Show Special kbb Birmingham 2018


Retailer round table


Top tips


• Learn to delegate • Know your target market • Consider diversifying


• Get happy customers to spread the word


• Find the right staff and keep them motivated


• Choose the right supply partners


• Focus on what you’re good at


past year and each role sort of dictates how you go about it in my experience. We had a junior role come up recently. We weren’t looking for anyone with any experience for that position, so we advertised locally for that and found someone that fit. The other position was a senior role and so we were looking for someone with industry experience and a proven track record in sales. We went through a recruitment agency for that.


The right people are definitely out there. I think you just have to be sure about what you want for each role and find the most suitable type of recruitment platform for that.


SJ: We’ve lost one member of staff in 13 years, so we have a very high level of staff retention. I think that’s partly down to the fact that we don’t refer to them as staff, we’re all part of a big team working towards the same goal – to make the business a success so we all benefit. We all have each other’s backs. It’s not competitive and if someone’s struggling one month we all wade in and see if we can help. If people feel good and are happy in their job, they’ll sell more and do more.


LK: You’ve also got to factor in the amount of time training them up will take out of your schedule. And, the fact that it normally takes new staff time to start bringing in money.


Q: As business owners who’ve weathered economic storms and are still growing in an uncertain climate, what advice and tips would you give to retailers who are struggling at the moment? LK: The first thing, and the most practical thing, is to look at your overheads, because that’s the only thing you can control in terms of how much money the


business costs. But, the only way out of it is sales, pure and simple. So, if you haven’t got enough people coming into the showroom, get out there, meet people, introduce yourself and your business, get in contact with local builders, plumbers etc who could help generate business for you.


SJ: Terry and I are taking everything back to basics this year. We’re leading


from the front, we’re


out there generating business, but we’re also in the showroom scrubbing the floors and selling bathrooms. We’re focusing on good old customer service and treating every person that comes in as a potential client. We’re also encouraging our team to take ownership of what they do and getting them to think more like business people. For us, this year is about being more efficient internally rather than worrying about growth. I think that’s a good practice for all businesses to follow at some point.


ML: I think a lot of it is down to knowing what you’re good at, who your target audience is and just doing a good job every time. If one of our customers calls up two years down the line because their tap is leaking, we’ll do everything we can to sort that out for them.


LK: There’s a really popular saying that goes “stay in your lane” – focus on what you’re good at, and that’s a great phrase for this business. If you start getting distracted by what’s going on outside of the business, it can dilute your focus from where you want your business to be.


Make sure your tool for selling, i.e. the showroom, looks as good as it can, and that the people working within it know what they’re aiming for – then you will get success.


March 2018 kbb Birmingham Special Edition kbbreview 57


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