Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
References
Attributes
Professional Highlights
Timeline
Hi, I’m

Mark Spokes

Mark Spokes

Summary

Dynamic Sales Manager with a proven track record at Louvolite, excelling in customer relationship management and sales. Most recently, I have been working for our Australian operation. The challenge was to increase sales through existing and new channels. By creating opportunities, I was able to increase turnover by 28% year on year in tough trading conditions and close proximity to sub prime chinese product. My effective communication skills foster strong client relationships, building longevity for the business.

Inspiring manager with extensive experience in the window blind industry and leadership roles. I love to travel and grow export markets, selling the differences, and helping customers to increase their profits.

Overview

27
years of professional experience

Work History

Louvolite - Australia
Sydney, NSW

Sales Manager
10.2023 - Current

Job overview

  • Led expansion initiatives for New South Wales and Queensland, establishing over 15 new manufacturers.
  • Secured consistent business expansion despite adverse trading conditions.
  • Enhanced consumer interaction by selling and demonstrating numerous POS hangers and swatches through retailer visits.
  • Analyzed customer data to identify trends, preferences, and opportunities for growth.
  • Enhanced sales volume through skilled support to both new and inactive customers.

Louvolite
, UK

Regional Sales Manager
04.2010 - 10.2023

Job overview

  • Maximizing sales in our niche industry has led to success, a number of promotions, and remuneration awards.
  • Leveraged extensive technical knowledge to effectively communicate information to customers.
  • Executed tasks autonomously while maintaining high standards.
  • Oversee various export regions and manage the southern team.
  • Completed BBSA's shading course focused on global fabric standards and light eco-efficiency.
  • This information has put me in front of our competition, many of whom are highly skilled themselves
  • Visited clients regularly to introduce innovative solutions and new product offerings.

British Gas

Heating Sales Advisor
02.2006 - 03.2010

Job overview

  • Successfully converting consumer enquiries into sales of domestic central heating in a direct sales role
  • I was regularly in the top 25 for up selling and utilising finance in order for the company to make more money
  • There were 850 Heating sales advisors in the UK at the time
  • This was a role where I would regularly visit consumers homes every day in order to provide a quotation for a new boiler or central heating system
  • In most cases the consumer had requested this visit, sometimes a service engineer may have advised the consumer against keeping their current system due to its age and probability of sourcing parts in the event of a breakdown
  • First impressions where absolutely key in my success in this role as customers are very wary of direct sales people following the reputation of double glazing sales people who could be very difficult to get rid of!
  • I’d ensure the homeowner felt at ease in my company walking them through the process of my visit and pointing out they were under no obligation to make any rushed decisions
  • This approach was successful regularly giving me a well above average of 3.9/5
  • As one would imagine a working technical knowledge of both a gravity fed and pressurised system was required in order to either present a like for like quotation or an improved and or upgraded system

Commercial Radio Presenter and Voice Over
01.1998 - 12.2006

Job overview

  • Varied role steaming from a few years of voluntary broadcasting on hospital radio
  • I presented on many stations such as Imagine FM, Leicester Sound, Sabras Sound, The Beach and Capital radio
  • I was the ‘Flying Eye’ for 8 commercial radio stations for nearly 3 years
  • We would fly twice a day from East Midlands Airport for 2 hours, reporting traffic information live onto radio stations at agreed intervals via an radio connection to a hub and then various ISDN or digital phone lines into each radio station
  • This taught me fantastic communication skills, the ability to talk confidently to large groups of people either remotely or face to face and to quickly establish warm relationships with gentle humour where appropriate

Aggregate Industries

Special Aggregate Sales
08.2001 - 02.2006

Job overview

  • Company Overview: Bardon Hall, Leicestershire
  • Office based position dealing with commercial projects and time sensitive deliveries of special aggregate for large and small projects alike
  • Negotiating with hauliers for their best rate per ton and managing expectations of new and existing accounts
  • This role was being with both consumers and hauliers regarding potential sales of special aggregate
  • This could range from large rocks which might be placed outside construction sites to stop any unwanted guests moving in, to a small amount of special stones to finish off a customers project in the yard or garden at home
  • Needless to say the skill here was the ability to be personable when dealing with the consumer at home as it was all about the experience and then the price
  • In the commercial world it was all about availability to be able to deliver once the price had been accepted
  • I would then speak to relevant hauliers to get the best price for the company – many of these jobs were 100’s of miles from our base so this meant looking at the geography of our other quarries, availability of the type of stone requested and working out the most cost effective way of fulfilling the job
  • Bardon Hall, Leicestershire

Education

The Robert Smyth School
Market Harborough, Leicestershire

GCSE Level passes at secondary school from Maths (A), English (B), Media Studies (C), Science (C)

Skills

  • Team leadership
  • Customer relationship management
  • Sales strategy development
  • Technical product knowledge
  • Market research
  • Account management
  • Territory management
  • Sales presentations
  • Effective communication
  • Key account management
  • Superb time management

References

References on request

Attributes

  • 15+ years’ experience in the window Blind industry
  • Expert in Louvolite’s vast range of components and window shading systems
  • Completed the BBSA shading course in 01/01/19
  • Completed several management courses when transitioning from area manager to regional
  • Keen business acumen and commercial awareness of our specialist industry
  • Excellent communication, negotiation, and presentation skills
  • The professionalism and presence to influence others
  • Loyal to Louvolite, determined and committed.
  • Ability to train new and experienced staff to a high level of capability
  • Computer literate and fully conversant with packages such as Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint and Sales Force Automation / CRM’s
  • Full driving license

Professional Highlights

  • Selling Louvolite’s roller systems to a competitor which stopped them importing a copy of our sidewinder system
  • Appointing a new to the industry area sales manager. Managing induction, training diaries over a period of 3 months.
  • Winning business from our competitor, leading to around 24,000m bespoke printed roller blind fabric for a number of blue chip companies
  • Growing sales by 28% during assignment in Australia

Timeline

Sales Manager

Louvolite - Australia
10.2023 - Current

Regional Sales Manager

Louvolite
04.2010 - 10.2023

Heating Sales Advisor

British Gas
02.2006 - 03.2010

Special Aggregate Sales

Aggregate Industries
08.2001 - 02.2006

Commercial Radio Presenter and Voice Over

01.1998 - 12.2006

The Robert Smyth School

GCSE Level passes at secondary school from Maths (A), English (B), Media Studies (C), Science (C)

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Mark Spokes