Matt Rihan

Experience

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  SATURLEY GARNER & CO. LTD

  May 1986 - Jun 1991

  Negotiator

  Starting as a junior sat in the corner of someone else's office and accompanying them about their daily business, I quickly progressed to undertake all of the traditional roles of an Estate Agency. The firm were a long established and respected small firm of Estate Agents and Chartered Surveyors and I was the youngest member of staff by some margin. I was the youngest ever to be given a company car and was their highest selling negotiator for a couple of years before, almost reluctantly, leaving to progress. Show less

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  Berry,Redmond and Robinson Property Services

  Jan 1991 - Jan 1993

  Senior Negotiator

  Responsible for all aspects of Property Services. From market appraisals/valuation to preparation of brochure, advertising materials (pre-internet) accompanying potential buyers on viewings of properties, negotiating sales and monitoring them through to completion.Believe it or not this was a period where the Property Misdescriptions Act was being taken very seriously. It was introduced during my time at BR&R and as a result of working for what was a primarily a Law Firm, it was deemed necessary for me to become an Associate of the NAEA, taking a qualifying examination to show that, as a company, we weren't just giving it lip service in a manual somewhere. The Law firm Partners also drew Income from the provision of Conveyancing Service which I was required to make introductions for. Show less

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  Taylors Estate Agents

  Jan 1993 - Jan 1994

  Listings Manager

  Responsible to the Branch Manger for the Marketing of Estate Agency services to potential customers. Appraising market value of their property and agreeing terms for commission and length of contract. Working in a very high turnover office I dealt with 4-6 appraisals per day and had a very high hit rate for success in an extremely competitive geographical area in East Bristol. Often listing 25-30 properties per week. The role also included client retention and re-appraisal, preparing written brochures and photographing properties inside and out to make ready for market. Joining Taylors as a Senior Negotiator, I was responsible for negotiating deals between vendor and applicant that stuck and progressed to completion. This involved establishing and maintaining relationships with both parties as well as the professionals (lawyers, bankers etc) who were key to the smooth completion of the sale. Being then part of the Countrywide Group there was always a strong emphasis on the Financial Services side of transactions. I was expected to introduce both applicant and vendor to the in branch Mortgage Advisor. Show less

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  BT Consumer Marketing

  Jun 1994 - Jul 1996

  Various Roles leading to Seconded Training Manager

  Starting as a Telesales Advisor for inbound and outbound telemarketing to Domestic Customers. Progressed quickly to Acting Team leader. Overseeing a team of 16 advisors, monitoring performance and handling coaching issues aimed at improving the confidence ad competence of the advisor and their sales figures. At the time BT were expanding their operation and I was offered the opportunity to work with the staff at a new site in Newcastle. This presented some interested challenges as many of the new workforce had been unemployed for a long time, some had left schooling and never had a job. I delivered modules including induction, H&S, corporate culture and sales training to 25 highly enthusiastic and grateful trainees, with no co-presenter. This 2 week course culminated with a further week of coaching in non-live practice calls before the transition to Live calling and coaching team leaders and advisors as the began their sales lives at BT. Show less

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  Laminex

  Jan 1996 - Sept 2001

  • Area Sales Manager

    Sept 1998 - Sept 2001

  • Area Sales Manager

    Jan 1996 - Jan 1999
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  AHA Sales

  Mar 1996 - Jun 1996

  Sales Executive

  I was offered this role despite not being a graduate, I think that they liked my immediate backgound in training. I began a 2 week product training course with 4 graduates and a Doctor of Pharmacology. Despite having no previous Educational experience (I hadn't even taken Biology as an O'level) I came second in the pass/fail examination at the end of the course. This was a role that involved selling into Pharmacies and involved 10-12 calls per day in an area that I didn't live in. I did pretty well for a while but was offered a job with Laminex (for which I had been interviewed about 4 months earlier) and they made the prospect very attractive to a younger, less wise me by offering me a stronger basic salary and what I perceived to be, a better company car. Not surprisingly I accepted although faced with the same dilemma now I think that I would have been less inclined to take the money and more self-aware enough to realise that they had seen values and capabilities in me that were beyond what were required my initial role. Show less

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  Brady Corporation

  Dec 2001 - May 2004

  Area Sales Manager

  Account management - Mix of independent dealers and PLC distributorsNew business generation.Back selling through network.Monitoring and managing consumable sales - coordinating with channel partners to forecast growth areas and diminishing returns due to obsolete or inappropriate technology alternative sourcing.

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  Mascot International A/S

  May 2006 - Apr 2008

  Area Business Manager

  Danish based Workwear manufacturers. Selling an excellent range of Work clothing and Safety Footwear, my role involved:New Business Development - lead generationBack Selling through channel partnersDemonstrations and sales calls on behalf of partnersIdentification of of potential new partnersAccount Management -Branch level management of Nationals. Enabling their Sales force to sell knowledgeably and confidently.Achieving and beating sales targets agreed with Line Management in line with Forecasting.Business Planning - coordinating fit-for-purpose Marketing aimed at generating business for PartnersCRM Maintenance - Updating cutomer activity and pipeline information and planning coordinated marketing. Show less

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  Mammoth Safety

  Apr 2008 - now

  Owner, General Manager

  Having enjoyed a successful career in various sales and training roles, I started to feel the urge to work for myself and I started Mammoth Safety in March/April 2008, just as the financial world started to fall apart. 9 and a half years down the line we are still here having grown steadily.Mammoth Safety is an informal boutique style supplier and distributor of Work-wear, corporate clothing and P.P.E products based in Weston-super-Mare, North Somerset. We pride ourselves in being a one stop shop for the products and services required to keep your workforce safe and looking smart as they represent your business. Mammoth Safety can tailor our products and services to meet the specific needs of our clients. We help business from one person new start-ups to multi-site, discipline diverse contractors.As the Owner of a small business I wear many hats and find myself in charge of:• Business Development• Sales Generation• Staff Development and TrainingI am also:• Financial controller• Product Manager• Purchasing Manager• Operations and Logistics ManagerI do some of my own graphic design, Marketing and Website re-construction to oversee, write and manage Social Media content etc. I'll even put the kettle on! I hope that I have been able to impart some experience and advice to many start-up business owners along the way. Certainly in terms of branding an image but hopefully in terms of the how's and when's of running a business and how selling themselves is as important as selling their product or service. Show less

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  Somax Driver Training

  Jan 2015 - Mar 2016

  Assessor

  6 months contract delivering Driver assessment/CPC training to Goods Vehicle Drivers. Extended to 15 months now wound down to concentrate on Mammoth Safety.Delivering the course content involved a coaching session to promote safer and more fuel efficient driving. Observing the driver, making notes in specific predetermined categories, asking questions to lead them to their own conclusions, making suggestions and finally putting these new behaviors into action with a further observed drive.

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  Somax@Weston College

  Jan 2019 - now

  Instructor/Examiner

  Delivering ITSSAR Counterbalance Lift Truck training to residents of HM Prisons.