Bill C Martin
Non-executive Director @Apothecary 87
Signup · Get unlimited contacts
WORK HISTORY
Non-executive Director @Apothecary 87
Doncaster, GB
We launched Apothecary 87 Ltd in November 2013 to change the face of men\'s grooming. It has become a very successful, steadily growing manufacturer of men\'s premium personal grooming and lifestyle products, selling to end-users, retailers and distributors in more than 130 countries. The core strategy has been to find ways to turn customers into fans. We\'ve had considerable success with this and have developed a very strong brand. During its start-up phase I provided guidance on business strategy and on sales and marketing for this fast growing creator of fine men\'s grooming products, which the company implemented and continues to build on, with immense success.Within its first two months Apothecary 87\'s innovative hand-blended products - created from the very best ingredients - were already attracting interest from the fashion and barbering world. It continues to be hailed across the industry and across the world as the men\'s personal grooming products brand to watch.We have involved top fashion models - bearded, moustached and clean-shaven - to help us in some very successful online marketing activities. As a result our customers range from the public to online fashion retailers and specialist barbershops across the continents.In 2019 we launched our first high-quality barber shop within our Doncaster UK premises. Providing continual professional development for our barbers has helped maintain the number of 5-star reviews from clients. In 2021 we launched our second barber shop, in Kelham Island, Sheffield, with the capacity for 6 barbers and a coffee shop selling high-end coffee on-site. We use Apothecary 87\'s products during the treatments our barbers offer and we then retail them to our clients.We now have customers and fans of the brand in more than 130 countries that we ship to. With now more than loyal followers we have seen steady sales growth. More information is available from
EDUCATION
Trinity College London
AMusTCL, Music education
Royal Holloway, University of London
BMus (Hons), Music
SKILLS
ABOUT BILL C MARTIN
My key business specialisms, developed over the past 4 decades, are: Learning & Teaching Communication Marketing Sales AS A MUSICIANBeginning as a professional musician I learned about performance and how to engage my audience. I then found a way to apply this to sales. I learned what effective groups/teams looked like and how to create them. In a crowded marketplace I learned the importance of developing a distinctive, compelling brand. IN PUBLISHING & PUBLIC SPEAKINGI developed my communication skills while working for a national newspaper, and in my own performing and journalism. Regular, high-profile public speaking activities also contributed, from presenting and selling to groups of professionals at national events, to addressing MPs, as a music education thought leader, at the Houses of Parliament. It also informed my professional communication and interaction with my retail clients. TEACHING & TRAINING (education & business sectors)I came to understand how people learn and change, what motivates them and what gets in the way. In a rapidly changing world I learned the importance of having clear goals and constantly questioning what I\'m doing, why and how. Instead of focussing only on the detail I have made a point of regularly referring to the bigger picture. In my work running training and consultancy businesses, initially in the late-80s and then in the 2010s, I learned how to sell and how to retain customers and motivate them to take their businesses to the next level. MUSIC INDUSTRYI deepened my sales and marketing skills, while working in the music industry from the mid-90s to 2012. I was part of a team selling music-related business opportunities, training and support materials across the UK. I created high-ticket sales opportunities by developing relationships with high-profile education clients, including conservatoires and schools. BRINGING IT ALL TOGETHERAll this learning, coupled with CPD from the Institute of Consulting, has given me an analytical, strategic approach and broad insight, which I brought to my work managing and growing a sales territory at The House of Sarunds and as non-exec director at Apothecary 87.
This profile is compiled from publicly available professional sources. Unifers is not affiliated with or endorsed by LinkedIn. Request removal of this profile.