DEALER SUCCESS
DEALER PROFILE
THE GO-TO MAN 2020 has been a great year for ALISTER HALL. His business is thriving - at a time when many are floundering - and he is growing his team, and the divisions within his business. How has he pulled off this miracle?
A
lister puts his
something Alister learned when he started
was coming up to 40; I was a director, and in a
success down to
out in the industry as an 18-year-old
good position, but I considered that in five, 10
how he fosters close
telesales agent for a dealer. “That was all
or 15 years’ time there was no possibility they
partnership-like
via the ‘phone using the Spicers catalogue,
were going to give me a share of the company.
relationships with
a record card box and an ashtray on the
I would just be expiring, and not having
customers, something
desk,” he laughs. “I really enjoyed that. I
anything to show for the years I had put in.”
that has been at the heart of what he has
have always enjoyed talking to people in a
done throughout his professional life, and it
consultative, friendly way, rather than having
TAKING THE GAMBLE
is a philosophy that has brought him success
that supplier-customer relationship, and
So Alister decided to take the gamble and
for 25 years, whether as a telesales agent or
seeing it as more of a partnership. I have
strike out on his own – and really did put
running his own business.
always been into the partnership element.”
his money where his mouth is. “The first
After success in that role, Alister moved
thing I did was to make big personal lifestyle
Ltd, a new name in the industry, but one that
up to managing a telesales team, along with
changes to significantly my reduce outgoings
has made significant progress this year, thanks
his own roster of premier clients. This later
to take the pressure off myself financially.
in part to developing good relationships
developed into a field role, which again he
with customers, but also listening to these
took to easily. “It was natural for me to sit in
having the pressure of having to replace my
customers and what they need to grow their
front of people and talk to them.”
salary with immediate effect.
Currently he runs product supplier go2
businesses. Alister also partnered his business
However, despite the dealer being
“That gave me the freedom of not
“I effectively gambled on my own ability
with Office Power earlier in the year, and this
successful, and developing significantly during
to replace that salary. Within three years I
has had a huge impact on productivity and
Alister’s time there, by 2014, he felt he had
had doubled it.”
streamlining processes.
plateaued. “I wanted the opportunity to work
Developing customer relationship is
[22] DECEMBER 2020
www.dealersupport.co.uk
for myself rather than for others,” he says. “I
In the beginning, Alister joined a couple of old schoolfriends who supplied cleaning and
