Lawrence Neill

About the Candidate

Lawrence Neill
45 Milton Road, Eastbourne, BN21 1SH
01323 723607 • 07973 777626 • lawrence.neill@btopenworld.com

Highly experienced professional and retailer, delivering first class customer service experience, coaching, successful financial results and profitability for four decades. Extremely personable, highly organised and able to multi-task, leading teams to create a seamless service environment.

Skills

Customer Service

• Huge experience of providing truly excellent customer experience across a variety of sport retail settings.
• High attention to detail creating a warm and confidence inspiring environment for members, visitors and newcomers to the sport.
• Connected – to customers and staff through strong presence within the club/business, offering the ability to see the service experience through the eyes of both to maintain standards and look for ways to improve.
• Proven customer feedback – consistent market leading ratings: 4.9 on Trustpilot, 4.7 on Google over 19 years of running own retail business. Staff feedback – receiving glowing feedback through session attendee feedback forms for major supermarket retailers.

Coaching

• Broad understanding of providing coaching from beginners to expert players, generally working with existing technique for established players to provide simple and yet highly effective changes to improve ball striking, direction and confidence. Also happy to create projects for swing rebuilds for players looking to achieve highest potential
• Junior advocate, ran term time and holiday programmes for schools and junior club members, collaborating between various membership groups. Always keen to see younger golfers taking up the game and becoming members of the future.
• Track record of introducing new women golfers to the game in group and individual environments.
• High attention to detail creating a warm and confidence inspiring environment for members, visitors and newcomers to the sport.
• Early adopter of club fitting in the 90s, now embracing the very latest technology to enable players to make the most of their ability through clubhead, shaft and grip options.

Retailing/Business Acumen:

• Creates compelling retail environment, curating ranges across key brands and price points for maximum impact to all customers.
• Strong background of creating sales and repeat custom across numerous businesses, understanding customer needs and delivering on key demands.
• High element of visual story-telling in store to provide interesting and relaxed environment for seasoned players and beginners alike.
• Financial Management – record of creating successful, profitable and lasting retail businesses, providing safe jobs for staff through best practices and strong team ethic, resulting in employee “buy in” to business success.

Management/ Communication Skills

• Organisation – used to planning well in advance of events and necessary diarising to execute successful and memorable experiences for customers.
• Problem Solving – adaptable to environment and challenges to deliver lasting impression not only for key events but every day.
• Working Under Pressure – calm and composed, maintaining a highly professional standard at all times.
• Personable – ability to communicate with all levels of business, customers right through to the board.
• Used to working in small and larger teams to deliver great experiences, liaising with different departments to achieve great results.

Employment History

Freelance Transformation Coach – Retail
(August 2022 – March Present))

Achievements and responsibilities:

• Working with a retail customer service training specialist, I have primarily been responsible for training staff and management with one of the World’s top supermarkets to deliver successful implementation of self-checkout installations.
• Designing projects to ensure a ”best in class” customer and staff experience whilst meeting financial targets.
• Training new recruits to meet and exceed client demands.

Founder and Director – The Tri Store Limited
(December 2002 – May 2022)

Achievements and responsibilities:

• Wrote and executed original business plan outlining vision, putting customer first, creating an inclusive environment and encouraging participation in sport. Successfully created a community retail experience with high repeat business and regular referrals from the tribe created.
• Responsible for everything involved in setting up a brand new retail business – securing funding, branding, recruitment, location and subsequent lease of premises. Building new supplier relationships and opening accounts, buying stock, website build, SEO and social media marketing.
• Lead business to a consistently profitable turnover in excess of £1m per annum and became known as one of the UK’s best triathlon and high-end bike shops.
• Won local award for best independent retailer within two years of opening.
• Managed move towards multi-channel retailing from early stages, integrating highest standard practice both in-store and online. The business had an excellent reputation with both Trustpilot (4.9 stars) and Google (4.7 stars).
• Sourced new brands and products to continually evolve product offering, constantly developed and adapted strategy to cope with huge changes in the industry, retail and political environment to continue to thrive.
• Responsible for sales and customer service, marketing, product buying, budgeting, accounts – receivable and payable, recruitment, creation and maintenance of health and safety policies and procedures to ensure compliance with regulations.
• Prepared business for sale to new owners.

Department Coach (Golf and Tennis) and Training Team – NikeTown London
(June 1999 – June 2001)

Achievements and responsibilities:

• Original team member, recruited for store opening, moved swiftly from Sales Associate to Department Coach within a two year period.
• Member of training team responsible for customer service, product and company history and heritage training for new recruits and existing staff.
• Managed the highly successful project for a Nike Golf retail outlet at the Open Golf Championship in St Andrews (the first time Nike had exhibited at a golf event) including recruitment, merchandising, product selection and logistics.
• Elected store representative for the IFNET European staff forum, attending meetings to feedback local staff concerns to HR and relay company initiatives back to store.

Professional Golfer – Royal Ashdown Forest Golf Club
(April 1990 – August 1998))

Achievements and responsibilities:

• Achieved PGA Class B Qualification.
• Responsible for maintaining highest standards of customer service at prestigious member’s golf club for both members and visitors.
• Playing with club members.
• Teaching all levels of golfer including local schools, beginners through to top amateur players including one armed World Champion.
• Responsible for managing retail shop and club repair service, Created custom made club making service, at the time a relatively unknown concept, quickly achieving the most profitable hardware sales for the business. Now considered an essential element of a professional golfer’s service and supported by major manufacturers.

Education

Newcastle University – Distance Learning
(September 1996 – June 1998)

Diploma and Advanced Diploma in Sports Psychology.

Professional Golfer’s Association – Remote and Residential
(September 1989– March 1993)

3 year qualification as a professional golfer including final examinations as a player, teacher, club repairs, retail business and rules official.

Uckfield Comprehensive
(September 1981 – June 1986)

5 O’ Levels, grade A-C, including Maths and English
Hobbies & Interests

I enjoy spending spare time with my family, walking on the South Downs with our dog and watching both children participate in sport and performing arts. My love of sports has been lifelong, in addition to still trying to maintain and improve my golf, I cycle for transport and fitness and run regularly. I retain a keen interest in football at all levels, cricket and athletics. I have competed in numerous running races and completed several marathons including London three times.

My other passions are listening to music and reading both fiction and non-fiction books.

References

References are available upon request.