James Stevenson is the national sales manager of Baker Furniture. Based in Middlesbrough, Baker Furiture is renowned for supplying the furniture trade with unique bedroom, dining and occasional furniture, with an impressive quality of design and craftsmanship.
How did you enter the trade?
I was working for ASDA and wanted to get onto their management training scheme. Months dragged by with the promise that I would be accepted onto the scheme but nothing came to fruition. I saw an advert in the local paper for a sales consultant at Wade Furnishings and I thought I had nothing to lose and went for the job. The rest is history.
Who is your inspiration?
In my early days on the sales floor I was inspired by the stories of the industry giants such as Ercol who have evolved over the years reacting to consumer trends in a very tough market but still trying to stay close to their original ethos of supplying high quality hand crafted furniture.
Over the past few years I have worked closely with a lot of wise people from within the industry who have given me invaluable advice and inspriration.
What has been your career high point so far?
Being promoted to national sales manager of Baker Furniture.
… and low point?
Being made redundant at 24, a fortnight after moving into a new house and having two-year-old twin girls to contend with. Everything worked out in the end but at the time it was frightening.
… and the turning point?
Getting my first job as an area manager with Wade Upholstery.
Describe a typical working day
Every day is different. I’m generally out on the road with our fantastic team of area managers meeting with customers. I try to have one day a week in the office to catch up on paperwork and emails.
If you had to start over, you’d probably pursue which career?
I always enjoyed science at school and would probably pursue a career in environmental science as protecting the environment is such an important world issue.
What date on the business calendar do you most look forward to?
I don’t have a specific date but I do have a specific month, which would be January. I love the buzz of the January Furniture Show – at Baker Furniture we have an amazing team of people, from the ASMs to the warehouse lads and the team in our sales office who all muck in to get the stand ready and prepare everything we need to make the show a huge success.
What is the most important issue affecting your business right now?
To be honest business over the past few months has been great. The main issue I think we have at the moment is deciding what ranges to launch and when. We are always looking for new things and we have some fantastic ideas at the moment but we can’t launch everything at once.
What company do you most look up to?
Any company that moves with the times and evolves with changing trends rather than just plodding along.
What would you most like to change about yourself?
I’m a big guy and don’t have a lot of time to exercise but I should really try and lose some weight as I’m not getting any younger.
What do you enjoy most about working in the trade?
I love the people and characters that work within the trade, from retailers to manufacturers. I get a real buzz from being out on the road seeing Baker Furniture ranges on shop floors and engaging with the sales staff to make sure the ranges are a success.
Leave us with an industry anecdote please!
In my first position as a sales consultant at 19 I worked with some very wise old salesmen who drilled home the fact that people buy from people and whatever I do I should always be myself. This has stuck with me over the years and it is something that I tell my sales team constantly.
