Meet the Team: Matt Lindley, Sales Engineer - Building Supply

We sat down with Matt Lindley, Sales Engineer at ECI Software Solutions to learn more about his role within the team.

Describe your role in 50 words or less.

My main responsibility is using my technical knowledge to showcase Spruce and Spruce eCommerce solutions to prospective customers and to provide pre and after-sales advice.

Tell us a bit about your background and the path that led you to your current role? I have worked in the Plumbing & Heating merchant sector for 14 years, first with Plumb Centre and then with an independent merchant in the north-east of England. I used Spruce as an end user for 7 years before moving to ECI as an Implementation Consultant in May 2020 and then moved to the Sales Engineer role in September 2022.

What does your day-to-day work life look like? It’s incredibly varied – I could be working from home doing multiple software demonstrations in a day or I could be travelling to meet people on site for a demo in person anywhere in the UK. The rest is spent in preparation for meeting potential clients so they can see the full potential of the software and how it can benefit their business. I also offer help to the support and implementation teams when they need it.

What excites you most about working within this industry? Helping people move to a system that is going to really help their business become more efficient and grow.

What do you find most challenging about working within this industry? The building materials sector seems to be very sensitive to changes in the economy. When working behind the counter we could see this in reduced footfall, and on the software side it manifests in a reluctance by merchants themselves to commit to a move to a new software package. The challenge really comes in demonstrating the cost saving and efficiency software solutions can bring.

What is the most important lesson you’ve learned since you began your career? There’s never a good time to change software. I’ve been through an implementation as an end user and several times as a consultant, and without a doubt there is never a good time to do it. There’s never a quiet period; people are always busy or have staff holidays or sickness to contend with. However, most of the time the solution to their problems is the software they can’t commit to, which would save them so much stress.

Since you started working in the industry, what changes have you witnessed? eCommerce is really coming on in leaps and bounds. What used to be the sole preserve of companies that could throw millions at a website is now easily within reach for much smaller merchants. Having an eCommerce offering that integrates directly into the business management software is so important because not only does it make life easier, it also provides a much better experience for the end user.

What do you enjoy doing when you're not at work? I’ve got two small people that take up quite a lot of my time. When they aren’t being overly demanding, I like to get out cycling, either a ride on the local disused railways, or a proper ride out into the hills on the mountain bike.

What book would you recommend for anyone to add to their ‘must-read list?

Anything by Iain (M) Banks, if you’re into sci-fi, either Consider Phlebas or Player of Games. If not, then go for The Bridge or The Crow Road.