My first 100 days at John Lord – Chris Taylor, Head of Business Development

Let’s catch up with Chris Taylor, Head of Business Development, who gives us an insight into his first 100 days at John Lord.

What is your background?

I have been in construction sales 10 years.  I started my career in procurement, but quickly discovered that my passion was dealing with customers, understanding their needs and delivering solutions that work for them.

I have been lucky to work with some great companies, and deal with some of the leading construction companies in the UK.

Why did you want to work at John Lord?

The leadership team have a clear vision on where they want to take the business.  We have a really strong offering and are looking to grow into new markets and offer what I truly believe is a market leading service to our customers.

Where do you fit in the John Lord Team?

I am in the sales team, working closely with out Technical Sales Managers to identify new clients, be it main contractors or facility owners & demonstrate how we can add value to their business.

What does a typical day (or week) look like to you?

Every day is different, like anybody working in sales will tell you (!), but my job is a balance of new customer identification, establishing initial contact, meeting with and understanding our customers needs and feeding that information back to our technical sales team to ensure we can offer the best suited solution to these requirements.

What is your favourite part of your job?

The people, be it our fantastic customers or my colleagues.  Engaging with new clients, introducing John Lord, our history and what we can offer is great.

Working with our team here every day is also fantastic, the experience and passion we have for what we do is inspiring and is great to be a part of.

Which customers do you work with most?

I work with new customers who haven’t previously worked with John Lord before from a variety of sectors including manufacturing, pharmaceutical, automotive and aerospace businesses.

What’s the most surprising thing you’ve learnt about John Lord?

The passion of the team at every level.  From our directors, sales & marketing teams, contracts and site installation teams to our product development, warehouse, administration and finance teams.  We all pull in the same direction and it’s clear when you walk through the door that we deeply care about delighting our customers every day.

What can you offer your customers?

We can offer customers our expertise, outstanding customer support and an installation guarantee.  Whether it’s a resin floor, commercial flooring, stainless steel drainage, hygienic wall solutions or safety products.  Our team are genuine experts in their fields, and we will work closely with our client to offer the most suitable solution for their needs.

What trends do you see in the industry?

There’s a growth in the industrial sector for the need for a durable floor that can withstand heavy machinery, high traffic and chemical spills.  The emphasis is on getting the installation right first time, and benefit from the right solution.

What excites you about your future at John Lord?

Our versatility.  Whether you have a production facility, warehouse, office space, residential development or commercial premises we can provide a solution.  Having been established for over 100 years we have developed a reputation for our high-quality products and excellent customer support, I can only see this continuing as we work with new clients and demonstrate the service that we can offer.

Outside of work, what do you like to do?

I spend as much time as I can with my 2 children and now that I’m too old for more strenuous sports, I play golf to keep my competitive juices flowing!