ON AIR: With Owen: Recent Episodes
Air Marketing
Air Marketing's latest interview series with honest conversation about scaling revenue, hosted by Founder & CEO, Owen Richards.
Introducing our 2nd episode of ON AIR: With Owen & Josh - the podcast where two founders who've done their time in the sales trenches share refreshingly honest insights on what genuinely moves the needle when scaling revenue.
Meet Your Hosts: Owen Richards and Josh Smith
Owen Richards hails from Kent and began his sales career at Forrest Marketing Group (now Forrest Contact) in Sydney. After an 8-year stint, Owen returned to the UK and co-founded Air Marketing Group, growing it into a powerhouse offering specialist B2B sales and marketing solutions to businesses across the globe. Known for his relentless positivity and strategic foresight, Owen brings a wealth of experience and a knack for big ideas to the podcast.
Joshua Smith is the founder of CRO Connected, a fast-growing network on a mission to democratise the insight and experience Chief Revenue Officers need to scale. From startup scrappiness to boardroom strategy, Josh has seen the full spectrum on his professional journey. He brings sharp commercial acumen and a dry wit to the podcast, fuelled by a real-world understanding of what it takes to build, lead, and scale.
What to Expect in this Episode
In Episode 2, Owen and Josh are joined by Dan Brown, Executive Director at CDM Media – a sales leader with a personal story that challenges the conventional ‘hustle’ narrative.
This episode goes beyond sales frameworks and pipeline talk. Dan opens up about how his experiences outside of work – from adversity to mindset coaching – have shaped a stronger, more grounded approach inside the world of sales. Expect reflections that hit deeper than your average sales podcast.
Together, Owen, Josh and Dan explore:
🔸 Why resilience is the most underrated sales skill
🔸 The power of self-awareness in driving performance
🔸 Lessons from outside the office that build commercial strength
🔸 How to balance ambition with wellbeing
🔸 Why authenticity wins more than bravado in modern sales
This is a refreshing, real-world conversation for revenue leaders who know that mindset and mental stamina are as critical as sales tactics.
🔔 New episodes drop monthly – subscribe and follow the journey as we speak to the experts who are actually doing the work.
Watch: On YouTube or via Air Marketing's Knowledge Hub.
Listen: On Spotify, Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, TuneIn + Alexa, Deezer, and more.
Warning: Contains swearing
Introducing episode 1 of the new season of ON AIR: With Owen & Josh – the podcast where two founders who’ve done their time in the sales trenches share refreshingly honest insights on what genuinely moves the needle when scaling revenue.
Meet Your Hosts: Owen Richards and Josh Smith
Owen Richards hails from Kent and began his sales career at Forrest Marketing Group (now Forrest Contact) in Sydney. After an 8-year stint, Owen returned to the UK and co-founded Air Marketing Group, growing it into a powerhouse offering specialist B2B sales and marketing solutions to businesses across the globe. Known for his relentless positivity and strategic foresight, Owen brings a wealth of experience and a knack for big ideas to the podcast.
Joshua Smith is the founder of CRO Connected, a fast-growing network on a mission to democratise the insight and experience Chief Revenue Officers need to scale. From startup scrappiness to boardroom strategy, Josh has seen the full spectrum on his professional journey. He brings sharp commercial acumen and a dry wit to the podcast, fuelled by a real-world understanding of what it takes to build, lead, and scale.
What to Expect in this Episode
In our very first episode, Owen is joined by Adam Philpott (CEO, Fingerprints). With co-host Josh unexpectedly out of action, the conversation doesn’t hold back. From leading sales in global enterprises to transforming sales operations in a small business, Adam shares unfiltered insight from both sides of the scale spectrum.
Together, Owen and Adam explore:
- What it really means to professionalise sales in SMBs
- The key differences between enterprise and startup sales culture
- Building sales processes without stifling individuality
- Balancing operational rigour with entrepreneurial flair
- Why forecasting is not about reading the news—but creating it
This is an honest, sharp-edged chat for sales leaders, founders, and revenue professionals who want more than the same recycled advice.
New episodes drop monthly – subscribe and follow the journey as we speak to the experts who are actually doing the work.
Watch: On YouTube or via Air Marketing’s Knowledge Hub.
Listen: On Spotify, Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, TuneIn + Alexa, Deezer, and more.
Warning: Contains swearing
Introducing our 100th(!) episode of ON AIR: With Owen – our podcast series for honest conversations about starting and scaling your own business, hosted by our Founder & CEO, Owen Richards, and his new co-host, Neil Finnie.
Meet Your Hosts: Owen Richards and Neil Finnie
Owen Richards hails from Kent and began his sales career at Forrest Marketing Group in Sydney. After an 8-year stint, Owen returned to the UK and co-founded Air Marketing Group, growing it into a powerhouse offering specialist B2B sales and marketing solutions to businesses across the globe. Known for his relentless positivity and strategic foresight, Owen brings a wealth of experience and a knack for big ideas to the podcast.
Neil Finnie is your quintessential ‘wabi-sabi entrepreneur’ – flawed but beautiful in approach. With over 25 years of experience in nurturing businesses around his passions, from co-working spaces to professional development agencies, Neil’s unique perspective enriches our discussions, making each episode a treasure trove of insights.
What to Expect in this Week’s Episode
Neil is back, and he and Owen are diving straight into the UK budget announcement and its profound impact on businesses.
- The Business Bottom Line: From national insurance increases to minimum wage adjustments and higher business rates, how will companies cope with these rising costs?
- A New Monthly Bill: With little time and limited information to prepare, businesses face a financial burden they didn’t account for last year.
- Jobs and the Future Workforce: What does the budget mean for job creation amid pressures from AI, outsourcing, and escalating employment costs?
- Employee Rights at Day One: We discuss how this impacts startups and businesses trying to get off the ground.
- Retirement on Hold: For business owners nearing retirement, the new tax ratio is a game-changer, leaving less time to plan for the future.
Where and When to tune in
Catch new episodes every Wednesday:
Watch: On YouTube or via Air Marketing’s Knowledge Hub.
Listen: On Spotify, Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, TuneIn + Alexa, Deezer, and more.
Join us as we dive deep into the dynamics of running a business in today’s fast-paced world. Whether you’re seeking inspiration or practical advice, our podcast is your gateway to becoming more adept in the business arena.
Warning: Contains swearing
Introducing our 99th episode of ON AIR: With Owen – our podcast series for honest conversations about starting and scaling your own business, hosted by our Founder & CEO, Owen Richards, and his new co-host, Neil Finnie.
Meet Your Hosts: Owen Richards and Neil Finnie
Owen Richards hails from Kent and began his sales career at Forrest Marketing Group in Sydney. After an 8-year stint, Owen returned to the UK and co-founded Air Marketing Group, growing it into a powerhouse offering specialist B2B sales and marketing solutions to businesses across the globe. Known for his relentless positivity and strategic foresight, Owen brings a wealth of experience and a knack for big ideas to the podcast.
Neil Finnie is your quintessential ‘wabi-sabi entrepreneur’ – flawed but beautiful in approach. With over 25 years of experience in nurturing businesses around his passions, from co-working spaces to professional development agencies, Neil’s unique perspective enriches our discussions, making each episode a treasure trove of insights.
What to Expect in this Week’s Episode
- The Role of Personal Brands: Is a founder’s brand essential for business success, or can a company succeed without a face? Owen and Neil weigh the pros and cons.
- Creating Connection and Trust: Owen and Neil debate whether audiences are more engaged with businesses that show a personal side.
- Owen’s Approach: From in-person events to raw, unfiltered content, Owen shares how he blended personal and professional elements to build his brand.
- The LinkedIn Landscape: Once just for job updates, LinkedIn is now a crowded space for personal branding. How can you stand out in this environment?
- Finding Your Balance: There’s no one-size-fits-all for branding. Owen and Neil explore the different ways to build a genuine, authentic presence beyond LinkedIn, and how to find the balance that works for you and your business.
Where and When to tune in
Catch new episodes every Wednesday:
Watch: On YouTube or via Air Marketing’s Knowledge Hub.
Listen: On Spotify, Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, TuneIn + Alexa, Deezer, and more.
Join us as we dive deep into the dynamics of running a business in today’s fast-paced world. Whether you’re seeking inspiration or practical advice, our podcast is your gateway to becoming more adept in the business arena.
Warning: Contains swearing
Introducing our 98th episode of ON AIR: With Owen – our podcast series for honest conversations about starting and scaling your own business, hosted by our Founder & CEO, Owen Richards, and his new co-host, Neil Finnie.
Meet Your Hosts: Owen Richards and Neil Finnie
Owen Richards hails from Kent and began his sales career at Forrest Marketing Group in Sydney. After an 8-year stint, Owen returned to the UK and co-founded Air Marketing Group, growing it into a powerhouse offering specialist B2B sales and marketing solutions to businesses across the globe. Known for his relentless positivity and strategic foresight, Owen brings a wealth of experience and a knack for big ideas to the podcast.
Neil Finnie is your quintessential ‘wabi-sabi entrepreneur’ – flawed but beautiful in approach. With over 25 years of experience in nurturing businesses around his passions, from co-working spaces to professional development agencies, Neil’s unique perspective enriches our discussions, making each episode a treasure trove of insights.
What to Expect in this Week’s Episode
- AI in Action: Inspired by their own journeys, Owen and Neil are exploring how AI is transforming their industries and whether it’s delivering measurable results.
- Neil’s Perspective: Discover how AI is empowering small businesses to focus on what matters most, even when it’s not part of a formal strategy.
- Gaining a Competitive Edge: Will your business be left behind? Find out how AI is helping companies work faster and smarter, impacting pricing and competitiveness.
- Breaking Barriers: Is AI accessible for everyone? We discuss whether the path to adopting AI is easy or challenging for businesses today.
- Learning AI: Discover how ChatGPT can help you understand AI’s role in your industry and apply it to your business.
- AI’s Effect on Jobs: Explore how AI is reshaping employment across industries, and what it means for the future of work.
- The Search Shift: Do you now turn to ChatGPT instead of Google? We explore how people are changing the way they search for information.
Where and When to tune in
Catch new episodes every Wednesday:
Watch: On YouTube or via Air Marketing’s Knowledge Hub.
Listen: On Spotify, Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, TuneIn + Alexa, Deezer, and more.
Join us as we dive deep into the dynamics of running a business in today’s fast-paced world. Whether you’re seeking inspiration or practical advice, our podcast is your gateway to becoming more adept in the business arena.
Warning: Contains swearing
Introducing our 97th episode of ON AIR: With Owen – our podcast series for honest conversations about starting and scaling your own business, hosted by our Founder & CEO, Owen Richards, and his new co-host, Neil Finnie.
Meet Your Hosts: Owen Richards and Neil Finnie
Owen Richards hails from Kent and began his sales career at Forrest Marketing Group in Sydney. After an 8-year stint, Owen returned to the UK and co-founded Air Marketing Group, growing it into a powerhouse offering specialist B2B sales and marketing solutions to businesses across the globe. Known for his relentless positivity and strategic foresight, Owen brings a wealth of experience and a knack for big ideas to the podcast.
Neil Finnie is your quintessential ‘wabi-sabi entrepreneur’ – flawed but beautiful in approach. With over 25 years of experience in nurturing businesses around his passions, from co-working spaces to professional development agencies, Neil’s unique perspective enriches our discussions, making each episode a treasure trove of insights.
What to Expect in this Week’s Episode
In this week’s episode, Owen and Neil dive into the complex issue of marketing to your competitors’ clients, and whether it’s ethical to target them directly? Neil, who prioritises community-building over business growth, shares his approach to staying true to his values. But when competitors start going after your customers, should you stick to your principles or fight back? They also explore when competitive marketing crosses the line into toxicity, and whether all publicity is truly good publicity. If you’ve ever grappled with the ethics of competition, this episode offers thoughtful insights and practical advice.
Where and When to tune in
Catch new episodes every Wednesday:
Watch: On YouTube or via Air Marketing’s Knowledge Hub.
Listen: On Spotify, Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, TuneIn + Alexa, Deezer, and more.
Join us as we dive deep into the dynamics of running a business in today’s fast-paced world. Whether you’re seeking inspiration or practical advice, our podcast is your gateway to becoming more adept in the business arena.
Warning: Contains swearing
Introducing our 96th episode of ON AIR: With Owen – our podcast series for honest conversations about starting and scaling your own business, hosted by our Founder & CEO, Owen Richards, and his new co-host, Neil Finnie.
Meet Your Hosts: Owen Richards and Neil Finnie
Owen Richards hails from Kent and began his sales career at Forrest Marketing Group in Sydney. After an 8-year stint, Owen returned to the UK and co-founded Air Marketing Group, growing it into a powerhouse offering specialist B2B sales and marketing solutions to businesses across the globe. Known for his relentless positivity and strategic foresight, Owen brings a wealth of experience and a knack for big ideas to the podcast.
Neil Finnie is your quintessential ‘wabi-sabi entrepreneur’ – flawed but beautiful in approach. With over 25 years of experience in nurturing businesses around his passions, from co-working spaces to professional development agencies, Neil’s unique perspective enriches our discussions, making each episode a treasure trove of insights.
What to Expect in this Week’s Episode
Thinking of starting a business with a partner? Then this episode is for you. Join Owen and Neil as they dive deep into the world of business partnerships, sharing their personal experiences of what worked, what didn’t, and the lessons they learned along the way. From structuring shareholding to dividing responsibilities, they break down the key decisions and processes involved in building a successful partnership. Whether you’re looking for practical advice, cautionary tales, or expert insights on how to avoid common pitfalls, this episode will help guide you in forming a strong and sustainable business collaboration.
Where and When to tune in
Catch new episodes every Wednesday:
Watch: On YouTube or via Air Marketing’s Knowledge Hub.
Listen: On Spotify, Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, TuneIn + Alexa, Deezer, and more.
Join us as we dive deep into the dynamics of running a business in today’s fast-paced world. Whether you’re seeking inspiration or practical advice, our podcast is your gateway to becoming more adept in the business arena.
Warning: Contains swearing
Introducing our 95th episode of ON AIR: With Owen – our podcast series for honest conversations about starting and scaling your own business, hosted by our Founder & CEO, Owen Richards, and his new co-host, Neil Finnie.
Meet Your Hosts: Owen Richards and Neil Finnie
Owen Richards hails from Kent and began his sales career at Forrest Marketing Group in Sydney. After an 8-year stint, Owen returned to the UK and co-founded Air Marketing Group, growing it into a powerhouse offering specialist B2B sales and marketing solutions to businesses across the globe. Known for his relentless positivity and strategic foresight, Owen brings a wealth of experience and a knack for big ideas to the podcast.
Neil Finnie is your quintessential ‘wabi-sabi entrepreneur’ – flawed but beautiful in approach. With over 25 years of experience in nurturing businesses around his passions, from co-working spaces to professional development agencies, Neil’s unique perspective enriches our discussions, making each episode a treasure trove of insights.
What to Expect in this Week’s Episode
- Oasis vs. Blur: Which team were you on, and are you still chasing those Oasis tickets?
- Founders’ Insights: Discover why the early stages of launching a business are both the most challenging and thrilling times.
- Spotlight on Neil: After a month off, Neil is back, focusing on launching his new business, Career Habit Pro – a service designed to help build positive career habits seamlessly into your everyday routine.
- Career Habit Pro: From a 2-hour workshop to a year-long programme, find out how it supports those facing transitions like returning to work, a change in career, or redundancy. It’s the ultimate “rainy day plan.”
- Building a Brand: Why establishing trust is crucial for customer investment.
- Audience Expansion: How to break into new markets beyond your comfort zone.
Where and When to tune in
Catch new episodes every Wednesday:
Watch: On YouTube or via Air Marketing’s Knowledge Hub.
Listen: On Spotify, Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, TuneIn + Alexa, Deezer, and more.
Join us as we dive deep into the dynamics of running a business in today’s fast-paced world. Whether you’re seeking inspiration or practical advice, our podcast is your gateway to becoming more adept in the business arena.
Warning: Contains swearing
Introducing our 94th episode of ON AIR: With Owen - our podcast series for honest conversations about starting and scaling your own business, hosted by our Founder & CEO, Owen Richards, and his new co-host, Neil Finnie.
Meet Your Hosts: Owen Richards and Neil Finnie
Owen Richards hails from Kent and began his sales career at Forrest Marketing Group in Sydney. After an 8-year stint, Owen returned to the UK and co-founded Air Marketing Group, growing it into a powerhouse offering specialist B2B sales and marketing solutions to businesses across the globe. Known for his relentless positivity and strategic foresight, Owen brings a wealth of experience and a knack for big ideas to the podcast.
Neil Finnie is your quintessential ‘wabi-sabi entrepreneur’ - flawed but beautiful in approach. With over 25 years of experience in nurturing businesses around his passions, from co-working spaces to professional development agencies, Neil’s unique perspective enriches our discussions, making each episode a treasure trove of insights.
What to Expect in this Week's Episode
- Can leaders be both successful and nice, or does niceness hinder progress?
- Is the drive to be liked compromising your leadership effectiveness?
- We discuss famous leaders who master the art of kindness without sacrificing authority.
- Why saying "no" might actually make you a more effective leader.
- Consistency and clear communication: The keys to being respected, even when delivering tough feedback.
Where and When to tune in
Catch new episodes every Wednesday:
Watch: On YouTube or via Air Marketing's Knowledge Hub.
Listen: On Spotify, Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, TuneIn + Alexa, Deezer, and more.
Join us as we dive deep into the dynamics of running a business in today's fast-paced world. Whether you're seeking inspiration or practical advice, our podcast is your gateway to becoming more adept in the business arena.
Warning: Contains swearing
Introducing our 93rd episode of ON AIR: With Owen – our podcast series for honest conversations about starting and scaling your own business, hosted by our Founder & CEO, Owen Richards, and his new co-host, Neil Finnie.
Meet Your Hosts: Owen Richards and Neil Finnie
Owen Richards hails from Kent and began his sales career at Forrest Marketing Group in Sydney. After an 8-year stint, Owen returned to the UK and co-founded Air Marketing Group, growing it into a powerhouse offering specialist B2B sales and marketing solutions to businesses across the globe. Known for his relentless positivity and strategic foresight, Owen brings a wealth of experience and a knack for big ideas to the podcast.
Neil Finnie is your quintessential ‘wabi-sabi entrepreneur’ – flawed but beautiful in approach. With over 25 years of experience in nurturing businesses around his passions, from co-working spaces to professional development agencies, Neil’s unique perspective enriches our discussions, making each episode a treasure trove of insights.
What to Expect in this Week’s Episode
- Taking Breaks as Business Owners: The challenges and complexities of truly disconnecting from work as a founder.
- Capacity and Leadership Challenges: How reduced capacity from key employee departures and holiday seasons can impact a founder’s ability to take time off.
- Founders’ Involvement: Examining whether founders feel the need to stay deeply involved in their business to maintain a sense of importance and team connection.
- The HiPPO Effect: How the highest-paid person’s opinion can dominate decision-making, regardless of its validity.
- Empowering Your Team: The dual benefits of taking time off—both for personal rejuvenation and to set an example, and also giving your team the opportunity to solve problems independently.
Where and When to tune in
Catch new episodes every Wednesday:
Watch: On YouTube or via Air Marketing’s Knowledge Hub.
Listen: On Spotify, Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, TuneIn + Alexa, Deezer, and more.
Join us as we dive deep into the dynamics of running a business in today’s fast-paced world. Whether you’re seeking inspiration or practical advice, our podcast is your gateway to becoming more adept in the business arena.
Warning: Contains swearing
Introducing our 92nd episode of ON AIR: With Owen - our podcast series for honest conversations about starting and scaling your own business, hosted by our Founder & CEO, Owen Richards, and his new co-host, Neil Finnie.
Meet Your Hosts: Owen Richards and Neil Finnie
Owen Richards hails from Kent and began his sales career at Forrest Marketing Group in Sydney. After an 8-year stint, Owen returned to the UK and co-founded Air Marketing Group, growing it into a powerhouse offering specialist B2B sales and marketing solutions to businesses across the globe. Known for his relentless positivity and strategic foresight, Owen brings a wealth of experience and a knack for big ideas to the podcast.
Neil Finnie is your quintessential ‘wabi-sabi entrepreneur’ - flawed but beautiful in approach. With over 25 years of experience in nurturing businesses around his passions, from co-working spaces to professional development agencies, Neil’s unique perspective enriches our discussions, making each episode a treasure trove of insights.
What to Expect in this Week's Episode
This week we're joined by friend of the podcast Will Koning, co-founder and CEO of Meritt - an early-stage sales careers platform, linking talent with employers through AI assessments and free education.
Owen, Neil and Will discuss:
- Honest Reflections with Will: A heartfelt thank you to Will for his candid reflections on the highs and lows of running a business. His resilience, ambition, and drive shine through despite the challenges he’s faced.
- Mastering Co-Founder Dynamics: An insightful discussion on the trials and triumphs of co-founding a company, and how to effectively manage this crucial partnership. Will’s top tip: a consented ‘fake fight’ on a known disagreement can be a powerful test of your partnership before you fully commit!
- A Second Chance at Founding: Discover the inspiring story of a founder who, after losing his first business, returns stronger as a second-time founder with renewed insights and determination.
- Introducing Meritt: Meet Meritt, an innovative platform revolutionising early-stage sales careers. It offers training and career opportunities for job seekers, and role advertising and candidate assessments for employers. Meritt leverages AI to help employers identify a larger talent pool and reduce the time to hire by 15 days!
Where and When to tune in
Catch new episodes every Wednesday:
Watch: On YouTube or via Air Marketing's Knowledge Hub.
Listen: On Spotify, Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, TuneIn + Alexa, Deezer, and more.
Join us as we dive deep into the dynamics of running a business in today's fast-paced world. Whether you're seeking inspiration or practical advice, our podcast is your gateway to becoming more adept in the business arena.
Warning: Contains swearing
Introducing our 91st episode of ON AIR: With Owen - our podcast series for honest conversations about starting and scaling your own business, hosted by our Founder & CEO, Owen Richards, and his new co-host, Neil Finnie.
Meet Your Hosts: Owen Richards and Neil Finnie
Owen Richards hails from Kent and began his sales career at Forrest Marketing Group in Sydney. After an 8-year stint, Owen returned to the UK and co-founded Air Marketing Group, growing it into a powerhouse offering specialist B2B sales and marketing solutions to businesses across the globe. Known for his relentless positivity and strategic foresight, Owen brings a wealth of experience and a knack for big ideas to the podcast.
Neil Finnie is your quintessential ‘wabi-sabi entrepreneur’ - flawed but beautiful in approach. With over 25 years of experience in nurturing businesses around his passions, from co-working spaces to professional development agencies, Neil’s unique perspective enriches our discussions, making each episode a treasure trove of insights.
What to Expect in this Week's Episode
This week we're joined by Chris Bentley, founder of The Notworking Networking Club - a disruptive events company that's revolutionising networking with a strict no pitching rule.
Owen, Neil and Chris discuss:
- The Birth of The Notworking Networking Club: Discover the inspiration and vision behind the creation of this innovative networking community.
- Overcoming Event Management Hurdles: Chris delves into the challenges and triumphs in running an events company.
- Mastering the Art of Networking: Learn how Chris perfected his relationship-building skills to become a networking powerhouse.
- Defining Success: Chris explores what it means to him to be truly successful.
- Preview of The NOTTY’S Business Awards: Discover what’s in store for this year’s South West money can’t buy business awards.
Where and When to tune in
Catch new episodes every Wednesday:
Watch: On YouTube or via Air Marketing's Knowledge Hub.
Listen: On Spotify, Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, TuneIn + Alexa, Deezer, and more.
Join us as we dive deep into the dynamics of running a business in today's fast-paced world. Whether you're seeking inspiration or practical advice, our podcast is your gateway to becoming more adept in the business arena.
Warning: Contains swearing
Introducing our 90th episode of ON AIR: With Owen – our podcast series for honest conversations about starting and scaling your own business, hosted by our Founder & CEO, Owen Richards, and his new co-host, Neil Finnie.
Meet Your Hosts: Owen Richards and Neil Finnie
Owen Richards hails from Kent and began his sales career at Forrest Marketing Group in Sydney. After an 8-year stint, Owen returned to the UK and co-founded Air Marketing Group, growing it into a powerhouse offering specialist B2B sales and marketing solutions to businesses across the globe. Known for his relentless positivity and strategic foresight, Owen brings a wealth of experience and a knack for big ideas to the podcast.
Neil Finnie is your quintessential ‘wabi-sabi entrepreneur’ – flawed but beautiful in approach. With over 25 years of experience in nurturing businesses around his passions, from co-working spaces to professional development agencies, Neil’s unique perspective enriches our discussions, making each episode a treasure trove of insights.
What to Expect in this Week’s Episode
- Euros Review: Reflecting on the results and Southgate’s departure.
- Managing Leadership Changes: Strategies for handling the departure of key employees and maintaining stability.
- Timing the Announcement: Best practices for informing team members and clients about an employee’s departure.
- Removing the Stigma of Leaving: Transforming notice periods into positive experiences for everyone involved.
- Inside Career Habit Pro: Neil shares insights from his work helping organisations with their employees’ professional journeys.
- Career Planning and Transparency: The importance of clear progression goals for both companies and employees to prepare for change.
- Retain Your Talent: Training employees to foster experience and minimise turnover.
Where and When to tune in
Catch new episodes every Wednesday:
Watch: On YouTube or via Air Marketing’s Knowledge Hub.
Listen: On Spotify, Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, TuneIn + Alexa, Deezer, and more.
Join us as we dive deep into the dynamics of running a business in today’s fast-paced world. Whether you’re seeking inspiration or practical advice, our podcast is your gateway to becoming more adept in the business arena.
Warning: Contains swearing
Introducing our 89th episode of ON AIR: With Owen – our podcast series for honest conversations about starting and scaling your own business, hosted by our Founder & CEO, Owen Richards, and his new co-host, Neil Finnie.
Meet Your Hosts: Owen Richards and Neil Finnie
Owen Richards hails from Kent and began his sales career at Forrest Marketing Group in Sydney. After an 8-year stint, Owen returned to the UK and co-founded Air Marketing Group, growing it into a powerhouse offering specialist B2B sales and marketing solutions to businesses across the globe. Known for his relentless positivity and strategic foresight, Owen brings a wealth of experience and a knack for big ideas to the podcast.
Neil Finnie is your quintessential ‘wabi-sabi entrepreneur’ – flawed but beautiful in approach. With over 25 years of experience in nurturing businesses around his passions, from co-working spaces to professional development agencies, Neil’s unique perspective enriches our discussions, making each episode a treasure trove of insights.
What to Expect in this Week’s Episode
- Personal Triumph to Professional Growth: Inspired by Owen’s recent personal achievement, we dive into how coaching can drive success for business owners.
- Boosting Accountability and Focus: Discover the powerful role coaching can play in keeping you accountable and laser-focused on your goals.
- The Power of an External Mentor: Explore why you might find it easier to open up and grow with guidance from someone outside your immediate network.
- Defining Clear Goals: Learn how to maximise your coaching experience by setting and understanding your business objectives.
- Choosing the Right Coach: Find out how to select a coach who not only aligns with your mindset but also challenges you to reach new heights.
Where and When to tune in
Catch new episodes every Wednesday:
Watch: On YouTube or via Air Marketing’s Knowledge Hub.
Listen: On Spotify, Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, TuneIn + Alexa, Deezer, and more.
Join us as we dive deep into the dynamics of running a business in today’s fast-paced world. Whether you’re seeking inspiration or practical advice, our podcast is your gateway to becoming more adept in the business arena.
Warning: Contains swearing
Introducing our 88th episode of ON AIR: With Owen – our podcast series for honest conversations about starting and scaling your own business, hosted by our Founder & CEO, Owen Richards, and his new co-host, Neil Finnie.
Meet Your Hosts: Owen Richards and Neil Finnie
Owen Richards hails from Kent and began his sales career at Forrest Marketing Group in Sydney. After an 8-year stint, Owen returned to the UK and co-founded Air Marketing Group, growing it into a powerhouse offering specialist B2B sales and marketing solutions to businesses across the globe. Known for his relentless positivity and strategic foresight, Owen brings a wealth of experience and a knack for big ideas to the podcast.
Neil Finnie is your quintessential ‘wabi-sabi entrepreneur’ – flawed but beautiful in approach. With over 25 years of experience in nurturing businesses around his passions, from co-working spaces to professional development agencies, Neil’s unique perspective enriches our discussions, making each episode a treasure trove of insights.
What to Expect in this Week’s Episode
- Making the Best Impression: The importance of being in office for client visits and its positive impact on company client relationships and personal career progression.
- The Power of Acknowledgement: The significance of thanking those who show up and engage at work, and educating those who don’t.
- Diverse Objectives: Recognising that employees have different objectives and the challenge of aligning these with business goals.
- Building Cultural Connections: Remote working’s impact on relationship-building in the business.
Where and When to tune in
Catch new episodes every Wednesday:
Watch: On YouTube or via Air Marketing’s Knowledge Hub.
Listen: On Spotify, Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, TuneIn + Alexa, Deezer, and more.
Join us as we dive deep into the dynamics of running a business in today’s fast-paced world. Whether you’re seeking inspiration or practical advice, our podcast is your gateway to becoming more adept in the business arena.
Warning: Contains swearing
Introducing our 87th episode of ON AIR: With Owen – our podcast series for honest conversations about starting and scaling your own business, hosted by our Founder & CEO, Owen Richards, and his new co-host, Neil Finnie.
Meet Your Hosts: Owen Richards and Neil Finnie
Owen Richards hails from Kent and began his sales career at Forrest Marketing Group in Sydney. After an 8-year stint, Owen returned to the UK and co-founded Air Marketing Group, growing it into a powerhouse offering specialist B2B sales and marketing solutions to businesses across the globe. Known for his relentless positivity and strategic foresight, Owen brings a wealth of experience and a knack for big ideas to the podcast.
Neil Finnie is your quintessential ‘wabi-sabi entrepreneur’ – flawed but beautiful in approach. With over 25 years of experience in nurturing businesses around his passions, from co-working spaces to professional development agencies, Neil’s unique perspective enriches our discussions, making each episode a treasure trove of insights.
What to Expect in this Week’s Episode
- Flexibility for Business Owners: The challenge of maintaining routine while managing a business and tips for staying organised amidst fluid schedules.
- Integrating Personal and Professional Calendars: Benefits of using tools like Outlook for managing both work and personal commitments in order to avoid conflicts and omissions.
- The Inevitability of Human Error: Accepting that mistakes happen, even with robust organisational systems in place, and the importance of handling them gracefully rather than covering them up.
- Navigating Workday Challenges: Strategies for balancing time between meetings and personal task completion.
- Managing Notifications and Alerts: Utilising out-of-office notifications effectively to manage expectations and communicate availability.
Where and When to tune in
Catch new episodes every Wednesday:
Watch: On YouTube or via Air Marketing’s Knowledge Hub.
Listen: On Spotify, Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, TuneIn + Alexa, Deezer, and more.
Join us as we dive deep into the dynamics of running a business in today’s fast-paced world. Whether you’re seeking inspiration or practical advice, our podcast is your gateway to becoming more adept in the business arena.
Warning: Contains swearing
Introducing our 86th episode of ON AIR: With Owen – our podcast series for honest conversations about starting and scaling your own business, hosted by our Founder & CEO, Owen Richards, and his new co-host, Neil Finnie.
Meet Your Hosts: Owen Richards and Neil Finnie
Owen Richards hails from Kent and began his sales career at Forrest Marketing Group in Sydney. After an 8-year stint, Owen returned to the UK and co-founded Air Marketing Group, growing it into a powerhouse offering specialist B2B sales and marketing solutions to businesses across the globe. Known for his relentless positivity and strategic foresight, Owen brings a wealth of experience and a knack for big ideas to the podcast.
Neil Finnie is your quintessential ‘wabi-sabi entrepreneur’ – flawed but beautiful in approach. With over 25 years of experience in nurturing businesses around his passions, from co-working spaces to professional development agencies, Neil’s unique perspective enriches our discussions, making each episode a treasure trove of insights.
What to Expect in this Week’s Episode
- The Power of Face-to-Face Interactions: Why being in person enhances communication, builds stronger relationships and leads to success.
- Co-Working Benefits: How spontaneous interactions in shared spaces spark creativity and collaboration.
- In-Person Client Visits: Weighing the benefits of visiting clients against virtual meetings for winning business.
- Post-COVID Career Tips: The crucial role of in-person experience for young professionals in building confidence and growing careers.
- Euro 2024 Fever: Owen and Neil’s excitement for the upcoming UEFA Euro 2024 tournament!
Where and When to tune in
Catch new episodes every Wednesday:
Watch: On YouTube or via Air Marketing’s Knowledge Hub.
Listen: On Spotify, Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, TuneIn + Alexa, Deezer, and more.
Join us as we dive deep into the dynamics of running a business in today’s fast-paced world. Whether you’re seeking inspiration or practical advice, our podcast is your gateway to becoming more adept in the business arena.
Warning: Contains swearing
Introducing our 85th episode of ON AIR: With Owen – our podcast series for honest conversations about starting and scaling your own business, hosted by our Founder & CEO, Owen Richards, and his new co-host, Neil Finnie.
Meet Your Hosts: Owen Richards and Neil Finnie
Owen Richards hails from Kent and began his sales career at Forrest Marketing Group in Sydney. After an 8-year stint, Owen returned to the UK and co-founded Air Marketing Group, growing it into a powerhouse offering specialist B2B sales and marketing solutions to businesses across the globe. Known for his relentless positivity and strategic foresight, Owen brings a wealth of experience and a knack for big ideas to the podcast.
Neil Finnie is your quintessential ‘wabi-sabi entrepreneur’ – flawed but beautiful in approach. With over 25 years of experience in nurturing businesses around his passions, from co-working spaces to professional development agencies, Neil’s unique perspective enriches our discussions, making each episode a treasure trove of insights.
What to Expect in this Week’s Episode
- Navigating Business During Illness: How do you keep the wheels turning when unexpected sickness strikes? Owen and Neil talk about the delicate balance between powering through and knowing when to take a step back to recover.
- The Double-Edged Sword of Job Stacking: A debate on the pros and cons of job stacking and how it can affect productivity and employee loyalty.
- Creating Inclusive Workplace Policies: The duo highlight the importance of creating inclusive and adaptable workplace policies to accommodate diverse employee needs.
- Innovative Leave Solutions: Owen and Neil rethink traditional leave policies and explore the idea of combining sick and annual leave into a flexible, all-in-one pool. Plus, they tackle the challenges small businesses face with the concept of unlimited leave or a four-day workweek.
- Flexibility for Unplanned Events: Hear about the importance of allowing employees to take time off at short notice for life’s unexpected moments, all while keeping business operations smooth and efficient.
Where and When to tune in
Catch new episodes every Wednesday:
Watch: On YouTube or via Air Marketing’s Knowledge Hub.
Listen: On Spotify, Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, TuneIn + Alexa, Deezer, and more.
Join us as we dive deep into the dynamics of running a business in today’s fast-paced world. Whether you’re seeking inspiration or practical advice, our podcast is your gateway to becoming more adept in the business arena.
Warning: Contains swearing
Introducing our 84th episode of ON AIR: With Owen – our podcast series for honest conversations about starting and scaling your own business, hosted by our Founder & CEO, Owen Richards, and his new co-host, Neil Finnie.
Meet Your Hosts: Owen Richards and Neil Finnie
Owen Richards hails from Kent and began his sales career at Forrest Marketing Group in Sydney. After an 8-year stint, Owen returned to the UK and co-founded Air Marketing Group, growing it into a powerhouse offering specialist B2B sales and marketing solutions to businesses across the globe. Known for his relentless positivity and strategic foresight, Owen brings a wealth of experience and a knack for big ideas to the podcast.
Neil Finnie is your quintessential ‘wabi-sabi entrepreneur’ – flawed but beautiful in approach. With over 25 years of experience in nurturing businesses around his passions, from co-working spaces to professional development agencies, Neil’s unique perspective enriches our discussions, making each episode a treasure trove of insights.
What to Expect in this Week’s Episode
- Navigating business turbulence: Strategies for adapting to unforeseen challenges.
- Owen and Neil share their go-to sources of support when business plans go awry.
- Managing debtors: Effective strategies for resolving issues amicably for both parties.
Where and When to tune in
Catch new episodes every Wednesday:
Watch: On YouTube or via Air Marketing’s Knowledge Hub.
Listen: On Spotify, Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, TuneIn + Alexa, Deezer, and more.
Join us as we dive deep into the dynamics of running a business in today’s fast-paced world. Whether you’re seeking inspiration or practical advice, our podcast is your gateway to becoming more adept in the business arena.
Warning: Contains swearing
Introducing our 83rd episode of ON AIR: With Owen – our podcast series for honest conversations about starting and scaling your own business, hosted by our Founder & CEO, Owen Richards, and his new co-host, Neil Finnie.
Meet Your Hosts: Owen Richards and Neil Finnie
Owen Richards hails from Kent and began his sales career at Forrest Marketing Group in Sydney. After an 8-year stint, Owen returned to the UK and co-founded Air Marketing Group, growing it into a powerhouse offering specialist B2B sales and marketing solutions to businesses across the globe. Known for his relentless positivity and strategic foresight, Owen brings a wealth of experience and a knack for big ideas to the podcast.
Neil Finnie is your quintessential ‘wabi-sabi entrepreneur’ – flawed but beautiful in approach. With over 25 years of experience in nurturing businesses around his passions, from co-working spaces to professional development agencies, Neil’s unique perspective enriches our discussions, making each episode a treasure trove of insights.
What to Expect in this Week’s Episode
- Hear about Neil’s recent experiences working in vibrant Barcelona with NexGen Careers.
- It’s Air’s first wedding! Owen and Neil dive into the dynamics of workplace relationships.
- Navigating the current market landscape: Are businesses leaning towards optimism or pessimism for the remainder of 2024?
- Tackling the tough topic of redundancy: Truthful stories about managing workforce downsizing.
Where and When to tune in
Catch new episodes every Wednesday:
Watch: On YouTube or via Air Marketing’s Knowledge Hub.
Listen: On Spotify, Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, TuneIn + Alexa, Deezer, and more.
Join us as we dive deep into the dynamics of running a business in today’s fast-paced world. Whether you’re seeking inspiration or practical advice, our podcast is your gateway to becoming more adept in the business arena.
Warning: Contains swearing
We're excited to unveil the revitalised version of the ON AIR: With Owen podcast, now with a more fluid, engaging format that resonates with the ever-evolving business landscape. "Honest Conversations: The Real Truths About Starting and Scaling Your Own Business" aims to mesh the immediacy of real-world events with timeless business wisdom. This new style is not just a change; it’s an evolution aimed at making the podcast more organic, relevant, and influenced by external factors such as politics and current affairs - elements that profoundly impact real-world business operations and strategies.
Meet Your Hosts: Owen Richards and Neil Finnie
Owen Richards hails from Kent and began his sales career at Forrest Marketing Group in Sydney. After an 8-year stint, Owen returned to the UK and co-founded Air Marketing Group, growing it into a powerhouse offering specialist B2B sales and marketing solutions to businesses across the globe. Known for his relentless positivity and strategic foresight, Owen brings a wealth of experience and a knack for big ideas to the podcast.
Neil Finnie is your quintessential ‘wabi-sabi entrepreneur’ - flawed but beautiful in approach. With over 25 years of experience in nurturing businesses around his passions, from co-working spaces to professional development agencies, Neil’s unique perspective enriches our discussions, making each episode a treasure trove of insights.
What to Expect
Listeners can anticipate a series of engaging, thought-provoking episodes where honesty meets ambition. Whether you’re a startup enthusiast or a seasoned executive, our podcast will provide valuable insights into navigating business complexities with agility and foresight.
Where and When to tune in
Catch new episodes every Wednesday:
Watch: On YouTube or via Air Marketing's Knowledge Hub.
Listen: On Spotify, Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, TuneIn + Alexa, Deezer, and more.
Join us as we dive deep into the dynamics of running a business in today's fast-paced world. Whether you're seeking inspiration or practical advice, our podcast is your gateway to becoming more adept in the business arena.
Warning: Contains swearing
Our 81st guest is Andy McCreadie, Managing Director at Sandler South West.
Owen and Andy discuss the challenges that sales teams face as they grow.
Including:
– Why do salespeople fail?
– What mistakes are sales leaders making in the current environment?
– The do’s and don’ts of growing out a sales team
– The crucial shift shift every salesperson must make to start seeing results
– What sales leaders and managers should be doing to support their teams
– The important role training and coaching plays in an SDR’s development
Our 80th guest is Arden Styles, CCO at CEGEN Environmental Group.
Owen and Arden have a discussion around discovering the true essence of a brand.
Including:
– What ‘brand essence’ means and why it’s important
– Real life examples of brand essence
– How brand essence can represent much more than the product you are selling
– How brand essence works in a B2B environment
– Increasing the degree of certainty: what it means and why it’s important for your clients
– How to define the essence of your brand, and at what stage it should be done
– Aligning a personal brand with an organisation’s brand, and the part digital presence plays
– The know, like, trust funnel
– The types of content a marketer should be producing to promote the essence of the brand
– Real life examples of marketing campaigns that have done this effectively
Our 78th guest is David Allison, Founder of The Valuegraphics Project.
Owen and David discuss how tapping into customers core values can unlock the ability to understand them on a deeper level and influence them more effectively.
Including:
– The difference between demographics and valuegraphics
– How to use valuegraphics effectively
– The concept of humans being values-driven
– 3 key questions to ask your potential customers to reveal their core values
– Getting to the ‘why’
– Demographic dominance
– How old habits need to change around targeting your ideal customer
– The most common values from around the world
Our 79th guest is Adam Graham, Managing Director at Gray Matters and Founder of BD Matters.
Owen and Adam discuss the topic of diagnosing the root cause of sales inefficiency and offer practical solutions to address it.
Including:
– Most common factors behind sales underperformance
– The ideal mindset and culture of a leadership team
– Common mistakes vs quick wins of positioning and branding
– Pros and cons of being niche and the internal challenges that brings
– Getting buy-in from your sales team
– Go-to-market strategy: what’s working and what’s not in 2023
Our 77th guest is Shaun Doherty, Owner of the555club.
Owen and Shaun discuss making space for clarity of thought, alleviating stress and being intentionally grateful; and how these things can elevate our lives both professionally and personally.
Including:
– Tools and techniques for managing stress, mental health and wellbeing
– Living with stress and why it can be a good thing
– the555club: Breathwork, Meditation, Gratitude – what are they and how to use them
– How to differentiate yourself from your thoughts
– The responsibility on employers to promote and enable mental wellbeing in the workplace
– The misconceptions around meditation
– The importance of taking care of your body physically
– Things Shaun would do differently if he were to go back and do the last 10 years again
Our 76th guest is Dale Dupree, Founder & CSO of The Sales Rebellion.
Owen and Dale discuss how to ‘sell more and suck less’.
Including:
– An introduction to Dale and The Sales Rebellion
– How to stand out as an SDR in a crowded market
– The ideal traits and skills of a high performing SDR
– Advice for dealing with rejection, failure and lack of confidence
– Most common things that sales reps do which ‘suck’
– The importance of humanising your sales strategy
– The Sales Rebellion’s ‘R.E.A.S.O.N.’ theory
Our 74th guest is Alastair Banks, Co-Founder at Optix Solutions.
Alastair and Owen discuss personal brand – how any salesperson trying to drive new business can build a personal brand and use it to their advantage.
Including:
– An introduction to Alastair and Optix Solutions
– Why would an SDR/Account Executive/Head of Sales/Founder spend time building a personal brand, when they could be out selling?
– How long does it take to build a personal brand, and are there quick wins along the way
– For junior-mid level roles, how do you decide on a tone of voice for your personal brand?
– How do you decide on the right channels for your personal brand?
– What does good personal brand content look like?
– How to build and reach your target audience
Our 75th guests are Julia Nimchinski (Co-Founder & CEO at HYPCCCYCL) and Justin Michael (Co-Founder at HYPCCCYCL).
They discuss alignment of sales and marketing teams; the role of salespeople as marketers and vice versa; and how today’s business world can benefit from customer-centric virtual events.
Including:
– How to truly align your sales and marketing teams
– The role of salespeople as marketers and vice versa
– Benefits of customer-centric virtual events
– Encouraging sales and marketing teams to learn from each other
– The journey from SDR to marketer and vice versa
– Tips for fostering collaboration among sales teams
– Generating pipeline and revenue through virtual events
– The best tech stack for modern virtual events
– What it takes to run a customer-centric event
– The book ‘Reinventing Virtual Events‘ – why you should read it and where to find it.
Our 73rd guest is James Shakespeare, Founder at Evosite.
James and Owen discuss the various growth stages along the journey of growing a small business (SME).
Including:
– Key challenges along the journey of growing a small business
– When does your business outgrow your first 5-10 hires?
– Intentional desire and ambition to grow, and how that mindset can change over time
– Focusing on sales and marketing strategy vs. relying on organic growth
– Letting go of control as a Founder and utilising your leadership team
– James’ best and worst business decisions over the last 15 years
Our 72nd guest is Kate King, Head of Recruitment at Seed Talent.
Kate and Owen discuss the world of SDR recruitment, as it looks now.
Including:
– Who is Kate and who are Seed Talent?
– The current state of SDR recruitment and how it’s changed in the last 12 months
– What does it look like heading into 2023?
– What’s working and what isn’t for organisations growing out their SDR functions
– The soft skills recruiters look for which make a good SDR
– What the top companies are doing to differentiate themselves when recruiting for SDRs
– The importance of culture and employer brand when recruiting for SDRs
– The ideal hiring process: speed vs. quality
– Kate’s ‘SDR shopping list’: three things SDRs should do before applying for SDR roles
Our 71st guest is Adam Weekes, Sales Lead for EMEA at Bigtincan.
Adam and Owen discuss prospecting via email.
Including:
– The do’s and don’ts when prospecting via email
– The current trends around sales enablement
– How salespeople are using data to make decisions at a strategic management level vs rep level
– Where Adam has seen the most success with email prospecting in 2022
– Adam’s top-secret recipe for email prospecting
– How to personalise your emails in an authentic way
– The best types of content to include in your prospecting emails
– Open rates, reply rates, booked meeting rates – what does good look like?
Our 70th guest is John Richardson, Founder & CEO at ExP.
John and Owen discuss all things coaching for SDRs.
Including:
– What is coaching and why should managers be doing it?
– The differences between training and coaching an SDR
– How to coach effectively and productively
– How to guarantee training sessions are not wasted
– How does external coaching work?
– How SDR managers’ roles have evolved over the last 10 years
– 1-2-1 coaching vs. group coaching
Our 69th guest is Robert Smart, Enterprise Account Executive at Haiilo.
Owen and Robert have an interesting discussion about Ideal Customer Profile (ICP).
Including:
– The definition and purpose of an ICP
– What elements define and document your ICP
– A new concept: Acceptable Client Profile (ACP)
– The downfalls of a scatter-gun prospecting approach
– How your prospecting time could be better spent with research & data
– How to approach a broad ICP from a targeting perspective
– Deviating from the ICP plan – should it be done?
– How to validate your thesis for your target market
– Scenario: How to deal with an inbound enquiry that does not fit within your ICP
Our 68th guest is Jack Shepherd, Co-Founder at The Social Shepherd.
Owen and Jack have an in-depth discussion around ‘demand capture’ and ‘demand creation’.
Including:
– Definition of the terms ‘Demand Capture’ and ‘Demand Creation’
– The main differences between the two tactics
– When you should focus on one over the other, and when to leverage both
– Difference in quality of opportunities and how they behave when coming from capture vs creation
– Insight into The Social Shepherd’s marketing strategy in the early days
Our 67th guest is Omri Chosnek – Regional Sales Director at Salesforce.
Owen and Omri have an “all about sales” discussion…
Covering:
– Salesforce’s strategy for Demand Generation
– The biggest challenges for sales leaders in today’s economy
– Managing a multigenerational and multicultural workforce
– Dealing with buyer hesitation and delayed decisions in the sales process
– Big changes that have impacted what Salesforce are focusing on in 2022
Our 65th guest is Nicki Paterson, Chief Growth Officer of Solutions Driven.
Owen and Nicki discuss the importance of a growth plan in a business.
Including:
- What a growth plan is
- The importance of being informed by data and the important metrics when it comes to growth
- Nicki’s take on demand vs headcount growth
Our 64th guest is Charles Smee, Founder & CEO of Transaction Focus.
Owen and Charles discuss best practices for expanding your business into international markets and territories.
Including:
– Most common reasons for companies choosing to explore new territories
– Misconceptions around moving into international markets
– Frequent mistakes made by leaders when breaking into new markets
– Adapting to cultural differences in business around the world and adjusting internal company culture accordingly
– How to ensure you are recruiting the right people in different countries
– Are there certain countries or markets which are easier to break into than others?
– Setting expectations for the ‘bedding in’ period
– Three key bits of advice for leaders who are considering taking their organisation global
Our 63rd guest is Chris Loveridge, Regional Sales Manager for EMEA at BigPanda, previously Account Director at SAP Customer Experience.
Owen and Chris discuss leveraging the team around you through a sales process and managing the politics within enterprise.
Including:
– What are you typically doing and who are you working with through an enterprise sales process?
– Who is accountable for the end result?
– How to effectively manage internal and external relationships and how you should split your time and effort between the two
– The most common politics you have to navigate through an enterprise sales process
– When and why you would break the process
– How to get an ‘A-team’ on board
– In-fighting: what does it mean, when do you tend to experience it and could it be a good thing?
Introducing our 62nd episode of ON AIR: With Owen – our latest interview video series with honest conversation about scaling revenue, hosted by our Founder & CEO, Owen Richards.
Our 62nd guest is Kevin Dixon, Founder of Boxxstep. Owen and Kevin discuss a brand new topic: Buyer Enablement.
Including:
– What does it mean, where has it come from and why are we talking about it?
– No-decision outcomes: how they’ve changed over the last 15 years and how to avoid them
– How to get a sales representative to change their mindset to focus on “why change? why now?” instead of “why us?”
– What actions should you take when focusing on buyer enablement?
– What a good ‘mutual action plan’ looks like
– Why it’s important to evaluate the decision-making process, whatever the outcome
– The downfall of rigid sales processes
– How to stand out and find the right customers in the sales tech space in 2022
– Buying committees: how are they broken down and what are the common profiles you see within them?
Our 61st guest is Conrad Ford, Chief Product & Strategy Officer at Allica Bank.
Owen and Conrad discuss selling into SMEs – the differences; the challenges; what works and what doesn’t.
Including:
– Why is it important to sell in a different way to SMEs?
– How SMEs are misunderstood and underrepresented in society
– The dos and don’ts of selling to SMEs
– Commons mistakes Conrad has made or seen made by others
– Spotting signals in data to talk to the right businesses, at the right time
– The defining factors of successful salespeople in SMEs compared to enterprise
– The need for ‘gravitas’ in enterprise sales
– Where does process come in when selling to SMEs?
– The evolution of CRM platforms
– What marketing teams can do to assist sales teams in selling to SMEs
– The resilience needed to work in the small business segment
Our 60th guest is Mark Ackers, Sales Director at Allego.
Owen and Mark discuss why SDRs often fail to become effective AEs.
Including:
– Mark’s journey from SDR to AE and how failure contributed to his success
– The difference between a high performing SDR and an AE
– The top reasons SDRs fail to become good AEs
– The danger of promoting an SDR too early
– The things Managers can do to help their current SDRs become good AEs in the future
– The things SDRs can do themselves to make the transition as smooth as possible
Our 59th guest is Will Holden, Co-Founder at Vidu.
Owen and Will discuss how to use Gifs, memes, and all forms of creative media effectively in your sales process and outreach.
Including:
– The definitions of memes and Gifs
– How creative media works and when you should be using it
– Examples of creative media that has worked and not worked well
– The personas that work well with creative media
– How to keep creative media fresh and engaging
– How to integrate creative media with other channels
– Who should be using Vidu
Our 57th guest is Anup Khera, VP & GM International at Attentive.
Owen and Anup discuss the dos and don’ts of scaling an organisation internationally.
Including:
– The importance of spending time getting to know the team and understanding the business
– The importance of hiring when building a go-to-market strategy
– The things Anup would definitely replicate and the mistakes he would avoid making again
– The ‘thinking like a CEO’ mindset and why it’s important
– How to maintain culture and collaboration with your team, wherever they are in the world
– The benefits of being on the front line as a leader and being involved in deals
– Avoiding the temptation of hiring the wrong candidates, too quickly
Our 58th guest is Tim Hughes, Co-Founder and CEO at DLA Ignite.
Owen and Tim discuss social selling and digital transformation in sales.
Including:
– Tim’s take on digital transformation in sales
– What is “life content” and why you should be posting it on LinkedIn
– The biggest social selling trends in 2022
– Why being yourself is the most important thing when it comes to social selling successfully
– What’s more important when social selling – quality vs quantity
Our 56th guest is Tom Bianchi, VP of Marketing for EMEA at Acquia.
Owen and Tom discuss the difference between creating demand and capturing demand.
Including:
– At what stage in your business journey would you use each of these strategies?
– Does every organisation go through the same process and journey?
– What types of things should a company be doing in the early stages i.e. ‘creating demand’
– The types of things you should be doing in the ‘capturing demand’ phase
– How quality and quality come into play at each phase
– How to measure success in each phase
– The journey in switching from one mode to the other, and how messaging & process need to change
– The common mistake of applying the same strategy to all markets and why good self-awareness is important
– Moving faster than is comfortable – getting from ‘create’ to ‘capture’ much quicker
– Improving how you score your leads
– Why brand awareness is important at the ‘creating demand’ stage
– What metrics are important to Acquia right now and the tactics changed along the way
– The internal challenges within sales & marketing teams when switching modes
Our 55th guest is James Isilay, CEO of Cognism.
Owen and James have an inspiring conversation around Cognism’s start-up journey, since being founded in 2015, to becoming one of the fastest growing SaaS companies in the world.
Including:
– Lessons learned from Cognism’s start-up journey, since being founded in 2015
– How having an experienced mentor from the get-go can keep your start-up alive
– Cognism’s outbound strategy and how it has played a key role in their growth
– How a strategy evolves over time with bringing key people into a business
– Go-to-market strategy: the best strategies and channels for scaling a business
– At which stage should you have certainty and start to rely on outbound metrics?
– Why James believes the phone is the most effective tool you can use in outbound sales
– What motivates James to keep going 6 years into the journey
Our 54th guest is Tom Lavery, Founder & CEO at Jiminny.
Owen and Tom discuss the learnings that come from the first five years of a start-up business.
Including:
– What does it feel like to be a founder in the early days of a start-up?
– Why do so many startups fail?
– What Jiminny got right and what Tom would do differently if he were starting out again
– Is there a snowball effect once you get past £1-2m revenue?
– Is there a bigger margin for error, the bigger a company gets?
– Product development; sales or people – at what stages should you invest in these elements?
– Operational, tactical or strategic – is there a right balance for a Founder?
– When is the right time to let go of certain responsibilities as a Founder?
Our 53rd guest is Mike Hann, EVP of Revenue at fabric.
Owen and Mike discuss the notion of sales leaders adapting to business expansion, by moving away from first line management, towards a more strategic approach, in pursuit of revenue growth.
Including:
– Introduction to Mike and the story of fabric
– What effecting revenue looks like in the early days of a start-up, and how that adapts and changes over time
– How aspiring sales leaders can benefit from the experience of being in more deals for longer
– How being a remote leader can add to the challenge of effecting revenue
– Which strategies to adopt to successfully expand operations into new territories
– Ways to shape new, less-experienced SDRs to adopt the culture of the business
– The challenges of hiring fresh talent remotely, in a fast-growing business
– Why revenue leaders are choosing to do smaller off-sites, more often
Our 52nd guest is Lauren Wright, VP of Revenue at Demodesk.
Owen and Lauren discuss remote, hybrid and in-office working, and whether there is a ‘right’ blend for a sales organization.
Including:
– The longevity of remote working – will it last forever?
– How we treat in-office time in 2022 vs. how we treated it prior to the pandemic
– Why leaders have a responsibility to be present, just as much as SDRs
– How to manage push-back from your sales team about returning to the office
– Did employers react to the pandemic and switch to remote working too quickly?
– How remote recruiting increased the talent pool during the pandemic
– Tools we can use utilize to keep transparency around remote team performance
– The euphoria of stepping onto a sales floor, and how Demodesk have re-created the experience in a virtual world
Our 50th guest is Morgan Ingram, Director of Sales Execution & Evolution at JB Sales Training.
He explains how, in order to break through the noise, you have to be different to the noise, and provides his tips on how to achieve this.
Morgan and Owen also discuss:
• The best channel for outreach (in Morgan’s opinion)
• Cold calling: The negative feelings towards it vs. the data which validates it still works
• The things you could be doing to break through the noise and set yourself apart from the rest
• How to encourage SDRs to take responsibility for their own learning journey
• Pros & cons of quick sales hacks vs. playing the long game
• The benefits of time blocking and what to focus on
• The components & framework of a successful cold call
• How pauses during a cold call allow you to navigate the call better
• Cold call intro’s that answer the two most important questions: Who are you and what do you want?
Our 51st guest is Andy Champion, GM for EMEA at Highspot.
Owen and Andy discuss how creating a culture of coaching puts a deliberate focus on helping people to thrive at what they do.
Including:
– The main benefits of creating a culture of coaching
– The impact good coaching can have on talent retention rates
– Types of activities that fall under the category of coaching
– When to invest in coaching & how to measure it over a short period of time
– How to increase & measure the level of engagement with SDRs
– The optimum percentage of an SDR’s time that should be spent learning
– The basic tenets of coaching: what good and bad looks like
– How to mentor your team effectively & develop your own style of leadership
– Stimulating organic peer-to-peer coaching
– Individual contributor’s responsibility to self-coach & how leaders can encourage this.
Our 49th guest is Sunil Kumar, Co-Founder & CEO of the successful start-up, Trainyo.
Sunil tells Owen how the business has seen so much success in such a short period of time, what they have prioritized, and what he considers the most important element to focus on, in the next 6-12 months, to maintain that success.
Including:
– An introduction to Sunil, Trainyo and the services they offer
– Trainyo’s journey so far and the learnings we can all take from it
– What the planning phase of a start-up looks like; the things you need to consider and executing the plan
– The emotions and feelings commonly felt as a Founder or CEO of a start-up in the early stages
– How to build a brand in the community when you are a small company with very few voices
– Tips for producing good content and communication techniques Trainyo use internally to ensure their content is consistently fresh and creative
– The challenges of hiring and onboarding for a start-up, and what to prepare for – What to look for in people when recruiting for new roles, and the common threads that Sunil has identified as important in his team
Our 48th guest is Ari Galper, the World's #1 Authority on Trust-Based Selling and CEO of Unlock The Sales Game.
Ari talks to Owen about the trust-building approach in sales, contrary to the relationship-building approach we see in traditional selling, and how this method can end the chasing game and improve your conversion rate.
Including:
- What is trust-based selling and how does it differ to typical selling?
- The 'shift in mindset' required for trust-based selling
- Why getting the truth out of a prospect is so important
- Improving your conversion rate with trust-building methods
- How to structure a cold call and the types of language you should use
- How to differentiate your company based on your approach to the market
- How to build trust in the discovery/nurture phase specifically
Our 47th guest is Guy Rubin, Founder and CEO at Ebsta.
Owen and Guy discuss the impact engagement has on sales revenue and how being data-driven is necessary in order to scale your business.
Including:
- Insight into Ebsta's 2022 B2B Sales Benchmark Report and how they pull the data together
- The steps you should be taking to obtain data certainty
- Onboarding new clients, understanding their DNA and what success looks like on an individual basis
- Understanding buyer behaviour
- How psychology and fear of failure play a part in the number of days it takes SDRs to close a deal as 'closed lost', in comparison to a deal that is 'closed won'
- Why a leadership team should be enabling their sales reps to close lost deals faster (in order to laser-focus on the opportunities that need attention)
- Drilling data down into one single metric and how it helps SDRs to adopt change
- Overcoming the challenges of getting your sales team to adopt new data points and utilise CRM properly
Our 45th guest is Jason Baskaran, Sales Director at GetAccept.
Owen and Jason discuss New Business vs. Account Based growth – where should we focus our efforts?
Including:
- An intro to Jason, GetAccept, and how they help businesses create an online sales environment to close those all important deals
- The role that authenticity and human relationships play within account/retention based growth
- How to expand an account once it’s in the business
- The difference between an Account Manager and a Customer Success role, and the misconceptions around the two job titles
- The top things to focus on as an Account Manager when first taking on a new client
- Why it’s important to reach a native level of trust with your client ASAP
- The optimum number of key stakeholders you should have on your radar
- Tips for objection handling in sales
Our 46th guest is Will Koning, CEO and Founder of SaaSLeads.io.
Owen and Will discuss the notion of outsourcing your SDRs vs. building an inhouse sales team, and when is the right time to leverage both.
Including:
- Recognising when to run an SDR function externally, and when to hire internally
- The likenesses and the differences in the journeys of both
- An overview of the challenges in the current climate of hiring talented SDRs
- How to solve a talent attraction challenge for a smaller businesses
- How to solve a talent retention issue for larger businesses
- How to keep your talent engaged to ultimately drive pipeline and revenue
- The importance of sales and marketing alignment in order to grow revenue
- Getting through to key stakeholders and managing expectations
- How solving your pipeline challenge leads to fixing your revenue problem
Our 44th guest is Rebecca Drew, EMEA Sales Leader at Vidyard.
Owen and Rebecca discuss team building and expanding businesses into new territories.
Including:
– Who is Rebecca and who are Vidyard?
– What is involved in building and a diverse and successful team, and how you enable that team
– The four things to look for when hiring into a business
– What is working well and what hasn’t worked so well in Rebecca’s EMEA journey
– The challenges that have been overcome and the challenges ahead with expanding into Europe
– The top three things Vidyard are focusing on over the next 12 months for brand exposure
– How to achieve a connection and build a strong culture within remote teams
– How to ensure you get the best out of brand partnerships
– Making your brand programme stand out from competitors
– The ideal ‘Go To Market’ Strategy
Our 43rd guest is Liz Fulham, CEO & Founder at TAMI.
Owen and Liz discuss all things Email Marketing.
Including:
- Who TAMI are and how they can help organizations scale and go global
- The do’s and don’ts of email marketing
- When email marketing should or shouldn’t be a part of your marketing strategy
- The cornerstones of B2B strategies
- Tips to achieve higher email open rates
- Who to target with your emails
- What to look out for when purchasing data from data vendors
- How to use data segmentation in your email campaigns
-The purpose and focus areas of E-commerce
Our 42nd guest is Chris Hatfield, Founder of Sales Psyche.
Owen and Chris discuss the ‘taboo’ subject of Mental Health, Wellbeing and Mindset, specifically in the sales industry and we’ll hear how Sales Psyche works to address and support the issue.
Including:
- Who is Chris, who are Sales Psyche and what is their story?
- Why it’s important to talk about mental health in the workplace
- The ways in which feelings of anxiety can evolve when running a business and how you can harness those emotions to benefit from them
- The changes in sales leaders’ approach, attitude & mindset towards mental wellbeing and stress management over the last 15 years
- The misconceptions around mental health in a sales environment
- The benefits of enrolling your sales team onto a training programme to support and develop their mental wellbeing, mindset and performance
Connect with Owen and Chris on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/owenjrichards/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrishatfieldsalespsyche/
Our 41st guest is Kate Bradley Chernis, Co-Founder & CEO of LatelyAI.
Owen and Kate discuss the Lately platform which claims to achieve a genuine sales conversion rate of 98% using Artificial Intelligence and how Sales & Marketing Alignment play a part in that.
They talk about:
-
How Lately uses A.I. to produce engaging content
-
How collaboration between teams can achieve higher sales conversion rates
-
Lead Generation from Sales & Marketing alignment
-
The types of social content that does and doesn’t work
-
Why MRR should not be considered a key metric for a successful business
-
SaaS and why some salespeople believe it’s methods are ‘broken’ or outdated
-
How to turn Listeners into Fans/Customers
-
What sales organisations want to achieve from content marketing
Our 40th guest is Wendy Harris, Head of EMEA at Gong.
Owen and Wendy explore Revenue Intelligence and how ‘unlocking reality’ can help drive your business.
They dive deep into:
- Revenue Intelligence – what does it mean and why should sales leaders care about it?
-The Gong journey and what it can do for Sales Leaders around Europe
-
Launching into EMEA; what you need to do and what you’re likely to get wrong
-
Busting sales myths – True or False ‘You should never mention price on the first call’?
-
Discovery call do’s and don'ts
-
Understanding the burdens of onboarding
-
Remote vs in-person working
Our CEO and Founder, Owen Richards, joins Dan Holt, Managing Director of Boss Digital, on his popular 'Boss to Boss' podcast.
Owen provides insight around what it takes to build a world class outbound sales function in 2022.
Including:
- Traits that define the world’s best telesales professionals
- The channels which should sit alongside a telesales strategy in the digital age
- When to expect the “death of B2B telesales”
Our 39th guest is Susie Mathieson, Founder of The Small Stuff.
Owen and Susie discuss the Psychology around Communication and the role that plays in the sales process.
With a particular focus on:
-
Communication within telephone based sales
-
Why communication is important
-
How well Sales Leaders understand the psychology element of the conversations they’re having
-
Early stage conversations and pipeline building
-
Relationship building later in the sales process
Our 38th guest is Helen Boothby, Director at Sales Express.
Owen and Helen discuss High Performance Coaching – what kind of coaching is most effective in sales; what are the misconceptions and where are the 'quick wins'?
Including:
-
The 3 types of coaching: career, development and live sales
-
What type of coaching is most effective in sales
-
The misconceptions around coaching
-
Pipeline and opportunity management
-
Where the 'quick wins' are with coaching
Our 37th guest is Benjamin Dennehy (The UK's Most Hated Sales Trainer®).
Owen and Benjamin are talking all things telephone prospecting – why are so many sales people bad at it, and can anybody train to become good at it?
Including:
- The reasons so many sales people are bad at telephone prospecting and whether anybody can train to become good at it
- Behaviours of sales people
- The transition to a change in mindset and how long that can take
- Whether you should or shouldn’t charge for a proposal
- Call Tips from Benjamin
Our 36th guest is Lisa Ansell, Business Development Geek at Sales Geek.
Owen and Lisa discuss having purpose in a sales role – what do you believe in and what drives you.
Including:
-
Tips for Founders that are starting a business venture with no sales background
-
Why people dislike and don’t enjoy sales
-
Why personality makes a high-performing sales professional over process
-
The first steps to developing a graduate starting a sales career
-
The big questions sales professionals should be asking
-
What having purpose means in a sales role and why it’s important
Our 34th guest is Kristofer Bunker, Founder & CEO at Hapi Health.
Owen and Kris discuss the challenges you have when growing out an outbound sales team aligned with growing revenue.
Including:
-
The strategies that helped Hapi Health grow from 0 – 200 clients
-
The challenge Kris and Hapi Health faced and how they overcame them
-
Growing backwards - How to align growing sales and resource
-
How Kris created trust around the brand
-
How trust plays and key role in internal and external growth
-
Kris looks at the big challenges coming up in the next 12 months for Hapi Health
Our 33rd guest is Gareth Steenson, Rugby Coach at Exeter Chiefs.
Owen and Gareth discuss how Gareth transitioned from a player to a coach and the similarities and differences to rugby and business…
Including:
-
The key elements to Exeter Chiefs long and sustained success
-
How a player should be involved in building/setting goals
-
How the club environment has changed in line with new and more ambitious goals
-
The leadership qualities that helped Gareth transition into a coach
-
The hardest bits Gareth faced during his transition into a coach
-
Gareth describes his coaching process and mentality
-
How Gareth incorporates data with coaching
-
How Gareth develops skills and mentality
-
How Exeter Chiefs leadership has made them so successful
-
The similarities and difference between rugby and business success
-
Gareth’s process for learning from failure
Our 35th guest is Lisa Dempster, Company Director at Sales Consult.
Owen and Lisa discuss a broad range of sales topics such as discounting, pipeline management, how to recruit great sales people, and much more.
Including:
-
The dos and don’ts when it comes to discounting
-
Why you shouldn’t build discounting into your sales cadence
-
When you should provide discount and for what reasons
-
The difference between a reduction and a discount
-
The definition of pipeline management
-
The dos and don’ts when it comes to pipeline management
-
How to identify if somebody is or isn’t your buyer
-
Why bravery is a key skill for a successful salesperson
-
Why curiosity is such a powerful tool in sales
-
The current state of recruitment in sales
Our 31st guest is Alex Alleyne, Regional Sales Manager at Lacework.
Owen and Alex discuss: What makes a successful outbound prospector/cold caller?
Including:
-
What makes a successful outbound prospector/cold caller
-
The biggest mistakes Alex made during his sales career
-
How Alex became successful with Sales
-
How Alex became a more refined Sales Professional
-
How much should the phone still be apart of outreach
-
What’s volume and velocity or personalisation is best
-
How Alex approaches a cold call
-
Why there is a gap in the market currently for good Outbound Sales Leadership
-
How to enjoy the sales journey
-
Alex’s top advice to improve your sales performance
Our 32nd guest is Chris Duddridge, VP of Sales - EMEA at Soroco.
Owen and Chris discuss building out an outbound sales team from the ground up
Including:
-
An overview of Chris’s experience building out Sales Teams
-
Where good leaderships skills come from, Personality, Coaching or development
-
How to create a sense of ownership and belonging for your employees
-
The essential tools in a successful sales leader’s kit
-
Techniques for dealing with the peaks and troughs of a Sales Teams motivation
-
When to be decisive with sales training and development
-
How much your team should shape your company’s culture
Our 30th guest is Emanuel Frauenlob, Co-Founder & CEO at Mesg.ai.
Owen and Emanuel discuss ideas exploring what sales looks like at the early stage of a start-up and the challenges and opportunities they will need to navigate. Including:
-
The key moments that lead to Emanuel starting Mesg.ai
-
What things you should plan for before you start pitching your product
-
How you should build out your Ideal Client Profile (ICP)
-
Emanuel explains his value stick
-
Small steps rather than one big step through the sales process
-
The notion of pushing boundaries
-
How important it is to be a hands-on Founder
-
The right time to start building a team
-
What you can do that doesn’t cost money to get good conversations
-
How it feels to be a sales founder during those early conversations
-
The basics that need before starting conversations
-
The biggest challenges Emanuel has faced in the last 12 months
Our 28th guest is Rob Baxter, Director of Rugby at Exeter Chiefs.
Owen and Rob discuss ideas around leadership - Building sustained success over a long period of time:
-
How do you manage to rebuild confidence and motivation going into a new season after a disappointing end
-
Strategies for managing and maintain your teams motivation
-
Setting themes and a nurturing environment and the planning that goes into it
-
The process of learning from a loss
-
How to create a culture of openness
-
What Rob looks for in somebody to come and join the team
-
The parts of the role Rob finds most challenging
Our 29th guest is Matt Milligan, Co-Founder at Uhubs.
Owen and Matt discuss ideas around how a SaaS Founder transitions from selling and increasing revenue to growing a sales team. Including:
-
Who Matt and Uhubs are
-
Where to target new business during the first couple of years for a start up
-
How much time you should be spending as a Founder generating sales and growing revenue vs other things in the first 12 months
-
Why Matt prioritised discover over revenue and product for the first 12 months
-
Matt’s key learnings taken from the first 12 months of found Uhubs
-
Matt’s advice for Founders looking to move away from sales to growing a sales team.
-
How to Let go of control of the buying process and accepting failure
-
When you think about the brand of buying experience
-
The benefits of a Mentor and why you should invest in it
-
Matt discusses the challenges new Founder will likely face during the first 12 months.
Our 27th guest is Louis Fernandes, VP of Sales, EMEA at Uberall.
Our Founder & CEO, Owen Richards, and Louis discuss aligning your sales and marketing teams to drive revenue?
Including:
-
Louis Fernandes - Aligning Sales and Marketing
-
Who Louis and Uberall are
-
Why sales and marketing need to collaborate to drive revenue
-
Why companies align sales and marketing
-
Who should be in charge of aligning the departments?
-
CRO is not a customer centric role
-
What the tell-tell signs are that your sales and marketing departments are not aligned (12.01)
-
The steps to aligning sales and marketing
-
How to overcome the fear of change
-
How to create the desire to collaborate
-
Good examples of collaboration
-
Bad examples of collaboration
Our 25th guest is Chris Dawson – Director at 6th Door Ltd.
Our CEO & Founder, Owen Richards, and Chris discuss how to structure the perfect cold call Including:
-
Who Chris and 6th Door Ltd Are
-
The perfect mindset and mentality for making cold calls
-
Hints and tips for getting past gatekeeper
-
How you should start a sales call with a decision maker
-
The debate around asking ‘How are you?’ on a sales call
-
The next step on the sales call after your introduction
-
How to handle objections effectively
-
How to close a sales call
-
What details to include in a cold call and when to bring them up
-
Chris's musts and what to avoid when making a cold call
Our 26th guest is Lauren McGuire, Head of EMEA Commercial Sales at LivePerson.
Our Founder & CEO, Owen Richards, and Lauren discuss how annoying is dirty data?
Including:
- Who Lauren McGuire is
- Why is data so hard to get right and such a problem for go to market teams
- How to overcome the myth of perfect data
- How to identify if bad data is negatively effecting your outreach
- How to measure data accuracy
- Should SDRS be building their own data? Or should your organisation provide it?
- The value of direct dials and why they are so important
- Where to draw the line when investing in data
- Why increasing headcount will not help without the right investment in data
- How to define bad data
- Who should own data accuracy and cleansing?
- Why data should be at the top of your agenda
Our 24th guest is Jenny Brennan – Senior Director of Inside Sales at Agorapulse.
Owen and Jenny discuss building an inside sales team from the first hire, to team of circa 10 and beyond Including:
-
Who Jenny and Agorapulse are
-
How Jenny ended up at Agorapulse and the initial brief Jenny had for building an inside sales team
-
How Jenny grew the volume of inbound sales alongside the growth of her team.
-
How Jenny made her first hire for her new team, and the criteria she was searching for
-
The compromises and Jenny had to make during her team building journey and the surprises along the way
-
The challenges Jenny faced making her second hire
-
How Jenny found her unique leadership voice and learned to let go of control
-
How Agorapulses culture shifted as the team grew
-
Why Jenny wanted to include outbound in Agorapulse's sales strategy
-
The biggest differences between inbound and outbound
-
Jenny’s top 3 absolute musts for when building an inside sales team
Our 23rd guest is Ollie Sharpe – VP of Revenue - EMEA at SalesLoft.
Owen and Ollie discuss culture in a sales team and why it’s important in drive a successful sales team Including:
- Who’s Ollie and who’s Sales Loft?
-
Defining what culture means to a sales team?
-
How can culture change each day?
-
The difference between culture and climate?
-
Why it’s important to have a conscious focus on culture within a sales team?
-
Is your companies culture defined by leaders or employees?
-
What do you do when someone joins the business, that doesn’t fit the culture?
-
What are the trigger points to look for to find out if someone does not fit your company’s culture?
-
What’s important for SalesLoft’s culture?
-
How often should you be thinking about adjusting your culture?
-
What are the tell tell signs for a leader to step in and address cultural problems?
-
How to positively impact your companies’ culture?
-
Defining the tangible inputs that contribute to your companies’ culture
Our 22nd guest is Michael Hanson – Founder & CEO at Growth Genie.
Owen and Michael discuss What does a good outbound sequence/cadence look like? Including:
-
Who is Michael and who is Growth Genie?
-
What are the first considerations when you open a cadence?
-
Understanding what you’re trying to achieve with your cadence, and who are you trying to engage?
-
What channels should you use and the next steps?
-
How to create a good cadence without harassing your prospects?
-
Why you shouldn’t rely on one particular channel for your cadence?
-
What’s the importance of the cadence compared to other parts of the strategy?
-
Breaking down the 30 point cadence step by step
-
What would dictate how many steps should be in your cadence?
-
What to do if you’ve never created a cadence before?
-
If you had to drop a channel from your cadence, what would it be?
Our 21st guest is Richard Smith – VP Sales at Refract.
Owen and Richard discuss coaching, what it is and how do to do it well?. Including:
-
Who is Richard and who Refract are?
-
How long does good coaching take?
-
What’s the impact if you don’t prioritise training
-
Why isn’t training prioritised by sales leaders?
-
The downsides of split focus with Hybrid roles in sales
-
The mindset of Sales Leaders without patience for coaching
-
The power of communication in coaching
-
Why you should be coaching by asking questions and not by telling
-
The power of recording sales call when coaching
-
Who’s coaching the coaches?
-
How do you invest your time when coaching?
-
Richards top tips for being a great coach
Our 20th guest is Sam Carrington – Founder & ‘Chief Smirkistrator’ at Smirk Experience.
Owen and Sam discuss the transferable skills between comedy and sales. Including:
-
Who is Sam and who is Smirk Experience
-
What are the transferable skills between comedy, business, and sales
-
Comparing the performances of prospecting and comedy
-
How to leverage comedy for your personal brand
-
What is Evolutional Psychology and The idea of being liked
-
Dealing with failure and how to learn from it
-
How to embrace comedy in sales to get ahead of your competitors
Our 19th guest is Martin MacArthur – Founder & CEO at The Outbound Sales Guy.
Owen and Martin discuss the differences across prospecting into Americas vs EMEA and how to be successful in outbound. Including:
-
The impact that being blind has had on Martin in starting his own business and working in sales
-
The difference between selling outsourced sales into Canada vs the US
-
The attitude that Americans have towards sales development, cold calling, prospecting emails and other outbound approaches
-
Authentic relationship building: more personal sales messaging is better than personalisation
-
The channel that Martin finds most successful when selling into the US
-
How to follow-up on LinkedIn
-
Martin’s sales tech and data vendor recommendations
-
How much of Martin’s experience is based around building his own data vs purchasing data
-
What’s changed in sales in the US over the past 2/3 years
-
Advice for UK companies looking to expand into the US and vice versa
Our 18th guest is Sam Dunning - Sales Director & Co-Owner at Web Choice, and Founder & Host at Business Growth Show.
Owen and Sam discuss simplifying search engine optimisation (SEO) to support business growth. Including:
-
Why businesses need to do SEO
-
How long until the benefits of SEO can be seen
-
How to measure progress and success
-
The definition of ‘conversions’
-
How Sam and Web Choice help B2B companies with their SEO and the pillars that can be leant on
-
What causes a website to slow down
-
The issues with not sticking out SEO and not having a multichannel approach to marketing
-
Advice for salespeople who sell services that take a while to achieve ROI
-
At what stage a company should start the SEO process
-
Web Choice’s SEO performance
-
What to consider if you’re a start-up or haven’t done SEO before
-
What to look for in an SEO agency
-
Whether quality or quantity of content is more important
-
A snapshot of what you should do if you’re looking to implement SEO
-
Whether salespeople should care about SEO
-
How many extra leads you can generate from SEO
Our 17th guest is Kaitlen Kelly - Senior Manager of Sales Development – EMEA at Outreach, and Co-Founder of SDRs Anonymous.
Owen and Kaitlen discuss sales development management. Including:
-
What a Sales Development Manager is responsible for
-
The percentage of time spent team coaching
-
The traits of a good sales coach
-
Whether you can be a good SDR Manager without having been an SDR within the organisation before (or at all!)
-
Advice for SDRs who want to become an SDR Manager and whether it’s right for everybody
-
The biggest impact that Kaitlen has had as an SDR Manager
-
How much time and effort should be spent on each channel
-
The importance of using data to discover where your SDRs’ strengths are
-
Whether SDRs should self-generate data more than being given data to target
-
Whether it’s better to:
-
Have quality or quantity focused SDRs
-
Have a people and culture focused or process focused SDR Manager
-
Give up LinkedIn, phone or email (if Kaitlen had to choose one)
-
Have company or individual set targets
-
How much time should be spent on SDR development and the type of training Kaitlen finds works best
-
Kaitlen’s favourite sales tool outside of Outreach
-
What a good onboarding process looks like
-
Encouraging your SDRs to fail quick to learn faster
-
How an SDR Manager can use systems and processes to ensure SDRs are shaping their day correctly
-
Common challenges for SDRs that Kaitlen sees within SDR Anonymous
Our 16th guest is Jamie Beaumont – Founder at Playter Pay.
Owen and Jamie discuss a fintech that makes money. Including:
-
Generating profit to drive business growth outside of raising equity
-
Jamie’s advice to early stage Founders or those thinking about founding their own organisation
-
The risk of running out of cash and survival mode
-
The benefits of being profitable when fundraising
-
Looking at revenue, not profitability, when scaling your business
-
Using proof of product and viability of the business to scale
-
The shortest term achievable profit point
-
The factors to consider if you want to prioritise profitability or prioritise scaling
-
Smaller markets
-
The ambition mindset
-
The impact that external influences and taking action make on success
-
Working out what commercial route is best for you
Our 15th guest is Tom Boston – Social Sales Evangelist at SalesLoft.
Owen and Tom discuss how personal brand can impact on your performance as a Sales Development Representative (SDR). Including:
-
How Tom began social selling
-
How Tom entertains via LinkedIn
-
How Tom's personal brand has increased the efficiency of outreach and level of engagement from prospects
-
How Tom stays disciplined to produce videos consistently
-
How to get over the first starting point
-
How Tom has built credibility
-
How Tom uses humour to open up the conversation around sales
-
What SDRs can be doing towards building their personal brands
-
The importance of authenticity in sales
-
The impact that Tom’s videos have made on engagement
-
How Tom produces videos
-
How much better Tom’s results have been in terms of pipeline and closed business because of his personal brand
-
Tom’s new role as Social Sales Evangelist
Our 13th guest is Andy Whyte - Author & Host at MEDDICC.
Owen and Andy discuss all things MEDDICC. Including:
-
What MEDDICC is
-
How Andy came to find MEDDICC
-
How it compliments other sales frameworks and methodologies
-
Why it’s so powerful in comparison to BANT
-
The type of organisations where MEDDICC has been most successful
-
The value that MEDDICC adds
-
How it will increase your forecasting accuracy and create efficiencies in resource planning
-
How much time people spend in deals that they should be out of
-
Being more confident in yourself
-
What MEDDICC & MEDDPICC stands for
-
How it's being implemented from the bottom-up
-
The challenges of implementing it
-
How MEDDICC identifies where you’re weak in a deal
-
The story of how MEDDICC was founded
Our 14th guest is James Ski – Partnerships Manager at Drift.
Owen and James discuss running a partnerships channel. Including:
-
What a partnerships programme looks like
-
Why it’s so powerful
-
Whether it’s only right for certain types of businesses
-
Why fewer people consider a partnerships programme at an earlier stage than James thinks should
-
Why it isn’t more popular than it should be
-
The importance of relationships being reciprocal
-
What’s required to set-up a successful partnerships programme
-
Why it’s a channel that can’t go backwards or downwards in terms of performance very easily
-
Being aligned on business objectives and how you’re trying to drive business outcomes for your clients
-
Whether a lower quantity of quality partners, or a higher quantity of lower quality partners is best
-
How to remunerate partners
-
The key to making talking about your product/service a priority for partners
-
How long until you can expect to see your partnership programme contributing to revenue
This episode features, not one, but two guests for the first time ever on ON AIR: With Owen. Our guests are Caleb Buscher - Senior Channel Account Manager (EMEA Region) at HubSpot and Sophie Ambridge – Client Strategy Director at our sister company, Roots to Market (they’re also a HubSpot Partner!).
Owen, Caleb and Sophie discuss how to make the most out of HubSpot as a revenue growth business tool to help drive your business forwards. Including:
-
What HubSpot is
-
Why Roots to Market recommends HubSpot
-
Why businesses need a CRM
-
What HubSpot can teach you about your customers and prospects
-
The difficulties with not using a CRM
-
How easy HubSpot is to implement
-
The benefit of sales and marketing being in one place
-
The must-do quick tips and tricks that you can implement from the start
-
Relevancy and the ability to see when a proposal has been opened
-
The benefits of working with Roots to Market and HubSpot
-
What reporting HubSpot offers
-
How a Founder can use HubSpot to learn about their own business
-
Investing in change to see success
-
How Individual Contributors can benefit from HubSpot
-
The future of HubSpot and features in the pipeline
-
What Roots to Market helps businesses with aside from HubSpot
-
Who within an organisation tends to recognise that they need HubSpot
-
How HubSpot helps customer experience
-
How to get a free version of HubSpot, the functionality and why HubSpot offer this
Our eighth guest is Greg Freeman, VP Revenue at kleene.ai.
Owen and Greg discuss everything around a company’s first sales hire. Including:
-
Why and when you should be looking to recruit
-
The options that a Founder has
-
The issues with recruiting an SDR or ‘the corporate’ as your first sales hire
-
Misconceptions and issues around recruiting from a competitor
-
How do you know what you’re hiring if you don’t know what you’re hiring?
-
What you should be looking for as a Founder
-
What you should do as a first sales hire
-
Why Founders shouldn’t treat their first sales hire as an employee
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What Founders should factor into package discussions / what first sales hires should negotiate on
Our seventh guest is Neil Mullane, UK General Manager at Dext. Previously Head of UK Sales & Service at Funding Circle, and Head of Corporate & Business Banking at Barclays Corporate Banking.
Owen and Neil discuss a topic close to both of their hearts – relationship-based sales. Including:
- Why it’s so powerful
- Whether building a relationship helps you in a transactional sale
- The requirement of someone who works in a relationship-based sales role
- Experience of decision making based on relationship over logic
- How being a comedian plays an important role in relationship building
- Why resources should be used to build relationships with prospects who have long sales cycles
Our sixth guest is Raymond Wright, Co-Founder and Chief Revenue & Operations Officer at ufurnish.com.
Owen and Ray discuss building repeatable, scalable B2B models of revenue growth. From Ray’s experience of scaling Lead Forensics’ turnover from £500,000 in 2011 to over £35 million by the end of 2017, as well as growing ufurnish.com to a 129 retailer platform (including John Lewis, MADE.COM, Dunelm, and Wayfair) within 3 years, he shares the incredible learnings that he’s gained.
Our fifth guest is Shabri Lakhani, Founder & CEO at SalesWorks.
With Shabri running a successful business that helps others to build and optimise their SDR (Sales Development Representative) teams, Owen and Shabri discuss all things SDR leadership. Including the skills and qualities of a good SDR Manager, what happens when SDRs don’t have a leader, the common mistakes that new SDR Managers make, and why SDR leadership is so important right now.
Our fourth guest is Jonathan Finch, Group Sales Director at Sales Geek.
Owen and Jonathan discuss the journey of making small run-rate sales to managing enterprise deals or larger opportunities. Including the skills required and what you’re likely to learn along the way.
Our third guest is Alex Packham, Founder & CEO at ContentCal.
Owen and Alex discuss growing revenue from a Founder’s perspective, including what ContentCal have tried in terms of revenue growth that has failed, what to look for in your first sales hire, and why recruiting a Managing Director has been a game-changer for ContentCal.
Our second guest is Sean Evers, Head of UK Sales & Service at Funding Circle.
With Funding Circle having around 1,000 opportunities in the pipeline at any one time, Owen and Sean discuss all things pipeline and how we view it.
Our honorary first guest is Gerry Hill, VP EMEA at ConnectAndSell.
Owen and Gerry explore why quantity has become a bad word in top of funnel. Quality is seen as a game for the ‘cool kids’ and is where everyone wants to be focused nowadays, but is quantity being left behind? Watch their video to find out!