When you have a number of active jobs and clients across the country, you need a dedicated member of the team to nurture those relationships; that’s exactly what Brian Boulton, our sales director, does.
He joined BTS back in 2019 as a business development manager for the south of England, but after years of hard work and dedication, he was recently promoted to director.
So, what does he do on the daily? Essentially, Brian acts as the middleman between the factory floor and our clients, so they’re kept up to date with the progress of their pending facade and fabricated goods.
There’s a whole lot more to it than that, though; let’s see how he spends his days…
Bright and early
Brian tends to wake up between six and seven o’clock in the morning, depending on how far he might be travelling that day.
Like many of us, he relies on a strong cup of coffee to kick-start his working day; milk, no sugar – just in case you were wondering…
While the kettle’s on, Brian has a quick snuggle with his four-year-old pooch, Fudge, before letting him in the garden, an essential part of his morning routine.
When you have a busy day ahead, starting the day with a good breakfast is key; Brian often vouches for a hearty bowl of cereal, or a couple of slices of toast; if it’s toast, he’s probably eating it in the car on the way to a meeting.
It’s all in the preparation
Brian starts his day by packing the essentials he needs to take with him, as he might be travelling for hours to two or three clients each day.
Before packing his diary, he quickly familiarises himself with his tasks for the day, before heading off for his first appointment.
While he’s in the car, he spends his time getting in touch with a number of people at BTS’ HQ in the North East, to get updates for relevant jobs, and having a few chats with Ben, our northern business development manager, to offer him advice (handsfree, of course).
Having a catch up
Brian meets a number of people each week, varying from businesses BTS have never completed work with, to clients with active jobs and old business friends – it’s essential he continues the conversations going.
Meetings usually last from 10 minutes, to up to two hours, depending on how much needs discussing. Once they’re done and dusted, Brian catches up on emails and answers any missed calls before doing it all over again at another appointment.
Lunchtime
Brian’s lunch entirely depends on time. Sometimes, it’s a quick grab-and-go affair, other times, a meeting at a nice restaurant or café never goes amiss.
Either way, his go-to is always a trusty BLT, preferably from M&S.
Do it all over again
Afternoons for Brian pretty much mirror his mornings – emails, calls and more appointments, each ranging in topics.
Mostly, he does a lot of problem solving, a lot of chasing, discusses ways we can help with upcoming projects, and often leases with our technical director, Mark, and operations director, Nigel.
While his days are often jam-packed, Brian always tries to make himself as available as possible, and prides himself on being able to talk or respond to emails as quickly as possible, it goes a long way, after all.
Home time
As the working day calms down, so do the emails and calls, and since Brian spends a lot of time in the car, he loves to listen to his extensive playlist at a loud volume, to drown out his singing.
He tends to arrive home between five and six o’clock in the evening, but it could be later depending on whether he’s meeting clients for dinner.
His evenings revolve around his family, enjoying homecooked meals together or ferrying his children to their friends’ houses. Occasionally, though, Brian does try to sneak in a cheeky round of golf, if the weather is looking good.
The best part of the job
Brian loves all aspects of his role at BTS, from working with the team, to catching up with clients, architects, or main contractors; he particularly loves getting the buzz of new enquiries, or discussing upcoming projects, too.
Even days where issues might have arisen, Brian loves the challenge of helping the team to overcome them.
