Industry Voices: James McKeever on Building Connections

In this instalment of our Industry Voices series, we look back at our conversation with James McKeever, group sales director of Sovereign Business Supplies, on making connections with local businesses and networks

CREDIT: This article is an edited version of our interview with James, originally published in our May 2024 issue

On Their Partnership With FIND-IT

“We signed up to FIND-IT across several of their areas, particularly around the Midlands. I attended one of their buyer events and met some people, because we work in interiors, I was particularly interested in heavy construction – finding out when the spade goes in the ground and finding an angle by which we could get involved. It’s all about looking for those entry points that can help you identify new opportunities.

We are now a principal business supplier to RICs (Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors), so we have gone into partnership with them – they came along to our expo and held a member’s meeting room within the event. The whole idea is to get more involved with the surveyors because they know when that shovel is hitting the ground.”

On Making Connections With Local Businesses and Networks

“We’re looking at all these high rises going up in Birmingham and I’m thinking, we’d love to supply all the furniture in there. How do we get to that point? How do we start those conversations? It’s all about building those relationships and getting that early foot in the door. Buying habits and what people buy are starting to change, so this is about finding another way to diversify and bolster those business relationships by helping companies to cost plan.

Since the start of January, I’ve been out to every single key client and key supplier, driven out to their offices and sat down with them. We need to be getting out there again. There are so many opportunities that come from sitting and having a face-to-face conversation.”