Why do you produce films?

• How do know you have a winning script – is it the human story/connection?

• How do you collaborate?

• Negotiation must be a key for you, how do you?

• Having listened to successful music producers like Nile Rodgers, having a network and stellar address book is the key to be a successful producer, can you tell us more?

• Do you view your role as hub that pulls all other parts together?

Have you ever kicked yourself because you have not:

Positioned yourself confidently at an interview?

Left a company sooner?

Created a plan to control your career?

I see many talented professionals who have a magnitude of skills, yet are unable to secure the role that realises their true potential. Many times have I heard people say:

“I can do that job” but for various reasons, don’t even gain an interview.

When I was headhunting I often conducted an experiment, at the start of the process I would ask:

Who is the best qualified candidate on paper?

and at the end of the process

Who has achieved the role?

In my twenty plus years, I can only recall a handful of appointments when the best candidate on paper got the role. So, what was happening the other 90% + of the time?

In my experience the people who achieved the roles, were better at creating and selling their story to the key decision makers.

Is it possible to adapt and learn this skill?

Start by understanding the 'real' business challenge behind a role and how you will be judged – this identifies the value you will add to an organisation. To be in the best possible position you need to demonstrate that you are the ideal choice for this role. That you have a highly valuable and rare skillset that can have a wider organizational impact.

Position yourself as a premium candidate:

Your company is my preferred career option because of the opportunities presented, I would like to ensure that I am appropriately rewarded due to the value I will add in,,,

…shaping the revenue growth of the latent business over the next 6/12 months. I will add organizational wide benefit because of my track record gained in identifying high performing senior level talent.

You must create your story because it won’t be created by anyone else. I hear you call - I am no storyteller.

In a recent interview with the BBC, the article shares how Ed Sheeran and co-writer Benny Blanco could effortlessly write 15 songs a day for his new album - Divide.

On closer observation thoughts from Ed himself:

'Look, all things considered, you and I both know people that are more talented than us, but you know what they say about 10,000 hours? How many guys do you know that have put in 30,000?'

…There aren't a lot of us…"

Sounds like committed focus and obsessional work ethic, rather than a natural song writing skill to me.

Imagine what you could achieve if you spent more time crafting your story !

I think the current business world is getting a little too obsessed with data alone and missing the vital fact that most decisions are made emotionally and then backed up with data.

Aristotle first observed that the way to effective persuasion of other humans is 65% emotional (Pathos) and 25% logical or fact (Logos) based. People listen, when you have shown them respect and you care for their attention.

A sales director client of mine said it best recently when positioning the value of Big data to his customers:

“Data is directional precise yet precisely inaccurate, it’s the skill and judgement of the human that dictates if that data leads to valuable business decisions or not.”

Five actions points that use your unique story to enhance your career:

Build your understanding of the organisation’s REAL challenges.

Shape key relationships by building trust and additional value.

Be proud of your back story and achievements to date.

Incrementally build your story.

Position yourself as a premium candidate.

I know these first steps can be tough, but I encourage you to practice crafting your story each day. So, when it comes to your big career challenges like next pay review, gaining promotion, or interview for job you really want - you are ready.

It would be great to hear how you are progressing with crafting your story – please contact me at [email protected].

I used to do the same commute every day for over four years. Catching the 0653 train from Maidenhead and sat having coffee near my office by 730am. I often asked myself why do I need to be in the office every day, and could I not be more productive working from home some days of the week?

During that period, life was a bit of a blur. I was always tired and had more colds than at any other point in my life, particularly when holidays came around. How burnt out was I? Was it the work I was doing or was it the commute?

I know we can all be guilty of believing that this is a lifestyle choice - to follow the path others expect. I kept with these thoughts for many years.

I now realise that this limited self-talk can only restrict career possibilities.

We have a choice we can stay fixed on the mind-set we learnt some time ago or we can commit to adapting – which will you choose?

A daily long commute is madness. We are in 2019 not 1979, there has never been such opportunity to combine what you are great at doing, with what you are passionate about. And do it on your terms, whilst being paid your worth.

James Corden the comedian and writer mused on his incredibly successful career “There is an inner steel that comes from knowing you’re good at something…

-When it comes to this I know what I’m doing is good for one’s confidence. So, my advice to someone younger is search for the thing you’re good at and don’t stop.”

There is a truism of the UK’s professional job market:

Opportunities don’t go to the most qualified - they go to the most connected who are focused on doing the activities they do best.

I urge you to take four simple steps, to create greater choice in your career:

1) Find your A game what do you do better than most people?

2) Give yourself permission… Yes, you can do the work you want, and be appropriately rewarded.

3) Grow into the career you want to be in over time...Don’t go into it…

4) Embrace uncertainty…Do the work you are best at and on your terms.

Finally after many years, I was brave enough to form my own business and start to do the work I was born to do – helping individuals optimise their careers and lives.

One of my clients Rob Howes (an overachieving technology sales director) recently said “Adrian Evans has enabled me to focus only on the high value activities I do best that bring me influence, income and greater career opportunities.”

I know these first steps can be tough, but I encourage you to take them. Be great to hear how you are going, mail me [email protected]

Context: Matthew had a successful career track record of delivering projects and products on time and to specification. He was planning his next career move. He took the time to understand his key motivations and career pathway, it become evident that a specific culture would provide the right environment to allow his career to thrive. The brainstorming phase of the plan was set in motion as all sectors and potential organizations were considered.

Challenge: To achieve a number of job offers over a 4 month period within a very challenging job market. Matthew knew that to achieve this stretch goal he would have to take an innovative approach to job opportunity creation. He also realized that his interview preparation and execution would have to stand out positively compared to other candidates.

Strategy: Over the next few weeks the plan evolved and he started to add filters that would refine the job search. Matthew looked at which sectors and companies would present the greatest opportunity for him. He not only considered the role, salary and location, but striking a work life balance. He

came to a significant discovery; he felt he would thrive in a medium sized organization within a high growth sector.

The tactics: He documented his plan and set himself targets. How many calls per week? How many face to face meetings? At the same time he still had a day job and he needed to create 10 extra hours a week. To achieve this he got up earlier and began working his plan. When he got home in evenings he continued to work on his project. His mindset was positive as he had a clear goal with a deadline. He had a calm, considered confidence and certainty that he could achieve his goal.

At the beginning and end of the day he started to explore opportunities, updated his Linkedin profile, and produced a compelling and achievement led CV. He quickly contacted all the relevant people he knew – he was lifting the rocks to find out more about organizations, cultures and possibilities. This started with short 10 minute conversations, which resulted in 2 or 3 further...

“You will be more valuable every year you are in business.”

This was a favourite saying of a managing director who was a mentor of mine.

He believed:

“For every year worked you will have greater depth of relationship with your existing network, know more people and have crafted more expertise.”

How many of us live by this great advice and invest in ourselves?

During a recent encounter I asked a newly appointed CFO, how the business he had joined was going. He said very well except, his greatest difficulty was damping down the expectations of the sales team who were urging him to spend too much money on asset acquisitions. He stated as an accountant I am keen to ensure they focus on sales and be prudent with decision making.

I could not helped but think, as a CFO you are a business leader first. Your role is to lead the business to deliver optimal shareholder and stakeholder value. To seek opportunities and evaluate risk appropriately and not constrained by only one perspective.

I believe we have a choice we can stay fixed on the skillset and mind-set we learnt some time ago or we can commit to growing and evolving – which will you choose this year? As they say, what got you there won’t keep you there in this rapidly changing world.

I believe by committing to developing your knowledge and being a giver to more people, you are likely to be more valuable over the next year. This action opens up the potential for mutual giving and receiving.

Adam Grant - the Harvard Organizational psychologist - advises to network strategically. He admires the way serial entrepreneur Adam Rifkin organizes his time. "You don't have to be Mother Teresa or Gandhi to be a giver. You just have to find small ways to add large value to other people's lives."

A client of mine was becoming frustrated by the lack of opportunity in his organisation, so decided to move on. He is someone who is always looking to support other people. This usually involves him connecting two people who could benefit from a mutual introduction. Alternatively, he may offer some valuable insight to help an individual reach a better decision. Either way he is always helping others. So when it came to the time for him to call in these favours, he was able to gain a number of quick introductions to decision makers.

This led to him gaining seven job interviews and finally achieving four job offers. Of course he is an overachiever at his role but ‘the difference that made the difference’ was his networking ability. By investing in others consistently, he did not look needy when it came to utilising his network to achieve his next role. His forward actions opened up mutual giving and receiving.

There are three truisms of the UK’s professional job market; the pillars on which I have built successful careers for my clients:

Job roles don’t go to the most qualified - they go to the most connected.

You don’t get paid what you are worth - you get paid what you negotiate.

All business skills are learnable via deliberate practice - no one is born accomplished at any skillset.

I urge you to take five simple steps, to make yourself more valuable in 2019:

Confidence precedes competence, start by making small simple gestures that could help connect others together.

Identify how you can help more people by listening to their needs.

Know specifically what it is you want in your career.

Believe you will get better at the key skill of networking, by consistently connecting, with the people who will most accelerate your career.

Ask for the reward you are worth.

I know these first steps can be tough, but I encourage you to take them. Be great to hear how you are going, mail me [email protected]

A number of my private clients have been headhunted recently and asked me how to best response.

After the accepting the initial flattery of being in demand, I recommend:

1) Requesting a short telephone conversation with the headhunter.

2) Ask what they saw in your profile and the reason for contact.

3) Ask who is the client?

4) Qualify further and ask - Apart from money why would they advise you join their client organisation and work for that particular line manager?

5) What is the headhunters client base and specific area of focus - this can be useful if you want a useful connection for future opportunities.

6) Finally dig further and ask - How many times have they recruited for this line manager before? This shows the depth of relationship.

Best wishes with responding, it is always a lift to be headhunted and can lead to developing a positive relationship. I know as a headhunter in my previous career - with the best candidates I placed them several times in better career moves.

"The Big Rocks are your most important priorities, so put them into your schedule first! That way, you make the less important things (gravel) fight their way into your calendar, not the important things."

From Franklincovey website:

Prince William has said that every celebrity he asked to back his Heads Together mental health initiative three years ago refused.

The Duke of Cambridge told the Davos World Economic Forum that "a lot" of stars were approached, but none wanted to be associated with mental illness.

He also said the wartime generation may have helped create some of the stigma.

People preferred not talk about such "horrendous" events, a stoic attitude passed on to their children.

The prince created Heads Together, launched to help combat the stigma of mental health, in 2017 with the Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry.

The duke told his audience of business leaders about his own struggles with mental health, saying there was one traumatic incident that he didn't think he would "ever get over".

He said if he hadn't opened up to colleagues about the situation, he would have "gone down a slippery slope" mentally.

How do you tackle stress in the workplace?

Prince talks of 'traumatic' 999 callouts

Looking visibly emotional, he said he still found the incident "very difficult to talk about" because it was "related very closely to my children", George, Charlotte and Louis.

The prince has spoken previously about "very traumatic" callouts involving children while working for the air ambulance.

But he said such feelings were "only human", adding: "Yes, you put a suit of armour on… but one day something comes along closely related to your own personal life and it really takes you over a line."

Wartime generation

The issue of mental health is a big theme at this year's Davos, with several sessions on the topic.

Studies show one in four people will suffer from mental illness at some point in their life, but many people are still too afraid of the consequences of speaking out or seeking help.

Despite a greater willingness to discuss the issue, the prince said that a lot of stigma remains, meaning "so many people are suffering in silence".

He added: "For some reason, people are embarrassed about their emotions - British people particularly," he told a packed audience at Davos.

He feels the British stiff upper lip that was common in previous generations has a lot to do with it.

The attitude was passed onto children, especially after the First and Second world wars when it became difficult to talk about "such horrendous circumstances".

"A whole generation inherited [this way of coping]. This was the way you deal with your problems: you don't talk about it."

But he said "a new generation knows that's not normal" and is becoming aware that it's better to be open about how they are feeling.

Content from BBC website

Welcome Dan really appreciate you taking time out of busy schedule can you give us your background and how you came to run empire sales?

Over the years, I have been fortunate to have worked in London, Sydney and now New York with highly talented people at high growth, innovative companies including GE Capital, Thomson Reuters, LinkedIn, Sprinklr and now my own company Empire Selling.

Launching the social selling business unit at LinkedIn, bringing LinkedIn Sales Navigator to market and creating LinkedIn’s profile optimization program for sales professionals ‘Resume to Reputation’ afforded me the opportunity to meet thousands of sales leaders and sellers around the world across all industries.

It was a lot of heavy lifting but was blessed to be recognized by Onalytica Research as one of the leading ‘social selling influencers globally’. My experience as VP Sales at Sprinklr expanded my knowledge from social selling with LinkedIn to social selling and marketing with Twitter, Facebook and other social channels globally, the broader web, video and mobile technologies. Sprinklr is now valued at $1.8bn.

What gets me out of bed every morning? Coaching people to realize their true potential allowing them to provide the best lives for themselves and their loved ones. I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.

1) What is social selling?

• Social selling is about leveraging your social network to find the right prospects, build trusted relationships, and ultimately, achieve your sales goals.

• Ensure connecting with Right people, Right accounts and deliver Right message.

• This sales technique enables better sales lead generation and sales prospecting process and eliminates the need for cold calling.

• Building and maintaining relationships is easier within the network that you and your customer trust.

2) Why is this so vital in today’s buying cycle?

• Buyers conduct 70% of their research and qualification before even speak to a sales person. They are seeking to find trusted partners.

• Your company and personal brand is vital currency.

• Sales automation bombarded with poor quality content.

• BRING HUMAN BACK INTO THE SALES PROCESS.

• Today, marketing is only driving 30% of the total sales leads.

• To be successful, sales reps need to have their own lead generation solution to hit quota and achieve sales goals.

• However, the traditional long process of sales prospecting and cold calling are limiting sales professionals to efficiently find high quality sales leads.

• It wasn’t long ago that cold calling was a necessary sales prospecting technique.

3) How do gain buy in from senior sales leaders and overcome resistance to change?

• Sales leaders know many activities don’t work as they used to.

• They need a new play book.

• Need to solve for the future – play to their self-interest.

• Adaption is not about age it is about mindset, who get business and integrate the social aspect.

Empire Selling is the world’s only company-wide social selling methodology. We help companies align internally for explosive growth externally. Companies that infuse our methodology into marketing, sales and business operations win more customers and deepen relationships with existing ones. Our programs challenge conventional thinking, are easy to implement and show immediate results.

Find us at: www.empireselling.com

Number 3:

Enterprise sales person who add value first, 70% more likely to close the sale.

Number 2:

Always look to build your network with others – ‘high impact least effort’. Join an ‘exclusive’ club only 5% of humans who help fellow people in this way.

Number 1:

To stand out from your competitors - conduct your due diligence.

what are your prospects:

Fears

Ambitions

Values

Doubts

Motivators?