Channel Advantage is delighted to be supporting WOWee One at The Gadget Show Live at the NEC in Birmingham this week (11th-15th April).

The team got really hands-on putting together the rather impressive stand the night before and setting up all the tech and here are a few "before pics":

See the full gallery on Posterous

And then the very impressive "after" pic so WOWee's fantastic range of portable speakers could be shown to the world.

To find out more about WowEE visit the website here, come and see us at the show (stand C470) or check out the WOWee video from the show:

If you are a cool tech brand that is looking for expert brand representation contact richard@channel-advantage.co.uk or call 01491 639100.

If you are interested in being a brand ambassador representing cool tech brands, contact booking@channel-advantage.co.uk and tell us more!

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We've got some fantastic NATIONWIDE opportunities to work with a very, very cool brand: WowWee One and their amazing portable speakers.

Required experience / skill set

• Previous brand ambassador/ trainer/ demonstrator/ sales experience essential.
• Experience must have been gained within the retail environment (consumer electronics retail experience desired).
• Passion for technology and able to understand technology with ease.
• Understanding of the sales process and customer service.
• Organised and able to provide accurate, detailed reporting information for each day worked.

Package

• £80 per day (which includes holiday pay and completion bonus).
• Training day paid at £65 per day (One days training), plus mileage paid if you opt to drive to Training (@27p per mile).

Campaign availability

Store dates:

• Weekend 1 – 5th and 6th May 2012
• Weekend 2 - 12th and 13th May
• Weekend 3 – 26th and 27th May
• Weekend 4 – 2nd, 3rd and Monday 4th June

Training is on Wednesday 2nd May.

Please e-mail booking@channel-advantage.co.uk to register your interest.

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We are currently seeking individuals who are passionate about technology, have previous in-store/ retail experience and are able to build relationships effectively with store colleagues and customers alike.

Campaign availability (NINE in-store days + ONE Training day):

In-store dates are:

• Weekend 1 – 5th, 6th and 7th May (3 days)
• Weekend 2 – 12th and 13th May (2 days)
• Weekend 3 – 26th and 27th May (2 days)
• Weekend 4 – 2nd, 3rd and 4th June (3 days)

Training is ONE day and is on the 3rd May 2012. 

Required experience / skill set

• Previous brand ambassador/ trainer/ demonstrator/ sales experience essential.
• Experience must have been gained within the retail environment (consumer electronics retail experience desired).
• Passion for technology and able to understand technology with ease.
• Understanding of the sales process and customer service.
• Organised and able to provide accurate, detailed reporting information for each day worked.

Package

• £80 per day (which includes holiday pay and completion bonus).
• Training day paid at £65 per day (1 day training), plus mileage paid if you opt to drive to Training (27p per mile), or we will arrange for public transport etc for the Training. 
• Training will be held at our offices, at Stonor Park, just outside Henley on Thames and times will be 9:15am – 5:00pm.
• Successful candidates, who have proven success on this campaign, will be considered for future high profile work if available in their area.

Please e-mail booking@channel-advantage.co.uk to register your interest in the role.

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The successful candidate will be a person who will use their high level of technical expertise to provide advice, inspiration and education to customers through product demonstrations of the Sonos Wireless Multi-Room Music Zone Player.

Key to this role is ability to communicate as you will be engaging both shoppers and store colleagues alike to deliver increased sales and brand awareness of Sonos products. We are seeking individuals who have a great understanding of technology and a passion for music!

Please note, a driving licence and car essential as you will need to transport kit into store.

Rate of pay

• £85 per demonstration day (inc holiday pay and bonus)

Training

• Held at Channel Advantage Head Office, Stonor Park, Henley on Thames. Paid at £65 per day (inc holiday pay and bonus).
• Travel to and from training can be claimed back.
• Training date choice - either 21^st or 22^nd March 2012. Campaign starts 24^th March 2012.

Stores, locations and duration

• Costco Stores in Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Milton Keynes (14 days work).
• John Lewis Norwich (24 days work).
• Currys Stores Glasgow Braehead and Guildford (22 days work).

To apply for one of these positions please email booking@channel-advantage.co.uk with a brief overview of your demonstration experience and your CV, explaining why you feel you are the best person to work on this campaign.

Please also indicate which store group and store location you wish to be considered for.

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Another bright, new starter to the Head Office team - Tom Quirk - has recently joined as Intel Account Support Executive and has single-handedly brought the average age down yet again!

A mere 18 years old, Tom is in his first full time role in Stonor and has been finding learning the ropes both interesting and challenging quoting "too much to write"  when we asked him what he has learned so far.  Tom's role is about being the face, or rather the voice, of Channel Advantage to incoming calls and enquiries about joining the part-time and full-time teams and helping to recruit and retain the best staff.

When he's not devoting himself to others at Channel he is a keen footballer and mountaineer. Somehow he also finds time to follow a passion in photography but thankfully does relax when he watches TV.

Tom's education has been driving him towards his dream career as a certified civil engineer So what attracted him to the job? "To expand my horizons and open up a possible new career path". Who knows whether Tom's destiny will lie in Field Marketing?

I could not resist the urge to ask if he was "Quirk-y by name and quirky by nature?" he simply smiled, gave a sigh and got on with his work!

If you are interested in joining Channel Advantage, please drop us a line at booking@channel-advantage.co.uk. We'd love to hear from you.

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Congratulations to Alan Blackie who worked on the Lenovo Q4 2011 campaign and delivered outstanding results to be ranked as the top salesperson across all our covered stores. Alan also received fantastic feedback throughout the campaign earning himself a Lenovo Z570 top-of-the range model!

Great work Alan, well done!

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We are delighted to confirm vacancies within the Intel Team for Brand Ambassadors/ Promoters.

We are seeking individuals who can demonstrate:

• Previous promoter/ brand ambassador/ trainer/ demonstrator/ sales experience.
• Experience must have been gained within the retail environment (consumer electronics retail experience desired).
• Passion for technology and ability to understand technology with ease.
• Understanding of the sales process and customer buying patterns (training will also be provided).
• The ability to provide accurate, detailed reporting information for each day worked. You will need to be organised and have good time keeping skills.

The role will involve promoting Intel’s products, ensuring the Intel brand message is clearly communicated to both shoppers and store colleagues alike. You will also be responsible for product and point of sale merchandising and cascading of information to store colleagues.

• Campaign dates (23 dates in total), starting 3rd March through to 5th June (various dates).
• Nationwide opportunities.
• Training 29th February, 1st March and 2nd March (one day mandatory Training).

Email us today on booking@channel-advantage.co.uk. Hurry as places are going fast!

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* Manchester (Northern territory) * Reading / West London (Southern territory) *

 Samsung is a recognised and widely respected household brand with a wide product portfolio.  We have an exciting new full-time opportunity within the IT division working for Samsung Print.

We are looking to recruit two full-time regional Territory Sales Managers to help shape the Samsung Print brand within retail across the UK. The role will involve training, merchandising and in store customer demonstrations. The focus is to help drive sales in store through advocacy and consistent messaging. 

You will use your high level of knowledge and sales expertise to evangelise, inspire and educate both sales staff (RSPs) and consumers about Samsung’s print portfolio to drive in store sales to both consumer and business customers. You will be responsible for managing and developing a group of stores within your pre-defined territory, ensuring they receive visits frequently. The role will require you to work five out of seven days per week which will vary from week to week.

During your visits to leading electrical retailers you will be effectively communicating the full features of Samsung Print products and services through promotional and relationship building activity.

For the individual with the right combination of experience and personality, this is a very rewarding role in a highly visible team. The people we choose will be able to make a big difference to the success of the Samsung Print division within some of the biggest retailer names in the UK.

Location - candidates will be based in or around the following areas:

• Manchester (Northern territory)
• Reading / West London (Southern territory)

Package:

• Competitive salary plus performance related bonus
• Company car
• 21 days annual leave
•  Mobile phone, laptop and kit

Objectives: 

• To maximise the perception, awareness, and promotion of Samsung Print products
• Delivering a compelling Samsung Print experience to trade partners in retailers and consumers
• To engage and fully train store colleagues in all stores in your predefined territory
• To achieve maximum compliance of up to date point of sale materials in all stores
• Helping consumers to make an informed choice

Candidate specification:

• Previous field based territory management experience or minimum one year sales or retailer experience
• A broad range of experience within the technology market
• Excellent communication and presentation skills
• An ability to apply knowledge with initiative and without supervision
•  Excellent organisational and time management skills
• A lively and positive personality
• Enjoys sharing knowledge and experience with others
• Full, clean driving licence – essential
•  PC literate with MS Office

In-store requirements

• To train store staff on Samsung Print products therefore increasing advocacy of Print portfolio.
• To be an ambassador for Samsung Print and actively promote the Samsung Print brand at all times.
• To manage the designated territory effectively to ensure that assigned projects and tasks are completed fully and within agreed timescales.
• To liaise with all designated stores to develop and maintain close relationships between yourself and the Samsung Print brand.
• To ensure the completion of merchandising, training and demonstration projects as set by the Client Service Manager.
• To complete reporting for each visit via the online reporting system, to include stock, display, training and competitor information.

If you feel you have the prerequisite experience and skill sets and are keen to join a team that is about to make new waves in retail, then please send a copy of your current CV and a brief summary of your experience to booking@channel-advantage.co.uk.

Closing date is Friday 10^th February, 5:30pm

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* Leeds * East Anglia * London East/Dartford * Edinburgh *

Our client is an IT/ technology manufacturer who is customer-centric and at the forefront of innovative technology. The Regional Territory Manager role is designed to complement the customer experience for retailers and shoppers alike.  Responsible for managing and developing a group of consumer electronics retailers within a pre-defined territory, ensuring they receive visits at the agreed frequency.

Key to the role is to ensure brand awareness and education of the retail channel through effective training and message cascade, ultimately gaining the loyalty and trust of retailers, encouraging them to ‘sell’ and ‘upsell’ and creating ‘brand advocates’ within your stores. 

Ensuring merchandising standards/ promotions are implemented and maintained to the standard set out by the client/Channel Advantage will further compliment brand awareness and support sales increase.

Person specification/ criteria:

• Excellent technical knowledge of the PC and IT marketplace, alongside a genuine interest in technology / IT.
• A lively and positive personality.
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to build rapport easily.
• Previous formal training experience and the ability to break down complex messages and deliver them in a simple and effective way.
• Experience of managing and developing a territory and effective journey planning.
• An ability to apply knowledge with initiative and without supervision
• Excellent organisational and time management skills.
• Full clean driver’s licence.
• To be considered you must live within one of the ideal base locations.

Package:

• Salary £21k, plus 10% bonus.
• Quality company car.
• Mobile phone/laptop.
• ILM Train the Trainer Accreditation.

This is a full time, field based role and a flexible approach to working practices is required. The role will involve weekend and evening working, as well as overnight stays. 

 Working hours are Tuesday – Saturday.

If you feel you have the pre-requisite experience and skill sets and are keen to join a team that's breaking new ground in retail then please apply by sending your CV and covering letter to booking@channel-advantage.co.uk.

Closing date is Friday 10^th February 2012. Please note this is a 12 month contract.

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You could win a framed certificate and a £50 reward bonus, plus be in the running for Employee of the Year award!

This award will be designed to recognise the outstanding efforts and contributions made by our field teams, whether the contribution is through merchandising, demonstration, auditing, research or other job role functions.

Nominations will be made by your Client Service Manager or Duty Manager and the nomination will be based on your campaign results, store feedback, back checks and mystery shops.

• February – announced 5^th March 2012
• March – announced 2^nd April 2012
• April – announced 7^th May 2012
• May – announced 4^th June 2012
• June – announced 6^th July 2012

All candidates who are shortlisted will be advised, and the monthly winner contacted in advance prior to the announcement being e-mailed out internally to Channel Advantage employees.   Good luck everyone! Don’t forget to keep up to date with news and job opportunities by joining us on Facebook and/or following us on Twitter.

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Sam Carnell has been with Channel Advantage for just two months, but she has already got stuck into her role as recruitment and staffing co-ordinator.

Here Sam realised her strengths were with people development and coaching and the chance to use her skills with Channel Advantage proved a great draw for her: "I really wanted the opportunity to help people grow and get better at their roles. I'm planning to be out in the field working directly with our tactical and full-time field teams to see where I can add value with coaching, training and personal development." Sam also takes responsibility for field staff recruitment for specific client projects and particularly at university and student fairs.

Sam is a keen cyclist and one claim to fame is that she has completed a 100-mile charity bike ride in just one day! If that's enough to get you squirming in your seat, Sam does admit to liking shopping and socialising with friends!

We've now got our full complement of operations people in the Head Office team, but we are always on the look out for great people to join us for tactical or demonstration roles. We're inviting applicants to register now (or update their records) in preparation for Spring campaigns.

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To show this commitment all full-time Head Office staff attended a "Train the Trainer" course late last year to help us prepare for, and deliver, the very best in training courses.

Run by an accredited third party training company we had two intensive days at The Retreat to remind us that "powerpoint does not equal training" and that there are many different learning types that all require a different level of engagement.

There was hard-work coupled with enjoyment as the training was very hands-on and interactive with you tube clips, hand outs and practical demonstrations.

Channel Advantage's Financial Director John Power, adds "I knew those years as a patrol leader would come in useful one day" as he was one of the 25 who all successfully completed the course to achieve their Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM) approved certificates.

The "Power-Knot Technique" has now become a staple for staff training at Channel Advantage, so get the edge by brushing up on your knots before you go!

Check out all the photos on flickr.

If you are interested in joining Channel Advantage do send us your CV to booking@channel-advantage.co.uk

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**Two Vacancies** - one London, one Manchester

Do you remember what it was like to work for a company that's successful? Fun? Has a great story to tell? Don’t you miss it?

We’re growing – fast. And we need a Retail Experience Specialist to join our team and help shape our brand within retail across the UK. It involves the usual duties – training, merchandising and in store demonstrations. The terrific part is that we have a great story – extremely cool products, collaborative teams and dizzying growth. When’s the last time you had that?

You will use your high level of knowledge and expertise to provide advice, inspiration and education to customers and retailers about Sonos’ product range. You will be responsible for reaching your targets through managing and developing a group of consumer electronic retail stores within a pre-defined territory, ensuring they receive visits frequently.

During your visits to leading electrical retailers you will be effectively communicating the full features of Sonos products and services through promotional and relationship building activity.

For the individual with the right combination of experience and personality, this is a very rewarding role in a highly visible team. The people we choose will be able to make a big difference to the success of Sonos, within some of the biggest names in retailing in the UK.

The base for this role is in and around London, with good access to motorways and transport systems. The territory will contain between 80 – 120 different retailers which will be visited on a scheduled call pattern frequency.

Package:

• £23k plus 10% KPI annual bonus
• BMW 1 Series
• Share Option package

Candidate specification:  

• Previous field based territory management experience or minimum one year sales or retailer experience.
• A broad range of experience within the technology market.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills.
• A lively and positive personality.
• Enjoys sharing knowledge and experience with others.
• Full, clean driving license – Essential.
• PC Literate with MS Office.

This is a full time, field based role and a flexible approach to working practices is required. The role will involve weekend and evening working (from time to time) as well as overnight stays.

If you feel you have the prerequisite experience and skill sets and are keen to join a team that's breaking new ground in retail then please send a copy of your current CV and a summary of your experience to the Channel Advantage recruitment team, booking@channel-advantage.co.uk

Closing deadline for all applicants is Friday 10^th February 2012. 

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Viet Pam, one of Channel Advantage's product demonstrators for Panasonic, was snapped with the incredible Stephen Hawking in John Lewis Cambridge last month.

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In December Earl Perkins from the Sonos Team met with one of the men in white as he worked at John Lewis in Sloane Square. Looks like JLP are took their pre-Christmas security checks rather seriously!

Never a dull moment when you work out in the field - please do share your celeb spots with us...

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Whatever holiday you are celebrating, whether you are in-store working or at home relaxing, Seasons Greetings from all of us at Channel Advantage.

Here's to a great 2012 for us all!

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The one and only Darth Vader made a surprise appearance at PC World in Bristol Cribbs Causeway one weekend in December and quick-witted Livescribe Retail Specialist Charlotte Skeate was swift to ensure Lord Vader tried out the latest model.

We were able to capture this moment on camera before Darth set off for a galaxy far, far away...

We love the fun stories our field staff report back - alongside their fantastic sales and demonstration successes. If you are interested in joining the Channel Advantage team, email booking@channel-advantage.co.uk with your CV and details of the location(s) where you are interested in working. We'll let you know as soon as a suitable opportunitiy arises.

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The latest Panasonic TVs were demonstrated in full connected glory at The Retreat training facility last week when Channel Advantage hosted a technology showcase and workshop for staff and retail colleagues (Thursday 24th November). 

Panasonic is taking TV to the next level with the new SMART VIERA TV line-up, which offers smart design, smart performance and smart content - such as BBC iPlayer, Facebook, Twitter & YouTube. Available in Plasma, LED & LCD and you can buy them from Dixons Retail and John Lewis stores.

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Lenovo is a brand that many businesses will know, but it's also one that more and more consumers will take notice of as this lovely range of laptops comes to a Dixons store near you this Christmas.

For more information about Lenovo, click here.

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Netgear products featured heavily at the recent Channel Advantage Technology Showcase hosted at The Retreat last week (Thursday 24th November 2011).

Not only was there a dedicated session scheduled to run through the latest range of networking products, but also the routers connected up a number of other products around the building to demonstrate the full functionality in live situations.

Channel Advantage's Netgear Team Leader Philip Walsh adds: "It's brilliant to be able to tell the complete connectivity story as it is happening. Bringing the products to life in real scenarios is something you cannot always achieve in a store or event environment." He continues "Netgear forms a key part of the connected home story and it's fantastic to show it all in action."

For more information about Netgear's range of products, click here.

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