An introduction into Tom Luke.
Born in Birmingham, Tom Luke was an imaginative and creative child. He excelled in product design and theatre at school and went onto read Product and Furniture Design at Birmingham City University. It was through his work in design that Tom understood the need of understanding the client and providing creative solutions to their problems.
While studying at university, Tom started his hospitality career. Tom has worked in village pubs, cocktail bars and even been a pizza chef. Tom mentions that it was in hospitality that he learnt how to be a chameleon and provide an outstanding customer journey.
Tom first started his sales journey as a showroom sales assistant for a start-up C20th designer furniture store. Moving onto a showroom manager role. His aim here was to develop strategy and create relationships with B2B and B2C clients. All learning from no experience or training other than some leadership courses that were taken during university.
Throughout his next chapters, Tom worked as a freelance designer and went into specification sales. Selling fixed seating into Architecture & Design projects, he was bought in to move the company to a new market of higher education within the UK markets.
Missing design, Tom went to join a B2C sales position in the KBB world. It was during this time that Tom's confidence was knocked. When joining it became known that existing sales reps would not learn the names of the 'newbies' (and yes he was in a group referred to as the newbies) due to the high turn over. He was also told by top sales reps and managers he would not make it in sales as Tom was not loud enough and too polite & professional etc. Well, keeping quiet and his head down allowed him to rise through the inner politics and organically become the top salesman of the store. Of course, there was a lot of self learning to do and trial and error but he became formidable. He was interview by the companies training team and led his own training briefs. After working across stores for his knowledge, he moved up to management and increased the revenue YOY by 160% in year one.
After working in the B2C sector, Tom worked as an area manager and eventually took the role as Head of Global Sales & Accounts for a luxury manufacturing company, moving back into where he started in specification sales.
But through all of this, Tom never forgot the multiple roles where he had so much pressure and accountability but almost next to no help. There is not a single job within the sales world Tom worked and felt supported. He often thought of the people who didn't manage to make it and had their confidence crushed and disregarded. Due to this, he decided that sales could not go on like this. It was not sustainable and through his own training of others, he understood the magic of coaching people's success. Closers Ace was born from these values of trying to ensure everyone who came into the sales world would feel empowered. After all, how much stronger is your work ethic when you feel supported and respected by the company you work for? When you work harder and truly care about your team and company your customer service is automatically five star. Now Tom is on a mission to change the perception of the sales sector and along with others who are trying to transform the space, create a better, more sustainable and enjoyable sector.
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