Dr Paul Pickering has over 25 years of specialist marketing and sales development experience working with a variety of organisational forms including; product & service, manufacturing & distribution, private & public, local government & ministries, trusts & associations.
Paul’s expertise is grounded in marketing research and sales development in both commercial and academic contexts. After completing a Ph.D in International Marketing in 2005, Paul joined AUT to co-develop and teach NZ’s only undergraduate degree in Sales Management.
He has presented at international and domestic conferences on retailing, professional selling, and SME exporting. His award winning research has been published in books and articles in academia, management, and mainstream media contexts.
Paul has a passion for helping SME’s reach their potential through smart and cost-effective marketing and sales development strategies.
Paul lives on the Hibiscus Coast and in his spare time loves tramping, playing squash, and hanging out with his teenagers.
What Paul’s Clients Say
“Our sales of IQF fruit are up an average of 130% over the months August and September as compared with the same months last year. On that basis alone I have to credit [Paul’s training of the team] as a significant contributor to the overall result.” – Mike Glover (CEO FSL Foods).
“Paul was engaging and articulate. He listened to our challenges and I felt he made the training personal to us… It was run professionally, timely, and at no stage did I feel like I had learnt enough. I am hungry for more…” – Senior Sales Consultant (CRV Ambreed).
“Paul’s thorough engagement with our industry stakeholders at the highest levels has resulted in the development of the practical, flexible, and hands-on business qualification that the NZ retail sector has been crying out for.” –Feroz Ali, Divisional Chief Executive – Tertiary (Academic Colleges Group), Education Entrepreneur
“Paul’s advice sticks with you. I was deeply motivated by his plan and personal mentoring. Since moving back to the US, I’ve been able to apply the new communications skills I learned both in my career and personal life.” – Tristan Pollock (Co-Founder & Community Builder at Storefront – USA).
“Paul is an impressive and experienced marketing professional, equally adept at generating new ideas and building networks. He is a skilled communicator and good team player.” Derek Martin General Manager – Operations at ACG Tertiary & Careers Group
“Paul was a great asset and support to me in achieving very challenging targets. One of the few most naturally talented sales professionals I have ever worked with.” – Marlene Woodley (Advertising & Publishing Sales Manager [former] Financial Times Law & Tax – London).
“The strategic planning day that you facilitated for PBT added real value and delivered positive outcomes for the organisation. I would commend you to any company needing strategic sales direction.” – Richard Reid (CEO [former] Pacific Business Trust).
“Paul and his team’s input into the successful delivery of a nationwide project was a great example of where environmental and business agendas worked in sync.” – Suraya Dewing (PR Director [former] Manawatu-Wanganui Regional Council).
“I was fortunate enough to be a part of NZ’s first Sales Management degree. Paul provided a fantastic combination of both practical experience and sound sales theory.” Shaun Quincey (Tasman Trespasser II [open sea rower], now with Debit Success).
“Paul opened the world of Professional Selling to me. As well as honing the sales craft, I learnt how to build and nurture trust-based client relationships. It created in me an enduring motivation about a fulfilling career in Sales.” – Anastasia Levina (Social Media Team Leader, DMD Online Revenue Experts).
“Your thorough training programme helped me grow a $1.5mil sales territory by 34%. Your development and mentoring sessions enabled me to become an effective sales professional, giving me the edge over my competitors.” – Bryce Stickland (Territory Manager, Husqvarna).
Some examples of strategy/research work over the last 25 years
- Consulting with 3C Level Executives from a range of companies and industries to identify areas for performance improvement with respect to business and market growth
- Designing, developing, and implementing training and development programmes for senior executives through to frontline staff
- Design and development of complete suite of marketing and advertising collateral
- Ongoing media strategy, planning, and placement of advertising schedules
- Art direction and copy writing of all advertising (radio, print, online) and published collateral
- Increasing NZCC’s presence in social media and online marketing
- Co-design and direction of new company website
- Negotiation with a range of supply chain participants both nationally and internationally
- Conducting mutli-sector, multidisciplinary research for Enterprise North Shore.
- Running sales and team building days for Massey University School of Design.
- Training marketing and PR staff at Hachette Livre on how best to maximise and sustain publishing sales.
- Facilitating strategic planning sessions for the Board and Executive team of Pacific Business Trust.
- Contact negotiations played out over a long period, and catering for multiple agendas on both sides of the supplier client divide.
- Developed unitary pricing system for large corporate, eliminating the need for the myriad of separate contracts and pricing variations within each.
- Standardisation of sales proposal templates including both copy and elements, but which could be customised to individual prospects.
- Establishment of new field services division and marketing of the same. This culminated in the team winning a 500K merchant acquisition and renewal telemarketing campaign on behalf of American Express.
- Design, copywriting, production and launch of a wide variety of DM and social media campaigns.
- New product/service research.
- Creation of retail chain Mystery Shopper programme and subsequent training/development initiatives aimed at improving staff motivation & sales techniques.
- Countless other strategy, research, and marketing projects with roles ranging from design and implementation for SMes through to Corporate marketing team support.
- Development and successful international marketing of new education products.
