trigger strategies
businesslessonsfromthetrenches
Whatwe’velearnedsofarfrom20yearsof
NeilThornton&LarryAnderson
www.triggerstrategies.ca

trigger strategies trigger strategies
“Business
Consultants
Tellingit
Likeitis”
THETRIGGERSTORY
Ownerstellus
theydonot
wanttheories
andbooks,they
wantustoget
s@#!done
We get approached by business owners because they are not happy with sales
and growth. After our first conversation we usually find out they have trouble
getting things done because of one of two things:
1) They are not focused on the right things
2) What they used to do successfully no longer produces the same results
Because of this, they are unsure about what to do next.
That’s where we come in to help.
What we do:
Analysis: Assessment of your company, capabilities, team and their skill sets
Planning: Develop a measurable plan with accountability
Execution: Hold everyone accountable to aligned expectations and urgency
Why we do this work:
Grow your sales profitably
Developing your people
Help you to own your market by being a specialist

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NEIL THORNTON
You will never
forget a seminar
by Neil
He makes you
want to take
immediate
action
Since starting Trigger Strategies, Neil and Larry have made a commitment to share their ideas, insights and trends
that they have learned in over 2 decades of consulting, business development, entrepreneurship and coaching
business leaders. They are continually asked to work with business teams, associations, executives. public entities,
academic institutions, and technology-innovation groups.
Neil brings over 20 years of success in coaching, consulting and training to every talk
and client he works with. His uncanny ability to read people and see through what
seem like insurmountable situations makes him a highly sought after consultant. Neil
has a unique talent for understanding the psychology behind employee behaviour,
engagement and corporate culture and vision. He has a unique and direct approach
that hits straight to the heart in and an honest and direct point. His talks are
entertaining and high energy but also filled with great substance and tremendous
learning opportunities for those in attendance.
Solving complex business problems is what Larry is best known for. From declining
sales to the need to completely rebrand a business Larry has over 20 years experience
in sales, marketing, social media and business development. With experience in media,
advertising agencies and franchising, Larry has developed a successful process for
business development that is both measurable and repeatable. His talks are designed
to challenge your thinking and to give you specific tools and resources you can put to
work immediately. Larry is described as direct, genuine, honest and insightful.
LARRY ANDERSON

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Business Strategy
There are only two reasons a business will fail:
They don’t know what to do (no plan) or they don’t do what they know they should (no execution).
While that sounds overly simplistic, we have found that pattern repeated thousands of times by small,
mid-sized and large companies alike.
So let us ask you a few questions:
•Do you understand the need for strategic planning but have a hard time making time to do it?
•Do you find that you are constantly fighting peaks and valleys within your sales cycle?
•Do you find that you have good people but getting them all communicating and “one the same page” is
not nearly as easy as it once was?
Over the last 20 years we’ve worked with hundreds of companies that have struggled with the same
questions. We have developed a simple three step process to help you create a strategic focus for your
business, but more importantly, execute it in a way that doesn’t add more to your to do list, but
that achieves significant results in the shortest amount of time.
If this sounds like something you’re facing in your business, we suggest you give us a call.
The first meeting is always free.
What Karen has to say...
Trigger Strategies has a winning combination! Larry has this uncanny ability to listen, synthesize, and articu-
late, delivering the exact tips and tools you need to ensure your success! Neil has this crazy unique talent
to engage others to uncover their thoughts, discover their own opinions and draw their own conclusions
in order to become even more successful! I have had the distinct pleasure of working with Larry and Neil
during strategic planning events, business workshops and brainstorming sessions where they consistently
demonstrate their versatility and ability to help you deliver the results you want. Their unique and individ-
ual skills, knowledge, mentoring, genuine passion and sense of humour make collaboration with them not
only inspiring and fun, but also you are guaranteed to get results! I am truly appreciative of the opportunity
of working with Larry and Neil!
Karen Regan: Senior Manager, Branch Marketing Strategy, First Ontario Credit Union
People Development and Training
Einstein said, “Once you stop learning you start dying”.
We know that in today’s ultra competitive business climate the only true competitive advantage you really
have is your people and if you’re not investing in them you’re falling behind. While innovation seems like
a luxury only available to large companies, it’s more important today than ever before. Encouraging your
people to be better than they were yesterday and to find new a better ways of taking care of your
customers is a critical component to success.
We focus on three key elements in the area of people development
•Skills assessment and skills development
•Leadership and mentoring
•Team communications and engagement
We have found that these key areas not only represent the largest challenge areas within a business, but
also when focused on they also produce the greatest positive impact on the business. Believe it or not, but
90% of a businesses internal problems are simply because the team doesn’t know how to communicate
with each other. We help you solve this.
If this is happening in your business, let’s talk. The first meeting is always free and we’ll even buy
the coffee.
What Josh has to say...
If your company is ready for change and I mean really ready, Neil will drive that change. Our organization
grew over 100% in the year after Neil assisted us in re-aligning our team and assisted Link Wireless become
one of Canada’s most successful Rogers Wireless Dealers.
Josh Finlay: Vice President at Link Wireless and Owner, Link Wireless

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Hiring and Recruitment
One of the biggest issues we hear about most is that companies have a challenge finding, keeping and
motivating good people. The process of recruiting can be a bit of a crapshoot. You interview people and
think you’ve done a good job and then six months down the road the person leaves or you let them go be-
cause they “didn’t work out”.
We believe there is a better way to ensure your bring in the right person and that they not only stay, but
succeed with your company.
To achieve this we focus on three key areas:
•A thorough multi-step interview process to allow candidates to interact with not only the management
team, but also the people they will be working with day in day out
•An online profiling tool that helps you ensure the chosen candidate has the right cognitive skills, behavio-
ral traits and interests to be successful
•The final chosen candidate is put on a 90-day plan so that their success is not left to chance
Hiring the wrong employee can cost your company as much as 3x their salary as well as having longer term
effects like lowering morale and eating up the time of key people in the company.
If your hiring and recruiting process is not producing the kind of employees you need, give us a call
and let’s talk.
What Carla has to say...
This was the first time we worked with Trigger Strategies and we have to admit there is something that sets
them in a different league than the rest. Their recruiting process was unique and a welcome change from
the traditional recruiting methods. Neil and Larry truly dedicated their efforts to finding us the right talent
that fit with our Company culture. They are definitely a great team of professionals to work with and we
would highly recommend them. Thank you to Neil and Larry for all your support.
Carla Ouellette, CHRP : Human Resources Manager W.S. TYLER
Sales and Business Development
Selling is not what it used to be.
Gone are the days of trial closes, cold calls and talking about your client’s golf game to build rapport.
The sales landscape is changing quickly and unless you’re prepared you’re doomed to compete solely
on price, because in the absence of value, price becomes the deciding factor.
We’ve found three key areas that today’s successful sales teams focus on:
•They build credibility in the market – the individual not just their company
•They have the ability to understand their customers business beyond the products and services they sell
•They have the ability to understand and manage the right numbers
Selling is not about manipulation; it’s about conversation. We have a proven sales training process that
helps you and your team develop the confidence needed to win new and long-term customers in today’s
noisy business climate.
If this sounds like what’s needed with your sales team, let’s talk.
What Charles has to say...
I would like to commend both of you on the training program that you performed for our sales staff during
the past 6 months. The training sessions were well organized, on schedule and very productive. The mate-
rial that you covered was pertinent and to the point and presented in such a manner that it is useful for all
types of actual selling situations. All of our business developers were pushed beyond their comfort zones,
which helped with the learning process. I will share with you the fact that our new customer orders have
increased by more than 40% during the latest quarter as a direct result of your program.
Charles Griffin, Vice President Business Development Exocor

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More of who we work with...
Marketing and Online Presence
Google states that 87% of purchases begin with an online search. At the same time the average person is
exposed to over 5000 promotional messages a day. The bottom line is your potential customers have never
had access to more information than they do today.
But something is missing and that’s your opportunity. With all of this information available, they don’t know
whom to trust. You can become that trusted resource.
We focus on three key areas:
•Develop a content strategy that allows you to share your knowledge and position you and an expert in
your category
•Execute your content strategy by using a combination of traditional, online and direct tactics to engage
your market the way they want to receive information
•Implement a lead generation and sales pipeline process to ensure your marketing is delivering a fresh
stream of new customers
Marketing is always one of the areas business owners have trouble with. But by implementing our process,
you have a proven system that is both measureable and repeatable.
If you’d like to improve your marketing and stop merely guessing about it,
give us a call and let’s talk.
What Craig is saying...
You won’t find a more versatile team of business consultants than Larry and Neil. They are extremely
knowledgeable in all areas pertaining to business. They helped me establish a strong marketing strategy
and kept me on task to see it through to its completion. What I like most about them is their deliberate ap-
proach. Time is a valuable asset for me and they were keen to make sure we didn’t waste it.
Craig Spear: Owner/Operator, Momentum Fitness Club
“Book Neil & Larry to speak at your
next event, meeting or conference”

www.triggerstrategies.ca
NeilThornton:905.401.1434-neil@triggerstrategies.ca-twitter/@neilthornton-ca.linkedin.com/pub/neil-thornton-hba-ma
LarryAnderson:905.321.2663-larry@triggerstrategies.ca-twitter/@triggerstrat-ca.linkedin.com/in/larrytriggerstrategies/