7 minute read
Focus on the Future
FocusonThe Future
We reflect on the incredible growth and journey of two of our organisations. Phil Reid, Managing Director of The Promotions Company in Bristol and Matt Nicholson, Managing Director of Monument Promotions in Swindon share their thoughts.
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hil Reid has worked P in the industry since 2005, so certainly knows a thing or two about sales. Although in his own words, he fell into it by accident. “I worked in bars for several years after finishing university, but I wanted to do something a bit different. After initially starting off in residential sales, I enjoyed the atmosphere so much that I’ve never looked back,” he said.
Phil ran several different direct sales businesses in London from 2007 – 2015 and then following a four year break in 2019 he decided to launch The Promotions Company in Bristol. Offices followed in Barnstaple, Exeter and Canary Wharf – and this year he’s looking to grow the business even further.
When it comes to team development. Phil says that during his break from the company, he developed a fresh perspective, and approach, offering his team more flexibility in their roles. Explaining this, He explained: “The average person in our business in 2007 is very different to today. Younger people today require more flexibility, and autonomy. We used to try and make everyone fit into one box , but now the younger generation are looking for work / life balance, and an engaging environment to work
“As a result we look to provide them with complete flexibility on the days and hours they work and the way they dress, whilst providing an engaging environment to work in, offering pool, air hockey tables, games consoles and other forms of entertainment. Essentially they can choose their own work lifestyle, and it’s about providing the opportunity, and freedom to create a working environment that's right for them. We're all about choice at the Promotions Company, which I think makes our organisation and working environment pretty unique.”
2021 has brought challenges for every business. For Phil’s team, in order to keep the business moving forwards, it was important to pivot to a digitised way of working. This led to a shift, from face to face sales to online appointments, and online training for the team. Phil commented:
“During the four months we were locked down we couldn’t sell in our usual way, but we were able to recruit and develop our people. Our focus was on continual growth, and retaining a strong position in terms of team numbers and skill-set.”
his team? He has set a goal of doubling the number of offices he runs from five to ten, including plan to expand into Spain. “Our fifth office opened in Exeter at the end of 2021, and as well as continuing to grow in the UK my focus is on opening an office in Spain later this year,”
Phil said. “There’s already the infrastructure there for direct sales, but it needs the people with the skills to run the business. It also has a good climate for sales and plenty of clients, so it’s an opportunity I am keen to explore.”
And what about his own personal goals? “I’m not far off from Organisation Head Advancement,” Phil added, “And that’s a big goal for me, especially from a financial point of view. It’s something I dreamt off back in 2005. It’s amazing to think it’s within reach now which is really exciting.”
After attending university in Falmouth, Matt Nicholson says that he lacked direction. So decided to move to Wiltshire, where his roommate had a job working in sales and offered to refer him. Three and a half years later Matt was opening his own sales and marketing company – Monument Promotions – who are now entering their fifth year.
For Matt, building a solid foundation for his team in Swindon has been of the upmost important - something that he says has led to the company's continued success. “I’ve worked in this industry for seven and a half years,” Matt said. "My focus has been on innovation, being competitive, and creating a healthy, cheerful, productive and supportive team environment. In sales it’s easy to just focus on the end result and forget about the people. But its about listening to each other, and making sure everyone is given the freedom to, and feel comfortable having their own opinion.”
As part of this, Matt has brought in business coaches from outside the industry to help improve the team’s leadership skills. He also runs the office with a very inclusive management style, where senior members and teams are empowered to build their confidence and leadership skills..
He added: “I’ve invested alot of time and effort in educating the team, and getting them involved with all aspects of the business. We work through different development themes on a regular basis, and I make sure I give them plenty of opportunities to develop their skills. I think showing that trust is really important as a leader, backing it up by making sure I'm available when people need to chat or require support, and help them understand how to overcome challenges and tricky situations.”
“When you’ve identified a group of talented people like we have, your focus is on personal and professional development, coaching and mentoring our team members and finding fresh and exciting talent to join the team . Combined, I think that’s a recipe for great success and continued growth.”
Looking ahead to 2022, Matt is looking to expand his team in Swindon, Reading and London. “A reason a lot of people fail to build solid foundations for their business is that they don’t have the patience,” Matt said. “But the good thing is when you spend time doing it, things can grow very quickly, just like our office has. This year I want to double the size of the Swindon team, open another office here and also ones in Reading and London.
The Vision in Bristol
On the relocation of RedSeven
RedSeven Marketing recently moved their head office back from Swindon to Bristol. We spoke to Managing Director, Rob Cotterell, to find out what the plan for 2022 looks like.
SHINE YOU DIAMOND I
n his own words, Rob Cotterell is a Bristol boy through and through. So when it came to considering the future of his business, heading back to his home city was always on the cards.
Rob started his sales journey in the city under the guidance of James Buckley at Mantra Marketing. He quickly progressed through the ranks and earned the opportunity to set up his own business in Swindon, October 2013.
“When I first joined the company in 2010 I always knew I wanted to get stuck into something with autonomy and good career progression. After literally falling into sales by accident, I loved the environment, people and opportunities so much that I never looked back,” Rob recalls. “I was given the choice of five towns where I could locate my business. For me Swindon made sense, based on the fact that it was still close to my family, plus it would be a cheaper location to get up and running.” Rob recalls that initially the plan wasn’t to be based in Swindon for too long. He had first hoped to move back to Bristol after 12 months, however business boomed forcing him to reconsider. 12 months quickly turned into 8 years, and the organisation expanded, opening offices in Cheltenham and Manchester.
“I wanted to take the business to the next level,” Rob added. “Bristol offers lots of opportunities for us, thanks to its two universities and a larger more diverse pool to recruit from. I'm also starting a family, so it made sense to head back home for personal reasons too.”
After making the move, the team set foot in their new office at the start of January.
“It was certainly a challenge trying to find an office that would be the best fit for us. Thankfully we’ve found somewhere in the Spectrum building that really stood out. It’s a beautiful office with flower walls, neon signs, and we’re also allowed to bring our dogs into work with us too which the whole team has loved!”
