Higgle: The B2B Sales Club

Anant Sharma is the CEO and founder of design consultancy Matter of Form. Most of Matter of Form's work starts with brand, so the company usually works with large organizations in retail, hospitality, and luxury. They help these organizations to revisit their founding spirit and bring it to the current world that they operate in. Anant discusses the art of understanding the motivations that fuel negotiations, the value of trust, and the challenges of selling big ideas to top executives. Additionally, we'll hear about the importance of consultancy in business problem solving, along with the balance between branding and user experience. Topics covered during this episode include: Why understanding the motivation of the other party is crucial in negotiations. How Matter of Form has evolved into a brand-led consultancy. Why it's important to think beyond the project scope in business growth. How trust plays an indispensable role in negotiations. The challenges of selling big ideas to CEOs and CMOs. How to differentiate yourself from competitors and deliver a compelling message. Why consultancy plays a crucial role in solving business problems. How an outside-in perspective can provide incredibly valuable insights. Why you don't always need to be the smartest person in the room. How the Benjamin Franklin effect can shape a memorable brand experience. The delicate balance between branding and user experience design. How creating the right tension can give customers a sense of ownership and victory. Why understanding motivation is more effective than responding to demands. More on the importance of tension and friction in customer experience. How to unveil the true value of offerings in negotiations. Why crafting joyful experiences through brand-led consultancy is essential. Using transformational negotiation techniques to scale a business. Anant Sharma on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anantisms/

Lucas was most recently Group Marketing Director at Cazoo, a used car start-up founded in early 2019 with a mission to transform the way people buy used cars. From national launch in early 2020, Cazoo has now sold over 120,000 cars, has over £1.2bn in annual revenues and over 80% awareness in the UK. He spent the first 15 years of his Marketing career on major FMCG brands such as Old El Paso, Haagen-Dazs, Heineken and Pepsi. The last eight years have been spent in marketing leadership roles at MoneySuperMarket, Aviva and Cazoo. We'll hear about the secrets behind assembling a competent team, the importance of empathy and transparency in business negotiations, and the practical aspects of building a digital business. Lucas also shares the negotiation tactics that he has acquired throughout his career. Topics covered during this episode include: How Lucas was able to massively grow Cazoo in such a short time span. Why assembling a team of internal and agency experts with empathy and a customer-centric mindset is particularly crucial in a digital business. How Lucas maintained transparency while negotiating commercial structures. The reason why and when sector expertise isn't necessary and can be a hindrence. How crafting contracts based on transparency laid a strong foundation for agency relationships. How to balance working and non-working expenditure while scaling a business. Maintaining an open and transparent relationship with agencies. How Lucas extracted maximum commercial value from media deals with negotiation tactics. How he used an alternative approach to agency selection, saving time and energy. How he ensured transparency in media costs and aligned agency incentives. Why having an entrepreneurial spirit helped Cazoo obtain maximum value from its spending. How he used open and transparent relationships to negotiate creative media deals. Why keeping agencies as close to the business as possible is necessary for growth. Lucas Bergmans on LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/lucasbergmans-cmo

On this episode we're joined by corporate finance advisor Andrew Jeffs. He helps founders effectively approach the process of negotiations and deals when they're ready to sell their business. Andrew finds his work lively because every client is different, every negotiation is different, and every deal is different. Today, Andrew shares the secrets to successful negotiations, how to stay cool and calm when the tone of the deal goes sideways, and how to identify your strengths no matter which side of the deal you're on. Topics covered during this episode include: Andrew's professional background and the clients he works with. What it takes to be a great negotiator. Why stepping back is sometimes necessary to achieve the best outcome. The importance of building rapport during the negotiation process. The secret to forming a successful negotiation mindset and what it looks like. Andrew's tips for maintaining a calm state—even when the other side has not. What to do when the tone of a negotiation goes sideways. A unique experience Andrew had during a deal a few years ago. The importance of recognizing negotiations involving multiple decision makers. Why you should never bluff during negotiations. The benefits of being the smaller, more agile party in deal making. How to approach creating alternatives while structuring a deal. A strategy for changing the mindset around a deal and why it works. Why Andrew says we have two ears and one mouth for a reason. The intersections between deal structure and relationship structure. The specific situations in which it's okay as an advisor to be the "bad guy." Andrew Jeffs on LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/andrew-jeffs-50610619

On this episode we're joined by John Cornwell, who is the Chief Commercial Officer at Ogilvy Worldwide. John has been with Ogilvy for a number of years in various roles, but his current one focuses on their commercial strategy, including their pricing strategies, positioning, and training and development. John talks about his experience with, and tips for, negotiating successfully. In negotiations, John emphasizes the importance of authenticity and credibility. This, along with understanding the interests (versus demands) of both parties, supports coming to an outcome both parties can be happy with. Topics covered during this episode include: A primary passion of John's and how he became interested in it. The two ways emotions show up during negotiations and why it matters. How identifying emotion as a tactic can help you negotiate better. The difference between demands and interests and which is more important. A strange experience of escalating emotion John had and what he learned from it. The importance of staying emotionally detached from the outcome during negotiations. Why preparation is the most important stage of negotiation. Signs you've likely won or lost a negotiation before it's even begun. How agencies typically approach negotiations versus a more effective way. Why simply offering a discount is not the same as a negotiation. The power of language during negotiations and words you should avoid. Why investing in training and mentoring for commercial leaders is vital. The training program they developed during and since the pandemic. How agency leaders can approach shared challenges more effectively. Why some people will naturally be better negotiators than others. John Cornwell on LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/john-cornwell-17684822

Today we're joined by David Meikle, an author, consultant, intermediary, and trainer. He operates within what he calls the "triangle of doom" in marketing where he acts as an intermediary. David emphasizes that cost plays too great a role in the marketing space. What the client actually gets is not a return on cost, but rather a return on their investment. David shares with us a better way of approaching this conversation with clients and why it leads to a more effective partnership on both sides. Topics covered during this episode include: The various hats David wears and the space in which he operates. The thesis that evolved into a book in 2017, as well as his latest book Tuning Up. Why he describes himself as a "white glove intermediary" and what it means. Why focusing on cost in marketing does a great disservice to the industry. Why you can't get a higher return without accepting a higher degree of risk. How to confidently determine the correct investment when working with a client. The difference between working versus non-working expenditures. The word that should be banned across marketing agencies. How to avoid negotiating against yourself and why it matters. What the Kraljic matrix is and how it relates to selling your services. The role intermediaries typically play in the pitch process and how it could be better. The secrets to choosing the right marketing agency for your business with confidence. How David has solved for the problem of selling time as a consultant or agency. The importance of going above the benchmark if your services are above average. David Meikle on LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/david-meikle-6194405

Today we're joined by Chris Jones, the CEO of Space & Time, which is an independent agency focused on solution-agnostic and client-led growth marketing. Their unique operating model allows them to combine efforts from different areas and provide the most effective solutions for their clients. Chris believes in focusing on output versus input, because what matters in their industry the most is the end result. An increasing number of clients are adopting a value-based pricing model which aligns interests of all parties. Topics covered during this episode include: What makes Space & Time stand out as unconventional in the media space. What Chris says they are laser-focused on and why they avoid certain labels. Why he describes himself as a "serial learner." The shift towards a value-based pricing model and the challenges it brings. How the right value-based pricing ratio is achieved. The inputs that they maximize and minimize when creating solutions for clients. Why putting an hourly rate on an outcome doesn't make sense. The importance of empathy. High-level examples of what value-based relationships can look like. The multi-faceted ways they qualify clients at Space & Time. How burning the candle at both ends can impact results. How the idea of a successful pipeline has shifted over time. Their people-first approach to business and the importance of relationship building. What the most powerful partnerships hinge upon and why it matters. The sectors Space & Time thrives in and where you can find more information. Space & Time: https://spaceandtime.co.uk/