Summary
Overview
Work history
Education
Skills
References
Academic History
Professional Experience
Timeline
Generic

SEATON BLAKE

Birmingham,United Kingdom

Summary

Dynamic professional with expertise in performance analysis, strategic planning, and business development. Skilled in consultative selling, effective communication, and stakeholder management to drive network growth and foster long-term partnerships. Adept at negotiating and developing teams to achieve organisational objectives while delivering impactful presentations. Committed to leveraging core competencies to support sustainable growth and innovation within competitive industries.

Overview

10
10
years of professional experience
10
10
years of post-secondary education

Work history

Senior Consultant

Michael Page
03.2025 - 08.2025
  • Role Overview: As a Senior Consultant at Michael Page, I lead the creation and implementation of strategic solutions, addressing complex business challenges and driving a culture of continuous improvement in order to exceed revenue targets.
  • Strategic Solution Development
  • Developing innovative approaches to solve complex client challenges, ensuring customised and effective solutions.
  • Targeted market mapping to identify businesses we aim to add to our portfolio.
  • Collaborating with cross-disciplined departments internally to design a targeted approach that align with the clients industry.
  • Governing PSL agreements with historic 6 new clients.
  • Using CRM database to create a variety of target lists for business development.
  • Presenting our business model and services to onboard new clients.
  • Continuous Improvement and Process Optimisation
  • Fostering a culture of continuous improvement, encouraging teams to refine processes and enhance efficiency.
  • Partnering with IT department to continuously evolve our client and customer database system.
  • Identifying opportunities for operational enhancements, and implementing changes to improve service delivery and client satisfaction.
  • Liaising with clients for feedback to identify the business services are relevant & competitive in the current market.
  • Client & Candidate Relationship Management
  • Maintain and strengthen relationships with key clients, ensuring consistent engagement and alignment with their evolving needs.
  • Partnering/negations with director & C-suite level clients.
  • Driving face-to-face client meetings & attending/organising networking events to extend influential reach.
  • Deliver insights and recommendations tailored to client objectives, enhancing long-term partnership value.
  • Gaining a deeper insight into the mental state & emotional drivers of clients & candidates.
  • Team Leadership and Development
  • Mentor and develop team members, promoting a collaborative and growth-focused environment.
  • Group/individual coaching on sales techniques and mindset to create a state of influence.
  • Setting monthly KPI's and weekly targets.
  • Senior level support to junior team members to close high level agreements.
  • A focus on cultural evolution through planning relevant internal events for team bonding.
  • Guide best practices and support professional development to elevate team performance.

SEAT & CUPRA Accredited General Sales Manager

Arbury CUPRA Stourbridge
08.2023 - 03.2025
  • Responsible for the purchasing of all Used car stock, part exchange valuations & external underwriting of Used car stock. Approving preparation of stock, pricing the stock to the market as well as disposing of non-approved stock.
  • Ensuring my department achieves and exceeds it's KPI's from a monetary & volume perspective.
  • Leading a team of sales executives in completing an exceptional purchasing experience, through initial enquiry management coaching, face to face negotiating coaching to delivering an exceptional handover experience mentorship.
  • Reporting of all sales forecasting to the Brand on a New & Used car perspective.
  • Responsible for maintaining showroom standards, and New & Used exterior car display.
  • Ordering & tagging of all new cars (customer & stock)
  • Driving the performance of our ancillary product sales in a customer focussed compliant manner.

Audi Accredited General Sales Manager

Listers Audi
08.2022 - 04.2023
  • Responsible for building trust, communicating effectively, and exceeding our customer's expectations; Ensuring that our customer's buying experience is industry leading. I am also accountable for handling customer queries and complaints and ensuring they are resolved effectively.
  • Supporting my sales team in daily operations including but not limited to customer contact, sales funnel management, deal building and closing, professional vehicle preparation whilst ensuring that stock is kept to the company's agreed levels.
  • By driving the sales process and supporting the sales team in achieving their monthly KPI's for unit sales, profit per unit, finance penetration and add-on products, to ensure budgetary sales / profit forecasts are achieved.
  • Accurate completion of all paperwork and providing reports on all sales activities ensuring accurate sales forecasts.
  • Making sure that the sales team accurately and vigorously collect all customer contact and vehicle data to maximise the quality and content of the customer database (adhering to the Company's FCA obligations).

Senior Retail Manager

Listers Audi
08.2021 - 07.2022
  • Responsible for the coaching, mentorship & development of 13 sales executives & 3 Retail Managers to achieve individual targets including unit targets, audit compliance targets, chassis profit per unit, VAP PPU, as well as Trackback call quality.
  • Keep accurate records of existing and prospective customers within the CRM platform to effectively guide the sales process.
  • Actively participate in the recruitment of our sales executives.
  • Maintain a high level of customer satisfaction in all sales to increase retention and referrals, as well as drive repeat car sales.
  • Responsible for purchasing, appraising, and managing Used car stock.
  • Responsible for weekly/monthly forecasting for Used & New car departments.
  • Support GSM in implementing processes that positively impact Chassis GP, as well as VAPs income. Achieving our Used & New car monthly/quarterly unit targets.
  • Provide weekly & monthly 121's setting SMART goals, implementing a change in behaviours/results over specific period of time.
  • First & Second facing customers to add value to each sale and assist in closing deals, as well as upselling VAPs.

New & Used Car Retail Manager

Johnsons Volkswagen Birmingham & Bullring
01.2017 - 08.2021
  • Volkswagen accredited Business Manager passing with a score of 96.3%
  • Responsible for achieving and exceeding agreed F & I targets, as well as hitting and achieving monthly/quarterly budget.
  • Help, support, and coach sales team to achieve agreed sales targets.
  • Weekly 1 to 1's
  • First & second facing all customers, to help maximise all opportunities and thank customers for their business.
  • Maximising on market area share, delivering 5
  • Service for consistent CS scores
  • Involved with stock mix & procurement of stock for Used cars
  • Present quarterly accounts for my department to Franchise Manager

Authorised Sales Executive

Listers, Audi Used Cars
04.2016 - 01.2017
  • Provide high quality, discovery and fact finding
  • Part exchange appraisal
  • Meeting and greeting customers
  • Agenda setting
  • Structuring and presenting offer sheets
  • Upselling VAPs
  • Proposing customers to finance
  • Signing customers up
  • Getting deals paid out
  • Introducing customers to aftersales department
  • Customer handovers
  • Customer follow-ups

New Car Sales Executive

Mercedes Benz Retail Group
06.2015 - 03.2016
  • Meeting and greeting customers
  • Fact finding, setting an agenda for the visit
  • Appraising part exchanges
  • Test driving customers
  • Finding available vehicles
  • Leading customers into a positive buying experience
  • Closing deals
  • Introduce and sell F & I products
  • Arranging Pre-Delivery Inspections
  • Handing over cars and following up customers after the sale.

Education

BA (Hons) - Leisure Management

Wolverhampton University
Wolverhampton
01.1999 - 01.2002

GNVQ -

Josiah Mason 6th Form College
Birmingham
01.1997 - 01.1999

GCSEs -

Cardinal Wiseman School
01.1992 - 01.1997

Skills

  • Performance analysis and strategic planning
  • Business development and negotiation
  • Network growth and stakeholder management
  • Effective communication and presentation skills
  • Consultative selling and team development

References

Available upon request

Academic History

  • Wolverhampton University
  • BA (Hons), Leisure Management (2:2)
  • Josiah Mason 6th Form College, Birmingham
  • 3 A Levels A
  • - C
  • Cardinal Wiseman School, Birmingham
  • 12 GCSE A – C
  • Including English, Maths and Science

Professional Experience

  • Automotive Sales & Operations Leadership
  • Overseeing the identification and selection of available vehicles to optimise product offering and inventory efficiency.
  • Championing a customer-centric culture by guiding clients through seamless and impactful purchasing journeys, resulting in enhanced brand loyalty and repeat business.
  • Expert in closing complex commercial agreements, leveraging negotiation acumen to deliver mutually beneficial outcomes and drive revenue performance.
  • Strategically introducing and promoting Finance & Insurance (F&I) products, elevating the overall customer value proposition and maximising profit margins.
  • Coordinating and ensuring the timely completion of Pre-Delivery Inspections to uphold best-in-class product standards and customer satisfaction scores.
  • Leading high-profile vehicle handovers and executing robust post-sale follow-up strategies to foster lasting client relationships and generate referral business.

Timeline

Senior Consultant

Michael Page
03.2025 - 08.2025

SEAT & CUPRA Accredited General Sales Manager

Arbury CUPRA Stourbridge
08.2023 - 03.2025

Audi Accredited General Sales Manager

Listers Audi
08.2022 - 04.2023

Senior Retail Manager

Listers Audi
08.2021 - 07.2022

New & Used Car Retail Manager

Johnsons Volkswagen Birmingham & Bullring
01.2017 - 08.2021

Authorised Sales Executive

Listers, Audi Used Cars
04.2016 - 01.2017

New Car Sales Executive

Mercedes Benz Retail Group
06.2015 - 03.2016

BA (Hons) - Leisure Management

Wolverhampton University
01.1999 - 01.2002

GNVQ -

Josiah Mason 6th Form College
01.1997 - 01.1999

GCSEs -

Cardinal Wiseman School
01.1992 - 01.1997

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SEATON BLAKE