George Gillespie is the CEO of MIRA, a leading independent company that specialises in vehicle engineering and testing on a global scale. He tells us about his early beginnings, the future of MIRA and his passion for racing cars.
1. What was the first thing you sold?
Professionally it was a piece of test equipment, a high performance chassis roller for Ricardo, the test equipment business I was working for at the time.
2. Did you intend to go into sales when you started your career?
No, I always thought I wanted to be an engineer. I studied mechanical engineering at Queen’s University in Belfast, and graduated with a PhD after doing research for Ford. Being in a sales role is something that I’ve grown into as I’ve climbed the management ladder and become a chief executive.
3. What’s the single most important quality you need to succeed as a salesperson?
Credibility. In the sales business it’s your technical credibility that matters, showing that you not only understand the subject on a fundamental level, but that you can also sell something and deliver it on time and to budget. But allied to that must be integrity, that the quality of the results we deliver are beyond reproach.
4. What is the one thing you would love to sell?
Race cars for the club racing scene: I love them. But it’s not only the cars; I like the competitive spirit within the racing community.
5. What is the last thing you’d want to sell?
Any FMCG goods, I’ve got no interest in them at all. I’d rather work on a project that has a clear target, a clear deadline and a clear result rather than sell items to a mass consumer audience day after day.
6. What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
It’s from an old professor of mine, who encouraged us to step outside our comfort zone. “The man who never made a mistake never did anything – but neither did the man who made the same mistake twice”.
7. What advice would you give to someone following in your footsteps?
Always stay close to the customers. Not only because it helps sales but because they’ll tell you how your organisation works, how it portrays itself and where it could be improved. They’ll tell you how it really is.
8. What did you buy with your first bonus?
A Caterham – a kit racing car that meant I spent the next six months in the garage putting it together.
9. Who do you most admire in your industry?
Professor Helmut List. He’s the founder of a power train test company called AVL in Austria. He runs his business with a clear vision, a consistent message to customers and drives it forward with a single minded purpose.
10. How would you sell ice to an Eskimo?
Make it different. Flavoured ice !
11. How important is image for a salesperson?
It is important but it’s more than just dressing well. The most important part of image is appearing as a competent, independent authority. The sales industry is dominated by a small number of big players, so reputation and image can change quickly. I’ve spent years of my life travelling on aeroplanes to meet people, often to just ensure I maintain the reputation of the business amongst the key clients.
12. What is the single most important skill you need to close a sale?
The importance of understanding the time pressures on both sides, and the need to come away with a win-win solution. You have to be able to see the other person’s objectives and help meet them, without sacrificing your own. You also have to make it clear that you are prepared to walk away if a deal doesn’t mean a win for you also.
13. Has anything ever gone wrong, that in hindsight, has worked out well for you?
The worst thing that has happened to me was while I was working with Ricardo. We were testing a new design of engine for a large truck manufacturer and we accidentally destroyed the only engine that they had. It was our mistake and we had to own up. The client, who was one of the longest-serving customers, was not happy, and we had to take a lot of justified criticism.
I learned a lot the hard way, mainly about customer care, the importance of owning up and being straight with a client. The good that came out it was that the company remained a client and respected our honesty.
14. What’s been your biggest success?
Helping MIRA grow and meet its potential. Its income had been flat lining at about £29m a year for a decade: over the past two years that’s grown by 38%, and the plans we’ve announced will mean that it’s going to grow far faster, becoming a £100m business within the next ten years.
15. If you were to pack up your desk and leave today, what would you like to be known for?
Getting those development plans started. We’ve just announced our long-term plan to redevelop our 850 acre site in the Midlands, ensuring the business has the capacity to match its capability over the next 30 years. It’s the biggest project since the business began – a state-of-the-art engineering centre that will provide modern, environmentally-sustainable office space. That will be the hub of a 155,000 square metre campus with advanced engineering facilities and a new technology park to complement the existing one, which is now fully occupied.
16. How has sales changed from when you started out?
What we are selling has changed radically. When MIRA was set up its main job was testing components for the UK car industry. Now testing is only about 40% of our work, the rest is as an engineering consultancy - design engineering, computer simulation, test development, validation and certification services.
That’s partly been driven by advances in technology, a lot of testing can now be done virtually before a component even becomes a prototype. We’ve also diversified away from just the automotive industry. About a third of our business now comes from testing and engineering defence vehicles; and the remainder from aerospace and the rail industry.
17. What are the current challenges facing your industry?
Having to operate and compete in a global market. We’re seeking to grow our international business from 18% to 45% by focusing on overseas operations - Europe, China, India, Malaysia, Korea, Taiwan - as well as untapped markets with growth potential such as Brazil.
For example, one of our larger customers, Jaguar Land Rover, has big plans in China and we need to be there with them. Similarly we’re opening in Brazil, which for us is something of an unknown, but it’s an exciting growing market that we can’t afford to ignore.
18. How has the digital age changed sales?
The rate of change in technology has accelerated at an incredible rate, particularly when it comes to the development of new vehicles. Much of it has been driven by the low carbon challenge.
There’s been a lot of work done over the past two decades in reducing the amount of time needed to bring a car from design to production; it’s now takes between 24 to 36 months. We’re seeing a rise in book shelving technology – where components are developed and then stored ready for whenever car manufacturers need them. We’re also anticipating the rapid growth in unmanned ground vehicles with a very high degree of onboard intelligence, electronic systems and computing power.
19. What will never change?
The role of the internal combustion engine. While there will be a role for vehicles like electric cars, there will continue to be significant breakthroughs in applications of technology for diesel and petrol engines.
20. Who is the best salesman ever, real or fictional?
It’s a gentleman called Jonathan Eaton, who is vice president of sales at Horiba Europe, the Japanese-owned technology firm. He’s one of the best people working in his sector. I worked at Horiba before coming to MIRA and they were superb, not only for their technical abilities but also for their sales acumen and how they managed to combine the two.
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