Additional Information

Personal Qualities

A born enthusiast with high energy levels and an inherent determination to succeed. I think logically and have always had the ability to objectively articulate my ideas to those around me.


Sales Skills

My sales, negotiation and presentation skills are highly developed and I have achieved success at every level. I have recruited, trained and managed effective sales teams in a number of industries.


Managerial Skills

My primary skill lies in the ability to motivate at all levels.
Tenacity, enthusiasm and objectivity ensure that when the pressure within the business is at is highest, I perform at my best.

My ability to evaluate the performance of individuals and the corporate body alike, determine an objective course of action, develop and implement the plan is proven.

I am numerate and balance sheet driven. I have the ability to produce structured cash flow forecasts and business plans and do not fail to meet agreed deadlines.

I have gained vast managerial experience through my work in a diverse range of industries for organisations including Wolseley plc and the Imperial Food Group.


Ethos

(a) Anything is possible.

(b) I believe that little happens in any business until someone, somewhere, sells something.

(c) Success in any business is achieved by creating and maintaining a positive perception at the first point of contact. Too few organisations do either.
Two Examples Of My Success In
Creative Marketing, Training & Objective Sales Management

Example 1 – Independent Mortgage Broker

The Market – The sub-prime mortgage market accounts for approximately 40% of the total UK re-mortgage, mortgage and secured loan market. Clients usually have bad debt, no proof of income or fail to meet other basic criteria of the high street lender.

Company Turnover - £4,000,000 per month, completed mortgages.

Method of Marketing – Daily Mail, Sun, Sunday Times.

Marketing Spend - £25,000 to £30,000 per week.

Critique of Sales Team –25/45 years of age, most had received no formal sales training and their experience had been gained in a variety of direct selling roles. The team was motivated from on high by fear and fear alone. Dressed mainly in leather jackets their communication; presentation and sales skills were poor. Where possible fees were hidden from client(s) which resulted in bad client relations, some litigation and a low referral rate.

Sales Methodology – “Smash and grab”, get the job done as quickly as possible and, irrespective of the effect upon the ultimate sales result, ensure, at whatever cost, that the client is signed up.

Strike Rate – The Company virtually had a 100% strike rate/sign up rate for appointments attended. However, the retention rate was only 25%.

Income – Approximately £180,000 per month in fees and commission. Average fee per case £2,400, commission £2,100.

Summary – The Company was just profitable but huge numbers of valuable sales were being lost because the sales team lacked knowledge, motivation, sales expertise, confidence and a real belief in their product. They did not look professional and lacked presence. These factors often resulted in the “mortgage adviser” lacking credibility and failing to empathise with either the client’s situation or needs. Most clients signed up on the night for one reason and one only: - to get rid of what they perceived was a pushy salesman! Three out of every four signed mortgage deals, a massive 75% of the total business, did not reach completion because in most cases, the client cancelled, taking their business elsewhere.
Action Taken – No rocket science required here, I simply introduced planned recruitment and one-week basic induction training. Dress code was suits only. I undertook in-field training at least three days a week. The training was tailored to improve communication, presentation and key selling skills. I also introduced a structured call with steps that included;

“Introduction & Creating Impact”
“Fees, fees, fees and fees”
“Gathering the information”
“Making the pitch (the presentation)”
“Closing”
“Consolidation phase”

We reduced our press spend and “dipped our toes” into marketing via the Internet. This gave us more control over our lead generation and the ability to instantly increase or decrease the flow of enquiries at any given time.

Most appointments were made and conducted on the day that the enquiry was received. All appointments were conducted within 36 hours of first contact with the client, irrespective of their location within the UK.

The business benefited from this introduction of pace and staff became more motivated. Our speed of reaction impressed clients, their initial perception of us became more positive, our credibility grew, fees became easier to sell and cancellations decreased.

Results – With a slightly larger, better trained, more motivated, highly skilled and well managed sales team, results were impressive.
The total marketing spend, now purely via the Internet, dropped by almost a third to £20,000 per week. Conversely, appointment rates increased.

Although strike rate/sign up rate dropped from nearly 100% to 80% the retention rate increased from 25% to a massive 80% resulting in a completion rate in excess of 60% of all clients met at the first meeting.
Fees increased to an average of £2,900 per mortgage from £2,400 and commission from lenders from an average of £2,100 per mortgage to almost £2,500. Total income from each completed mortgage therefore increased by 20% from £4,500 to £5,400.

Monthly turnover increased three fold from £4,000,000 to almost £12,000,000 with a high of £16,000,000 and our loan book with GE Capital grew by more than 68% year on year.
Example 2–Distributor of Electronic Vehicle Immobiliser Systems


The Market – During 1997, with the exception of higher specification cars, most vehicles were not manufactured with alarm or immobiliser systems as a standard feature.

With almost 600,000 vehicles a year being stolen a much fragmented, highly competitive, low margin “after market” developed through high street car audio centres. Installation standards were low and product returns were high.


The Company- A small UK company set up by our South African manufacturing parent, with just six employees including myself.
I managed the company and spent four days a week in the field developing and selling to our distribution network.


The Product – Our main product was a three circuit random encrypted immobiliser. Although extremely sophisticated and reliable the product was in essence the same as 100 other immobilisers available on the UK market.


The Poor Economics of the Market – Our, slightly over engineered, three circuit immobiliser, cost the South Africans £7.50 per unit to manufacture. The landed UK cost was £12.00 per unit. Initially,
we sold the unit to our distributor network for between £25.00 and £30.00 per unit, depending on quantity.

As supply outstripped demand the market overheated and prices fell dramatically. Some products were being sold into distributors for as little as £5,00 per unit, a full 50% less than our manufacturing costs!

To improve fitting standards and to minimise the return of immobiliser units we provided installation engineers with costly technical training and telephone support. However, low rates of pay and high levels of staff turnover within the industry resulted in continued poor fitting standards and an unacceptable high rate of returned units. This further added to our costs.

With volumes and margins falling, costs rising and product loyalty approaching zero we would soon be out of business.


Time for some Creative Marketing! – How could I increase volumes, improve margins, build customer loyalty and remain in business? Frankly, at that moment in time, I would have settled for any one of those objectives: - all four seemed completely unachievable.

And then one day, I was flicking through the Sky satellite channels and came across QVC Television. QVC, for the uninitiated, was the first UK, TV shopping channel. Nowadays there are more than 30 shopping channels on satellite TV but then there was just one – QVC.

Here then was a possible solution. I would increase the price significantly, building the quality perception with my targeted consumer and sell my immobilisers on QVC television.

In addition, I would offer the viewer, within the cost price, a mobile installation service at their home or their place of work. This installation service would be provided by my distributor network. They would be paid a fee for every one they fitted on my behalf. This would help me to build product loyalty through my distribution network and, as an added bonus, I could now insist on the distributors improving their engineer’s standards of installation.

At that time, I was in negotiation with Norwich Union insurance. Their clients were losing far too many BMW’s, Ford Cosworth’s and other high value motor cars. Because our product was extremely difficult for even the most hardened car thief to crack, they agreed that it might offer a real solution to their level of theft claims. An agreement was reached allowing me to offer 10% off the cost of a Norwich Union policy, providing the policyholder had one of our immobilisers fitted.

So then I had all the ingredients for a possible solution. All I now had to do now was sell the product into QVC television!

I made my presentation and was successful. The only drawback was that they insisted I personally sell the product live on air.

Increasing the Margin To More Than 700% Appearing once and sometimes twice a week on QVC, we had an impressive run with volumes, margins and customer loyalty all improving measurably.
Selling the unit, including installation and vat, for £299.00 the numbers worked like this. After vat, the unit price netted down to £254.00 from which QVC took a further 35%. From the remaining £165.00 I paid the installer £65.00, leaving me with £100.00 on a unit costing £12.00. The gross margin was a huge 733% in a market that had one of the most competitive pricing structure I have ever experienced.