On the Road with Julie Hawkins, Blinds Account Manager

At Ellard, supporting our customers goes far beyond supplying products. Building strong relationships, understanding customer needs and providing ongoing support are all essential parts of helping our customers succeed.

To showcase what that support looks like in practice, we recently joined Julie, one of our Blinds Account Managers, for a day on the road.

Check out the video on the right to see what a typical day looks like ➡️

More Than Just a Customer Visit

A typical day for an Account Manager starts long before the first customer meeting. Planning routes, preparing samples and reviewing upcoming projects are all part of ensuring each visit delivers value.

With multiple appointments scheduled throughout the day, Julie travelled across the region to meet with customers from across the blinds industry, discussing everything from current projects and product requirements to market trends and future opportunities.

Every customer is different, which means no two visits are ever the same.

Building Relationships Face-to-Face

While technology makes communication easier than ever, face-to-face meetings remain an important part of building strong partnerships.

Customer visits provide an opportunity to understand individual business needs better, discuss technical requirements and offer advice on products and solutions that can help support future growth.

These conversations also give our team valuable insight into the challenges customers are facing and the opportunities emerging within the market.

Spending time with customers allows us to stay connected to the realities of the blinds industry.

Whether it's understanding changing consumer demand, discussing automation trends or reviewing product performance, these visits help ensure we continue to provide products, services and support that meet the needs of our customers.

By listening to feedback directly from the people using and selling our products every day, we can better understand what's important and where we can continue to add value.

Supporting Customers Every Step of the Way

For Julie and the wider Ellard team, account management is about much more than sales.

It's about being a trusted partner.

From answering technical questions and recommending solutions to sharing product knowledge and industry insights, the goal is always the same: helping customers deliver the best possible experience to their own customers.

Looking Beyond the Products

While customers may only see the finished blind installation, a great deal happens behind the scenes to support the businesses that make those installations possible.

Our account managers play a vital role in maintaining those connections, strengthening relationships and ensuring customers have access to the support they need when they need it.

Days spent on the road are an important reminder that success is built on strong partnerships, open communication and a genuine understanding of our customers' businesses.

Interested in organising a visit? Book in today by emailing julieh@ellard.co.uk