Higgle: The B2B Sales Club

Kris Tait is the Managing Director, US at Croud. He's spent the last 12 years building his career in sales with the company, and has seen it grow from 5 to 500 employees in that time. His journey from a shy child to a sales expert even includes a unique stint with Butlers in the Buff. He credits an open mindset and strategic storytelling as keys to his success. We’ll hear from Kris about how he became the sales professional he is today, discussing the power that his open mindset brings to procurement and negotiations. Kris also shares insights on the importance of having a collective mindset in business growth, why strategic storytelling is useful, and the art of building relationships before a negotiation even begins. We wrap up with a discussion on the evolution of procurement outcomes. Topics covered during this episode include: What Kris’ childhood looked like due to his shyness at the time. Why Kris believes an open mindset is crucial in procurement and negotiations. How to predict and qualify opportunities from both casual client briefs and official RFPs. Why pricing strategy is the secret sauce to Croud's discovery process. How calculated risks and strategic storytelling can set an agency apart from the competition. Understanding the evolution of outcomes being a key aspect of procurement. The importance of building relationships before a negotiation begins to increase receptiveness. What it was like being a Butler in the Buff. Why diagnosis matters when tackling briefs in sales and negotiation. The role of collective mindset in scaling Croud from 5 to 500 people. How Kris's sales journey has been influenced by the mindset of Croud's founders. The benefits of strategic pricing, and who Kris learned about this method from. How to approach procurement with an open mindset to ensure successful negotiations. The importance of providing evidence in negotiations and being open to challenges. Dealing with price increases by leading with data and logic. Kris Tait on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristophertait

Gareth Turner is the former Head of Marketing at Weetabix, where he oversaw the long-term brand strategy for the nation’s favourite cereal. He has over 23 years’ experience working within food and drink and has also had the pleasure of leading the marketing for household name brands like John Smith’s, Bulmers, Lurpak, and Arla in local and global roles. Career highlights (so far) include buying a racehorse for John Smith’s, new product launches like Bulmers fruit ciders and the partnership between the FA senior men’s and women’s teams and Weetabix. In 2021 Gareth’s team unleashed the multi award winning “Beanz on Bix” on the world and broke the internet in the process. Since leaving Weetabix, Gareth has worked with household name brand teams like Coop, Birdseye (Nomad Foods) and Kingsmill (Allied Bakeries) to mentor their marketing leaders. He has also worked with scale-up, challenger brands like Mighty Drinks and Spoon Cereals to bring structure to and improve their marketing, and is a Non-Executive Director for Route, a media agency based in Newcastle. Gareth is a regular guest on podcasts both video and audio, and has spoken at numerous events including MAD//Fest, Prolific North and the Marketing Meetup as both a keynote speaker and panel guest. He is also a regular contributor to marketing titles including Marketing Week. Today, Gareth will explain the intricacies of the Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) industry, including agency pitches, their emotional impact, and the importance of chemistry. We also explore the critical role procurement plays in securing new agencies. Later, we venture into maintaining agency relationships while highlighting the importance of broader business challenges and two-way conversations. Topics covered during this episode include: How Gareth navigated his career in the FMCG industry. Experience with brands like Heineken, Arla Foods, and Weetabix. Why a realistic brief is important in agency pitches, and the emotional impact it has on agencies and clients. How LinkedIn can be used to gather valuable information about clients. The significance of understanding various business pressures. Securing new agencies while making the process robust and defensible. Why reaching a mutual understanding and having two-way conversations maintain agency relationships. How to utilize different resources to aid clients. Considering the broader challenges that may be affecting the business. The story behind the controversial Beanz on Bix tweet and the public reaction to it. Why agency pitches can be draining for both agencies and clients, and how to avoid this. How Gareth managed to save money without having to run a pitch, and the strategies he used. Getting the best deal from a supplier, within reason. Researching clients on LinkedIn and understanding their backgrounds for better agency pitches. How Gareth made a strategic investment in hiring the right people to influence the success of his project. Why chemistry is an essential ingredient in building successful client relationships in the FMCG industry. Gareth Turner on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/garethaturner/ Email: gareth@bigblackdoor.com Big Black Door: https://www.bigblackdoor.com

Tim Ringel is a seasoned entrepreneur who has a history of building successful marketing agencies. His path from a performance marketing agency to running a stock market-listed company has transformed his approach to scaling. Tim is also currently leading his new venture, Meet The People, which is based in New York City. We’ll discuss Tim’s unique career trajectory, the power of creativity in marketing, and his strategies for business success amidst the pandemic. We also explore the potential of a customer-centric approach in agency business models and the impact of AI on marketing agencies. Topics covered during this episode include: How Tim started his entrepreneurial journey in a performance marketing agency. Why Tim moved to a creative agency and his experiences with larger holding companies. How Tim tripled the size of his business in three years. Incentivizing teams and creating a virtual P&L to ensure the success of clients. The ways that Tim's journey shaped his views on media and creativity. Why Tim appreciates the power of creative storytelling and how it can be used to captivate audiences. Strategies that Tim used to keep his business alive during the pandemic. Why Tim believes collaboration can be incentivized for business success. How to build trust in order to win pitches. The importance of authenticity and creativity in the industry. Why Tim believes a customer-centric approach is beneficial in agency business models. How AI's impact on marketing agencies can help entrepreneurs. Keeping client success at the heart of all operations. How Tim transitioned from a performance marketing agency to a creative agency, and the resulting shift in his perception of media and creativity. Tim Ringel on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-ringel

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/