, we're helping protect the planet - one refurbished phone at a time.

Read our Environmental Impact Report to find out how we're staying at the forefront of developing a circular economy.

Six reasons to chose a refurbished iPhone from Swappie:

1. It's more affordable

Of course, one of the most attractive things about buying a refurbished iPhone is the price. A new phone is not in everyone's budget, and by choosing a refurbished phone you can browse through more budget-friendly options. There are numerous models and four main condition categories that you can choose from: Like New, Very Good and Acceptable. Depending on the model and its condition category, you could find an iPhone that is up to 40% cheaper than those sold by other retail stores.

It is important to note that these...