About BEST

BEST Training Systems Pty Ltd evolved through a business development consultancy into a highly successful and profitable training organisation, Progress Training Systems Pty Ltd. That company is now a full BEST licensee.

The BEST People

Managing Director, Founder, and Author of all BEST Training Programs is Catherine Palin-Brinkworth (M. AppSci, CSP), an extremely experienced business consultant and professional speaker, trainer and facilitator. Catherine's extensive corporate background included building several successful organisations and their teams in the financial services industry as well as hospitality and consumer goods. Additionally, Catherine has an outstanding national and international track record in association leadership.

Since 1988 Catherine has built a highly successful business consulting practice, holds several non-executive directorships including Chairman of internationally-affiliated Chartered Accountants, and speaks on leadership, change, and business development issues world-wide.

The other BEST Director is Janelle Nisbet whose corporate background was notably in managing and leading highly successful teams in three highly competitive industries. Janelle Nisbet's corporate career included working with teams in the banking and finance, stock broking, and telecommunications areas, and Janelle was well known as someone who brings out the BEST in her people. Her experience encompassed nine years in the fast paced, ever changing call and contact centre industry where Janelle and her teams were recognised with 10 industry awards for excellence.

Janelle regularly consults and speaks to industry groups. She specialises in the areas of coaching, creating and leading high performing teams. Her award winning people development skills have created great demand for her in many organisations as a trainer of leaders and coaches, as well as a motivator and inspirer of service excellence.

The BEST Story

The BEST Training Systems are not simply based on theory. They originated from Catherine's successful teambuilding, leadership, and sales development experience in her corporate roles. Her consulting clients insisted she share her performance secrets with their people, and the BEST programs were born. Click here to discover Catherine's experience and how the BEST Training Systems evolved.

The BEST Point Of Difference

In our own experience, a lot of time and money can be wasted on people development programs that don't work. The BEST Programs achieve results - for clients - and also for your own satisfaction, reputation and referral business!

It is well established that the only effective behavioural change occurs over time, with good on-the-job coaching and support. It has been important to us to create clarity of role and purpose, to define and impart skills through practical and memorable systems, and to ensure a lasting legacy that continues to achieve results long after we have left.

The BEST programs are driven wherever possible through your clients' own managers, supervisors and team leaders, using spaced repetition, coaching, and as much internal expertise as possible to ensure seamlessness and cultural integrity.

We are committed to the BEST possible levels of service, providing well-researched, diligent professional partnering in the successful development of your organisation. We will do our absolute BEST to support you to achieve the results you want for your business.

The BEST History - Catherine Palin-Brinkworth

Many years ago at the daring age of 20 I had decided to make Australia my home, arriving from Auckland with $100, a suitcase and no doubts or fears in the world! In order to get my financial affairs sorted, I visited my local branch of the Bank of New South Wales (yes, it was THAT long ago) and was referred to a courteous and intelligent man only a little older than myself, who was working with the MLC Life Assurance Co.

Paul Terry became a friend, as well as an astute and trusted adviser. And over the next few years, as he built his own hugely successful financial advisory business, I had the opportunity to work with him.

Initially my response to his invitation was negative. He sold life insurance. I was a 'job snob'. I was working in Chartered Accounting, keen to get into sales, but very choosy - and very scared - hence no commission for me! And certainly not life insurance. Really.

So I went to work for a wine and spirit importer and sold booze instead! My role was Promotions Manager for Swift and Moore, with an initial responsibility for a beautiful liqueur called Grand Marnier. Using common sense and a bit of ingenuity, I found ways to arrange for people to taste the product - and after one sip, they often purchased. Sales tripled in a matter of months. I knew that if I could do it with that product, so could others do it with other products, as long as there was a clear and simple set of skills and processes. I began recruiting a promotions team and taught them exactly what I had been doing, and sales continued to rise.

Some time later, while cooking dinner for my brand new husband and myself, I threw a packet of frozen french fries into a saucepan of boiling oil, and found myself screaming with pain as the oil burned into my face, neck, hands and shoulders.

After several months repair and recuperation, I still felt unable to return to the glamour world of promotion - and my good friend Paul repeated his earlier offer. Not to sell, this time - I simply did not have the 'face' to do that again then - but to join his support team, take on his business management and marketing, and most particularly to identify his success pattern.

Paul had a 95% closing rate. In any business, that is a phenomenally successful sales record; in life insurance it was unbelievable. The challenge for him was that it was not a conscious, deliberate skillset. He was unconsciously competent; he simply did not know how he did it. Consequently it was almost impossible for him to teach anyone else. He had no conscious process to transfer, and therefore was not able to recruit a team and train them in his skills and processes. So his business could not grow.

He asked me to watch and track his behaviour, so that we could document and then train others in his skills.

So often, you hear people tell you that their business can not grow, or that they can not take time out from it, because it depends on them.

I KNOW that is not true. It simply requires the discipline, the commitment and the humility to document behaviours and to teach them to others.

That is what we have done with BEST.

Paul had a team of 5 in those days. We worked out of his home in northern Sydney. The admin team had the back of the garage, Paul had a study and I had the dining room.

We established a process, began to recruit for values, beliefs and attitudes (not previous experience or skill) and trained our new people in Paul's work. The business grew steadily, and before long we had bought an office block, had a sales team of 50, opened offices throughout Australia, established a success incentive plan second to none, and developed innovative ways of helping people create and increase their wealth.

Paul Terry's sales process, and our business principles as we built Monitor Money, depended on a number of things:

Simplicity
Clear continual communication
Absolute honesty and transparency
Respect for the client, the company and everyone in it
The establishment of raving fans and advocates
A genuine passion for the benefits our services provided

Why do I tell you all this? Because that was my training ground, and that is what you can expect from us.

I left Monitor Money during its strong rise, and moved to Melbourne, where I built the distribution arms of a national funds management organisation, and then the marketing presence of another national investment advisory group.

In 1988 I started Progress Productions, a consulting training and speaking business, which is still a strong presence. I obtained Paul's permission to take his sales process to the market as a training program - he granted it enthusiastically. The BEST Selling System was born. Based on the principles and processes we had proven again and again, the program continued to generate extraordinary results for my clients. Other BEST programs followed, based on the same principles and processes and continuing the passionate philosophy of helping people discover their own magnificence, I was run off my feet!

In 1996 I had the privilege of meeting Janelle Nisbet through a client relationship. Janelle was a call centre training expert, and with her encouragement, the BEST Training Systems expanded to include specialised call centre programs.

Janelle also asked me if I would be willing to train her own in-house trainers in the use of my programs, under a licence agreement. Frankly, I'd never thought of that! And it was the answer to many prayers. Just as I had previously experienced, I could take my knowledge and skills and duplicate them. The work could spread far wider than my limited time would allow, and we could help people in many places at the same time.

Janelle took the BEST programs to other employers over the next few years, and everywhere they produced outstanding results, helping her to win awards for her teams, reducing staff turnover, increasing morale, and creating excellent bottom line outcomes.

Other facilitators joined what was by now Progress Training Systems, and we proved that it definitely wasn't 'just me', but the work that made the difference.

In 2001 I was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma, a form of lymphatic cancer, and had to undergo surgery and radiotherapy. The training work was able to continue with other facilitators, as well as Janelle, but I knew I did not have the strength to continue driving it as well as it deserved. In January 2002, days after I had been informed I was in remission, Janelle met with me, explained that she wanted to start her own training business and asked if she could continue to use the BEST programs. I had a much better idea.

By June 2002, Janelle had bought half the business, taken on the role of Managing Director, and had continued its success. Progress Training Systems was our first Licensee, and we have proven beyond doubt that the success I enjoyed was not due to me, but to the principles and processes served in the programs, and the faithful adherence to a proven formula, even with continual updates in content.

Now, we have decided to make the programs more widely available, to other successful people-development practitioners. You are reading this because you are one of them.

Sadly, we lost Paul Terry in a helicopter accident in 1993. The inspiration of his spirit of innovation, service, and enterprise with integrity, continues.

We welcome you, and your commitment to helping your clients be the BEST they can be.

Catherine Palin-Brinkworth M.AppSci CSP

Janelle's Story

I had not long been appointed the Resource and Education Manager of a large call centre when the owner of the parent company sat and talked with me about my role and the vision for the business. It was a great discussion full of ideas and strategies. Then John suggested that I meet "this woman who was working with the sales teams and getting great results". He suggested I contact Catherine Palin-Brinkworth to discuss her training programs. So of course, I did.

Isn't it a wonderful feeling when you meet someone for the first time and you "just click". That was what it was like when I first met Catherine. I had my corporate manager's focus and she had her service-based consulting focus. We discussed people, their development, training and the buzz you feel when you know people just get it. Catherine described it as "helping people discover their own magnificence". It's when the lights go on in their eyes, the fire lights up inside, and they know they can do anything, if they set their mind to it. It's when the skill and the will come together!

Our meeting ended with an agreement to review one of the BEST programs to reflect the skills, knowledge and attitudes required in the fast paced ever changing call centre environment. We agreed to conduct a pilot program with one of my teams.

Well, the pilot was a huge success. Feedback from the staff included comments such as "it was so real", "finally a training program with practical tips, strategies and ideas I can use", "it was great because we discussed things that were relevant to our working environment". From a client perspective I was impressed. A service-focussed flexible training provider who was really committed to helping me grow and develop our people!

I now had a dilemma. The staff loved the program, I was extremely impressed with the pre and post training results and I wanted all of the existing teams and any new teams to be trained in the BEST Teleselling System program. The problem was.....................limited budget.

Being a creative manager and knowing the results that could be achieved from a consistent company-wide approach to telesales, I decided to ask Catherine if she would be willing to train my in-house trainers and myself in how to facilitate the BEST Teleselling program. To my delight she said yes!

You will know from Catherine's story that I took the BEST programs to every single corporate role I was employed in from 1996-2001. I worked with brilliant people during those 5 years and have had the privilege of having individuals and teams collect 10 industry awards for excellence during this time. I truly believe that these awards were due to hard work, commitment, enjoying what you do and the result of having all my teams participate in a variety of BEST programs.

It was the 13th September 2001, just two days after the most horrific world event I have ever seen. I remember arriving at work feeling flat and sad about what was happening in the world. I had just switched on my computer when my boss approached me and told me to attend an important meeting -immediately. I had no idea what was coming. It was .......retrenchment.

Leaving the meeting I was shell shocked. I was told I could have a three month secondment with our parent company if I wanted it, however after this period my services would no longer be required. I had the weekend to think about it.

Isn't it funny how the world throws people together? Earlier in that month, I had attended a breakfast where Catherine was the guest speaker. As I left the breakfast Catherine said "please keep in touch - and continued success".

I contacted my manager on the Monday and advised I would take the secondment offer. I then called Catherine to let her know what had happened and was doubly shocked to be told she had been diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma. I offered Catherine my love and support and told her that if there was anything I could do to please let me know. She told me about her need to get herself well and her obvious need to review her training business. I promised to stay in touch.

Once again my mind started ticking.......Catherine must get herself well and she can't continue to run the training company.......The BEST programs are too good to let sit on a shelf........How can I help?

I debated with myself for a few weeks. At the end of my secondment, could I leave the so called safety of my corporate life and work for myself?.................I had access to a suite of training programs that I adored and I knew the results they could achieve. I could market and facilitate these.......mmmmmm.......excitement, doubt, fear, excitement, yes, no, yes, no and then it came to me like a blinding flash of the obvious (a BFO moment!), just do what you have done for every corporate you have worked for but now do it for yourself! I called Catherine to tell her that I wanted to start my own business by marketing and facilitating the BEST programs.

And as they say the rest is history! I often explain to people that I am like the man from Remington (do you remember that advertisement?). I like the product so much I bought half the company!

BEST programs are a joy to market and facilitate.

When I am meeting a potential client (a prospect) for the first time, I just follow the BEST Selling System principles. I focus on being of service. I ask good quality questions that really uncover the client's needs, wants and goals. We build a great relationship and I ALWAYS walk away with an agreement to send the client a proposal. Following up the proposal is easy because of our initial relationship and I am proud to say I currently have a 80%-85% closing rate (and I know I'll get that 15%-20% eventually!).

As a facilitator, I enjoy the way the programs are designed. The BEST programs allow for wonderful group discussions and debrief and also allow me as the facilitator the opportunity to bring my real life examples into the mix. The program structure and philosophies allow me to guide, nurture, challenge and develop each participant.

The very BEST part of facilitating is when I am asked to attend the celebration sessions (or in the case of our sales programs the "sellebration" session). These are always a joy to watch and at times quite emotional.

When Catherine and I agreed to make the programs more widely available, it filled me with so much pleasure and excitement. The BEST programs are too good not to share, they touch the mind and the heart and we need more magnificent people, just like you to take them to others so they can learn and grow.

Thank you for being the BEST and welcome to the BEST team!

Janelle Nisbet
Director, BEST Training Systems Pty Ltd
Managing Director, Progress Training Systems Pty Ltd