POSITIVE THINKING

The dealer that likes to say ‘Yes’

For CECILIA PHILLIPS, success in business is all about understanding your customers’ requirements and providing a solution whatever their request and it has led to some notable recent successes and increased profitability for her business, Phillips-UK

hen an opportunity presents W itself in business, it should be taken – no matter what it is. That’s the philosophy that Cecilia Phillips lives by in business – and it is paying off. In May, Phillips had its best month in terms of profitability since she joined the business at the turn of the 1990s.

“Basically, I just listen to people and ‘the answer’s yes, what’s the question?’ is the mantra we go by here,” Cecilia says.

It is a strategy that has benefited the company over many years. For instance, during the COVID pandemic, they recognised that it was the government who was spending to meet the crisis’ needs, so Phillips registered for as many government platforms as possible, but only got its first order in March 2021.

“We received an order from one of the government bodies for a fridge,” recalls Cecilia. “I

thought ‘ok, where did that come from?’” Nevertheless, Phillips fulfilled the order, despite it not being something the company regularly provides. Since then, the account has grown, and the company sources and delivers a variety of non-core items for them including special requests on office products.

Even during her leisure time, Cecilia is quick to spot any potential business opportunities. A keen equestrian, she was competing at the Aintree Equestrian Centre and whilst speaking to people working there she quickly identified that they had a demand for uniforms and workwear which Phillips – among many other products – supply. The conversation led from there to a restaurant fit out and whilst on site Cecilia was asked for a special type of print that could be used on jockeys’ silks to withstand both wet and dry weather. This started a partnership with Phillips to produce branding for both horse and rider at the prestigious Grand National event – they even personalise the horse rug for the winner of the Grand National on site in time for the parade.

Opportunities can also come through seemingly unrelated business. Cecilia also runs an equestrian company and whilst discussing exhibiting at a prestigious event in London she was asked if she would like to provide the Official Event Merchandise through Phillips, of course the answer was yes even though it was a totally new sector to Phillips.

Within five weeks, Phillips produced the merchandise and designed, developed and delivered an online store. Having completed online and physical sales, returning figures proved to be comparable to what was achieved at pre-COVID events from their previous partner.

“With merchandising, I can personalise anything, and it is all done in-house,” she says. “I can take a team off-site and deliver sales, with all the processes proven and provide in depth reporting. From this, the customer asked Phillips to be the Official Merchandise provider for another show and given their remarkable performance they were also asked to provide Official Merchandise for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Celebrations in May, quite an accolade for a new sector to the Phillips Business model.

Opportunities can also come through seemingly unrelated business

DIVERSIFICATION

“We have been thrown into a whole new world, post-COVID,” Cecilia adds. “Wherever we could secure orders, using whatever sector of our business, we have done. Diversification has to be the remit.”

Diversification has been a priority for Phillips for nearly a decade, which means the business has been able to capitalise on the opportunities that have come the company’s way in recent years. Indeed, about eight years ago, office products made up about 90% of the company’s turnover,

whereas today it is about 25%.

Partly this was down to taking opportunities, but also partly down to Cecilia’s quest for new innovation in her business and keeping her mind challenged – she says she couldn’t do the same thing day after day for years on end.

While Cecilia admits she did get some queries about why the business was getting into so many sectors initially, and not focusing on core business, the decision has been more than vindicated in the past few years and is now becoming the industry norm.

It also has helped the company to close in on a return to its pre-COVID turnover levels, although it is more profitable. New supply channels have been sourced and there is an emphasis to choose and connect with forward thinking suppliers.

TRUST AND COMMUNICATION

But having a wide product range means nothing unless there is the service to back it up, and this is something Cecilia is aware of, and service is a vital element of Phillips offering.

“There are some that offer cheap prices but don’t deliver the goods and don’t communicate, which can hamper the smooth running of the customers’ business. Customer service is at the heart of our company. If you can’t supply a customer in the right manner, at the right time and the right price – it has to be a market price – your model is wrong. With the current issues in the supply chain, if I can’t do something, I will tell the customer. By assisting and ultimately providing a solution to the customers’ needs demonstrates that you have a commitment to them and therefore you become partners rather than just a supplier.”

For this reason, previous customers, tempted away by cheaper prices elsewhere, have come back to Phillips because of their reliability and customer service, which is something they have come to value.

“I look at it this way: if we are not good enough, we are not good enough, but I want them to value what we offer, that means everything to me. “

This goes back to Cecilia’s earlier comments about taking an opportunity when it presents itself. One of her largest customers for uniform products started out just buying an £80 horse rug from Cecilia’s equestrian business.

“You have to seize every opportunity, whatever sector it might be in,” she says. “You have to stand out from the crowd and make an impact with a point of difference. I don’t want to be a sedentary business providing paper and office products, my business needs to be progressive and reactive.”

You have to seize every opportunity, whatever sector it might be in