Meet Doug, Sales Manager at Devonshire Homes
27 July 2022A housebuilder’s sales department is instrumental in bringing high-quality new build homes to people who need them. It’s the sales team who are responsible for liaising with house hunters to help them find their dream home and are there every step of the way on the buying journey. Devonshire Homes’ Sales Executives are the buyer’s point of contact from when they reserve their plot, right through to when they get the keys.
Leading the sales team at Devonshire Homes is Doug Wright, our Sales Manager. Doug joined Devonshire Homes in April 2022 with a wealth of experience in selling new build homes. He is responsible for overseeing the sales team, ensuring that plot sales progress at a steady rate and run smoothly. We caught up with Doug to see how he has settled into life at Devonshire Homes:
Hi Doug! Tell us about your background in the housing and construction industry…
I began my career in the industry 25 years ago. I started out working for estate agencies, but I would always be the employee who dealt with the sales of new build homes. Liaising with housing developers daily, I acquired a lot of contacts who really liked working with me. I’ve always been quite hands-on, and I think they liked how I would deal with challenges such as selling stock plots, so I used to get on with the clients really well. When a Sales Manager role with a housebuilder came up about 10 years ago, I made the move from estate agency to housebuilder. I’ve been working with developers ever since.
Why did you decide to pursue a career in the industry?
It’s funny as when I was at University, I was on a completely different path! My course was actually in teaching with a focus on sport, but I didn’t really enjoy it. For some reason, I always enjoyed selling. In the mid 90s, I had friends who worked at estate agents, and they had created a really good career for themselves so I thought, I can do that! I needed a fresh start, so I joined an estate agency in the late 90s and really enjoyed it. It suited my personality and my selling skills, and it has allowed me to try a variety of roles, taking me to where I am today.
Describe your job role and your main responsibilities at Devonshire Homes…
As Sales Manager, I am responsible for managing the team of Sales Executives across all of our active sites. I am here to support the team with everything from providing advice to mentoring, assisting with customers to recruiting. I am here to ensure that everything runs smoothly, reporting back to the Sales and Marketing Director.
What is a typical day like as the Sales Manager?
I spend at least one day a week at each development. These days are spent catching up with the Sales Executives which includes finding out where they are with the sale of each plot and resolving any issues they might be having. I check where we are with legal progressions and the latest releases, work through various leads on each plot and check that current buyers are happy with how things are progressing on the property they are purchasing, ensuring their customer journey is running smoothly. I have a direct link to the Site Managers so if they need anything, I can sort it out quickly. When I spend the day on site, I always ensure that I do a plot walk so I can witness the progression of certain plots, enabling us to keep our home buyers updated.
What do you enjoy about being Sales Manager at Devonshire Homes?
It’s great to be in an active role, working with good people and seeing the results of your labour. I enjoy ensuring that each customer has a great buying experience with Devonshire Homes and it’s always a pleasure to see how thrilled the customer is when they get handed the keys to their high-quality new build home by our Sales Executives.
What stands out for you about Devonshire Homes as an employer?
Everyone at Devonshire Homes is so switched on and the Directors who sit on the Board are all very approachable. They come into the office, talk to everyone and you can talk to them without feeling uncomfortable. The team consists of good people who are all very skilled at their jobs and very respected. I like Devonshire Homes’ ethos of providing high-quality homes to people who need them and I’m pleased to work for a housebuilder which is very customer-focussed. The whole company ethos is brilliant.
What benefits do you think you bring to the role and to Devonshire Homes?
I bring experience to the role which allows me to work well with the sales team. I have been a Sales Executive so I know exactly what challenges they will face and how best to resolve them. I’m personable and confident enough to talk to customers if I need to, the site team and managers but I think my main quality is just experience and listening to people. Working for a variety of companies, you learn so much and gain valuable skills along the way which you can apply to future challenges.
Finally, do you have any aims or goals that you would like to achieve as Sales Manager?
I’d like to grow with the company. Devonshire Homes is expanding at a rapid rate with its latest site acquisitions, so I’d like to make sure that all targets are hit, all the Sales Executives hit their own targets so that they continue to get the recognition they deserve and that we maintain our 100% customer recommended rating. I’d like to continue ensuring the customer journey is an excellent one and that every single buyer receives a high-quality home at the end of their Devonshire Homes journey.