Meet Ian Hull: Our Birmingham Office Manager
Behind the scenes in our Birmingham office, we’re lucky to have Ian Hull who brilliantly manages the team there. He also spends a lot of time on the road, visiting jewellers across the UK. We caught up with him to talk about his journey within the trade, the transition into his role today and some valuable lessons he’s learned along the way.
How did you first find yourself working with diamonds — what were those early days in the trade like?
My original venture into the industry started 38 years ago, when I was working as a polisher for Centre Jewellery in Birmingham. I worked in that role for a while but found the polishing process to be a bit repetitive for me. Luckily, the head of their stone room department offered me a completely different role on the sales side of the business. Back then, the sales meetings I had weren’t like the ones you see today. I was on the road taking a variety of stock with me, and the deals operated simply on a basis of trust. People would buy the stock then and there with written invoices, with no formal credit checks or anything like that.
When I left Centre Jewellery, I worked at Jongems for a short time doing sales. After a few weeks of working there, I came back from a holiday away and found myself in a sales manager position upon my return! It was my first experience running a sales office and its day-to-day operations.
And after those early days, how did your path lead you into the role you’re in today at Weissbart?
One day, an opportunity arose to help Polished Diamond Distributors Limited (better known as Star) refresh their business strategy. The owner placed a lot of trust in me to work on office management and help build up the company until the day it closed. The 20+ years that I spent there allowed me to form lifelong connections with customers all over the country, earning their trust and developing great relationships.
While a lot of my role in the business involved building trust with customers, having trusted relationships with our suppliers was equally important. It felt like a great compliment to Michelle and me when we were approached by multiple suppliers asking for us to join their teams after Star had closed. When David and Jonathan showed their interest in starting a Birmingham branch of S Weissbart with us, we knew it was the right choice. We had known them for years as our suppliers and had shared confidence in each other as reliable members of the industry.
Truthfully, I felt very relieved by this transition, as the idea of navigating the modern job market was very daunting. It had been decades since my last job interview.
If someone was just starting out in the trade, what’s one piece of advice you’d share with them?
My best piece of advice to someone new to the trade: only work within your means. It is very easy to get into a lot of debt in this industry. In an industry that relies a lot on having a good reputation, it’s important to stay in the position of being able to pay what you owe.
Another tip that’s equally important is to always trust your gut. If something doesn’t feel right in a business deal, listen to that feeling.
And in your own role, how would you describe a typical day in the Birmingham office — and the way you try to lead the team?
As the office manager, my role is ultimately to be a support mechanism for the team. My day-to-day work involves ensuring that everyone is working happily and feeling comfortable and content in the office. A good working environment is one where everyone feels supported to do their job to the best of their abilities and capabilities. If the team needs my help with anything, including facilitating getting things in for customers with specific requirements, I’m there to assist.
My core principle in managing a team is that I would never ask anyone to do anything that I would not be glad to do myself. And if a day feels busy and someone needs a cup of tea, I’ll make it for them.
Of course, not all your days are spent in the office — you’re often on the road visiting clients. What do you enjoy most about that part of the job?
I love the challenge that’s involved in visiting people who tell me that they don’t want to work with a new supplier. It drives me to figure out exactly what would make our services attractive for them.
You have to be open to changing your approach and breaking down the specifics of a customer’s needs. Remember that everyone has unique requirements and different details that matter to them.
Are there any jewellery hubs or places you’ve visited that stand out as particularly memorable or inspiring?
Over the years, I’ve seen centres like Harrogate and Leeds grow a lot, in both the quantity and standards of their jewellery shops. The improving stature in the Northern cities is inspiring and can’t be ignored. One customer [in those areas] comes to mind for me, when I first met them they were trading small pieces and they eventually grew to own multiple shops.
Great business opportunities are not limited to Hatton Garden and the Birmingham Jewellery Quarter anymore.
Do you have a favourite diamond shape or cut — and has that changed over the years?
My taste in diamonds is pretty traditional. I prefer round brilliant diamonds. When you have rounds set in jewellery, it’s easier to build on (for example, three stone rings) and wearing them makes matching pieces simpler.
When you’re out and about in the trade, what sorts of things are people talking about — the concerns, questions, or big topics on their minds?
There’s a lot of concern about the general footfall right now within the Birmingham Jewellery Quarter. There’s no longer finance going into the area and the congestion charges introduced after the lockdown have prevented customers from visiting in person. Many of the buildings that are being constructed right now in the area are residential.
Across the country, there are a lot of businesses facing the same issue. And a large part of the solution includes changing one’s approach to business and moving with the times. Trade members are setting up workshops in their homes and changing their business model to be online. Jewellers are focusing on advertising through social media. And there are also vendors that are utilising jewellery fairs and wedding fairs as new business opportunities.
What’s your favourite thing about being based in Birmingham for someone in the diamond business?
I’d describe the Birmingham Jewellery Quarter as a “cottage industry”. Everyone knows each other and is there to help their neighbours in the trade out. Anytime someone needs a referral in the trade, you’ll instantly get personal recommendations that you can trust.
If you hadn’t ended up in diamonds, where do you think life might have taken you instead?
I would have either been in the building industry or the fitness industry.
When Star was closing down, I enrolled and completed a construction training course, because I enjoy meeting different people and meeting their needs. I also do my own construction work at home.
The fitness route would have been good too as I have always found exercise and fitness very interesting. I have also experienced coaching rugby; I coached my son’s rugby team for 10 years!