Hitting the road with Liam

Forming one half of the dynamic duo who look after Triumph & Disaster’s New Zealand stores, Liam Steel is passionate about his role. Hitting the road with Liam it seems, on the face of it, that he spends his time just talking to women. There is more to it than that though.

Along with Daniel Plested, T&D’s self-appointed “consigliere”, Liam provides a vital link between the stores who sell the product and the company itself. Aside from picking up new stores to sell the product, Liam and Dan make sure existing stores have enough stock, are knowledgeable about the product and are fired up to sell it.

It wasn’t the career path Liam thought he would take. After finishing a degree in media and criminology two years ago he started helping out at T&D. Dan, who was already working there, and Liam had been mates since school, so it was a natural fit.
He was nervous when he started out, often cold-calling stores to get them to stock the product.

However he exudes confidence now, breezing in to the stores such as Smith and Caughey, Collected and Tonic Room, chatting easily with the largely female staff.

“There is excitement in the role, particularly when you make a big sale or sign up a new client. It’s the best feeling,” Liam says.

He also does in store training sessions, teaching the staff about the product and how it should be best used.

“We try and educate the people selling the product, if they know more about it, it is easier for them to sell it.

“We give people the run down on the products, the more they know the more they can sell.
“The brand and the products are definitely things that if you know more about them they are easier to sell.”

Liam is the face of Triumph & Disaster in more ways than one, having starred in a number of promotional videos and shoots.

It’s role he has grown in to and one he sees himself sticking at.

“I want to help grow Triumph & Disaster to reach its full potential.

“I want to be around when that happens.

“I love the job, its nice to be able to get out and meet people and get a thrill when they buy in to what we are doing at Triumph & Disaster,” he says.

“Dion has built something here and I want to see it do well.”