Gareth D. Smith Training Consultant, Vue Consulting Gareth D. Smith has more than 15 years direct experience in sales, customer service, management and business development in retail sales and training.

Gareth’s financial services career started in the customer service team at Bankers Trust, where he was part of an award winning team providing him an early insight into service excellence.

Travelling extensively when possible Gareth swapped the financial services industry for Flightcentre where he learnt retail sales at the coal face. There he was a member of the successful Bondi Junction Flightcentre team placing 2nd in the world for retail revenue and personally qualifying for Flightcentre’s Global Ball.

After September 2001 Gareth placed his love of travel industry on hold and moved back into financial services working as an Investment Executive at Macquarie Bank qualifying as a financial planner and entering the world of professional services.

In 2004 Gareth made the move to Brisbane Queensland where held a number of positions at MLC finishing as a relationship manager handling the top advisory businesses within the Garvan network.

In 2007 he joined Finsia, now Kaplan Professional education, as the Queensland Senior Business Development manager working with Australia’s leading financial advisory, banks, fund managers, stock broking, mortgage broking, legal and accountancy businesses transforming the Queensland business into a significant contributor to the Kaplan revenue budget.

Whilst at Kaplan Gareth discovered his passion for training with the underlying goal to raise professional service standards through Australia. In 2012, Gareth took his passion for training one step further joining the highly talented Vue Consulting team.  Outside of Vue Consulting, Gareth is kept busy with two young children, plays indoor cricket and endeavours to keep his obsession with Rugby union under control. He is also the co-founder of Brisbane’s leading networking group for finance, legal and accounting industry the Emerging Professionals Network.

Q&A with Gareth D. Smith

What’s your role at Vue Consulting?

I am a trainer; this involves all aspects of client interaction, course design, delivery and all post Vue experience implementation and follow up. The massive advantage is that when I meet with a potential client I can always be confident that the delivery will match the sales outcomes.

What brought you to Vue Consulting?

For a number of years I have watched David King build Vue Consulting into the most respected, professional and effective training company in the industry.  Additionally, in my past role I shared a number of my top clients with Vue Consulting and every one of them raved about the quality of material and the excellent delivery by David and his team. When the opportunity came up to work with David, it was perfect timing as I was ready to transition back into facilitation in the company of excellence.

What did you do before Vue Consulting?

I was the Queensland and Northern territory Senior Business Development Manager at Kaplan Professional/Finsia.

What’s your favourite Vue Consulting training experience?

Definitely “Sell With Trust”, the sales and trust training experience. I know that participants will benefit enormously from the learning’s in this course.  It’s a trust based experience which I truly believe is the only way to sell.

#1 tip for Participants to get more from their time in training?

Be the sponge, come prepared to soak up every bit of information with no pre-conceptions and really commit to implementing the learning’s.

#1 tip for Managers to get more from their staff in training?

What better way to get to engage and understand your staff than to be heavily involved in their training. You learn so much about them and capabilities by watching, guiding and assisting in their learning experience. Don’t think that you just send your staff off to be trained, get involved and motivate them to better themselves.

How can we get the most out of you during a training experience?

Be clear and open about your objectives to communicate them to myself. Once we have jointly agreed on the focus and outcomes then to do the same with the participants.

How do your friends describe your personality?

My imaginary friends say I’m good natured, easy going and enjoy a laugh. My real friends, thank goodness, seem to agree with them too.

When not trying to change the world via training, how do you fill your free time?

I only need the simple things.  Just give me:

• A beautiful Queensland day
• Time with my wonderful wife and kids
• A great meal and a bottle of wine
• And either a game of Rugby Union or Test Cricket

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