Meet The Team – Tim Brook
Read Time: 3 Mins | 9 April 2021
From Pub Landlord to Showman, the Driving Range to Chasing the Dream.
We join Tim in his lockdown challenges and celebrate Getting Out! in our latest ‘Meet the Team!’
Please can you tell us a bit about yourself?
Hi, I’m Tim Brook – Area Sales Manager for the North of England. I live in West Yorkshire in a 18th century weavers’ cottage, which me and my wife Caroline renovated in 2006.
We live there with Bob the cat, Boston the puppy and my stepson who is studying to become a history teacher. My daughter is a solicitor and lives with her boyfriend in Newcastle.
Outside work, alongside all the housework, I love to cook, but my passion is playing golf. I play at Huddersfield Golf Club and my handicap is 6.
Tim on the Golf Course
Tell us about your background and your career path to Starrett?
I have only just recently joined the company in January 2021 after been with Cromwell Tools for 13 years, where I was initially Divisional Sales Manager for their Leeds branch then changed roll to become Regional Key Account Manager for East Yorkshire, Humberside, and Lincolnshire.
In all the time I work at Cromwell’s, the go to quality brand for Hole Saws and Band Saw blades was Starrett and because of this I developed a close working relationship with the team here, some of which have become very good friends.
After being at Cromwell’s for such a long time I felt I needed a new challenge and when one of those friends mentioned there was a position available here at Starrett, I jumped at the chance. To work as part of the Sales team for a quality brand manufacturer such as Starrett is a fantastic opportunity.
What is your role at Starrett and what does it involve?
As I mentioned at the beginning, I am the new Area Sales Manager for the North of England, I manage all the Starrett Accounts for this region and create opportunities for new business development.
Being new to the roll, means everything is new.
But being a salesman is in your blood I have tried many different rolls, Pub landlord being one, I hated every minute of it!
So, what does Sales mean to me? At times I feel I am a showman, the face of Starrett, meeting new people and new customers, creating opportunities, and closing the deal. The other side is sorting problems or just the time when it’s just you driving from customer to customer, thinking of the next meeting, planning it properly in your mind to get an order. I think it is the thrill of the chase. Also being part of and having the support of a great team of people.
What are the most challenging parts of your job?
LOCKDOWN!!! Thankfully, I have continued to work throughout lockdown 1,2 and 3!
To start a new position at this time has been a challenge especially not being able to see people face to face. But it has given me the opportunity to contact more customers and distributors than I could have being out in the field. Adapting to the new ways of working, digital meetings, telephone meetings have been a huge learning curve.
One of the hardest things was not getting in the car every morning to start the day as I have done for about 20 years (yes, I did start in sales very young!)
In lockdown 1, I felt like I needed to get up at 5am and drive around the block, just to start the day properly. That is what I am looking forward to the most, getting in the car and traveling to meet everybody.
I’ve not even had the chance to meet all of the team at Jedburgh yet!
What are your future goals?
GETTING OUT and about.
Meeting all the sales targets and meeting new people, but mostly enjoying the job! I would like to progress within the Starrett organisation maybe join the management team at some point. But mainly to be a part of this quality Company and Brand which is L.S STARRETT.
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