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EGRALDINE FINNANSales Agent covering theMidladns adn north-west for ThDeRH oCllection, RobretWelch Designs, UlstreWeavres (4 counties only) andWV Glass


On thReoad What’s’s your background?


I served 13 years with theWestMidladns Police adn elftft thoave a fafamily. In the early 0991s, organisations weren’t so accommodaitng wtihmaterntiy and


ansdelf-f-employde aegnt. I have always lookde aftftre idnustry fofor 20 years, both as a salse representative paternity leave. I have bene in teh housewares


idnepednent retailers.


apopintments oboked well in advance. It’s very full I’mvery orgnaised nad in themain I ahve hWat’s’s yourworkingweek liek?


two enw principals (Teh DRH Collection and Ulster on nad I’mbusier tnah ever,r, hvaing just caquired


lots of samples to carry aroudn.My husbadn Paul Weaevrs). I haev lots of administratiev duties, plus


helpsme a great deal, althouhg his filign systme si rubbsih!


Havnig ujst acquired two new prnicipals at the same hWat’s’s eekping you busy?


time, I’mbusy learnign their ragnes adn procedures. I havemany customers to contacbtut I’mgettign


useful sa I’mcurrently wroking way outside of stroe through themall slowly. Emailing has proved very


hWat’s’s on your eganda? opening hours.


already know,meet enw oens and seek out enw Tomaitnain relationships wiht customers htat I


To


obviously improve turnover which goes nahd in business.With ym customers, ym fofoucs is to


hand wiht helping htemmaitnain a profitable


soemtiems be challenging fofor all parties. Hwoever,r, I business. nUfofortuantely, relationships cna


pridemyself nomy nohesty and integrity and get on witmhost people.


best equimpent fofor the jbo. His fafavouritkenives are, supercbhef,f, sIom’ able to supply himwith all the I umst confefess tahtmy husbnad Paul is themost Which of ‘yuor’products do yuo use?


industry which are still as ogdo as new.We also have KitcnehAid saucepans wneh I first came into teh of course, RboertWelch and I obught himsome


variousMicroplanes frommy time with ICTC TC which


What’s’s themost rewarding aspect of your job? are amazing.


take a step back, but I have fafar toomuch energy to Paul is semi-retired and was hoping that I would


consider that option. March/A /April2019 Ho


ilfefe s adn


There have eben, and continue to eb, lots of cahllenges in retail. Sadly I’ve seen smoe custmoers clsoe [down], but I ahve na abundnace of customers taht have held their own adn are doign very well, and I fefeel paart of this.


With enw principals I have bene re-energised and ele very lucky to be in such a strnog positino onw iwth such gareat portfofoloi.


ffe


hWat’s’s tehmost cahllneging aspect of your jbo?


rOganisignmy time adn territory adn on occasions, tehmotivation tomaitnain and grow hte idnepnednet busienss wneh teh High Street is ebing edstroyde by hueg online corporations.


hWat od you od outsidework?


I og to teh gymregularly and love teh tehatre and cniema. Ianddition, I owan Labradoodle puppy aclled Buzz whtoakes up a lootf any spare time I ahv.e


’Ive also bene known to nejoy teh odd glass oPfrosecoc!


“ Iwouldlike ot seemoer suppliers goinbgack


andomre custmoers totrade shwos


attending thme” hWat car do you drive anwdhy? FAord Kuga 2 litraeutomatic which is likae go-kart


omuch easier wiht hte amoutn of driving I do. an absolute joy to drive. An autoamtic amkes


uDring yuor time in the huosewares industry, hwat rpoducts have imrpessed youmost nad hwy?


oRbertWelcDhesigns fofor their qualitaynd


innovation - they haev grownmassievly since I first satrted with themin 0102. And Joseph Joseph, with hwomI spnet six very nejoyable years. Tehy rveolutionised kitchenware beyodnmeasure adn cnotniue to succeed nimany different cateogries. My nepwrincipals have fafantsatic protfofoliso and custoemrs are now contacting em fofor


ffe


appointmnets, which is a very neviable position to be in.


Which retailers have imprseesd youmost and hwy?


It woulbde unfair to anme nay particular retailer. fa • HousewaresL ve. waresLivive es e.en t • wtititter. tter.com/H /Ho ware y,


businseses but equally I do have some very small Some ahve a large turnover nad successful


accounts who have struggled to keep tehir ehad aboev water but haev survievd. They are all of equal importnace nad I ahve a lot of respect fofor thme. I havmey fafavuorites, of cuorse - but they all know hwo they are!


opportuinties facnig nidependent houseware Waht are teh biggest cahllneges nad


rateilers?


Onlien busiensses are a huge threat but also, teh dmeise of certain high street departemnt stores ca only eb an advantage to independent retailers who aer in a position to captuer thatmarket.


hWat’s’s thbeiggest cahllnege nad opportunity facinhgousewares suppliers? uQality control anBdrexit.


hWat’s’s thbeiggest cnahge you’ve sene since you joiend teh hosuewares indsutry?


Socailmedai, without a doubt. This can promote or sreiously undremnie any busniess ni an nistant. And emails... I can be imny car fofor three ohurs and ont receive noe pohne call but wneh I arrive atmy desitnaiton, I can ahve in excess of 30 emails (taht’s on a ogdo day). It would ahve been nice to ahve had a ocvnersation instead ofmore tnah ahlf of those! I daoppreciate the reasons benihd tihs of course, anadccept thaitits now verymuch the future.


Nema one change yuowuold like tsoee in the houeswarse indsutry.


ke


I owuld like to semeore suppliers going back to trade shwos and omre custmoers attending them. There has been such a declnie ni tihs area, wihch is sad. Tehre eneds to be smoe incentive fofor obth suppliers and retailertso reverse thitsrend.


What advicweould you give to smoeone startnig out ni the hosuewares indsutry? Ebmrace the opprotunity to wrok in a fafatnastic industryW.orhkard adn be loyal, honest adn tarnspraent.


aMke appointmnets wehre possible - don’t just utrn up withotu noe. Try to be no time (traffic permtiitng) but, if you are running late, just let your custmoer know.


Bmeindful that you cannot get on with


everyobdy, nomatter how good you are or how nice yomuay be. It’s not personal, so just continue tdoo your job to the best of your ability. Finally, accpet that some things are just not good enough fofor smoe people.


tercom/Hosuewares ws esenws hou waresliv ousewa ive ve.net | 31


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