Tony Clouse, business development manager, Bradley Corp.
Bradley Corp. Business Development Manager Tony Clouse is part of the company's knowledgeable industrial team, designing plumbing systems that fit regular or custom applications. BIC Magazine recently visited with Clouse to learn more about the importance of getting high school students involved in trades, how Bradley is working with customers during the COVID- 19 pandemic, and his sales approach of never overselling.
BIC: How did you become involved in trades?
CLOUSE: My technical training and business experience paved the way to my career at Bradley Corp., which began six years ago. I grew up in Michigan and took to the trades early on as a high school student. I'm a master plumber by trade. After owning my own plumbing company for several years, I sold it and worked with a plumbing wholesaler for 13 years. Those experiences led me to where I am now at Bradley, where I utilize the skills I've learned over the years - everything from designing products and plumbing systems to customer service and troubleshooting to sales and business management.
I am a big proponent of getting students involved in the trades during their high school years. It's key for our industry to improve educational outreach to students so they can learn about trades early on. As part of my trade schooling during high school in Michigan, I had the opportunity to build a house along with my instructors and classmates, performing everything from construction to plumbing to electrical. This experience greatly influenced my education and career path.
BIC: What's new with Bradley and the Design on Demand® program?
CLOUSE: COVID-19 has made a huge impact on just about every business and its customers. We're definitely seeing the ripple effect in terms of designing plumbing systems to accommodate more plumbed hand washing stations, sanitization systems, etc. Bradley's Design on Demand® (DOD) program is a perfect fit for accomplishing these types of regular and custom applications.
DOD offers highly customized services and product solutions that are ideal for large or small industrial applications in the most demanding environments. Our DOD service team works closely with customers to provide custom safety, tepid water and liquid processing solutions designed according to each facility's unique needs and goals. Bradley's Keltech® Tankless Water Heater is our flexible, go-to solution for providing heated water to these types of customized situations.
The other news at Bradley is that we will celebrate our 100th anniversary in 2021. Bradley's consistent product innovation and customer service have given our company industry-leading experience and strength over the years. We're excited to celebrate this milestone and see what's on the horizon for our next 100 years.
BIC: How are you working with customers in the age of COVID-19?
CLOUSE: Most of the companies - particularly the larger ones - I work with are having their employees work from home. That includes engineers, architects, wholesalers, etc. So right now we're working together remotely, which means a lot of Zoom conference calls. We're still able to accomplish a lot electronically without being on-site. For example, customers will send me PDF blueprints. I'll mark them up with ideas and schematics and send them back for review and discussion.
BIC: How do you build trust with your customers?
CLOUSE: The single most important part of my job as a business development manager is listening to customers. Active listening is what allows me to help them meet whatever needs and goals they have.
The other vital standard in my sales approach is that I will never oversell to customers. My job is to plan and design the most cost-effective plumbing solutions for customers, so I'm motivated by coming up with the most economical way to accomplish what they need. I believe that customers appreciate this approach and respond positively. I have found this approach is key in building trust in relationships and ensuring that customers return.
For more information, visit www.bradleycorp.com or call (800) 272-3539.
