Testimonials
3 May 2007
Hi Andy
We would also like to thank you for all your efforts in this – particularly while Fiona was on holiday; you have been a great support to me and I am very grateful. All I can say is thank god we have you to help us through this – I don’t think I’d have survived and .... would have achieved the same result.
I’ve no doubt we will speak soon.
With kind regards
Tracy Smith, MNAEA
Director
HOMESpartnership
(T) 01293 529999
(F) 01293 439999
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19th March 2007
Dear Kerry
Please let me use this opportunity to thank you for excellent service in the previous year. Very much looking forward to working with you in the forthcoming business period.
Best Regards
Martin Kaspar
Robbens Systems Underfloor Heating
69 Castleham Road,
St Leonards on Sea,
East Sussex TN38 9NU
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11th January 2007
Dear Michael,
Thanks so much for today. We all found it very helpful – refreshing, inspiring, and extremely worthwhile. You are just what we need!
Thanks Michael. Hope to hear from you soon.
All best wishes,
Louise Hallett
Hallett Independent
Asset House,
7-9 Quay Street,
Lymington,
Hampshire SO41 3AS
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Friday 2nd June 2006
Dear Michael,
Sally has sent a testimonial for you, please see below. I would also like to thank you for such a fantastic session, I also came away feeling very positive about myself, something which I really need at the moment as I am planning to get more involved in marketing Pentlow Training. Thank you again.
Best wishes
Angela Pentlow Care Training Centre
Learning at Work Day – held on Thursday 25th May 2006 "ATTITUDE IS EVERYTHING” with Michael Ogilvie
Personal Statement:
When I walked into the Pentlow Dining Room at the end of a busy afternoon, I had no idea that within the next hour my old pattern of negative thinking would be challenged and totally turned upside down.
I have attended many “self-help” workshops in the past and wasn’t expecting to learn anything new by this brief (30 minute) workshop. However, Michael was an entertaining and enthusiastic speaker.
He asked us to look at someone successful, who we admire, and list their qualities (confidence, self belief etc.) We then talked about what got in the way of us reaching our goals i.e. fear of failure, criticism.
When Michael asked for a volunteer of break a piece of wood, 2 cm thick, with nothing more than the force of a bare hand I knew I had to do it. First of all, Jeanette our Pentlow Training Manager demonstrated how it should be done. Michael asked me to write my goal on the wood, as a positive affirmation that by breaking the wood I can break through my challenge to success.
However, as I went to the front of the room my old habits came flooding back – “I can’t do it, I’m looking stupid, everyone’s going to laugh at me”. After two attempts I nearly bottled out completely but Michael was calm and encouraging.
I knew he’d seen many people do it and he knew that I could. “You just need a bit more zip!” he said. I squeezed Jeanette’s hand for support, had a drink of water, closed my eyes, took three deep breaths and 1, 2, 3, whack, crack and I’d done it!
I was rather overcome, not only because I broke through the wood but because I had so publicly committed myself to a new course of action to make my goal a reality. I know that by making such a bold statement I am already halfway to making it happen and can remember that if I start to go off track. When the old “I can’t do it” thoughts come up I have my piece of wood as evidence that I CAN!
At the end of the session I was surprised to hear Michael was an Accountant. His “Attitude for Success” is catching – I think he should be working in the field of teaching others how to overcome their fears and reach for the stars. With his support and a positive attitude then anything is possible.
Sally - Home Carer - Pentlow Community Care Services
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30 May 2006
Dear Michael
Thank you for your impressive demonstration, convincing people that they can do anything if they've got attitude! As I said, you should invite the people who attend the breakfast meetings to do the same. The girl you worked with, really went through a complete learning process and came in today, to say how much you have helped her. Thank you again.
Kind regards
Jeanette
PS Maybe I should try a thicker bit of wood - or even walk on hot coals. I have always learned when attending your sessions.
Pentlow Training Centre Ltd
26 Church Street
Eastbourne
East Sussex BN21 1HS
Telephone : 01323 439911
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16 March 2006 EAST SUSSEX LANDSCAPES LTD
Dear Steve
East Sussex Landscapes Ltd would like to thank Mike and everyone at Ogilvie Booth Coles for helping us through a very difficult financial period for our company. Even with the experience of our senior staff and Director, who thought we could trade through this position, we now wish with hindsight that we had listened and acted on your advice at an earlier stage.
The result of your advice has been spectacular and our Bankers have congratulated us on the progress made even in just a few months on the items you highlighted we must improve upon and make changes. We would not hesitate to recommend your services to anyone needing forward looking accountants to help them their business more profitable. Thank you all at Ogilvie Booth Coles.
Bryan Wells
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14 March 2006 SENSIBLE MEDIA
Dear Andrew
Many thanks for this, you have put the spring back into my step!
Regards Sue Orton-Flynn
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19 August 2005 VERONICA ALESSANDRELLO
Dear Eve
The meeting with Andy was very helpful. He is an excellent person and gave me lots of confidence with his advice. Thank you for your email and for the spreadsheet. I will certainly go through it and let you know if I need further assistance.
Kind regards.
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26 July 2005 INTERFACE DEVICES LIMITED
Neil,
Thanks for the accounts I am just going through them now. I have just read the Financial Performance Review; it is a very good and useful report to have. I like the seperate analysis of the key figures to the business (ie. sales, GP, NP, bank etc), the graphs reflecting these figures show very clearly at a glance the last 5 years performance and comparing the graphs to each other is very informative.
Even though the figures are always available having it condensed into one report with graphs and which is explained thoroughly, makes management discussion easier and quicker.
Thanks again.
Kind regards Holly
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9 April 2005 T R CANDLER - DSC SUPPLIES LIMITED
Dear Michael
It is not often I write to say that I am delighted with the service I get from anyone, but I felt it only right to let you know how pleased I was with the response I got from you when our computer gave up the ghost on Wednesday.
Your team were so helpful with meeting me at Comet and helping me with the purchase of a new computer, and then tranferring all the data over from the old one, this is one of the reasons why I use Ogilvie Booth Coles because of the commitment to your clients, who without I would find certain things in business very difficult. Sorry I am not very good at putting things in writing but I felt it only right to let you know how grateful I am to you.
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6 January 2005 DAVID ROBBENS
I felt it was time I put pen to paper to thank you for all your sterling efforts over the life span - conception to sale - of DRUFHS Ltd.
It is fair to say that without your efforts in the very early days, and you and your team efforts over the last 11 years, both with AH and OBC that I would not have got to the position where I had a company to sell, let alone to have sold it!
Long may you all prosper.
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18 November 2004 EVE WICKENDEN - Ogilvie Booth Coles
Hi Mike
Following this morning, I was chatting with some people outside about how motivating your speaking is I said I thought "Mike could even motivate me to do the ironing" and they said that's a great testimonial
So I thought I would send it to you.
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7 July 2004 JIM FLETCHER - Commercial Director, Marshall Tufflex Limited
Dear Mike
Just a quick note to thank you once again for your superb contribution to our sales conference dinner. Your use of props has certainly made a memorable impact - at least on the male elements attending on the night! I just hope that the message behind it is also remembered. As discussed please find enclosed the SSTW disk. We did review it at one of our team meetings and found it quite interesting and useful and have already developed some fresh ideas from some of the results that came of it.
Once again, many thanks and regards.
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16 May 2004 ANGELA YOUELLS - Managing Director, Youells Lang Associates
Hi Michael
I just wanted to drop you an email asking you to pass on my thanks to Clare and Pippa for their help last week. I am in the midst of three personal property transactions and I needed help with both an Inheritance and Capital Gains tax query. As ever in these situations, I needed advice then and there and as you were away Pippa realised the urgency and passed my enquiry onto Clare.
Clare was brilliant and not only rang me back with the answers within a couple of hours but immediately followed it up with an explanatory email.
What an amazing service.
Total efficiency.
You have obviously drilled your team superbly.
My thanks to all concerned from another satisfied client
Kind regards
Angela Youels
youels lang associates Ltd.
email : angelayouels@youelslangassociates.com
Tel : 07748 653 880 27
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April 2004 DAVID ROBBENS - David Robbens Underfloor Heating Systems Ltd
Dear Mike
I know we are not quite at the end of the Audit yet but I would like you to thank Matt and the team for the sterling work they have done on getting some useful figures to us. If they were a lifeboat crew it would be "thanks on velum" at least.
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23 January 2004 STEVE HOLLAMBY - Managing Director, Chandlers Printers
"Michael's monthly BBF session is a stimulating shot in the arm of business common sense combined with creative commercial ideas - I cannot afford not to attend."
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16 January 2004 MARTYN BILLING - Calibre Martketing
"The content and presentation of the meetings is always very thought provoking and stimulating, giving many ideas and action notes for improving not only my own business but also those of all my clients as well. Thank you."
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3 December 2003 JO CLARKE - Mainstay Clarke Insurance Brokers
Dear Mike
I would like to congratulate you in creating such a refreshing system and structure which helps to stimulate ideas, and to take us forward to achieve a more concentrated focus on areas of our business which we probably neglected previously. Our monthly meeting enables me to focus on achievement performance for Mainstay and provides an opportunity to share innovative strategies with my fellow Directors.
As you know Mainstay are travelling through momentous changes currently, having for some years been one of the largest commercial insurance brokers in Sussex but regrettably one of the least well known. We are raising our profile and taking time out to work on our business and not just in it, for the benefit of all. You are assisting us in this transition by allowing us to concentrate on our core principals of service, promise and professionalism. Your environment of knowledge sharing is a first class philosophy and prompts innovative thinking, greater collaboration and teamwork in our organisation. Well done and many thanks.
Yours sincerely
JO CLARKE DIRECTOR - MAINSTAY INSURANCE
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SIMON DODDS - MAYO & PERKINS SOLICITORS
Dear Michael
For some time I have been meaning to write to thank you for your support and encouragement over the two years or so since the start of the Business Builder Forum. The sessions that you ran for the staff were of considerable assistance. When we achieved IIP recognition the auditors indicated that your "WOW" sessions had been a major contributory factor.
As you know we have since moved forward to achieve Lexcel accreditation. The regular breakfast meetings have proved invaluable. At best they provide ideas which are relevant and immediately applicable. Even if the subject matter is not immediately of interest or use the mere attendance provides a memory jug to ensure that we are not too busy attending to client matters to concentrate on our own business.
We will of course be discussing the content for this years' staff support sessions and provided you can bear it, I fear these will become an annual fixture.
Kind regards
Yours sincerely
SIMON DODDS
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