A Cleckheaton training group is showing southern firms how to sell everything from gas to lottery tickets and mobile phones.

More companies are turning to the sales and management company, Associated Training, based in the town at former mill premises in Law Street.

The firm, which is part of the Associated Group, has just finished a major refurbishment and expansion of the centre which includes improved training rooms and extra staff.

The firm, set up in 1989, had a staff of five at the start and now employs 20 including trainers, administrators and sales staff.

Clients include major businesses based in the south including Camelot, Calortex, Atlas Copco, Vodafone, Freshfields solicitors and Tarmac.

Courses are run at the Cleckheaton centre or in companies' own premises. They include telephone selling, key account development, customer care skills, effective presentation techniques, leadership and motivation and time management.

The firm's commercial director, Phil Dickson, said: "Being based in Yorkshire certainly seems to be an attraction, particularly for southern companies who find our costs highly competitive compared to London and other big city-based training companies.

"We have developed a programme of more than 20 key training modules all designed to enhance staff skills and improve performance of client companies."

The company is proud of the range of services it can offer to London and southern-based clients and is split into a classroom division and an outdoor development division.

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