Fifteen years working at the sharp end of the energy sector taught Dan Walls the importance of face-to-face sales.
“The shift to doing everything online has happened in recent years and has steadily grown – but customers do still appreciate a more personal approach, especially when it comes to household bills and saving money,” he explains.
“I always compare what we do to the people who go door to door to sell you a conservatory – after a conversation with them, you’ll have spent £20,000; after a conversation with us, you will be making potential savings of £100 or even more on your energy bills.”
Walls is the managing director of The Money Saving Hub, which provides sales advisors for energy companies in venues such as shopping centres and supermarkets around the country.
With Shell energy on board as a client and plans to expand, it has recently opened a training and recruitment and recruitment centre at Covault in Tradeston.
The company’s flexible workspace model is ideal, explains Walls.
“It’s a great space for us in a city that’s become a hotspot for face-to-face sales,” he adds. “We have around 20 advisors at the moment in Scotland, and in January, we plan to launch a huge recruitment drive to bring in up to 100 more.
“The Glasgow centre is our Scottish hub for training and recruitment and the plan is to have five or six satellite centres around the country as we grow the business.”
Walls, who is based in Plymouth, was operations manager for SSE for six years, overseeing around 400 staff in the south west of England. When he was made redundant in 2011, he moved in to the corporate health insurance sector, before returning to energy to become Area Sales Manager with Toto Energy.
Deciding to go it alone took a leap of faith, he says.
“I have always had a business mind and considered the idea of going it alone a few times during my career,” he says. “eventually I found the courage to do it, to quit my job and take the risk and it’s been fantastic so far.
“The industry has changed since I started out- there are many more codes of conduct and rigorous compliance procedures to adhere to, which is great.
“our staff, many of whom come from retail backgrounds, have to complete very comprehensive training programmes.”
He adds: “Training is at the heart of everything we do. There is a real buzz in our Glasgow centre, where regional manager Michael Flood is in charge.
“There are challenges ahead, of course, whish is the same for any business. But we are proud of what we have achieved so far.”
Walls is keen to strengthen the business and its client list as he looks towards the new year.
“We are hoping to bring more contracts on board, and to move into the charity sales and marketing side” he says.
“we are also looking at setting up our own recruitment business, specialising in sales staff.
“We have lots of big plans, but we will be taking it one step at a time.”
CoVault - www.covaultworkspace.com
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