Name: Chris Pearson
Job title: Product Sales Trainer
Tell us a bit about yourself
I live in Brough near Hull with my partner Tracey and two kids Eden (8) and Max (7).
We enjoy holidaying in the UK. We have a touring caravan and spend as much time as we can down on the south coast in Cornwall – our favourite place is Bude.
I have always been a fan of cars and have always had a ‘toy’ in the garage, but since having the kids the days of V8 TVRs, cabriolets and turbos were replaced with a slightly more sedate 1975 VW Beetle that the kids call Betsy which I have been restoring for the last two years but it’s ready for the road and you’ll most likely see it in the Hull car park this summer….if it makes it!!
More recently through lockdown I have got back into mountain biking, I used to be a very keen rider back in my teens and still have my old bike. After a bit of TLC it’s now back on the road and I try to get out whenever I can, only the hills are not as steep as they used to be, up or down!!
Describe your job to a five-year-old
I try to tell people how things work.
What do you like most about your job?
I love the technical side of things so being able to help others understand our products to give them the knowledge to talk about them and sell them with confidence really makes me happy.
How did you get here?
I started with Ideal on a YTS scheme in 1991 in the accounts receivable department. I was soon given the task of chasing up overdue invoices for Sottini and also looked after the Edwards fuel invoices. Yes, we used to have petrol pumps on site for drivers to fill up!
I had to leave accounts at the start of 1992 in order to complete my NVQ as I needed other experience and was placed into the sales office. A vacancy came up in the July and I accepted.
My product knowledge grew from there and because of this moved into customer care, then this went onto being a service engineer which then led to a technical sales role with Trevi showers and I stayed in Sales doing a variety of roles until I became a Key Account Manager and then took this role in 2018.
What motivates you?
Helping people develop their skills to be able to do their job better and represent the company in the correct manner is a big motivator.
If you could swap jobs with anyone, who would it be?
I’d love to be a presenter of Top Gear.
Your favourite song lyric or line from a film?
Some of you may know I can be quite stubborn at times and given my love of heavy metal music there’s a line I’m pretty sure you will know from a certain ‘Rage Against The Machine’ song that I like and sums me up pretty well too!!
Your favourite app?
eBay. I love a bargain!
Biggest facepalm moment at work?
We had a sales conference in York one year and a few of us went into town in our tuxedos and bow ties for a few beers. Trying to take a short cut on the way back to the hotel, I found myself by the castle wall. Unfortunately, the castle is on a pretty steep hill. Realising that I am not as nimble as a mountain goat, I proceeded to roll down the hill, kebab in hand, leading to the loss of my deposit at the local suit hire shop.