Here we go again…… I decided to move into taking on what was the worst performing sales region in the country to the Top! I had never been involved with or understood the technical design, delivery and build of these fantastic Conservatories. If I did join this business I would be the first person to move into branch management without ever having sold the product and having climbed through the ranks as a sales person first. I would be facing not only criticism but resistance from all the doubters, however PERSISTENCE BEATS RESISTANCE!
Every body kept saying to me “No one can make that branch work, it’s a no hoper. You cannot recruit, there is no parking and no one has been able to make it previously and we have had some seriously talented managers in here before”. I believed differently because i was always taught that one man’s rubbish is another man’s gold.
I was offered the role and immediately went on a weeks product training before moving into my branch and taking over the management of the sales team,the telesales team and the administrations team. The branch had consistently been the bottom performing branch in the country. In total the mixture of windows and conservatory branches was about 90 … So my branch was at the Bottom! Only one way to go UP!
My goal was to make the Branch the top conservatory branch in the country and the prize for achieving that was a trip to Dubai with my partner all expenses paid trip staying at the Jumeriah Beach Hotel – with an action packed dune hoping, shopping frenzy, heat, sun , sand and the finest restaurants awaited. My partner deserved a break and i knew that she would love it and i wanted her to have fun, after all i loved her.
What would it take – 12 to 14 hours a day work schedule 6 days a week with calls being received up until the wee hours of the morning to close deals. I would have to change the belief in the branch and build a successful and motivated team that not only believed in me but wanted to do it for themselves. I would need to implement a disciplined but rewarding environment. LIMC Lead- Inspire- Motivate- Control. Sounds simple doesn’t it! You can only do it if you have a burning desire to succeed and let nothing get in your way.
WITHIN 3 MONTHS THE TEAM WAS THE NUMBER ONE CONSERVATORY BRANCH IN THE COUNTRY AND THE 5TH BEST BRANCH OVER ALL OUT OF 90 BRANCHES. WE WERE DELIVERING 3 TIMES THE REVENUE OF MOST OTHER CONSERVATORY BRANCHES AND DUBAI WAS ALREADY IN THE BAG.
I held training meetings every day and spent time with every person in the branch in order to help them grow their SKA levels – SKILL KNOWLEDGE ATTITUDE. It took only three weeks to turn the tide and the appointments and the deals came flooding in. My branch was full so full of motivation that my staff just did not want to go home. There were prizes ranging from a £1 toy right up to a weekend in Paris, which i funded and my ROI was there against my income so what did it matter. I was organised, efficient and dedicated and never for one minute took my eyes off the goal. I monitored and control every team member and gave them both personal and business goals and reasons to move forward.
Anybody that has worked within the environments that i have created have experienced a fun yet disciplined work arena and most have moved their careers forward. Understand that you cannot help everybody. Some people have limits that they either cannot be bothered to go beyond or quite simply are too lazy and unmotivated to move forward from. These people will put up every excuse and give a 1000 reasons why something cant be done and actually if they put the same amount energy into thinking that hey could do it then they would.
Start with the people that want to do it and spent time with them first as that’s where your base revenue is going to come from and then work your way down the performance attitude ladder from there (unless of course you have removed your non performers already) but also bear in mind that In every business i have been involved in that i have found a diamond in the rough!
Vindication was walking down the centre isle if the Monthly National Sales Meeting and putting my sales figures up on the board in front of the whole company for my best ever month on the board……. Top revenue, Top Finance, Top Conversion Rates, Top telesales lead, Lowest admin cost branch, Best Recruitment, Best staff Retention….. well you get the drift ……and for all those who doubted and you know who you are. Yes I succeeded where you failed because my balls were bigger than yours and you quite simply didn’t believe…….. Dubai was GREAT…… A trip well worth fighting for and by the way winning easy!
Thank you to all the team that enjoyed our favorite morning saying “SIZZLE SIZZLE” well you all did it and i am very proud of you all- we did it together- what a team! Sorry to A.L.E for all the late nights but it was worth it in the end…… a small sacrifice for a big win!!!!! Heart to Heart all the way.
Bradley Chapman - Entrepreneur 